Runners on their marks during first cross country meet
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
After recovering from a heel injury, Logan St. John Kletter of Mt. Lebanon is set to challenge for a WPIAL title in cross country. She is pictured here during the 2021 finals, where she finished runner-up to Mia Cochran from Moon. St. John Kletter got the 2022 season off to a positive start by winning the 50th annual Marty Uher Invitational.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Brett Kroboth is expected to be one of the top male harriers this cross country season. The Peters Township junior recently finished runner-up during the 50th annual Marty Uher Invitational. The season’s first meet is run on the same course where the WPIAL championships will be held Oct. 27.
The Upper St. Clair boys’ cross country team finished runner-up as a team during the 50th annual Marty Uher Invitational
The frontrunners to compete for WPIAL titles in cross country were on display during the 50th Marty Uher Invitational held Sept. 3 at Roadman Park on the PennWest California campus.
The season’s first meet is held on the same course where the WPIAL will hold its championships Oct. 27.
“Cal U. is always a fun way to start the season,” said Upper St. Clair coach Doug Petrick. “Since the WPIAL Championships and Tri-State meet are both held here, it’s a great opportunity for teams to get more reps racing on a high-stakes route.”
“The race is an excellent preview for the season,” added Chartiers Valley coach Lori Poe. “It also helps athletes see what they are working toward and gives them the opportunity to run against some talented competition. I am sure we will see a lot of improvement from all the teams in the coming weeks.”
Peters Township’s skipper Tim Wu practically predicts that because temperatures will surely drop by late October.
“With the weather being hot,” he said of the conditions at the Marty Uher Meet, “you got to fight for place and not time. It’s good to practice on this course in early September because late October it will be cooler and more competitive.”
St. John Kletter wins
The competition in the Girls Fire 5K division was fierce, particularly among South Hills runners who are all vying to fill the vacancy caused by Mia Cochran’s matriculation to Arkansas. The 2022 Moon graduate was a three-time WPIAL and PIAA champion.
Logan St. John Kletter, who finished runner-up to Cochran in last year’s championship races, stepped to the forefront. The Mt. Lebanon junior led from the start and won the race 5:49.8 while Bethel Park’s Jenna Lang secured runner-up honors with a 5:53 time.
“She held on for a great win to kick off the season,” said Poe.
St. John Kletter showed no traces of a heel injury that plagued her after the 2021 season. She missed the outdoor track season and endured a five-month recovery period.
“Logan has worked all summer to get back into form after she had a frustrating spring dealing with injuries,” said Mt. Lebanon coach Oscar Shutt. “We had some goals and targets for her and she did a great job of accomplishing them.”
Shutt also predicts bigger things ahead for St. John Kletter as well as the Lady Blue Devils. While St. John Kletter was expected to face stiff competition from the Kucler twins (Wren and Robin), their North Allegheny club will be a contender for the team title during the Red, White and Blue Classic at White Oak Park.
The Lebo ladies, who were third-place finishers in last year’s WPIAL team standings behind the Tigers and Pine-Richland, won the team title during the Marty Uher Invitational. Contributing to the team’s low score of 64 points also were Emma McGreevy, Justine Meta and Phoebe McNeil (all in the top 15) as well as Kate Mooney.
“Logan’s win will give her a lot of confidence with future races this fall to see where she currently is and will continue to get better,” predicted Shutt. “We are also excited about the team victory and we look to build off of that.”
PT on the rise
Overall for the boys, Peters Township’s Brett Kroboth finished runner-up to Butler’s Drew Griffith. A 4:48.5 mark won the race for Griffith while Kroboth clocked a 4:54.4. Kroboth’s teammate, AJ Wagstaff, finished 17th.
“Brett had a great run,” Poe said. “He looked strong throughout the race and will be a frontrunner to watch this season.”
In the girls team standings, the Lady Indians took third place. Sydney Shock and Grace Senneway placed fourth and eighth respectively with times of 5:59.9 and 6:12.4. Meagan McKenna, Alexis Conway and Elizabeth Crossan contributed to PT’s 106 score.
“I thought it was a great start to the season,” Wu said. “It’s the first time in a while the girls team got recognized as top 3.
