NEW YORK, NY -- A pair of Pennsylvania standouts are headed to San Diego after logging top ten finishes at Eastbay Northeast Regionals in the Bronx on Saturday.
Jenna Mulhern placed fourth, and Mia Cochran took ninth on a blustery day at Van Cortlandt Park qualifying each for Eastbay Nationals, set for December 11 at Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
Mulhern, a senior who has been competing unattached this season, ran 17:46 to take fourth. She ran up near the front for much of the race, and handily booked her trip to nationals. That's the seventh fastest time at the regional meet at Van Cortlandt since 2003 by a PA girl. Mulhern, a Furman recruit, was a two-time NXN qualifier, making it to Portland as a freshman and sophomore (NXN was not held in 2020 or this year). She will trade the mud of NXN for the warm weather that San Diego usually brings.
Cochran, a Moon Area senior and Arkansas signee, took ninth in 18:01. This is Cochran's second time qualifying for nationals, but two weeks from now will be her first time racing at Eastbay Nationals. She qualified with a tenth place finish as a sophomore two years ago, but did not compete in San Diego due to injury.
Claire Zubey (Owen J. Roberts) placed 15th in 18:34, and Lydia Tolerico (Dallastown) was 21st in 18:47. Claire Paci (Greencastle-Antrim) took 25th in 18:52 to round out a strong day for PA girls at EBNE.
On the boys' side, Weber Long of Greencastle-Antrim was the top PA finisher, taking 11th in 15:42, six seconds off a top ten spot. Lampeter-Strasburg's Colin Whitaker was 15th in 15:46. Butler's Drew Griffith was 22nd in 15:54, while his teammate CJ Singleton was 26th in 16:01. Thomas Smigo of Palisades took 25th in 16:00.
For the first time since 2003, Pennsylvania did not qualify a boy through to nationals, ending a run of 18 straight years that a Pennsylvania boy has qualified for the Eastbay/Foot Locker National Championships.
Check out interviews with Mulhern and Cochran below.