ASICS Future Stars: Freshman Girls Update #3
ASICS Future Stars: Freshman Girls Update #3
By Dennis Young
As we pointed out in the first 2015 cross country Futures Stars update, the freshman girls category is more like Present Stars--ninth-grade girls finished in the top ten at both NXN and Foot Locker last year, while only one freshman boy qualified for the two races combined. And now we're getting to crunch time, with several state meets in the books and regional qualifying meets right around the corner.
Here are ten freshman girls that could make an impact in November, December, and the years to come.
As we pointed out in the first 2015 cross country Futures Stars update, the freshman girls category is more like Present Stars--ninth-grade girls finished in the top ten at both NXN and Foot Locker last year, while only one freshman boy qualified for the two races combined. And now we're getting to crunch time, with several state meets in the books and regional qualifying meets right around the corner.
Here are ten freshman girls that could make an impact in November, December, and the years to come.
Kelsey Chmiel (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Chmiel has only raced once since our last update, but it was a doozy. In a meet containing two of the then-top five (and still-top nine) girls teams in the country, Chmiel won the Section 2 Suburban Council by fourteen seconds, covering the three mile course in 17:07. That's the fourth best three miler by a freshman girl this fall.
Ember Stratton (Portland, OR)
Stratton has been in every Future Stars update this fall, and she's only gotten better as the season has progressed. In October, she finished first or second every time that she lined up, culminating in a 17:42 second place at the Oregon state meet, where it took a course record to beat her. Stratton owns the nation's top 5K and three mile freshman times this fall.
Tiahna Vladic (Billings, MT)
Vladic was already good enough to be considered a future star, and that was before she slashed twelve seconds from her three mile personal best at the Montana state meet. There, she was third in 17:08 (the U.S. #5 freshman three mile) behind two Flo50-ranked girls, Annie Hill and Christina Aragon.
Quinn McConnell (Lafayette, CO)
McConnell's stellar rookie campaign--since September 5th, her only loss has been to Flo50 No. 11 Cate Ratliff--continued with a nine-second win in the 3A race at the Colorado State meet. McConnell and her freshman teammate Anna Shults actually swept the top two spots in that race.
Chloe Arriaga (Walnut, CA)
Arriaga ran the fastest time of any freshman girl in the dozens of races at Mt. SAC, going 17:28 to take fourth in the individual sweepstakes race. The second fastest freshman girl in Walnut that day? Chloe's twin sister and Walnut High teammate Emma, who ran 17:37.
Eve Jensen (Boise, ID)
In a state chock full of stud freshmen--there were three in the top seven in the 5A race on Saturday--Jensen is the best one. She took second in Idaho, running 18:41 for 5K behind sophomore Rachel Morrin.
Emma Wilson (Greencastle, IN)
Wilson was the top freshman girl at the Indiana state championship, where she ran 18:16 for eighth place. This is her third straight appearance in a Future Stars update.
Samantha Schadler (Rio Rico, AZ)
Schadler has been up and down this fall--she's never had consecutive times that started with the same minute, and there's a a full two minutes between her fastest and slowest 5K this fall. She appears thanks to the strength of her 17:44 5K at the Desert Twilight XC festival and 18:08 runner-up finish at her section meet a month later.
Devianna Salcedo (McFarland, CA)
Salcedo has made every Future Stars update this fall, and she shows no sign of dropping off: her two best races have been at huge meets in October. She won her section at Clovis and Mt. SAC; at the latter meet, she was the fourth fastest freshman. Salcedo's 17:05 three mile at the Seaside Invite is the third fastest freshman girl three mile this year.
Gracie Sprankle (Powell, OH)
This is Sprankle's first appearance on the watch list. She's raced nine times already this fall, placing in the top three all nine times; her 17:43 third place at the Ohio Capital Conference Championship is the eighth fastest 5K by a freshman girl in the United States this fall.