The most open team race of the day took place with no one team carrying the favorites tag. North Allegheny was starting to find their form after a decent start to the season. West Chester Henderson provided a scare to District 1 champions Conestoga last week with a top four that was excellent that day. Cardinal O’Hara was looking to make it five straight years inside the top three, with the top spot eluding the District 12 champions. Central Bucks West had the best 1-5 spread in the division, while Downingtown West and Easton were looking to make an impression.
North Allegheny’s top two put themselves in sight of the top six guys who were blazing early on, while Conestoga was looking to put a good 2-5 pack together behind Andrew Marston who was battling at the front. Kevin James was also in that pack for a Cardinal O’Hara team that had to run well behind him to have a chance. Henderson had a good start from their top three and needed their 4-5 to mix it up. Central Bucks West tried to move their pack up through the traffic.
In the end, North Allegheny put together their best team performance of the season, with all five scoring runners placing in the top 28 team places (top 58 overall) with three in the top 15 team places and a 67 second spread to score 72 points and win by 47 over Conestoga. 3rd place went to Cardinal O’Hara with 134 points.
The chase for the individual title was one for instant classic reel. Six of the best runners in the division battled against each other for the state title, with no one willing to give an inch away to their opponents. Colin Abert of Easton was the favorite heading into the race and he led the pack of a who’s who of PA stars. Jake Brophy of Central Bucks East, Paul Power of Spring Ford, Casey Comber of Hatboro Horsham, James and Marston were all in the pack that refused to separate. At the halfway point, all six of them were together as they attacked the hills. After the two mile mark, the six of them were still together and Abert was still leading. James and Brophy then managed to break away from the chaos late on and make it a two horse race. But the junior surrounded by all the seniors pulled away and Brophy was running up Poop Out hill as the clock was turning to 15 minutes. As he came off the final turn, the course record was his, and he pushed to the very end and shattered the record with a time of 15:24! James was 2nd in 15:38 to break the old record, and Marston ran 15:40 to finish 3rd and break the record as well. McGoey edged out Abert for 4th, with both recording 15:47 performances.