Photo by Patty Morgan
We have been spending the last month or so counting down the top 20 moments of the 2015-2016 year in Pennsylvania track and field and cross country. Last time, we looked at the fabulous freshman Thelma Davies and her record-setting state meet. Today, we look at the Pennsbury girls' cross country team that claimed both the team title and the individual AAA state championships.
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Photo by Don Rich
Throughout this decade, there's been a pair of teams that have generally dominated the top of the AAA girls' team standings. Those two squads---Pennsbury and Unionville---were the two favorites headed into this past fall's PIAA XC State Championship.
But for the fifth time in six years, it was the Pennsbury girls that came out on top, posting a big victory and scoring just 47 points to take the win. The Falcons put three in the top ten. Have a look at the full team results below:
In addition to the team win, Pennsbury's Olivia Sargent won the individual crown. Sargent avenged a loss to Downingtown West's Aislinn Devlin from the District 1 Championship. Sargent clocked in at 18:01, joining her sister Sara as individual Pennsylvania state champions.
Sargent gapped Devlin late in the race and ran away with the win. It was the senior's final try for an individual state title. Not far behind the state champ was Hannah Molloy (sixth in 18:37) and Mary Webb (ninth in 18:44).
The Falcons went on to win Nike Cross Regionals with another dominated performance. Sargent took second, while Molloy was fourth and Webb was fifth. The team scored just 59 points for a 66 point win over second place LaSalle Academy.
At Nike Cross Nationals, Pennsbury closed out their 2015 season in a big way, finishing fifth overall.
Five of the team's top seven have graduated. Only Webb and Rachel Estey return from the state title team from 2015. This could open the door for a new dominating team in 2016, but we won't soon forget the show Pennsbury put on at the 2015 state meet.