Anderson, Carter on record pace for WPIAL championships
Patrick Anderson of Mt. Lebanon and Emily Carter from Bethel Park put the WPIAL on notice that they are the favorites to win the individual cross country championships as they dominated the competition during the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Meet.
Not only did the race serve as the final tune-up before the district championships, the competition was held on the same course the WPIAL will conduct its finals on Oct. 24.
At Roadman Park on the California University of Pennsylvania campus, on Oct. 17, the two talented harriers shattered records.
Anderson covered the course in 15:45.47 to claim his second straight TSTCA title. Carter clocked in at 17:57.40, smashing the record she set earlier this season. Only a week earlier, Carter also smashed a 35-year-old record in winning the Mingo Classic with a 17:19.84 time.
Anderson, who finished runner-up in the WPIAL last year but won the PIAA championship, clocked in 17 seconds faster than his nearest competitor, Zachary Leachman of Mars. He also surpassed rival Daniel McGoey. The North Allegheny harrier, who is the defending WPIAL champion, followed in third place with a 16:10.47 time.
NA won both the boys and the girls team titles in Class AAA while Anderson’s Blue Devils claimed third place. Barak Asher and Matthew Quinn placed in the Top 20 for Lebo. Duncan Laduke, Eli Lehman, Swapnil Rana and Thomas Quinn were the other top finishers for the Blue Devils.
Carter’s showing along with the finishes by Madelyn Sellati, Anna Janaszek, Hannah Crawford, Sydney Burns, Lillian Zeminski and Maura Farmerie enabled Bethel Park to finish in the Top 10 in the Class AAA girls team standings.
Upper St. Clair threw its hat into the ring as one of the teams to watch in the WPIAL championships as the girls finished third in the team standings and boys placed sixth.
Molly Maher, Claire Hoffman and Vianna Shiry led the Lady Panthers as all placed in the Top 20. Jillian Fishell, Jaclyn Martinelli, Lauren Hart, Morgan Meddings, Hannah James and Madeline Navarra contributed to USC’s showing.
With a seventh-place overall, Alex Shaw led the way for the USC boys. Kasey Turner and Ryan Sarkett placed in the Top 50. Robert Shontz, Nathaniel Paul, Mahesh Lakshminarayanan, Joseph Markovits, Carter Gerlach, Cole Jooste and Nick Altland also ran well for the Panthers.
Individually, Zack Marmol and Antonio Burkhart are expected to run well during the District 7 championships and challenge for repeat berths in the PIAA finals set for Nov. 2 in Hershey. A Peters Township senior, Marmol placed eighth overall while Bethel Park representative, Burkhart finished 17th overall.
Additionally, Alison Hodgson helped the Mt. Lebanon ladies to a seventh-place showing in the team standings while Lizzie Brucker and Alexa Trax paced Peters Township to a ninth-place showing.
Hodgson placed 17th overall and could be in contention for earning a PIAA berth in next week’s WPIAL finals.
Though they competed in the Class AAA Division, the South Fayette ladies expect to defend their WPIAL team title in Class AA. At Tri-States, Knoch won the girls AA crown and New Castle won the boys banner.
Hailey Poe led the Lady Lions, finishing in 29th position. Baylee Carpenter, Sadie Mohnkern, Peyton Yater, Ally Lerda, Jillian Rexrode, Mia Fraps and Mary Connolly ran for the SF girls at Tri-States.