PREVIEW: District 11 Championships 2023

Individuals: Connor Hibell (Palmerton) finished fourth at the 2022 District Championship as a freshman. He is coming off of a Colonial League Championship win and has run 16:19 this year. Duke Ebert (Allentown Central Catholic), another sophomore, will look to compete with Hibell. He just finished eighth at the EPC Championships, and beat Hibell earlier this year at the Northampton Invitational. Francesco Carr (Blue Mountain), yet another sophomore, just won the Schuylkill League Championships with his 16:28.

Teams: Tamaqua finished second at the Schuylkill League Championships. There they beat Lehighton and Blue Mountain. Wilson Area just posted a dominant victory at the Colonial League Championship. Allentown Central Catholic should not be overlooked either.

Individuals: In 2022, Giovanni Mastromonaco (Nazareth) got hurt in the final moments of the race and Paul Abeln (Parkland) surged past him to win the District Championship. Mastromonaco spent several months rehabbing and is back for redemption. He just won the EPC Championship title over Abeln and the two will battle again. Others to watch include Ethan Willard, Dylan Boyle and Evan Guydish.

Teams: PA #19 Parkland (2022 Champions), Easton, Emmaus (3rd in 2022), Nazareth Area (Runner-Up in 2022)

Girls' Notes and Ones to Watch

Individuals: Virginia Kraus (Moravian Academy) won the 2022 District 11 Championship before going on to win the 1A State Title. She is undefeated in 2023 and has run 17:42. Katherine Koons, Anna Schaeffer, Ella Schweitzer and Olivia Schweitzer should spearhead the chase pack.

Teams: Notre Dame Green Pond, the reigning 2022 State Championship Team, should have no issues defending its district title en-route to its state title defense. Moravian, Schuylkill Haven, and Northern Lehigh will battle for the second transfer spot.

Individuals: Avery Errico (Wilson) is the defending District Champion and the returning favorite. She ran 18:56 earlier this year and has a season best over a minute faster than the next girl in 2A. Others to watch include Olivia Bortz and Lucy Scheidel.

Teams: Northwestern Lehigh (2022 Champions), Allentown Central Catholic (2022 Runner-ups), Saucon Valley (3rd in 2022), Tamaqua. Saucon Valley just took third at the Colonial League Championships ahead of Northwestern Lehigh.

Individuals: Lana Hurwitz (Parkland) is the Defending District Champion, though she'll have challengers again this year. Avaline Fihlman (Freedom), Madelyn McCartney (Emmaus), and Payton Campbell (Emmaus) have all run similar times to Hurwitz this year. Most recently, McCartney beat the other three to win the EPC Championships. She ran 53-seconds faster than Fihlman who finished in third.

Teams: PA #18 Emmaus is the defending champion. Easton may challenge after finishing second to Emmaus at the EPC Championships last week. Southern Lehigh and Parkland will look to challenge for the second transfer spot. 

2022 Winners - Individuals | Teams

1A Boys: 17:07 - Thomas Smigo (Palisades '23) | Minersville

2A Boys: 16:52 - Matthew Santana (Northwestern Lehigh '23) | Palmerton

3A Boys: 16:49 - Paul Abeln (Parkland '24) | Parkland

1A Girls: 18:51 - Virginia Kraus (Moravian Academy '26) | Notre Dame Green Pond

2A Girls: 20:07 - Avery Errico (Wilson Area '25) | Northwestern Lehigh

3A Girls: 19:09 - Lana Hurwitz (Parkland '24) | Emmaus