It will be interesting to see what transpires in the distance events as few of the top teams contending for the team title will have some of their key runners doubling (and tripling) to try and accumulate some big points. In he 3,000m, La Salle has a chance to score 18 points with a possible 1-2 finish from junior teammates Grace Connolly and Emily Kane. Connolly won the Yale Track Classic with the state's fastest time of 10:01.32 and Kane has done 10:09.68, the next fastest time. The two training partners are used to running together and will more than likely follow suit this weekend, working together with hopes of getting that key 1-2 finish. But a few runners can break up the party, such as cross-country state champion Ellie Lawler of South Kingstown and Portsmouth sophomore Elizabeth Sullivan. Lawler has done 10:12 this season and Sullivan owns a best of 10:21. The Patriots are a legitimate contender for the state crown and Sullivan is well aware of it. That extra motivation could push her to a PR performance and top three finish. On the subject of Portsmouth, there's also gifted tenth- grader Nikki Merrill, a runner that can certainly score plenty for her teammates. Merrill is entered in the 600m (1:38.74), 1,000m (2:59.54) and 1,500m (4:41.07), events she owns the top seed. She's also listed as a possible leg on the Patriots' top-ranked 4x800m relay squad (9:42.31). Merrill has a best of 4:41 in the 1,500m. It would appear that her biggest challenger in the 1,500m would be Westerly's Randi Burr, the No. 2 seed. Burr comes into the meet with a PB of 4:43.71, but has done sub 4:40 outdoor (4:38.23) when she was second to La Salle graduate and mutliple state champion Eliza Rego at the State Meet in June. She's not afraid to run with the top pack and push the pace, a strategy she often does. She's also got some speed in her legs. She ran 1:39 in the 600m at last week's Last-Chance Qualifier. But Merrill should be considered the favorite. She ran a fantastic double at the divisional championships where she clocked 4:43 for 1,500m and then ran her sub three minutes for the 1,000m. Like most of her top competitors, she's a gutsy runner and will run faster than her PB if pushed, something that will more than likely occur this Saturday. Connolly, Kane and Sullivancould contend up front, but will all be coming off the 3K, a race that might be less tactical than hoping for the trio due to the impact of the event for their teams in the overall scoring. There's also Barrington's Katie Zitzmann, who was fourth at the outdoor State Meet with a PR of 4:40. Zitzmann enters with a seed time of 4:52. Will she have her best race on Saturday? How about the 600m? Again, it's Merrill that will be the favorite. She ran a fast 1:35.83 (US #23) to win the event at the Boston Holiday Challenge back in December on the banked oval of the Reggie Lewis Center. She will be joined on the line by two others that have gone under 1:40, Hope sisters Leinni Valdez(1:39.69) and Lisbeth Valdez (1:39.98). You can't forget defending titlist Meghann McGuire, who goes into the meet with a season best of 1:40.04. This has potential to be one of those races where three or four runners will still be in contention coming down the last straightaway. With Merrill having competed in the 600m shortly before, look for the La Salle duo of Kane and Connolly to try and take the zip out of her legs by hammering away early in the 1K. The two Rams runners rank No. 2 and No. 4 in the race with times of 3:03.19 and 3:03.69, respectively. There's also the third-seeded Burr (3:03.47) and Sullivan (3:04.92) that should be in that lead pack. The 4x800m should be competitive, too. Three of the top teams that should figure in the mix for the overall title, also hold the top three seed times - Portsmouth, La Salle (9:51.31) and North Kingstown (10:03.88).