Area harriers prepared for WPIAL championships
Aoife-Ruby Dunne will be among the top female runners participating the WPIAL championships set for Oct. 27 at Coopers Lake. The sophomore finished 30th last year. She is Mt. Lebanon’s top harrier.
Bryce Brandenstein hopes to help Mt. Lebanon contend for a WPIAL title in boys’ cross country when the championships are held Oct. 27 at Coopers Lake. The junior helped lead Lebo to an undefeated section title this fall.
Think cross country is dull? A gun blast, and a pack of runners head up a hill, disappear into the woods and emerge 15 minutes later, sprinting for the finish line.
Well, that’s not the case when the WPIAL hosts its District VII championships at Cooper’s Lake Campground in Slippery Rock. The finals will begin at 12:45 p.m. Oct. 27, with the Class A girls’ race followed in 45-minute intervals by Class AA and Class AAA. The boys’ races start at 3 p.m. and conclude with the Class AAA competition at 4:30 p.m.
Four Class A girls’ teams qualify for the PIAA championships scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Parkview Cross Country Course in the Hershey Giant Center Complex. Three teams from all the other divisions advance to the state championships as well as the top individuals.
“The venue at Cooper’s Lake allows the coaches and spectators to see the entire race unfold and provide cheering and feedback at many spots along the course,” said Mt. Lebanon girls’ cross country coach Oscar Shutt.
Upper St. Clair coach Doug Petrick agreed.
“The setup of the course adds to the excitement,” he said. “There’s always a big fan turnout, and this support just adds to the prestige of the event.
“We’re lucky enough in the WPIAL to have a competitive district. Some places in the state may not get a chance to push their limits until the PIAA meet. Our kids know that with the WPIAL meet, they are going to run their best, because they are racing with the best. The level of competition at Cooper’s Lake is always a notch that gets our team to really step outside of their comfort zone.
Chartiers Valley coach Lori Poe added that the WPIAL finals are extremely exciting because there is such great competition among all classifications.
“The athletes are prepared and ready to race to their best times. It’s rewarding to see the kids excel,” she added. “The finals is when all the hard work pays off and you lay it on the line.”
Those that do lay it on the line emerge as the champions and the qualifiers. They have given themselves an opportunity, says South Fayette skipper Joe Winans.
“The best thing about the finals is the idea that on any given day, any team can put together a good race and do something phenomenal,” said Winans. “I’ve been saying it all season to our runners on both teams, just get in the mix. Give yourselves a chance. If you have the chance, then I’m 100 percent confident in what we do to know that we can be successful. All you need is a chance,” he added enthusiastically.
Among Almanac schools, Mt. Lebanon has the best chance of qualifying its boys’ and girls’ teams for the PIAA championships, while Upper St. Clair and South Fayette have an opportunity to see their best harrier on top the podium. The Lions and Canon-McMillan should also compete for one of the team slots.
Because they have dominated the team competition all season, North Allegheny, Lebo and Seneca Valley are expected to rule in boys’ Class AAA. The Tigers have won 28 WPIAL titles, including the past 11 in a row.
“You always have to pencil in North Allegheny as the favorite to win WPIALs as a team,” said Petrick. “Coach (John) Neff has those kids poised and ready to go come championship races.”
The Blue Devils ran the table and captured the section title with an 8-0 record against teams such as Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-Mac, CV, Peters Township, SF, Trinity and USC. During other action this autumn, the Lebo boys won invitational meets at California and Slippery Rock universities. They won the Legends Meet in Ohio and finished runner-up at the Red, White and Blue Classic.
The Lebo ladies were 8-0 and won their 11th consecutive conference championship with an undefeated mark. They have won 82 straight section meets since 2006. In the WPIAL finals, the Blue Devils anticipate Oakland Catholic, which is ranked No. 1 in the state, and NA to gain the top two spots in the team competition. They will battle Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Norwin, Butler and Seneca Valley for the No. 3 slot.
Bryce Brandenstein has been Lebo’s top male harrier. Jack Cameron has steadily followed the junior in the second position for the Blue Devils.
Aoife-Ruby Dunne paces the Lebo ladies. The sophomore was the team’s No. 4 runner behind three seniors last season.
“She gained a lot of valuable experience training and racing with them,” said Shutt. Dunne was 30th last year in the WPIAL championships. “We look for her to build off that,” Shutt added.
Freshmen Allison Small and Patrice Smith follow Dunne. Rory Vigrass has kept pace with the others. She has consistently been Lebo’s No. 4 runner. Gillian Livingston, Cora Broadhurst, Moira Anderson and Rachel Walters round out the varsity group.
