ASICS Future Stars: Sophomore Girls Final Release

ASICS Future Stars: Sophomore Girls Final Release

Dec 1, 2015 by Lincoln Shryack
ASICS Future Stars: Sophomore Girls Final Release



Top sophomore Annie Hill is undefeated in 2015

With only Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker Championships remaining on the 2015 calendar, well, besides that pesky FL West regional, the very best underclassmen in the country have all but been identified. In our final release of the ASICS Future Stars list, top priority was given to those who have advanced on to either or both championships, as the elite athletes always save their best for last. 
 
With that said, here is the first of four final Future Stars (yay alliteration!) releases coming over the next several days. We’ll kick things off with a look at the ladies from the Class of 2018.

First Team

Annie Hill (Kalispell, MT)



Hill’s perfect season remains intact after her latest triumph at NXN Northwest on November 21st, however her real focus is next weekend’s Foot Locker West regional, as the Glacier High (MT) sophomore will once again skip NXN so that she can race in the San Diego qualifier. It’s so uncool that FL West and NXN are on the same day, and Hill is one talented victim that must choose between the two championships. Since she was eighth as a frosh at FL ’14, perhaps it wasn’t too difficult of a decision.  
 

Madison Troy (Grandville, MI)


 
Grandville (MI) sophomore Madison Troy completed the brutal NXN/Foot Locker qualification double, finishing fourth at NXN Midwest two weeks ago and sixth at her Foot Locker regional this past Saturday. With just the Foot Locker West region yet to be run, Troy is the only 10th grade girl to advance to both championships.
 

Taylor Cuneo (Murfreesboro, TN)


 
The top freshman at NXN a year ago (8th), Cuneo punched her ticket back to Portland on Saturday with her fourth place finish at the Southeast region. The Central Magnet (TN) sophomore won the Tennessee state title on November 7th for the second straight year. 
 

Rafaella Gibbons (Orlando, FL)


 
Despite only placing fifth at the Florida state meet, Winter Park’s Rafaella Gibbons bounced back nicely this weekend with her third place showing at NXN Southeast, earning top sophomore honors at the race by beating Taylor Cuneo by just .2 seconds. Gibbons has immense talent— her 10:27 on the track last spring was the fastest 3200m by a frosh in 2015. 
 

Alyssa Aldridge (Linwood, NJ)


 
Aldridge, a sophomore from Linwood, NJ, recorded her first loss of 2015 on Saturday at Foot Locker Northeast, but that likely mattered little to her as her sixth place finish will send her to San Diego for the first time. Her 17:07 5K from mid-October still stands as the second-fastest by a sophomore in 2015. 
 

Lindsey Payne (Glen Ellyn, IL)


 
Payne established the fastest 3-mile mark by a sophomore in 2015 with her 16:15 at the Illinois state meet, good for second at Detweiller Park on November 7th. One week later, the Glenbard West 10th grader secured her trip to Portland by finishing sixth at NXN Midwest.
 

Allie Chipman (Highlands Ranch, CO)


 
Top athletes that run at high altitudes throughout the season tend to get lost among the sea level stars, but an exception is easily made for Colorado’s Allie Chipman, who wrapped up her regular season with a fourth place finish at the State meet. Chipman’s 17:50 5K PR was run at 5,840 ft, which converts to 17:28 for a sea level effort.

And now... a look at our other top sophomores from the 2015 season:


Second Team


Sue Cleveland High (NM) sophomore Amanda Mayoral


Amanda Mayoral
(Rio Rancho, NM)

New Mexico state champion; 3rd at NXN Southwest 
 

Ellie Lawler (Wakefiled, RI)

Rhode Island state champion; 8th at Foot Locker Northeast
 

Jessi Larson (Saline, MI)

2nd at Michigan state meet; 14th at Foot Locker Midwest
 

Jocelyn Long (Barrington, IL)

5th at Illinois state meet; 7th at NXN Midwest
 

Emily Virtue (Burbank, CA)

6th at CIF D1 (Top sophomore)
 

Julia Curtin (Beverly, MA)

2nd at Massachusetts state meet, #5 5K for Class of 2018 (17:26)
 

Morgan Gigandet (Troy, OH)

8th at Foot Locker Midwest; #6 5K for Class of 2018 (17:26)

Third Team


Traverse City Central (MI) sophomore Sielle Kearney


Sielle Kearney
(Traverse City, MI)

5th at Michigan state meet, #4 5K for Class of 2018 (17:25)
 

Anne Forsyth (Ann Arbor, MI)

#7 5K for Class of 2018 (17:26)
 

Molly Born (Shawnee, KS)

Kansas state champion; 6th at NXN Heartland
 

Kristen Garcia (Sedro Woolley, CA)

5th at NXN Northwest
 

Bailey Hertenstein (Riverview, FL)

Florida state champion
 

Caitlyn Collier (Jacksonville, FL)

2nd at Florida state meet; 7th at NXN Southeast
 

Lydia Olivere (Wilmington, DE)

Delaware state champion; 8th at NXN Southeast