The PA#1 runner asserted himself as such on Saturday.
Neshaminy's Rusty Kujdych employed somewhat of a conservative strategy on Saturday at the Briarwood Invitational. She opted not to take the lead early on in the Championship Race.
"A lot of us felt sluggish because the heat and humidity caught up to us," Kujdych said after the race. "It was tough to run aggressively in the beginning of the race because we all knew how hard the rest of the race would be especially because of the weather."
Kujdych ran in a pack with CounciL Rock North's Ryan Campbell and LaSalle's Evan Addison, a pair of top 20 runners in the state. At the top of Parachute Hill, Kujdych was able to open up a gap on the field. She kept hammering in the woods and gained a significant lead before the final loop.
She brought it home in 15:51, a very strong time, regardless of the conditions. Kujdych will face a third big test in as many weeks this Saturday at the PIAA Foundation Invitational on the state course at Hershey.
Watch the race above and hear from Kujdych after the race below: