One PA qualifier to Foot Lockers.
Two individuals to Nike Cross Nationals.
North Allegheny earns one of four at-large bids for NXN.
Lower Merion senior Ben Furcht qualified for Foot Locker Nationals, holding on for the 10th and final spot in 15:53. Teammate Neal Berman was just six seconds off. North Penn's Brad Miles earned an individual trip to Nike Cross Nationals with his 4th place finish, but the North Penn guys as a team were 6th. Germantown Friends was 12th overall. The North Allegheny boys were 3rd by just eight points (12 out of first) got word of their at-large invitation Sunday afternoon - one of four extended nationwide.
The announcement of the NXN at-large bids
The PA girls did not fare so well at either meet. Emmaus was exactly the same as last year, finishing 5th as a team. But SR Lindsey Graybill finished 6th and earned one of the individual qualifying slots. At Foot Lockers, three PA girls finished in the top 30, with Leslie Kovach 22nd in 18:48.2; Natalie Bower 27th in 18:57.2; and Sophia Ziemian 28th in 18:57.6. Jessica Cygan did not race after shin splits worsened after the state meet.
Much more PA coverage coming in the next few days...
VIDEO: Boys Seeded Race | Girls Seeded Race
PHOTO GALLERY: Photo Gallery by Don Rich, Rachelle Clinton, Aaron Rich, Geoff Decker and Timothy O'Dowd
Lindsey Graybill finishes at NXN NE - photo by toetheline
PHOTO GALLERY: Photo Gallery by Don Rich, Rachelle Clinton and Aaron Rich of PA athletes in the championship races, and several class races
PHOTO GALLERY: Photo Gallery by toetheline of the NXN Northeast Regional
PA STORIES NXN NE: North Allegheny knew they were good this year. Now everyone else does too. | NXN NE: Emmaus came within 30 seconds of Portland - but Graybill gives the team a reason to smile | FL NE: Ziemian, Kovach, Zarger and Cygan tell their Foot Locker Northeast stories... | FL NE: Nothing can come between these friends – not even their bittersweet finishes at Foot Locker NE
COVERAGE OF ALL 3 FL and 4 NXN MEETS FROM 11/29
Brad Miles at NXN NE - photo by toetheline
In the class races, PA had several medalists. Ann Herman, Pennsbury. finished 3rd in the Freshman Girls race in 19:50.0, one of three PA athletes earning medals.
Brett Kelly, Boyertown, led five PA athletes in the Freshman Boys race, going 17:38.2 for 10th.
The Central Cambria girls marched off with four medals, two of the four PA in the Sophomore Girls race with Kendall Seymour going 20:13.5 for 12th and Ashley Stump running 20:31.3 for 16th. In the Junior Girls race, Kelsey Seymour ran 19:57.6 for 5th. And in the Senior race, Annie Cekada was 8th in 20:42.0.
Two LaSalle College HS athletes won medals in different races, as Thomas Trainer took 3rd in the Sophomore Boys race in 16:47.2 and Tom O'Kane was 2nd in the Junior race in 16:51.6. Also in the Sophomore race, Matthew Kacyon of Whitehall was 4th in 16:52.0 and Austin Stecklair of Henderson, was 5th in 16:52.1.
Andrew Viscusi was the only PA medalists in the Boys Senior race, going 17:05.6.
Pennsylvanians from top 100 in Foot Locker Northeast
Seeded Races and Medalists from the Class Races
Championship Girls
22 Kovach, Leslie 12 Irwin PA 18:48.2
27 Bower, Natalie 12 Pleasant Unity PA 18:57.2
29 Ziemian, Sophia 12 Lewisburg PA 18:58.7
43 Gigliotti, Jenna 10 Trafford PA 19:22.2
46 Kerr, Lindsay 11 Fogelsville PA 19:24.5
47 Simpson, Elizabeth 11 Perkiomenville PA 19:27.0
48 Perry, Kayleigh 11 Myerstown PA 19:28.2
49 Weiss, Heather 11 Myerstown PA 19:29.1
51 Hewitt, Abby 12 Greensburg PA 19:33.5
60 Giannotti, Emily 11 Coudersport PA 19:44.4
62 Wirfel, Leahanne 10 Portage PA 19:46.3
67 Acre, Kelsey 12 Punxsutawney PA 19:57.0
