JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com

Had a chance to sit down with the Barr twins recently: Justine and Melanie, who are set to begin their sophomore season for Lampeter-Strasburg’s cross country team. Justine finished second in the league and second in the district last fall in her breakout freshman season. Melanie has dealt with some injuries early in her career. When she’s healthy, she’s tough. The Pioneers are hoping the Barr twins will be double trouble this season. Here’s my story from Tuesday’s New Era.

You have to look pretty close to tell Justine and Melanie Barr apart.

They are twins, after all.

If you’re stumped, ask them to smile. Melanie is the one with braces.

When it comes to the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls’ cross country circuit this fall, Lampeter-Strasburg’s team is hoping Justine and Melanie will be double trouble for the Pioneers’ opponents in the coming weeks.

Justine certainly was a year ago, when she had an unforgettable freshman season, clocking in a second-place finish in the L-L League championship, second again in the District 3 Triple-A championship, and finishing 21st in the PIAA championship.

“Did I expect all of that? Not really,” Justine said. “But it was fun. I didn’t even think I’d make it to States, so I was very surprised — but very satisfied.”

Melanie didn’t get as much satisfaction out of her freshman season. She only lost to five other runners — including her sister — during the regular season, and had high hopes for the postseason.

But just before the league championship, Melanie was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her foot and she missed the big three meets.

“I was sad, but I got to go and watch Justine run,” said Melanie, who is older by one minute.

“I was so proud of her. She’s my role model. I look up to her.”

Ditto for Justine, who said she probably wouldn’t be on the team if her sister wasn’t running. Justine and Melanie train together. They work out together. They run together.

“We’re pretty close,” Melanie said. “We’re best friends. It’s nice because you have someone to talk to while you’re out running. So we’re always encouraging each other.”

And that’s as far as it usually goes — encouragement. There is no sibling rivalry in the Barr household.

“We don’t like to compete against each other,” Justine said. “We just like to go out and run together.”

“They both love to run,” L-S coach Dave Ammon said. “They are true students of this sport, and they want to learn more and more. So I don’t have to worry about motivating them.”

If the Barr twins are looking for some motivation, they don’t have to look very far because 12 of the top 20 finishers from last year’s league meet — including Justine — are back this season.

That list includes Hempfield senior Sydney Clark, who hit the tape in 19:10.80 in last year’s league finale — 12 seconds ahead of Justine, who finished four seconds ahead of Lancaster Mennonite senior Lindsey Shertzer, one of the pre-race favorites.

Shertzer went on to win the District 3 Double-A title and is the reigning New Era Female Athlete of the Year.

Clark and her teammates were set to host reigning league champ Manheim Township and Mennonite, the reigning District 3 Double-A champ, in an intriguing girls’ meet this afternoon in Landisville.

The winner there will get a big leg up in the league race, which Township won last year with a 21-0 mark.

But with the Barr twins ready to go for their second varsity season — and not flying under the radar this time — it would be unwise for any of those teams to overlook L-S.

“I’m sure there are a lot of people looking at us,” Ammon admitted. “But our girls are mentally tough, and they’re ready to go.”

If you go to three meets this season, make it these:

The L-L League championship is set for Oct. 18 at Ephrata Middle School.

The District 3 championship is set for Oct. 27 at the former Parkview Golf Course in Hershey.

And the PIAA championship is set for Nov. 3, also at Parkview.

Melanie is hoping to stay healthy and make her debut in those three meets later this fall. After a breakout freshman season, Justine is hoping for an even better finish in those meets, but knows last year’s success will earn her a bull’s-eye.

“It’s a little overwhelming, but all I can do is to go out there and do my best, and whatever happens, happens,” Justine said. “It’s a great league, and there are a lot of great girls to run with and against. It’s great competition.”

Competition the Barr twins hope to conquer, leaving the opposition seeing double.