Last year was a great season for Patrick Anderson. But if Saturday was any indication, the Mount Lebanon senior could be in for an even bigger one for the defending AAA state champ.
Anderson rolled to the win in the Steel (AAA) race at the Marty Uher Invitational hosted by California University of Pennsylvania at Roadman Park. He clocked a 15:54 for the victory.
Anderson pulled away from talented University (WV) sophomore Larry Josh Edwards and brought it home for the win, defending his title at the invite. A year ago, Anderson opened up his season with a win in 16:40. On Saturday, he was 46 seconds faster.
| PLACE | ATHLETE | TEAM | RESULT | POINTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Anderson | 12 | Mount Lebanon | 15:54.40 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Larry Josh Edwards | 10 | University High | 16:18.10 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Zack Marmol | 12 | Peters Township | 16:52.80 | 3 | ||
| 4 | Ethan Kincell | 12 | Fairmont Senior | 16:58.70 | 4 | ||
| 5 | Alex Shaw | 12 | Upper Saint Clair | 17:05.10 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Rocco DeVincent | 10 | University High | 17:16.50 | 6 | ||
| 7 | Kasey Turner | 12 | Upper Saint Clair | 17:25.90 | 7 | ||
| 8 | Tyler Hayes | 11 | Fairmont Senior | 17:27.50 | 8 | ||
| 9 | Jack Aulbach | 12 | Blackhawk | 17:34.90 | 0 | ||
| 10 | Barak Asher | 11 | Mount Lebanon | 17:36.50 | 9 | ||
It's a strong sign that Anderson is in great shape to open up his final high school season. Last year, Anderson went on to win the AAA state title, before qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals where he placed 29th in the country.
Anderson also led his Lebo squad to the victory in the team race with 56 points. His 15:54 was good enough for a Cal U. 5K course record, eclipsing North Allegheny's Matt McGoey's previous top time from 2014.
Watch the race above and check out an interview with Anderson below.