GIRLS
Hannah Tarwater has improved this season and is looking to improve on her 2nd place finish last year at state. The Whitesburg Christian freshmen has led the classification all season long. She will face competition from last year's winner, St Bernard freshmen, Ivy Edge. Edge hasn't seem much improvement this season but is still going to push the race up front. Edge will receive help from sophomore teammate Leahrose Mami.
Westminster School at Oak Mountain celebrates the win at Sectionals.
The team competition is going to be a rematch of 2014. St Bernard brings in a strong squad to defend their title. My early pick of Westminster School at Oak Mountain (2nd last year) may not have the depth needed to win...but is certainly capable if all things come together on Saturday. WSOM's Maddie Hoaglund and Sarah Kate Lipperd have been dependable all season but they will need Middle Schoolers Hallie Porterfield and Morgan White to help them out.
BOYS
Dylan Pausic competes at sectionals -- and defends his 2014 title on Saturday.
Shades Mountain Senior Dylan Pausic is the guy to beat Saturday in 1A2A. While not quite at the time he was last year at sectionals, Pausic still leads the 1A2A Boys in his attempt to defend his individual title last year. He will face the biggest competition from St Bernard senior Steven Mami. Mami has run 16:20 putting him only a few seconds behind Pausic.
The title will be contested mostly by Cold Springs and St Bernard. The Cold Springs boys are looking to defend their title from last year and they definitely have the firepower to do so. Led by sophomore CJ Lang and Junior Jared Stanley, the Eagles average only 17:07 this season. Cold Springs will face a tough St Bernard boys squad who has the front runners but not quite the depth through number 5.