Last year, it seemed as if there was nothing the Emmaus girls cross country team couldn’t do. Like a magician with a rabbit and hat, the young ladies said abracadabra and wins materialized.

The team, behind the sterling running of then junior Hailey Reinhard, triumphed at the District 11 Class 3A championships and they won their second-straight Eastern Pennsylvania Conference title. If that wasn’t enough, they were undefeated during the regular season also.

That leads to this year. The question becomes can anyone in the EPC or District 11 catch Emmaus?

“This year is going to be highly competitive among athletes from other teams, and teams overall,” Emmaus head coach Kami Reinhard said. “Our girls will also need to perform at a higher level in order to accomplish the same goal.”

That’s because the competition is improving.

“In reality, even if we perform at the same level as last year, we need to consider the strengths of other teams who lost no athletes to graduation and may be gaining talented new runners,” the coach said.

It could be argued Hailey Reinhard is running at her own level, which is somewhere between awesome and more awesome. Reinhard has the potential to make this fall a special one.

Sophomore Payton Campbell, who finished ninth last year in districts, and freshman Madelyn McCartney have been training this summer with Hailey Reinhard. Sophomore Addison Johnson, junior Sophia Kovalski and senior Nicole Nosal also joined the group of runners and will contribute to the Hornet cause this fall.

While last year’s team will be champions always, this year’s squad may have something the 2021 version did not.

“There is more depth this year compared to last year and there are a number of athletes who have the ability to make a big difference for the girls team,” Kami Reinhard said. “I feel these girls display top-notch character, and hold very high standards.”

Isabella Scarlata, Addison Shank, Brooke Miller and Ava Rincon are also expected to impact the ‘22 edition. Emmaus welcomes some newcomers who could contribute this year. Kate Newhard and Olivia Fleck along with McCartney and Johnson embark on their own careers in gold and green.

Kami Reinhard and her staff take the responsibility of coaching seriously. Getting the most out of practice is just one way a coach tutors a runner.

“I consider myself ever-learning, and spend any time I can find gathering information from high school coaches, collegiate coaches, and evidence-based resources to develop the best possible program I can provide to our student-athletes,” Kami Reinhard said.