9/17-Thomas, Costello fastest of day as O\'Hara sweeps Champs divisions @ Briarwood Inv. (pix)


Select Race Photos by Don Rich are below

Greg Thomas finishes in 15:57.

Surprise... surprise... surprise. Cardinal O'Hara has not only sent a shot across the bow of their own league, but the region as well. At one of the tougher courses in the state – the famed Belmont Plateau with its Parachute Hill – the boys beat the #9 team in the Northeast, Ridgewood NJ, and the pre-season PCL favorites, LaSalle. Meanwhile, the Lady Lions beat two strong Delaware teams, Padua Academy and Tatnall, along with perennial PA powers Hatboro-Horsham and Henderson.

In these two championship races on the hot, humid day, the leaders took their cue from their home course. Take it off the top of Parachute. Greg Thomas, who had been beaten in 2004 by Council Rock North senior Keith Capecci, knew he had a different gear this year - strength. The O'Hara program, until this year, a lower-mileage squad, upped their weeklies to near 60, and that work has been paying off. "At our team time trial, we ran really well,' Thomas says. "So today was not a surprise to us." Thomas finished the race at 15:57, only the third time a PCL runner has gone under 16 minutes on the oft-used course, and now the 2nd fastest ever in the league record book. Capecci came out of the woods in 2nd, survived "the toughest hill is the start hill the second time", and ran 16:21. Ridgewood NJ, which had come into the meet as #9 in the Northeast, lost their #5 runner to the heat (and hospital), and finished 2nd by 47 points with 129. LaSalle was 3rd with 148 points.

Liz Costello goes a quick 19:09,
coming back over the last 1/3 mile in Division 1.


Both Thomas and Capecci have lofty goals this season. Thomas would like to get both of Steve Hallinan's big course records, the 15:42 at Belmont Plateau, and a 15:32 at Rose Tree Park. And both runners are looking beyond Leagues and States to Foot Lockers. Capecci, for one, wants to try to run with the best in the Northeast, including PA's own Craig Miller. After a great outdoor campaign, Capecci is off to his best start in high school cross country. The difference? "I trained this time."

In the girls' race, the sister act of Beth and Katie Kelly did an encore, with Beth winning in 19:32, and Katie a second back. O'Hara tallied 57 points, 18 better than Padua.

The Female Athlete of the Meet came from the Division 1 race, as Conestoga's Liz Costello roared to a very quick 19:09 for the conditions. But it was Hunterdon Central NJ that won the team title with 115 points, as fellow Jersey squads Paul VI and Shawnee took 3rd and 4th. In the boys Division 1 race, Hatboro-Horsham was two points better than a unexpectedly strong Haverford Twp team, 64 to 66, behind the 16:27 win by Josh Hibbs.

In Division 2, Nicole Knowles and Kristin Golen (5th and 6th) led Great Valley's girls to a 56 to 65 win over Archbishop Carroll. Peddie NJ's Rachel Provost won in 19:33. And in the boys' race, it was a strong display by Wissahickon, who beat power Holy Ghost Prep 30-73 behind Paul Thistle's 16:52. Wissahickon placed five in the top 13 with a 29-second compression.

The start of the Championship race.

Greg Thomas and Keith Capecci let others push the pace before the woods.

Thomas coming out of the woods with the lead.

Capecci is clear in 2nd

O'Hara has a clear presence at the front heading toward the mle of the Division 1 race.

Katie and Beth Kelly have some company after two miles.

And at the end, it's Beth, followed by Katie.

Josh Hibbs, Hatboro-Horsham, ran 16:27 to win Division 1.

Wissahickon's Paul Thistle won Division 2 over Lawrenceville's Jan Kalkus.

Peddie's Rachel Provost was the Division 2 champ.