Upper St. Clair sweeps Tri-States
Upper St. Clair swept the competition during the Tri-State Cross Country Championships held at California University of Pennsylvania. The meet is the first tune-up for the WPIAL championships to be held Oct. 26 at Coopers Lake. Next on the agenda is the Mingo Classic set for Oct. 19.
“We are amped for what we like to call ‘championship season,'” said USC coach Doug Petrick of the meets, which also include the PIAA championships set for Nov. 4 in Hershey. “They give the kids multiple opportunities to improve racing tactics and continue to build fitness.”
Maureen Chermak was also thrilled with the showing at Tri-States.
“Having both sides win team trophies was exciting,” said the assistant coach. “The whole team is excited to get in some more training and we can’t wait to get more chances to compete.”
Despite their top runner, Savannah Shaw, away on a recruiting trip, the Lady Panthers still dominated the competition. Claire Hoffman won the individual girls’ race in Class AAA. She finished second overall in the event. Nicole Naumann (6th) and Carly Abraham (9th) rounded out the Top 10. Sophia Shi (13th), Lydia Lucas (18th) and Emily Rhodes (19th) all finished in the Top 20.
“Claire showed she is capable of leading and Nicole has been improving with each race and had a standout performance as she nears the end of her high school competitions,” Chermak said. “Despite missing girls from the team, the depth of the girls’ squad was put to the test.”
The USC boys also were tested and responded positively.
Tommy O’Brien finished third in the AAA race. Alex Shaw (5th), Mike Gallagher (8th), Matt Higgs (9th) and Kasey Turner (10th) finished in the Top 10. Ryan Sarkett and Ethan Mann closed out the Top 20 in 16th and 17th position.
“The boys have been working all season on strengthening their pack,” Chermak said. “It was nice to see the pack stay strong in a larger field.”
As a team, the Panthers were pleased with their showing in the section. The girls’ captured the division with a perfect record of 8-0. The boys’ finished runner-up to Mt. Lebanon with a 7-1 slate.
“We were excited to see both the girls and the boys progress as a program,” Petrick said. “It’s a very competitive section and we couldn’t be more proud of them. This was for sure, one of the strongest seasons we have ever had. We know it’s an indicator of all the hard work these athletes have put in from the past year or more.”
Petrick added that competition from the Blue Devils as well as South Fayette and neighboring foes promotes excellence.
“There’s so much talent with the other teams in the South Hills that it’s a dogfight every meet. Our teams do a great job of keeping goals in mind as they continue to improve individual performances. They’re very supportive of each other at practice and races and keep building a positive team culture.”
South Fayette second
In the Class AA competition at the Tri-State Championships, South Fayette took runner-up honors for the boys as well as the girls.
Overall, Sam Snodgrass won the race, recording the fastest time of 16:157. Colin Dunn, Silas Mays, Ryan Hayes, Harmon Rozycki, Trevor Kulenich and Aaron Skerbetz completed the scoring for the SF boys.
Maria DeCello led the girls. She placed sixth overall with a 21:41 time. Hailey Poe, Delaney Parisi, Steff Kozak, Katy Allen, Lexi Palmer and Emmma Fleck also contributed to the Lady Lions’ second-place showing as a team.
Marmol paces PT
Zack Marmol from Peters Township finished fifth overall with a 17:31.90 time. The showing helped the boys to a third-place showing among Class AAA clubs. Rya Arvizu, Dakota Volzer, Lucas Dunst, Tyler Derose, Paul Krueger and Danny Smail also contributed for the Indians’ showing, all finishing in the Top 75.
On the girls’ side, Kathryn Miller finished fifth for the Lady Indians with a 22:23.18 time. Alexa Trax, Samantha Dusch and Caroline May finished in the Top 20. Lizzie Brucker, Julie Bocetti and Olivia Ziegler also competed for Peters.
Lebo legends
The Mt. Lebanon boys finished runner-up to St. Ignatius in the Legends Cross Country Meet held at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds in Ohio. The Blue Devils compiled a 98 score while St. Ignatius won with a 73 mark.
Sophomore Patrick Anderson and junior Peter Cosentino led the way, placing 10th and 12th respectively with times of 16:25.7 and 16:30.9. Bryce Brandenstein followed in 20th position with a 16:50.4 mark. Cameron Potts (27th), Alexander Brokaw (29th), Clark Mitchell (35th) and Quinn Mitchell (37th) completed the scoring for the Blue Devils.
The Lebo ladies finished in a tie for fourth place. Allison Small and Aoife Dunne were the top performers, placing 15th and 16th respectively. Rory Vigrass, Patrice Smith, Moira Anderson, Elizabeth Teufel and Grace Kalapos contributed to Lebo’s showing with Top 70 or better efforts.