Lauren Gregory ran essentially unchallenged to last year's state title. That's not how the script is setting up this year. Photo by Alan Versaw.
We've already begun to discuss this in the 10 Questions for State article, but 5A Girls has two major questions to answer on Saturday. Who will win the individual contest? And who will win the team contest? Both of those questions should keep us squarely on the edges of our seats until race time.
The individual title appears to come down to Lauren Gregory, Allie Chipman, and Brie Oakley. If you like experience, you like Lauren Gregory (though, interestingly, none of the three have race experience on the current configuration of the state course). If you like big-race mettle, you are impressed with what Allie Chipman laid down at Woodbridge back in September. If you like a fresh face to stir the pot of expectations, you have to like Brie Oakley.
Suffice it to say all three bring a fair bit of pressure with them to the state meet on Saturday. Allie...