Canon-McMillan anticipates pushing the Lebo boys for the third berth in states. They, as well as their girls’ team, posted 7-1 slates in section with the loss being to the Blue Devils. The Big Macs won both the girls’ and boys’ titles at the Father Bede Invitational held at St. Francis University. The boys won the Mingo Classic, as well as the Washington County Coaches Association Meet. They scored 21 points at Mingo, spreading their positions between first and fifth overall. They placed seven runners in the top 20 and picked up 19 points in the coaches’ meet. Also, four junior varsity runners managed times that would have put them in the top 20.
Jonas and Josiah Wudkwych lead the C-M boys. They were county champion and runner-up, respectively. Jonas was a state qualifier last year. Josiah has usually been C-M’s fifth finisher, says coach Mark Galley, accounting for the tight time spreads the Big Macs have been having.
In between the Wudkywych brothers are Matt Mansfield, who qualified for states two years ago; James Zukowski, who ran on the WPIAL runner up team two years ago; and Damon Gall, who ran in the track finals last spring in both the mile and two mile.
“Each of those five runners is aiming to qualify for states, and if they do, our team should obviously do very well, as well,” Galley said. The Big Macs also have three seniors: Jonah deCortie, Glenn McGee and Tyler Meier, who are running under 18 minutes. “They should help us finish strong,” Galley said.
“We are hopeful that we can challenge,” Galley added for the team competition. “We’d like to break into that top three.”
Currently, Galley noted, the Big Macs are ranked in the Top 5. The girls rate in the Top 12. Their front runners have been Maggie Veres, who won the county championship; Stepanie Keelon, who won the St. Francis meet; and Morgan Grudi, who is a two-time state qualifier. “All three are focusing on having a good run at Cooper’s Lake and qualifying for states.”
Lauren Finikiotis from Oakland Catholic, Clara Savchik from North Allegheny and USC’s Savannah Shaw are expected to have the best runs among the Class AAA girls at Cooper’s Lake. Thanks to Finikiotis, the Lady Eagles are favored to win the Class AAA team title. “They have done a lot of smart racing over the course of the season,” said Petrick. “They have done some amazing things.”
So has Shaw. She finished runner-up to Finikiotis at the Red, White and Blue Classic. She won the Mingo Classic, as well as the California Invitational. She has also set several course records and shattered school marks this season.
“Savannah has performed at a high level all season long,” Petrick said. “She is an amazing runner and has been a very strong leader. Her focus and composure during races and practice is really something special, in addition to her talent. Additionally, she is so supportive of her teammates, which just adds to the excitement of the team dynamic for this sport.
“She is super competitive and an amazing racer,” Petrick continued. “She has added new skills to her racing tool kit. We are looking for her to shine at WPIALs, and then advance and represent for the South Hills in Hershey.
“Savannah is going to run a great race at Cooper’s Lake, and as coaches we can’t wait to watch. She has a strong athletic foundation that has been fortified for the past year. Her enthusiasm and work ethic has been contagious. All runners know it’s consistency of training, ancillary work and being competent at a variety of paces throughout the year that lead to success in the championship season.”
As a team, USC expects to improve on last year’s 13th place. Vianna Shiry follows Shaw as the Lady Panthers’ No. 2 harrier. Lydia Lucas and Stephanie Grunwald have been models of consistency. According to Petrick, those sophomores, along with Lucas, a freshman, have been phenomenal in terms of maturity.
“Their progression has been demonstrated on a weekly basis,” he said.
“There are many other role players on the girls’ side, and each kid brings something special to the table,” he added. “This is one of the coolest things about cross country. All the athletes are running the same race and working towards the same goal. There’s something special about this group of kids. Even though there is a broad spectrum of ability levels on the team, they truly have gelled together as one when it’s go time.”
From the get-go, CJ Hess has been USC’s top male runner. Justin Densmore, Tommy O’Brien, Matt Higgs, Alex Shaw, Mike Gallagher and Ethan Mann round out the squad.
“They have been true thoroughbreds,” Petrick said of USC’s significant seven.
Petrick noted how USC’s runners took a big step forward because of the groundwork they established during the spring track and field season as well as the intelligent training they put in over the summer. As a result he said the Panthers are seeing “the fruits of their labor” this fall.
“Cross country racing is all about keeping a calm mind when your body starts to feel uncomfortable. The vets have really shown some of our newer harriers what that’s all about. Having mentors like that really make us proud and makes our job as coaches so much easier. Our guys really have bought into smart, consistent, varied pace training, the sure path to improvement. They understand there’s no ‘special sauce’ if you want to improve over the long term.”
As a team, Petrick anticipates the USC boys to improve upon last year’s 10th-place showing.
SF tops in AA
Under the direction of Joe Winans, the Lions of South Fayette are looking to challenge for a WPIAL title in cross country. Greensburg Salem is the favorite in boys’ AA, followed by Knoch, the defending champion, and Quaker Valley, a perennial contender. Brownsville, Ambridge, GS, Knoch and Indiana are among the challengers in the girls’ competition.
