Steel City Invitational
NE US#9 Council Rock-North placed no one above 13th, but no scorer after 21st to tally just 77 points, normally good enough to win an invite the size of a Steel City. But NE US#6, US#25 West Chester Henderson started their scoring with 1-2, then placed three more in the teens, twenties and low-thirties to score just 69 points. The narrow margin has to set up some great scenarios for both Districts and States. The 1-2 was, as expected, Ian Gottesfeld and Greg Williams, the junior-duo who will terrorize opponents for another year, as well. The 16:11.2-16:12.4 were good times on the warm, humid day. Part-time runner/soccer player Eric ("the soccere season's almost over") Fleming finished a strong third in 16:17.8. In the girls' race, it was sophomore Janelle Young, (coming off a stellar 4th place showing at the Great American Elite race 9/28) of Cedar Cliff who used a strong closing kick to take Lampeter-Strasburg's Emily Kruger by just six seconds, going 18:55.4. But it was Katie Papenberg of Red Lion who, with the race nearly in hand closing on the top of the race's monster hill, took an early turn, missed a marker, and lost eight spots after turning around to correct the mistake. She would finish 5th in 19:25.8. "It won't happen again" according to coach Marv Berkowitz. "She's a real student of the sport, and this was a memorable lesson." Cardinal O'Hara used three medalists and a strong 4-5 to get just 82 points to win by more than 100. They were led again by frosh phenom Katie Kelly's, who finished in 7th place @ 19:45.9.