Teams Make Final Push Before Districts: Week 7 Recaps

Rocky Grove Invitational

-By Abby Huber

Cochranton's Noah Bernarding and Lakeview's Zachary Tingley battled again, this time at the Rocky Grove Invitational. Bernarding took the win the last time the two faced off, but this weekend it was Tingley who won, beating Bernarding by 10 seconds to run 17:16 for first place overall. The two runners have raced each other now six times this season with Tingley holding the slight advantage. The competition will continue into the postseason for these D10-1A rivals.

It was actually a closer race for second place rather than first. Bernarding just edged out Jacob Eshelman of Franklin Area for second place. Not far behind the top three runners was Cochranton's Jac Cokley in fourth.

Brookville Area's Ethan Brentham has continued to drop his times throughout his first cross country season. Brentham was fifth overall in 17:36 on Saturday.

The Cochranton boys won at their home invite at the end of September and continued that success, winning again as a team this weekend.

GIRLS RECAP

On the girls' side Amanda Foster of Saint Mary's Area broke twenty minutes to take first place at Rocky Grove on Saturday. As predicted, Lakeview's Claire Oliver gave her a good race, finishing 9 seconds behind Foster for second.

Foster, along with teammate Megan Quesenberry, led the Saint Mary's Area girls to win the team title in 54 points.

There were some solid individual performances from Union City's Abby Anaya and Girard's Cassie Carr who came in third and fourth overall.  

Notably, fifth and sixth place went to two freshman girls; Meaera Shannon of Conneaut Area and Shea Titus of Titusville. Shannon actually beat Abby Anaya at the Cochranton Invite and proved she can hold her own in the lead pack again this weekend.