Group 2 Girls Preseason Breakdown

Here is our breakdown of the Group 2 outlook for the 2019 season. Below you'll find athletes to watch, returning stats, and a few insights into the Group. Be sure to check out our NJSIAA Classification Returners HUB where you can get a statistical look at every Group and Section

Group 2 Girls Breakdown

• 2018 Individual Champion:
  Corinne Barney - Indian Hills - 19:09
  
• 2018 Team Champion:
  Metuchen - 64 pts
• 2018 Results - WATCH the Race

Individuals to Watch

Corinne Barney (Indian Hills), Sarah Naticchia (Haddonfield), Emma McGill (Voorhees), Caroline Schleif (Metuchen), Emily Levonas (Holmdel), Allison Lounsbury (Indian Hills), Payton Weiner (Haddonfield), Allison Colflesh (Haddonfield), Claudia Zhang (Holmdel), Caitlyn Joyce (Holmdel), Molly Kate Sabia (Pt. Pleasant Boro), Cassandra Daniele (Matawan), Sydney Todd (Monmouth Reg), Lindsay Colflesh (Haddonfield). 

Teams to Watch

Holmdel NJ#2, Indian Hills NJ#3, Haddonfield NJ#9, Voorhees NJ#10, Pt. Pleasant Boro

Quick Notes

- The route to a Meet of Champions title could very well travel through Group 2, they have FOUR teams ranked in the New Jersey top ten competing here including #2 Holmdel, #3 Indian Hills, #9 Haddonfield, and #10 Voorhees.

- With a young team Holmdel finished second in a close Group 2 title battle last year with Metuchen 64 to 74. After that they ran to third at the Meet of Champions only losing to two larger Group 4 schools. Holmdel returns every single spot from their top seven and should definitely be on everyone's radar this year.  

- Holmdel has a strong team throughout but their tight core up front led by Emily Levonas, Claudia Zhang, amd Caitlyn Joyce is a lot to handle for competing squads. Sportelli, Blasiak, Ai, and Schier make up the rest of that returning seven. 

- We have NJ#3 Indian Hills right there with Holmdel, finishing third in the group and fourth at the Meet of Champions in 2018. They lose their six and seven but bring back the entire top five! Three seniors and two sophomores.

- Indian Hills has a strong attack up front including their one card and defending Group 2 Champion Corinne Barney, also posted an 18:59 for 10th at MOCs. Their second runner Allison Lounsbury ran well as a freshman and should be a lot of help getting those early low sticks in the points with a full year of high school training behind her.  

- If Barney repeats she would be the first to win Group 2 individually two years in a row since Brianna Gess of Haddonfield did so in 2015 and 2016. 

- Haddonfield was already bringing back their entire talented squad from last fall but now also added Sarah Naticchia who will be switching over from field hockey. Naticchia ranked NJ#8 in the 1600m at 4:55.90 and NJ#9 in the 3200m at 10:48.87 this past spring and is entering her junior year. She finished sixth at the spring Meet of Champions in the 1600m and won Sectional titles in both events! 

- Voorhees loses one from their top seven last fall and are led by junior Emma McGill who could find her own individual success as well as a top contender for the Group 2 title. McGill ranked NJ#7 for the 1600m both indoor and outdoor over the track seasons with a PR of 4:55.66. She was third at Group 2 Champs last fall only nine seconds behind the defending champ Corinne Barney. 

Last Five Group 2 Winners