3A GIRLS
The 3A Girls is a division that sneaks under the radar some times and getting overshadowed by the larger divisions. This year six girls have broken the 20 minute barrier with two of them going under 19 minutes at different times throughout the season. 2011 3A State Champion Karissa Nelson (TR Miller) leads the pack running a season best of 18:10 at sectionals last weekend. Kaitlin York (American Christian), Allie Nelson (8th in 3A, 2011 - TR Miller), Mary Catherine Branyon (Bayside), Emma Kate Holdbrooks (6th in 3A, 2011 - Winfield), and Katherine Terino (4th in 3A, 2011 - Catholic-Montgomery) round out the others under 20 minutes.
2011 State Champion Montgomery Academy dropped to 1A/2A for the 2012 season. This leaves the Bayside, TR Miller, Pisgah, and American Christian Academy fighting for the top 2 spots. Bayside will be trying to offset the top 5 impact the Nelson sisters (TR Miller) will have on scoring. ACA could possibly be spread out through the race but should show well at the end of the day. While Pisgah doesn't have anyone in the top 10, they run a tight pack and will depend on their 5th runner to help their team overcome ACA. If you are standing at the finish line, Pisgah and ACA will be fun to watch as several of their runners are matched in times.