By Johanna Gretschel for MileSplit

Check out MileSplitÂ’s preview of the 2015 Foot Locker GirlsÂ’ Championship Race:

Then click here for much more on the girls' race!

The Front-Runner:

No. 1 ranked Weini Kelati has a sense of urgency in 2015 that no other runner knows; this is her junior year academically, but her final school year of athletics eligibility as she is 19 years old. Can she get the job done? Kelati is undefeated and has won her races by an average of 57 seconds. Last year, she faltered to fellow Virginian Libby Davidson at the region and state meets but the tables have turned this fall. Kelati owns the nation's second-fastest 5K time this year (16:29); the national leader, Katie Rainsberger, is not racing here.

Kelati's greatest strength-- her fearlessness in setting a tough pace from the start -- may also be her downfall. Last year in San Diego, she went out hard with Anna Rohrer and Ryen Frazier before fading to 20th place. Is she fit enough to sustain her pace?

The Challengers:

Nevada Mareno, the No. 3 ranked runner in the nation, has adjusted quickly to cross country after her first year of serious summer training. She set a course record at Wake Med (16:36 for 5K) and was undefeated this fall until Foot Locker South, when she lost to Weini Kelati by 22 seconds. But now Mareno knows Kelati's style and she is certainly a proven racer -- she is, after all, the runner who rose to fame after out-kicking esteemed miler Ryen Frazier at indoor nationals last winter in the mile. Mareno ran the same pre-Foot Locker tune-up track races as Frazier did last fall and ran even faster than the NC State frosh in posting a 4:43 mile and 10:02.89 3200m.
 

If anyone can match an opening mile close to five minutes flat -- that Kelati has ripped out before -- it's a girl with 10-minute two mile wheels... but if the 5K turns into a mile race, there's not too many other girls (read: no other girls) in the field who can match the former soccer specialist's speed over four laps.

Annie Hill, a sophomore from Glacier High School in Montana, has enjoyed a frighteningly dominant season. She ran 16:30 to break the Montana state meet course record by three seconds; that mark was previously held by Makena Morley, third at Foot Locker last year. Hill is undefeated this fall and won NXN Northwest -- a warm-up for Foot Locker West and Foot Locker Nationals -- by two seconds over Christina Aragon (4:37 miler/35th at NXN) and 12 seconds over Ella Donaghu (NXN runner-up).



She won Foot Locker West by "only" one second over Utah state champion Kate Hunter, but that's probably part of the plan. Hill peaked perfectly in her frosh campaign, landing top frosh honors at Foot Locker Nationals (8th, 17:52) after placing "just" fourth at both NXN Northwest and Foot Locker West.

Harvard recruit Judy Pendergast may be the most improved prep in the nation. Just a year ago, she was celebrating her national breakout with a 22nd-place performance at Nike Cross Nationals. Last weekend, she led the pack in Portland and finished with a top ten position (8th, 17:20.8) in what she admitted was a disappointing performance. The Illinois state champion is one of the most consistent runners in the nation -- even when she doesn't win, she keeps things close. Of the early leaders at NXN (they went out in 5:14 for the mile), Pendergast finished the best in eighth place compared to Kaitlyn Neal in 15th and Stephanie Jenks in 25th.



If that humbling run encourages Pendergast to stay calm in the pack for the first few miles, she has the speed (U.S. No. 1 15:53 three mile PR!) to take the 'W' in this field.

No. 6 ranked Taylor Werner is a veteran of these championships. The senior from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri qualified for both NXN and Foot Locker Nationals as a freshman (40th/13th) and sophomore (5th/10th). As a junior, she cut her junior post-season due to a stress reaction in her pelvis. She was back on track in the spring, though her times were far from her best. But a healthy summer seems to have cured all, as Werner is running the fastest marks of her career and enjoying an undefeated run.
 

Most notably, she destroyed her own course record at the Missouri state championship by 17 seconds (17:14.22 for 5K). Then, instead of going for broke at both NXN and Foot Locker, she chose to focus solely on San Diego -- and with optimal results so far. The Arkansas recruit became just the second prep behind two-time Foot Locker Nationals champion Anna Rohrer to break 17 minutes on the University of Wisconsin-Kenosha course for Foot Locker Midwest with a 16:57.3, No. 2 All-Time performance. The victory secured a 'W' over top ranked prep Judy Pendergast, who owns the nation's fastest three mile time this year (15:53).

Check out the boys' preview here!