South Fayette second in WPIAL boys’ cross country
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
The South Fayette boys took the runner-up trophy in the team competition during the WPIAL Class AAA cross country championships.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Alaa-Eddine Guetari set the pace for the South Fayette harriers. He finished ninth overall in 16:41.6 and that showing helped the Lions capture the runner-up trophy in the Class AAA team competition.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
South Fayette runner Roman Galioto submitted a 16:56.1 mark, which was good enough for 11th place overall.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Brett Kroboth of Peters Township charges down the stretch to the finish line in the WPIAL Class AAA boys’ cross country championship race. Krobth finished third overall and qualified for the PIAA championships to be held Nov. 5 at Hershey.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Sawyer Weinmann of Upper St. Clair finished sixth overall in the district cross country finals and secured a berth in the PIAA championships set for Nov. 5 in Hershey.
In only its third year competing at the Class AAA level, South Fayette took home a trophy during the WPIAL Cross Country Championships held Oct. 27 at Roadman Park on the Penn West University campus in California.
The Lions, racing without one of its best runners, earned runner-up recognition in the team standings behind North Allegheny. The Tigers won their fifth straight title with 31 points. SF accumulated a 145 score.
SF head coach Joe Winans noted that the last time the Lions were WPIAL runners-up they were in the Double-A division in 2019. In 2020, the Lions moved up a division and placed ninth. Last year, they finished sixth in the team standings.
“To come up to this level and really show that we can rise to the occasion, that’s a big testament to the work effort of this group of guys, who were freshmen when we last qualified for states.”
The trophy is also a testament to the Lions’ grit and determination. They ran without Jake Borgesi, who was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right fibula after he did not finish his race at the Tri-State Cross Country Invitational held on the same course a week prior.
”We had some really great role-player performances from our guys,” Winans said. “They stepped up and did what needed to be done.”
Before the Lions went to their designated starting box, Winans instructed them to run “smart” and “hard” but most importantly they had to run for each other.
“They are a tight-knit group. Not only do they know how to work with one another, they like each other,” he said.
”When you talk about that intangible quality and a team, when you have guys that are willing to sacrifice themselves, that are willing to work beyond what they think they are capable of doing and push through when things get difficult and running for someone who they knew couldn’t lace up his spikes and put together a performance that is worthy of your teammates and those guys that you respect and like, that’s really the intangible quality that made this happen.”
Alaa-Eddine Guetari set the pace. He finished ninth overall in 16:41.6.
”He is so steady for us. You can set your watch by him,” Winans said. “We knew he would do well because he has been so very consistent for us.”
Though he had been nursing an injury that he incurred during gym class three weeks ago, Roman Galioto had a 16:56.1 mark, which was good enough for 11th place.
”This was his first race since that injury,” Winans noted. “He steps onto the course and puts together a really great veteran performance.”
Tim Danziger was SF’s third runner. He finished 25th in 17:44.1.
”He’s a guy that all year has been getting better and better,” Winans said.
Zack Warhol and Josh O’Korn were fourth and fifth, finishing 36th (17:59.6) and 64th (18:26.1) overall.
“To see those guys and the determination they were running with just to get in before that pack, the big group comes in. That’s what it comes down to,” Winans said.
According to Winans, it came down to execution because the formula for cross country running is always the same. “Our guys have been around the block a few times, they know what it takes. They went out and executed. They were ready,” he said.
Because the focus was on the WPIAL championship, the Lions have had little time to think about the PIAA finals for which they have qualified. The state championships will be held Nov. 5 in Hershey.
“Nothing happens at that level until you get through this meet. So I never wanted to put the cart before the horse. We knew we had to take care of business here. Right now, we are going to enjoy this.”
Winans predicted that some day the Lions will also relish a WPIAL team title in cross country.
“We will win a WPIAL championships and every one sitting in that tent will have a part in it. Whether they are still in that tent or whether they are gone and have a job somewhere and a family, when it happens, and I mean when, they are going to be a part of it,” he vowed.
Kroboth third
Brett Kroboth gave it his best shot but a WPIAL cross country title wasn’t in the cards for the Peters Township senior.
During the Class AAA championship race, Kroboth took third place.
Butler’s Drew Griffitn won the race, smashing his own course record with a time of 15:17.2.
“In my opinion, Drew is easily one of the top 20 runners in the country right now,” Kroboth said. “He’s remarkable. There is nothing I can do but respect my competition.”
Kroboth also acknowledged runner-up Jack Bertram. The North Allegheny runner clocked a 15:53.1 time to claim the silver medal.
“He’s a fantastic runner too. One of the tops in the state,” Kroboth said. “We are really close. I was hoping for second but his time was unbelievable.”
A Penn State recruit, Kroboth ran his best race. In taking the bronze, he clocked a 16:11.8.
”That’s a 10-second PR on this course. So I’m happy with my time,” he said.
”I’m happy with what I can control. I just have to respect my competition.”
Weinmann eighth
Sawyer Weinmann of Upper St. Clair earned high regard from the field when he finished sixth overall and secured a berth in the PIAA Championships set for Nov. 5 in Hershey.
He shave nearly 23 seconds off his seventh-place time of a week ago at the Tri-State Cross Country Invitational, which is a tune-up for the district championships. He clocked a 16:33.7, which was just off the pace set by NA’s Gregory Kossuth and Jackson Pajak, who finished fourth and fifth overall.
”After Tri-States, I was really thinking I could do a lot better so I picked someone who was faster than me,” Weinmann said. “There were those two NA kids up there, and I said, ‘OK, I’m going to try and catch them’ and I tired to hold with them when we got to the top of the hill and then I was going to try and out-kick them the last mile.”
”I was happy about my PR but distraught that I did not catch those two guys. I guess I didn’t push myself hard enough. But I qualified for states. So I’m happy with that.”
Weismann is not making the trip alone as Evan Sarkett made the cut as well. He finished 15th overall with a time of 17:05.7.
Weismann and Sarkett helped the Panthers to a fourth-place finish in the team standings. According to head coach Doug Petrick, that’s the best-ever showing by a USC boys cross country team.