South Fayette takes third in PIAA cross country championships
Aaron Pfeil finished fourth overall during the PIAA Class AA boys’ cross country championships and helped South Fayette to a third-place showing in the team standings.
Savannah Shaw of Upper St. Clair finished 14th overall during the PIAA Class AAA cross country championships.
Just getting into the mix has been the mantra for South Fayette this cross country season. During the PIAA championships held Nov. 5 in Hershey, the Lions were in the mix with a vengeance.
The Lions exacted a bit of revenge on their rivals when they took third in the Class AA boy’ division. South Fayette managed 122 points and followed champion Dallas (96) and York Suburban (116) in the standings while the Lions’ adversaries from the WPIAL, Quaker Valley and Greensburg Salem finished fifth and seventh respectively.
“If we’re in the mix and we have a chance, then I like our odds to win with this group of guys as much as anyone’s,” SF coach Joe Winans said. “And even though we were a bit disappointed from our third place finish at WPIAL’s, to come back and show what we were really made of on the biggest stage, leap-frogging QV and Salem to finish as PIAA No. 3, was very gratifying. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of runners.”
Aaron Pfeil made South Fayette the most proud with his fourth-place showing overall, becoming the highest individual finisher in school history. The senior clocked a 16:28 while his teammate, Sam Snodgrass followed in 16:37 for sixth place.
But, the Lions also depended upon Silas Mays, Mike Cusick and Colin Dunn for their fine showing. Each of the harriers placed in the Top 50, clustered between 17:47 and 17:53 times. Joey Cavanaugh and Ryan Hayes also raced for the Lions and posted 18:25 and 19:18 times.
“If our 3-5 runners were able to put in sub-18:00 efforts then it would be hard for teams in that grouping to beat us,” Winans said. “When the scores were posted and we saw that we were only six points away from second place, our boys were elated.”
Shaw thrills them
At Upper St. Clair, the Panthers were equally thrilled with Savannah Shaw. The junior finished 14th overall in the Class AAA girls’ division with a 18:55 time.
“We got goosebumps watching her round the last loop and then charge up the final hill,” USC coach Doug Petrick said. “It was such a tremendous race for her.”
Petrick noted that it was rewarding to watch other WPIAL ladies turn in “gutsy” races. For example, out of the 25 female medalists, there were six from District 7 in that race.
Oakland Catholic finished as the PIAA runner-up and Megan Nagy from McMurray helped contribute to that showing. The junior finished 30th overall in 20:00 while WPIAL runner-up Lauren Finikiotis scored seventh place in 18:36.
“We know how competitive runners are from Central PA and out East, so it’s a feather in the cap of the WPIAL to have such a sizable group of women get on the medal stand,” Winans said.
Other top showings
• Shaun Hay from Peters Township helped Winchester Thurston capture the Class A boys’ state title with a 62 score. The senior placed 10th overall with a 17:02 time.
• Mt. Lebanon’s Patrick Anderson and Peter Cosentino finished 101st and 116th respectively with times of 17:17 and 17:25 in the Class AAA boys’ division while Allison Small placed 62nd (20:04) in the girls’ class.
• Chartiers Valley’s Czar Tarr was 69th (17:05) for Class AAA boys, an improvement from his 166th position and 17:38 time from last year. “He got out well from the start and had a strong finish,” said CV coach Lori Poe. “Overall he had a great season, consistently running among the top runners in the area and getting strong each year.”
• Maria DeCello scored 102nd in Class AA girls. The South Fayette junior finished in 21:15.
• Becca Volz from Bishop Canevin placed 71st for Class A girls. The senior clocked a 21:28.
• Liz Farnan and Caitlin Guinee from Seton-La Salle finished in 22:05 and 22:51 for 101st and 144th position in Class A girls.