”The meet is always highly competitive and a preview for WPIALs. There are so many teams. The WPIAL is one of the most competitive districts in the state. I am hoping to see both the boys and girls get better, not perfect. Kids get sick in the beginning of the season due to change in weather but others who are healthy need to step up and believe they can compete.”
USC a contender
USC demonstrated its ability to contend. The Panthers finished second as a team in the Steel Division. They also were the first Pennsylvania school in the standings. University High from Morgantown, W.Va., won the event.
Individually, Sawyer Weinmann finished fifth while Evan Sarkett secured seventh place. Andrew Hess (14th) and Calbe Gaurino (17th) finished in the top 20 while John Unice contributed to 76-point score.
“It was exciting to see Sawyer and Evan led the guys to a strong team finish,” said Petrick of the pair that won WPIAL medals in track this spring. “They continue to make strides as distance runners and leaders on the team.
“There’s a lot of talent in the WPIAL. So, it’s very rewarding to see the team mix it up and hold their own in their first 5K of the fall campaign. We have had a lot of the younger athletes step forward. This is a testament to the culture of positivity on the team. The athletes at USC embrace helping move things forward as a program.”
As a team, the Lady Panthers finished fifth. Top 20 performers were Lydia Rhodes (8th) and Meredith Rhodes (11th). Hannah Behm, Jillian Fishell and Ella Unice rounded out the scoresheet.
“Lydia along with our other vets have done a phenomenal job of mentoring some of the newer athletes with race tactics, cooling down, approaching competitions, and rest and recovery,” Petrick said. “At this point in the season, it’s great to have leaders on the team stress the importance of establishing smart routines to carry over throughout the season.
”Training is obviously important, but some of the non-running factors like sleep, hydration, nutrition, and balancing academics need attention too. The leaders have really communicated the importance of all these items to the team.”
With an even mix of young talent and experienced racers, USC’s expectations for the season are similar to other teams in the WPIAL. The Panthers want to improve their finishes in section as well as at the WPIAL championship meet.
”With a young and energetic team, we know with each week, they will continue to improve their racing tactics and strategies,” Petrick said. “It takes a little bit of time for distance athletes to re-acclimate from spring track racing to 5K fall racing, so we aim to have everyone improve at their craft on a weekly basis. It’s a fun process and exciting to see how the personality of each team takes shape throughout the season.”
CV improving
Improvement promises to be the secret to the success of the CV Colts. Poe anticipates both her boys and girls teams to fight for a top spot in Class AA and to vie for a state qualifying spot. Last year, the Lady Colts finished runner-up to Montour in the district championships and fifth at states. As a freshman, Lilah Turnbull placed sixth overall at the WPIAL finals.
Turnbull led the way at the Marty Uher Invitational, cracking the top 10 in Class AAA. She clocked a 6:17.1 time.
”Lilah ran a smart race, controlling the first mile and then hitting the hills and pulling away from people and passed athletes in the last 800,” Poe said.
Eva Kulbago followed Turnbull in the 17th slot. The junior’s time was 6:22.8.
“Eva had a strong race from start to finish, she looked great on the hill and continued to pull away from people throughout the race,” Poe said. “Her experience showed throughout the race as she ran the course like a veteran.”
The CV boys placed third. Sophomore Eric Wilson and senior Santo Riccardi were the top finishers for the Colts.
“My boys team is young with only one senior among the top finishers so I anticipate a lot of growth and development throughout the season,” Poe said.
“As a whole, I thought the invitational was awesome for my team to race on the district course early in the season and see what we need to work on going forward.”
Finish key for SF
As the season progresses, look for South Fayette to approach its goals. The top five boys did not compete, choosing instead to focus on the Red, White and Blue meet. However, junior Josh O’Korn put together a solid performance, said SF coach Joe Winans.
On the girls side, Abby Poe made her scholastic debut. The freshman finished 15th overall.
Freshmen Nina DiMartini and Meddling Stock successfully “managed well” their first race on the Cal course.
Though Lily Colombo was a healthy scratch from the meet, junior Zoe Poe and sophomore Siya Joshi provide promise for positive things ahead for the Lions.
“We definitely have the pieces to make a run at a highly coveted state qualifying spot,” Winans said. “As always, expectations are high in the South Fayette locker room. It’s Hershey or bust.”
The PIAA Championships will be held Nov. 5.