Linderman, Potts lead area harriers at PIAA championships
After finishing fourth in the WPIAL, Ethan Linderman of Canon-McMillan posted the best finish (32nd) among area male athletes during the PIAA cross country championships held last weekend in Hershey.
Kelsey Potts from Mt. Lebanon finished fifth during the PIAA Class AAA girls’ cross country championships.
After a successful showing during the WPIAL championships, Danielle Hinish of Bethel Park qualified for the PIAA cross country finals and placed 70th overall in the Class AAA girls’ division with a 19:56 time.
Chloe Grzyb from Peters Township finished 57th overall with a 19:48 time during the PIAA cross country championships.
Although he finished first for his team and helped Mt. Lebanon to a third-place showing in the WPIAL championships, Ian Baun could do nothing to slow down North Allegheny as the Tigers went on to win the PIAA Class AAA boys’ title, their second in five years and 12th overall. Todd Gunzenhauser led all Lebo harriers at states, finishing 89th overall with a 17:07 time.
The PIAA cross country championships does not signal the end of the running for many high school harriers. It’s a continuation of sorts. And, at Canon-McMillan, it’s the commencement of track.
“We are going to take a little rest and then start preparing for track and field, where we have very high goals as well,” said C-M skipper Mark Galley. “We are looking forward to track and field because we had a great [cross-country] season.”
Indeed, the Big Macs were wildly successful. After finishing as the WPIAL runner-up in the Class AAA boys’ competition, Canon-Mac finished 17th as a team at states. The Big Macs ran without No. 2 harrier. For religious reasons, Jonathan Weese does not compete on Saturdays and the state finals were held Nov. 1 in Hershey. A senior, Weese placed 17th overall during the WPIAL finals.
Ethan Linderman led all area runners. The C-M senior finished 32nd overall with a 16:35 time. Jack Brophy from Central Bucks East won the race in 15:24.
“Ethan ran a good race but just missed his goal of medaling,” said Galley. “All our other boys ran solid races and gained valuable experience for the future.”
While senior Michael Strosko clocked in at 17:15, four additional Big Macs, all underclassmen, posted times under 18 minutes. Among them were sophomores Matt Mansfield (17:35), Jonas Wudkwych (17:50) and James Zukowski (17:56), and junior Michael Cappelli (17:48). Junior Jonathan Klan completed the race in 18:51.
On the female side, Morgan Grudi finished 67th overall for the Lady Macs. The sophomore finished in 19:52.
“Morgan had an excellent race and was happy to break 20 minutes on that course,” said Galley of the hilly 3.1-mile expanse through the Hershey area. Despite the chilly conditions, temperatures in the mid-40s, Galley added his runners as well as the district fared well. “The WPIAL did very well at the meet.”
District 7, indeed, experienced success.
With three finishers in the Top 26, North Allegheny won its second Class AAA team title in five years and 12th overall, racking up 72 points to runner-up Contestoga’s 119. With the help of Shaun Hay, Winchester Thurson claimed the Class A boys’ title with 65 points. The McMurray resident placed 43rd overall in 17:41 time.
Individually, Brianna Schwartz of Shaler won her first state title after winning three WPIAL crowns.
Kelsey Potts followed Schwartz, finishing among the top five. The Mt. Lebanon junior medaled in fifth place with an 18:08 time. Madeleine Davison from NA, the WPIAL runner-up to Schwartz, took third in 17:57. The pair helped their teams to fifth- and fourth-place showings respectively in the team standings behind champion Pennsburgy (68), runner-up Unionville (73) and third-place finisher Cardinal O’Hara (104).
In addition to Potts, junior Grade Tandon (19:52), Sadie Saxton (20:00) and Claire Dougherty (20:07) contributed to Lebo’s fifth-place finish. Freshman Rory Vigrass (20:27), senior Ellie Meinzer (21:50) and junior Frankie Kavalir (21:53) ran well for the Blue Devils, who totaled 175 points.
Meanwhile, the Lebo men placed seventh in the Class AAA boys’ team standings. Todd Gunzenhauser crossed the finish line first for the Blue Devils. The sophomore ran a 17:07 time to place 89th overall. Other top runners for Lebo included: Ian Harris (17:15), Joshua Kalapos (17:16), Matthew Stone (17:29), Bryce Brandenstein (17:38), Zach Dewitt (18:08) and Ian Baun (18:40). Stone and Baun are the lone seniors in Lebo’s line-up.
In Class AA, South Fayette took 10th in the boys’ standings with a 258 score while the Lady Lions finished 15th in the girls’ team standings. York Suburban (86) and Grove City (117) captured the boys’ championship and runner-up trophies while Villa Maria Academy (60), Scranton Prep (117) and Quaker Valley (122) placed 1-2-3 for the females.
Individually, Aaron Pfeil paced South Fayette. The sophomore finished 38th overall with a 17:08 time. Devan Sandala (17:36), Sam Snodgrass (17:50), Alex Fraser (18:13), Michael Cusick (18:13), Mitchell Downs (19:33) and Michael Hasis (19:38) rounded out the Lions’ line-up, which features just two seniors.
Freshman Maria DeCello and junior Hannah Kenawell both clocked a 21:31 to lead the Lady Lions across the finish line. Senior Natalie Hilton followed in 21:49. Sydney Lerda (22:10), Morgan Gimigliano (22:28), Jenne Harasin (23:27), and Grace Orecchio (24:53) completed SF’s line-up.
Individual shine
Several area individuals excelled during the PIAA championships.
In Class A girls, Becca Volz finished 26th overall. The Bishop Canevin sophomore covered the course in 20:19. Her teammate, Mary Olivia Philbin placed 74th overall. The senior ran a 21:29 time.
Nick Wolk from Peters Township placed 46th overall in the Class AAA boys’ division. The junior clocked in at 16:47. Chloe Grzyb, also from Peters, finished 57th among Class AAA girls. She posted a 19:48 time.
Finally, Danielle Hinish was 70th overall in Class AAA. The Bethel Park junior ran a 19:56 time.