“Our boys will be competing to win the championship but it will be a tall order with Greensburg Salem running as well as they are,” Winans said. “The girls will look to secure a Top 3 spot and qualify for states. We have put together some good races as a team and I see us having a chance to knock off the favorite.”
Aaron Pfeil and Sam Snodgrass make the boys’ contenders while Allison Gates spearheads the girls’ charge. Winans expects Pfeil to challenge QV’s Zach Skolnekovich and Waynesburg Central’s Ben Baumgarner for the individual title. Both have beaten Pfeil in head-to-head competition this fall; Skolnekovich at the Red, White and Blue Classic and Baumgarner at Mingo last week.
“Aaron and Sam give us a very potent 1-2 punch,” Winans said. “They have the ability to finish inside of the top six or seven runners overall at the state championships.”
Expectations are similar for Gates, who is enjoying a strong senior season after a great spring in track. She has already run nearly a minute faster than last year’s best time at Cooper’s Lake. Only one runner, Savannah Shaw, beat her during the regular season this fall. According to Winans, Gates is looking to medal at states.
“That has been a goal of hers ever since finishing last year’s race,” he said of the PIAA championships.
“Allison has been impressive,” agreed Chartiers Valley coach Lori Poe. “She has been a top runner in many of the big invitationals against AAA racers.”
Progress has been the primary focus of Poe’s runners. The Colts started the season with 18 new members to go along with 20 veterans. CV graduated 20 seniors from last year’s squad. Both the boys’ and the girls’ squads finished the regular season with 6-5 records. With experience, the Colts improved. Last week, the boys finished second behind Canon-McMillan in the Mingo Classic and the girls tied for second with USC but ended up third based on the placement of the teams’ sixth runner. So expectations are high for the WPIAL meet.
“The goal for both teams is a Top 10 finish,” Poe said.
Czar Tarr is CV’s top male harrier. The junior was a PIAA finalist last season. He placed 21st in last year’s district championships. Sophomore Elias Zajicek and junior Mark Golebiewski follow Tarr in the No. 2 and No. 3 slots for the Colts.
“Czar has continually improved throughout the season against some really tough section competition so he is ready for the postseason action,” Poe said. “We expect him to race to be in the top 10 at the WPIAL championships. Also, Elias and Mark have been racing well and depending on who has the best race that day they should be vying for a trip to states.”
Elise LaQuatra should be in the hunt for a PIAA qualifying spot among the females. The junior has continually improved with each race she has run this season.
Canevin leads Class A
As an elite runner, himself, Eric Shafer, appreciates a top-notch course, and in his opinion, Coopers Lake presents the optium path for his Crusaders from Bishop Canevin to succeed. “It’s the best cross-country course in Pennsylvania in that it is a tough but fair course that is spectator-friendly,” he said.
“The WPIAL finals are unique from any other district finals in Pennsylvania in that there are large boys and girls races in all three classifications,” Shafer added. “Having so many schools competing makes the WPIAL cross-country meet a great event from start to finish of each and every race.”
In the girls’ Class A race, Marianne Abdallah and her Vincentian Academy team should dominate. Abdallah is a three-time state champion. Even without Abdallah, Vincentian has won several important invitationals this season. On the boys’ side, Winchester Thurston is strong says Shafer because the team not only has three of the top runners in the district but “maybe even” in the entire state.
During the regular season, the Canevin boys and girls compiled a 15-3 record, which is the best combined record in school history. Despite having only six runners, the Lady Crusaders finished runner-up to Seton-La Salle with an 8-1 record in section. The boys tied with Brentwood and Serra for second place in the section behind Winchester Thurston. The Rebels finished 7-2 in the division.
At the WPIAL championships, Shafer said that the girls are looking to better last year’s 12th-place performance while the boys, who were 18th last season, hope to break into the Top 10.
Despite a nagging calf injury, Becca Volz leads the Canevin girls. She earned all-district honors as a sophomore and all-state acclaim as a junior after finishing 13th in last year’s PIAA championships. She has had Top 10 showings in the Commodore Perry and Mack Cooper Invitationals this fall.
Seniors Annie Philbin and Morgan Taufer, juniors Maddie Walter and Shea O’Neill as well as sophomore Tess Strub played key roles in Canevin’s showing in section and are expected to excel during the WPIAL finals.
Donavin Meriweather has spearheaded the Canevin boys this season. The junior has “an outside shot” of qualifying for the state championships individually.
Also, according to Shafer, other runners that will need to compete well to ensure a high team finish for the boys are: sophomore Dante DeFrank, juniors Adam Petrovich, Danny Bigley and Bryce Meriweather, senior Ryley Tarasi, and freshman Thomas Deasy.