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FAIRBANKS — If everything clicks for a trio of sisters on Saturday at the Region VI Cross Country Championships, all six will punch their tickets to the state finals.

The Edic siblings from Lathrop (senior Heather and freshman Megan), Schmitz sisters from North Pole (junior Christi and freshman Kelly) and Rorabaugh duo from West Valley (junior Marisa and freshman Eliza) will also be vital in determining how the team rankings shake out.

While Heather Edic and Christi Schmitz have been duking it out at the front all season and are expected to do so again on Saturday, the other four aren’t far behind. And all three pairs have used the sibling connection to their advantage.

Heather is happy to share tips about tactics and technique, and it seems to be helping: Megan has already eclipsed her big sister’s freshman times and is shooting to eventually pass her on Lathrop’s all-time list, where Heather has made a big jump to third this year.

“She’s way faster than I was as a freshman, so it’s really exciting for me,” Heather said after a workout on Tuesday at Birch Hill Recreation Area, located a virtual stone’s throw from where the Edics grew up.

Heather, who before this season had never broken 20 minutes for a 5-kilometer race, also gave some important advice about realistic goal-setting.

“At the beginning of the year, (Megan) was like ‘I want to run 18' (minutes) and I was like ‘Maybe you should set a goal that’s closer to what you can do,’” Heather said.

While Megan can’t yet hang with Heather, she does hope on Saturday to stick with the older Rorabaugh sibling.

Marisa knows both sides of the sibling scenario. Two years ago, she was a freshman when big sis Becca was a senior. Now the situation is reversed.

“Being the younger sister, I was always trying to stay out of Becca’s way and making sure that I didn’t do anything to make her angry,” Marisa said Wednesday. “Being the older sister, it’s more you have somebody to look out for a little bit.”

Not that Eliza, who just started running competitively this season, always heeds Marisa’s suggestions.

“I usually use it if I remember it, but I don’t really think all that much when I’m running,” Eliza said.

Marisa — sixth at last year’s state championships — has been hampered this season with an ankle injury. In several races Eliza has thus been in her range, though she has yet to place ahead of Marisa (except when she dropped out once due to the ankle).

“When we see each other, we want to beat each other, but we try to help each other out at the same time,” Eliza said.

Added Marisa, who says she can now run without an ankle brace: “We’re all very competitive with each other. The older ones, we really don’t want to get beat by our younger sisters.”

The Schmitz girls are also competitive, even beyond the athletic arena. But Kelly credits Christi for picking up the sport this season.

“I probably wouldn't be running if it wasn’t for her being on the team, because I never even thought about running cross country at all (before),” Kelly said.

She only “sometimes” listens to technique advice like shortening her stride on uphills.

“I don’t when I’m really tired and I get mad and frustrated with her,” Kelly said. “Usually it actually makes sense what she says, even if I don’t want to listen to it.”

If North Pole doesn’t qualify as a team, Kelly will need to place in the top 10 individuals to earn a berth to the state meet. At the last race in Salcha, Kelly finished 12th but was only five seconds behind 10th place.

Christi says having her sister on the team makes her try harder.

“She’s been getting a lot faster too so it makes me want to keep improving,” Christi said.

North Pole coach Joe Trubacz said the Schmitz girls are a huge part of the Patriots’ squad.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be much of a team as far as being competitive,” he said Tuesday.

There will be at least one other sister act on Saturday. Twins Nicole and Megan Schreder of Monroe Catholic went 1-2 at the small schools region championships last year and could repeat that accomplishment.

Championships details

The 5K races at Birch Hill Recreation Area begin at 10 a.m. with the girls 1A-2A-3A race and continue with the girls 4A event at 10:45. The boys 1A-2A-3A showdown is at 11:30 and the boys 4A clash starts 12:15 p.m.

The top two teams in the 4A races qualify for the state championships Oct. 4 in Palmer, along with any other individual among the top 10. For 1A-2A-3A, only one team, along with the top 10, qualifies.

The 4A girls are certain to see a new individual champion because four-time winner Crystal Pitney of West Valley has graduated. If Schmitz pulls it off, she’ll be the first North Pole girl since Kellie Baker in 1996 to be region champ; if Edic prevails, she’d be the first Malemute since Kate Pearson in 1995.

The Wolfpack girls are seeking their 10th straight title but should get a strong challenge from Lathrop.

Werner Hoefler of West Valley is a heavy favorite to defend his region 4A title while the Wolfpack boys will go for their 15th win in 17 years.

In 1A-2A-3A, last year Eielson qualified both the girls and boys teams for the first time since 1987.

The Ravens could do it again. Eielson’s girls have been the only team at recent meets to have the required five runners finish to obtain a team score while the boys — Nick Best is their best runner — finished 18 points ahead of Delta Junction and 41 in front of Hutchison at the Salcha Invitational on Sept. 19.