74 Schmalzle, Rachel 12 Hawley PA 20:13.8
78 Zarger, Lauren 12 Erie PA 20:24.7
80 Darlington, Amy 9 Bethlehem PA 20:27.9
96 Horwath, Julie 11 Bethlehem PA 20:52.0
Championship Boys
10 Furcht, Ben 12 Haverford PA 15:53.5
11 Berman, Neal 12 Bala Cynwyd PA 15:59.8 (Pictured to left)
19 McCullough, Matt 12 Havertown PA 16:13.4
22 Desabato, Patrick 12 Narbeth PA 16:17.7
26 Stauffer, Cameron 12 Harmony PA 16:22.1
27 Kildoo, Jacob 10 Grove City PA 16:22.3
30 Tarsnane, Jimmy 12 Collegeville PA 16:24.6
31 Gillette, Matt 12 Orefield PA 16:24.8
36 Beardsley, Alex 11 North East PA 16:27.3
37 Wallace, Daniel 12 Newtown PA 16:27.5
40 Beveridge, Joseph 12 Harrisburg PA 16:28.4
47 O'Sullivan, Christopher 11 Havertown PA 16:33.9
49 Pickhaver, John 12 Drexel Hill PA 16:35.0
50 Lockwood, Chuck 11 York PA 16:35.7
53 Shrawder, Adam 12 New Wilmington PA 16:37.0
58 Santana, Alfredo 12 Philadelphia PA 16:40.4
59 Spisak, Jimmy 12 Johnstown PA 16:40.9
70 Kellar, Will 11 Exton PA 16:47.9
71 Wilson, Dustin 9 Philadelphia PA 16:48.6
73 Hull, Kevin 12 Lancaster PA 16:49.0
78 Perozze, Vincent 11 Perkiomenville PA 16:51.4
93 Lamour, Harold 10 Philadelphia PA 16:58.5
94 Mazzio, Jonathan 12 West Chester PA 16:58.8
99 Lafferty, Richard 12 Skippack PA 17:00.4
Freshman Girls
3 Herman, Ann 9 Yardley PA 19:50.0 (in photo above)
11 Boehm, Natalie 9 Schnecksville PA 21:34.1
17 O'Dowd, Colleen 9 Gettysburg PA 21:55.1
Freshman Boys
10 Kelly, Brett 9 Gilbertsville PA 17:38.2
12 Steiner, Logan 9 Meadville PA 17:44.5
17 Croft, Matthew 9 Red Lion PA 18:16.3
18 Taylor, Khalil 9 Philadelphia PA 18:18.9
23 Fulmer, Ryan 9 Broomall PA 18:36.0
Sophomore Girls
12 Seymour, Kendall 10 Ebensburg PA 20:13.5
15 Weaver, Taryn 10 Dillsburg PA 20:26.8
16 Stump, Ashley 10 Johnstown PA 20:31.3
23 Boligitz, Katie 10 Roslyn PA 20:58.3
(Photos by Rachell Clinton: Trainer, Kacyon, Stecklair)
Sophomore Boys
3 Trainer, Thomas 10 Havertown PA 16:47.2
4 Kacyon, Matthew 10 Whitehall PA 16:52.0
5 Stecklair, Austin 10 West Chester PA 16:52.1
9 Andrews, Bryan 10 Exton PA 17:04.0
19 Kanavy, Jacob 10 Archbald PA 17:38.6
Junior Girls
5 Seymour, Kelsey 11 Ebensburg PA 19:57.6 (in photo above by Rachelle Clinton)
7 Weisner, Kady 11 St. Marys PA 20:04.5
Junior Boys
2 O'Kane, Tom 11 Ambler PA 16:51.6 (in photo above by Rachelle Cllinton)
7 Mueller, Tyler 11 Pottstown PA 17:10.9
15 Grab, Stash 11 West Chester PA 17:26.1
16 Stevenson, James 11 Lansdale PA 17:26.8
22 Pope, John 11 Carlisle PA 17:37.3
23 Antonio, Chris 11 Weedville PA 17:37.6
24 Foster, Cody 11 Saint Marys PA 17:38.3
Senior Girls
8 Cekada, Annie 12 Mineral Point PA 20:42.0
9 Smith, Colleen 12 Carlisle PA 20:44.3
Senior Boys
10 Viscusi, Andrew 12 Bensalem PA 17:05.6
Click here for flash results and coverage of Foot Locker Northeast
Click here for flash results and coverage of NXN Northeast
Foot Locker Northeast Regional
Girls' Seeded Race - 11:00 AM
Jess Cygan, Liberty; Natalie Bower, Latrobe; and Sophia Ziemian, Lewisburg, are the top PA contenders for a top-10 finish and a berth in the Foot Locker National Championship December 13th at Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
Cygan won the AAA Girls State Championship in a time of 18:47 on a very hilly course. Jess is also the top PA returner, having run to a 13th place 18:24.8 in last year's seeded race, only 25 seconds out of a San Diego slot. Natalie Bower was poised to challenge Cygan at the state meet before a side-stitch slowed her to a 9th place 19:21. Bower should be able to bounce back strong in Van Cortlandt. Sophia Ziemian won the AA girls race with a time of 18:52. Fit, healthy, and determined to succeed, Sophia has the savvy to race the hills to a San Diego plane ticket.
