Tri-State Pix by James K. Wood
James O'Toole smashes the Slippery Rock course record while clipping Ian Fitzgerald for the 2nd time this season, but Fitzgerald's team is victorious. Katie Grimm wins a sophomore-only sprint with Liz Brickley, but North Allegheny wins team title.
Mount Lebanon's James O'Toole not only beat Ian Fitzgerald of North Hills for the 2nd time this season, he smashed the course record at Slippery Rock University, going 15:42 on a cold and wet day. The course record had been set last year by Greenville's Jed Christiansen, in 15:54. Anything approaching 16:00 on the course is considered great. Fitzgerald was gapped by 75 meters by the finish, and was timed in 16:10. But Fitzgerald's North Hills teammate deliverd a nice pack with a 1:10 spread to tally just 60 points and top Mount Lebanon by 46. Katie Grimm, the Penn Hills sophomore, outsprinted fellow soph Liz Brickley of Latrobe to win individual honors, with both clocked in 19:28. North Allegheny, behind senior Amy Ruffolo (and with Kelly O'Brien being held out to rest for WPIAL's next week) won with 112 points, 26 up on Mount Lebanon. Ruffolo finished 3rd in 19:42.
O'Toole and Fitzgerald battle early.