Quad Double: Cent. Cambria, Emmaus, N. Penn+Beveridge repeat|Indv: Ziemian, Cygan, Tarsnane|Vid+more

Quad Double: Central Cambria, Emmaus, North Penn+Beveridge repeat | Indiv: Ziemian, Cygan, Tarsnane

POSTED AS OF 10AM MONDAY. A LITTLE MORE COMING.

2000+ PHOTOS: (500m, Aloha Hills, Finish & Awards)
AA Girls | AAA Girls | AA Boys | AAA Boys | Awards

10 VIDEO INTERVIEWS + VIDEO RACE HIGHLIGHTS: (800m, 2000m, Poop-Out Hill + Finish)
See-All Player | AA Girls: Sophia Ziemian | Central Cambria | Randy Wilson | Race Highlights | AAA Girls: Jess Cygan | Lindsay Graybill | Dan Wessner | Race Highlights | AA Boys: Joe Beveridge | Will Squier | Race Highlights | AAA Boys: Jimmy Tarsnane | Brad Miles | Race Highlights |

STORIES: Fran McLaughlin, MileSplit.US National editor: 'Underdog' North Penn claims back-to-back PA state crowns

Kimberly Jaick Soden: Race Summaries | Beveridge turns nerves into title #2 | North Penn just did what the coaches told them they could do – win.

Special Thanks to the PennTrackXC coverage team (alpha): Megan Clugh (Aloha Hills photos), Jayson Jackson (Aloha Hills spotter for PIAA Finish Line Announcer), Fran McLaughlin (MileSplit.us National Editor - Editorial/Video Interviews), Aaron Rich (Race Video/Video Interviews), Gayle Rich (finish photos), Mark Schwartz (race observations for editorial staff), Kimberly Jaick Soden (Editorial)

AA Girls:

Highlights by Aaron Rich: Central Cambria surprised with a 4-point upset victory over West Middlesex to earn their second straight state title.  Sophia Ziemian, Lewisburg, took an early lead and cruised to the finish for the win in a time of 18:52. 

Summary by Kimberly Jaick Soden: Class 2A Girls: Sophia Ziemian, a Lewisburg senior, captured her first state gold on Saturday, out-running silver medalist Leah Anne Wirfel, a Forest Hills sophomore, 18:52 to 19:07 for Hershey Parkview Golf Course’s challenging 3.1-mile course. The pair hit the bridge the first time running together but by the two mile mark Ziemian had put a 20 meter lead on Wirfel, continuing to break away over the hilly final stretch.

“Pretty much, when I got to the top of the last hill, I knew I would have to dig in,” Ziemian said. “I was just thinking get to the finish line because I remember when Chris Spooner (of Lewisburg who won the 2002 2A boys title) collapsed at the finish. I had a stress fracture last year so I was just happy to be running here today. I don’t think it really sunk in yet.” Ziemian, who led her team to a third place finish, placed 21st as a sophomore and didn’t qualify her freshman year.

In the team race, No. 4 runner Kendall Seymour, a sophomore, may have tripped at the start and skinned her knee, but that didn’t keep her from helping Central Cambria from a surprise repeat in the state championship, just trotting past runner-up West Middlesex with 135 to 139 points.

“I just knew I needed to get back in it,” she said. “I goes to show that every runner counts.”

Sister Kelsey, a junior, took over No. 1 runner duties from their oldest sister, 2007 state champ Carly, this year and finished 15th to earn an individual medal as well.

“It wasn’t even on our minds,” Kelsey said about winning states again.

Senior Brittany Tusing, the No. 6 runner, added, “Last year we had Carly to help us, so we had to refocus. We thought they were kidding when we heard because we had been talking about this not being our year and that we’d be happy with whatever we got.”

AA Boys:

Highlights by Aaron Rich: Elk Lake surprised everyone, including themselves, with a 2-point victory over Quaker Valley.  Joe Beveridge, Bishop McDevitt, separated himself from the pack on the hills, and held on for a repeat title with a time of 16:18.

Summary by Kimberly Jaick Soden:
Class 2A Boys: Joe Beveridge earned the only individual repeat championship of the day, with the Bishop McDevitt senior running 16:18 to win his second state championship.

“It’s amazing completing one of your goals,” he said. “You have to work on improving your time, so to equal your place and improve your time is just incredible. I try to keep improving on everything.”

He and bronze medalist Jim Spisak, a senior from Bishop McCort, took the race out over the first 800 meters, leading by about 25 meters at the first bridge. They would battle through the first two miles before Beveridge made his move over the final 500 meters.

Beveridge may not have been much of a surprise, but team champion Elk Lake, which finished 12th last year, was. The squad scored 138 points, just two points more than runner-up Quaker Valley to earn its first-ever cross country title. According to head coach Will Squier, the win is the first in any sport at Elk Lake since the 1969 boys basketball team. He added that last year when his girls took second that it was the first girls team to earn either a state championship or runner-up.

“I looked at it throughout the year and I knew this team was good,” he said. “I thought Quaker Valley was the team to beat. We had a 55 second pack, the first four guys were pretty close. Sean Carney, a sophomore, is normally sixth, but he ran solid today to be the fifth guy and out-kicked 10 to 12 guys at the end.”

What’s also amazing is that, not only did Elk Lake not have any medalists, but top guy Ryne Carney, Sean’s older brother, and a senior, fell in the first half mile when another runner stopped to tie his shoe. Ryne Carney fell hard on his shoulder but got back up and finished 27th to just miss the medals.

“Everyone ran a phenomenal race,” Ryne Carney said. “Last month we did a training run that simulated the state race. We thought maybe top three today. Even after the race we thought we were second or third. Everyone ran the race of their lives.”

AAA Girls:

Highlights by Aaron Rich:  Emmaus provided little suspense defending their title, winning by 59 points over Greater Latrobe.  Jess Cygan, Liberty, worked the early hills and out-dueled Leslie Kovach, Norwin, over the final 800 meters for the win in 18:47.

Summary by Kimberly Jaick Soden: Class 3A Girls: Liberty sophomore Jess Cygan, the 2007 silver medalist, proved she was ready for gold by overtaking runner-up Leslie Kovach, a Norwin senior, over the last mile of the race, finishing in 18:47. Kovach clocked in at 18:59. The pair were part of a tight pack over the first 800 meters of the race until Greater Latrobe senior Natalie Bower pushed around two miles to create a gap. She would fade to ninth after some cramping.

Emmaus, led by senior Lindsey Graybill’s fourth-place finish, earned its second straight title, scoring 68 points. Greater Latrobe finished second with 127 points. Emmaus’ large margin came in part to the squad placing its top three on the medal stand, with Faust triplets Amanda and Brianna earning the 19th and 23rd medals. Juniors, their sister, Christina, just missed out on the medals, taking 30th.

AAA Boys:

Highlights by Aaron Rich: North Penn upset North Allegheny to earn their second straight title with 92 points.  LaSalle used a 24-sec spread to slip in for second by 1-point over North Allegheny, 125-126.  Jimmy Tarsnane, Perkiomen Valley, grabbed an early lead and never relinquished, finishing with the fastest time on the day, 16:10.

Summary by Kimberly Jaick Soden: Class 3A Boys: Jimmy Tarsnane improved from last year’s eighth place to become the first non-Boyertown runner in three years to win the state title. A Perkiomen Valley senior, he built a 30-meter lead by the mile mark and held it, despite Lower Merion senior Ben Furcht cutting that lead in half over the final 800 meters before fading to 11th. Will Kellar, a West Chester Henderon junior, would move from fifth to second over that final 800 to take the silver. Tarsnane finished in 16:10, eight seconds ahead of Kellar.

“This is amazing, it’s been my goal ever since I finished cross country last year,” Tarsnane said. “The strategy for the first mile was to get the feel for how the race was going out. At two miles I was to push at an unbearable pace and hold it.”

North Penn earned the final repeat title of the day, scoring 92 points to defeat second place LaSalle College, second with 125 points, a one-point winner over third place North Allegheny.

“Things can happen during any race, so you have to come that day, run your race and see what happens,” said coach Ron Jaros. “We had great races from guys who stepped up or were hurt this year. It’s been a great season for these guys.”

 

PIAA State XC Championship Previews: Clear favorites, yet plenty of suspense.