PennTrackXC and Lacelocker are excited to declare Julia Cusatis of Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy the winner of the Bronze Shoe Award. (Interesting to note that Julia had two separate nominations, which clearly shows her impact on others.)
The thing that stood out the most to me is that Julia excels in whatever she puts her mind to. Despite a daily struggle with juvenile arthritis, Julia pours her heart into helping those who share her illness through an Instagram account promoting therapy through art. While maintaining a high GPA as an honors student, Julia shows strong leadership and boosts team morale. In fact, she was voted by her teammates to win the Best Teammate Award the past two years at their end of season banquet. Julia has shown us all that perseverance, determination, and a positive attitude are key ingredients in the recipe for success.
It hasn't been a smooth ride, but she came out on top this year winning the PIAA District 6 Championships in a 40 second PR. Thank you Julia for inspiring us all.
Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.ritis/
Her 2017 season
9/8: Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational - 19:44- 12th. Team finished 4th
9/16: 22nd Annual Ben Bloser Bulldog Cross Country Invitational - 20:09 13th. Team finished 3rd. Raced in the AAA division.
9/30: 25th Annual Carlisle Invitational (Puma Challenge Division) - 19:09 28th-. Team finishes 14th
10/10: Juniata-Grier School Double Dual - 21:16 - 2nd place. Team wins both duals
10/14: Manhattan Invitational (Eastern States) - 15:56 - 42nd. Team finishes 16th
10/28: PIAA District 6 Championships - 18:52 (40s improvement from the year before to win 1st district title). Team finishes 1st
11/14: PIAA Championships - 19:52 -12th (earns first state medal!) Team finishes 2nd.
11/25: NXR Northeast Regional - 22:15-176th. (She was dehydrated)
