Red, White & Blue Classic - Meet Recap
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A Races
GIRLS - Carmen Medvit of Shenango started off her season on the right foot. The senior went 19:17 to run away with the season-opening win, over a minute ahead of second place. Medvit won the WPIAL Class A title two years ago, but was an unfortunate DNF at districts last year, so she'll be on a mission this season.
The Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy girls showed they could be up to the task of defending their Class A state title this fall. The Wolves put up 42 points to run away with the team title. Kathleen Simander led the way for SJCA, taking fourth in 20:40. Marion Center Area was second with 72 points.
BOYS - Riverside's Colby Belczyk carried over the momentum that he had when he left off last fall. The senior, who was tenth at states in Class A last year, opened up with a win on Friday at Red, White & Blue. Belczyk was the lone boy in the field to break 17 minutes, winning in 16:53.
Riverview was strong, claiming the team title with 62 points. Mason Ochs led the way for Riverview, taking second in 17:04. Riverview's usual No. 2 runner did not finish. Eden Christian Academy was second with 79 points.
AA Races
GIRLS - Brownsville's Jolena Quarzo ran away with the win in the AA race, running 18:37 for a convincing early season victory for the sophomore. After taking second to her now-graduated older sister Gionna (now at NC State), this is Quarzo's first invitational win of her career.
Sharon's Gianna Labbiento was second in 18:57 and Bell Vernon's Grace Henderson was third in 19:25.
North Catholic put three in the top 11, led by freshman Grace Lazzara (sixth in 20:01) to win the team race with 102 points, just nine points ahead of second place Chartiers Valley. NC showed it should be a factor in AA after moving from A for this season.
BOYS - In what was the breakthrough performance of the weekend, Rinngold freshman Ryan Pajak ran to the win in the AA boys race. He made his high school invitational debut on Saturday and came away victorious, dropping a 16:02 for the win behind a very strong last half mile. It ended up being the second fastest time of the entire meet.
Beaver Area's Will Lamb came across second in 16:11 and Ringgold's Lucas Pajak was third in 16:18.
With the Pajak brother leading the way going 1-3, Ringgold showed off its overall depth running away with the team win with just 44 points. In the meet merge, Ringgold was second to only North Allegheny. Greensburg Salem ran well to grab second in the team race with 75 points.
AAA Races
GIRLS - It was a terrific season opener for Moon Area's Mia Cochran. The defending AAA state champion and 2019 Foot Locker National qualifier pulled away for a big victory, running 17:39, the junior fastest time of her career. It was a strong start for the state's top-ranked girl.
Saturday also marked the cross country debut of four-time track state champion Melissa Riggins of Shady Side Academy. Riggins ran very well in her first time on the trails, running 18:13 for second place to Cochran.
Bethel Park freshman Jenna Lang impressed in her high school debut, taking third in 18:44 without her teammate, senior Emily Carter, in the lineup on Saturday. North Allegheny's Keeley Misutka was fourth in 18:47.
Seneca Valley came out on top in the team standings, an impressive team effort to beat two-time defending state champions North Allegheny. SV scored just 58 points to win by 57 points over second place, and managed just a 57 second 1-5 spread. Gabrielle Kutchma was SV's top finisher, taking seventh overall.
NA was second with 115 points and Pine-Richland ran well to take third with 139 points.
BOYS - Butler's CJ Singleton scored an impressive win in the AAA boys race. The junior went 15:45 to claim the win in his invitational season opener, running away from a good field. 15:45 is also a new XC 5K PR for Singleton.
North Allegheny then took the next three spots with Scott Nalepa (16:04) taking third, Jackson Hickel (16:19) in fourth, and Gregory Kossuth (16:23) coming across fifth. Seneca Valley's Noah Petersen broke up the NA pack placing fifth, but then NA's fourth, Graham Wolfe, was sixth.
Unsurprisingly, NA ran away with the boys team title, putting just 26 points on the board with a 1-5 gap of just 40 seconds. It's a great start for the PA#2 squad that will be looking to win its second state title in three years this fall in AAA.
Butler (101 points) was second and Mount Lebanon was third with 115 points.