VA, NY spoil PA girls party-N. Allegheny surprise-Hurston thunders (2005+pix)|PA wins in VA

Richmond Sports Backers 

 

By Michael Carpenter

 

PA teams traveled to Virgina this weekend to compete in the McDonald's XC Festival at Maymont, and PA came away with two team championships.

In the Silver Boys race, Baldwin's T.J. Hobart (photo by Willie Riefner, MileStat.com-a MileSplit.us affiliate) took 3rd in 17:08 and Matt Cecala 6th in 17:12 to lead the team to a 108-119 win over 2nd place Colonial Forge.

In the Coastal Boys race, our boys from Abington reigned victorious, finishing three in the top 10 with 54 pts total.  Kyle Moran (photo by Willie Riefner, MileStat.com-a MileSplit.us affiliate) was 4th overall in 17:18, with teammate Bryan Schwoebel 17:38, 6th place, and Jason Reale 17:47 coming in 10th.

In the Bronze Girl's race, the ladies from Baldwin HS finished 2nd behind three strong 10 ten times.  Seniors Kristie Domis (photo by Willie Riefner, MileStat.com-a MileSplit.us affiliate) and Jennifer Haffner, and freshman standout Taylor Mozurak went 2-4-6 overall. Domis was 2nd in 21:14, while Haffner and Mozurak went 21:38 and 22:01 respectively.

 

PA #5 North Allegheny was under the radar all season until now.  With 5 runners in the top-21 they took Carlisle by storm, scoring a mere 56 points on their way to the Reebok Challenge victory.  PA #2 North Penn finished second with 109 points.  PA #4 Cumberland Valley finished an impressive 3rd with 175 points.  North Rockland was 4th, and PA #9 Carlisle finished 5th with 231 points, which should move them up the rankings.  Unranked Cedar Cliff finished 6th, just behind Carlisle with 235 points.  PA #2 Upper Dublin finished 7th and PA #3 Holy Ghost Prep, 8th, which will cause a shift in the rankings.  PA #6 West Chester Henderson finished 16th overall and PA # 10 LaSalle finished 9th. 

Individually, Carlisle's Kyle Hurston stole the show with an impressive 15:59.62, given the sloppy conditions.  With a late-race surge he outlasted Brad Miles', North Penn, kick which was good enough for 2nd in 16:02.59.  North Allegheny sophomore Ryan Gil (in PennTrackXC photo) finished 3rd in 16:14.49.  Joe Beveridge, Bishop McDevitt, raced to a 4th place 16:17.81.  Chase Broussard, North Allegheny, placed 5th with a time of 16:18.54. 

In the girls Reebok Challenge Thomas Jefferson(VA) ran a solid team race to outpace PA #5 Cumberland Valley, 118 points to 129 points.  PA #10 Council Rock North finished 3rd with 152 points while PA #2 Greater Latrobe placed 4th with 164 points.  Previously unranked Norwin finished 5th with 167 points behind a 3-5-14 punch.  PA #7 North Allegheny finished 6th with 186 points.  PA #6 Governor Mifflin finished 9th with 254 points. 

Individually, Aisling Cuffe (NY) set the course record with a winning time of 18:05.91.  Natalie Bower, Greater Latrobe, (in PennTrackXC photo) finished 2nd with a time of 18:34.73.  Norwin's Leslie Kovach placed 3rd with a time of 18:45.61.  Lindsay Rheiner, Council Rock North, finished 4th with a time of 18:54.25.  Jenna Gigliotti, Norwin, finished 5th with a time of 18:55.11. 

 

Preview:

The 16th Carlisle Invitational is shaping up to be quite a show this weekend.  On the boys side the top 6 ranked teams in the state will be in attendance.  North Penn leads the way after their impressive performance at Briarwood last weekend.  Following are Upper Dublin and Holy Ghost Prep, who have battled over the last few weekends, trading wins over each other.  Cumberland Valley should be well rested after a weekend off and always races well here.  North Allegheny and West Chester Henderson will also be in the thick of the team race.  The host team, Carlisle, works out here and knows the course very well.  If all runners are back in form they could disrupt the order of finish for the top-6.  Thomas Jefferson (VA) will also be in attendance.  They are ranked #6 in the Southeast and won an invitational in Virginia last weekend. 
Individually, Brad Miles, North Penn, Mike Pierce, Holy Ghost Prep, and Mike Palmisano, Upper Dublin, look to be the challengers for the title.  Carlisle's Kyle Hurston and John Pope could also be in the mix. 

For the girls, 5 of the top 10 ranked teams will be racing at Carlisle.  Greater Latrobe leads the way with Cumberland Valley right behind them in what should be a very close match-up.  Governor Mifflin, North Allegheny, and Council Rock North will also be battling for a high team finish.  Thomas Jefferson (VA), is ranked #3 in Virginia and should be watched in the team race as well. 
Individually, Natalie Bower, Latrobe, is a solid frontrunner, so expect her to control the tempo of this race as she goes for the win.  Meghan Smith, Padua, is coming off of a strong race at Briarwood, and should provide a solid challenge to Natalie.  Leigha Anderson, Cumberland Valley, should also be in the mix.  Lindsay Rheiner, Council Rock North, raced well in Hershey, as did Upper Dublin frosh Sarah Holl, so they should also be in the mix here.  Stephanie Paradis (VA) and Brittany Myers (VA) have been racing well in the south this year, so they can't be counted out of top finishes when they come north to Carlisle to race.  Three Thomas Jefferson runners could also place high, including Stephanie Marzen, Sarah Stiles, and Lisa Junta.