At Cooper's Lake - The North Allegheny guys and Shaler's Brianna Schwartz are a sure thing.

Feature and Photos by Phil Grove

It might not be up there just yet with death and taxes, but a North Allegheny victory in the Class AAA boys’ race at the WPIAL championship meet is getting close to being a certainty.

And Thursday’s performance by John Neff’s Tigers did little to keep one from putting a “sure thing” tag on the US#8 team. Featuring a 1-5 spread of only 25 seconds, North Allegheny collected its ninth consecutive District 7 title, leading state-qualifying performances that included a course record by Shaler Area standout Brianna Schwartz.


Tigers Start, Stay at Front of Pack

The 3.1-mile course at Cooper’s Lake features a quick climb up the tallest hill on the site, with runners needing to shift gears only hundreds of meters after the start. Most agree that the ascent will not make or break a race for a team or individual, but a rapid or sluggish climb can make the final 2.5 miles more of a challenge.

“I was really happy with how they got out,” Neff said of h...