Also in the mix are PA 2nd place finishers Leslie Kovach, Norwin from AAA, and Leah Anne Wirfel, Forest Hills from AA. Kovach ran 18:59, after being close to Cygan with 200 meters to go, and has the hill-running ability to keep close to the lead pack. Wirfel was 15 seconds back from Sophia, and as a sophomore should get great experience running with the lead pack in New York.
Kayleigh Perry, Eastern Lebanon; Lindsay Kerr, Northwestern Lehigh; and Lauren Zarger, Harbor Creek, could finish in the top-30 with solid races. Also competing for PA in New York will be Danielle Kocjancic, Kane; Elizabeth Simpson, Boyertown; Heather Weiss, Tulpehocken; Abby Hewitt, Greater Latrobe, and Emily Giannotti, Coudersport.
Boys' Seeded Race - 11:35 AM
Jimmy Tarsnane, Perkiomen Valley; Will Kellar, West Chester Henderson; Ben Furcht, Lower Merion, and Joe Beveridge, Bishop McDevitt, are all poised to earn a Foot Locker berth, having kept a focus on this race all year.
Tarsnane won the AAA State Championship with a time of 16:10, taking control of the race over the tough middle hills. This willingness to hurt on the hills should propel Jimmy to a top-10 finish. Kellar powered his way to a 2nd place AAA finish, moving past other runners on the hills. Kellar's former teammate, Chris Aldrich, qualified last year, so Henderson knows how to prepare for this race. Furcht had a stellar season before running into trouble at the state meet, but has the talent to race his way to a top-10 finish in New York. Beveridge won the AA race in 16:18, and has had Foot Locker in his sights. Beveridge should finish top-20 and top-10 with a great race.
Also competing for PA are Vincent Perozze, Perkiomen Valley; Jacob Kildoo, Grove City; Jimmy Spisak, Bishop McCort; Michael Mahoney, Council Rock North; Pat Donnelly, LaSalle College; Matt McCullough, Malvern Prep; Patrick DeSabato, Friends Central, and Phil Wood, Pennington School, NJ (formerly attended LaSalle).
Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional
Northeast Boys' Championship Race - 10:50 AM
North Penn is the top PA team represented and will run as the North Wales Running Club. Running for North Wales will be Sam Bernitt, Dom Camasso, Alex Dello Buono, Brian Kuntzmann, Brad Miles, Brian Quintrell, and Tim Stauring. North Allegheny will be competing as the Wexford Flats Running Club. Representing the Wexford Flats are Will Appman, Eric Balaban, Chase Broussard, Jay Cadwallader, Ryan Gil, Patrick Morgan, and Matt Robertson. Germantown Friends will also compete for PA as the , with Gus McKenzie, Tom Waterman, Ross Wistar, Evan Caldwell, David Waterman, Fenn Hoffman, and Sam Butler competing.
This is not just for a berth in the NXN race December 6th in Portland, Oregon. It's the tie-breaker between North Penn and North Allegheny, after each on a head-to-head race. North Allegheny dominated at Carlisle in late September, and North Penn, of course won the 2nd consecutive AAA state title on November 1st.
Northeast Girls' Championship Race - 11:30 AM
Emmaus is the lone PA team on the girls side and will compete for the second straight year as the Suamme XC Club. Emmaus had their sights on a trip to Oregon last year, but it wasn't in the cards. After a second straight AAA PA State Championship, this team feels that they are stronger, but more importantly, wiser in the ways of XC Championship-caliber races. This will be their 4th race on the course over the last two seasons. Competing for Suamme will be Lindsey Graybill, Melissa Meade, Meaghan Zang, Kelsey Coates, Amanda Faust, Brianna Faust, and Christina Faust. The top PA individual competing is Katie Sick, Millville.
One PA qualifier to Foot Lockers.
Two individuals to Nike Cross Nationals.
North Allegheny earns one of four at-large bids for NXN.
Lower Merion senior Ben Furcht qualified for Foot Locker Nationals, holding on for the 10th and final spot in 15:53. Teammate Neal Berman was just six seconds off. North Penn's Brad Miles earned an individual trip to Nike Cross Nationals with his 4th place finish, but the North Penn guys as a team were 6th. Germantown Friends was 12th overall. The North Allegheny boys were 3rd by just eight points (12 out of first) got word of their at-large invitation Sunday afternoon - one of four extended nationwide.
The announcement of the NXN at-large bids
The PA girls did not fare so well at either meet. Emmaus was exactly the same as last year, finishing 5th as a team. But SR Lindsey Graybill finished 6th and earned one of the individual qualifying slots. At Foot Lockers, three PA girls finished in the top 30, with Leslie Kovach 22nd in 18:48.2; Natalie Bower 27th in 18:57.2; and Sophia Ziemian 28th in 18:57.6. Jessica Cygan did not race after shin splits worsened after the state meet.