Race Highlights from the 3A Boys Championship
As the day moved along, the Hershey hills made one thing clear; they were unforgiving. We watched the heat and hills come into play race after race, shaking up team scores and bringing new contenders to the front.
But one certainty remained. We knew we were due for a clash between Drew Griffith and Brian DiCola in the day's last race.
And that is precisely what we got. Griffith got out quickly, putting a small gap between him and DiCola. The rest of the field gave chase. Through the hills, Griffith remained steadfast in setting a blistering pace. They rolled up and down the hills, trading metaphorical jabs.
Coming up to the two-mile mark, DiCola remained a few meters back and continued to wait. We've seen this strategy executed by DiCola before.
At Paul Short, he ran a similar race. He allowed Ryan Pajak and Rory Lieberman to dictate the race before laying down a difficult closing 800. Maybe he brought some inspiration from that race because he waited until the crest of the final hill to make his move. With 800 meters to go, DiCola lurched ahead and delivered a fatal blow.
Opening his stride, he surged ahead and grabbed the inside on the final roundabout.
"I knew I had to get inside to make it harder for him (Griffith) to pass me. If he tried to pass me, he would have to run a few extra steps," said DiCola to MileSplit staff.
Off the corner, it was him against the clock, and he hammered down. He nipped Patrick Anderson's 2019 record by a little over a second, adding his name to the history books again, running 15:24.2. He is now five for five this year and keeps his undefeated season alive.
DiCola on his Championship Run
Griffith ran 15:35.
Behind them, Jack Bertram, Brett Kroboth, Patrick Lawson, and Aidan Hodge battled for the Top-3 slot. Matthew O'Brien was in contention but faded over the final mile.
Bertram and Kroboth ran neck and neck for most of the 3.1-mile race. Both hailing from the WPIAL, they have plenty of experience running the hills and finished second and third last week at the District 7 Finals. Over the final stretch, Bertram was able to force some separation and crossed the line ahead of Kroboth at 16:09.
Patrick Lawson ran his usual race strategy. He remained patient early and was 23rd at the mile mark. By the second mile, he positioned himself in seventh. Hodge moved up after opening the first mile in 16th. They both earned Top-6 finishes, and Lawson used his turnover to secure the fifth-place finish.
Drew Brill, Gavin Mogck, Aryan Abbaraju, and Matt Castronuovo rounded out the Top-10.
NA Boys discuss Title Victory
Meanwhile, North Allegheny perfected its race strategy and delivered a third straight state title, the fourth in five years. The Tigers utilized a classic approach; they got out of the box patient and slowly picked their way through the field.
At Mile one, they were sixth in the team count with 180 points. By mile two, they had trimmed 90 points and positioned themselves in the lead, with five runners in the top 40 points paying positions.
They continued to move forward, cementing their team title and winning by 76 points.
Jack Bertram got it done out front. He scored the 1-stick for the Tigers, with DiCola and Griffith running as individuals. Bertram started the race at the front and stayed there throughout.
Seniors Gregory Kossuth and Jackson Pajak joined Bertram in the top 25. They were positioned in 42nd and 58th, respectively, at the mile mark. Junior James Behrend ran an awe-inspiring second half. At the mile mark, he was back in 140th. He moved to 42nd and earned a meager 26 points for the Tigers. Joey Rempe ran a similar race, moving from 127th to 45th.
The Tigers employed a 1:04 compression.
North Allegheny Head Coach, discusses Team and Victory
LaSalle College High School placed second for the fifth year in a row. Led by seniors Drew Brill and Ryan McGinley, they earned 161 points. They employed a similar strategy to NA, sitting eighth after the mile.
Penncrest earned a surprise Third Place finish. They showed up on Saturday, delivering the year's best performance on the big stage. Gavin Mogck's Top 10 was crucial in driving them past North Penn, Hempfield, and State College Area. Junior Brendan Hefferan, who finished 27th at the District 1 Championship last week, came through for Penncrest. In his first State Championship, he finished 67th.
But their fifth man had the best day of all. Senior Rory McAfee finished 98th at the District 1 Championship last week. In his first state championship, he finished in 103rd but with just 52 team points. That finish was instrumental in the team's third place. Entering the championship, he was projected to score 99-points.
North Penn and Hempfield rounded out the Top 5.
