PIAA State Championships 2006

What more can we say about Coatesville? Well, lots. But now it\'s their turn. Or turns, as you\'ll see over the coming days. Check in for the season journal from each of the varsity seven in the Coatesville Chronicles. (1/24: Sean Ward)

The 2006 Radnor High School girls' cross country team finished a remarkable season by winning the AAA state champinship over a young, but undaunted Emmaus team. Radnor began the season with a national ranking and #1 in PA, and had that target on their backs all season. But with the guidance of the Father-Daughter Team Flanagan coaching tandem of Tom and Bridget, and senior leadership by four of the top five runners, the girls survived the pressures, both internal and external, to win the school's first state XC title. Most of the varsity agreed to put their thoughts on the season into words. PennTrackXC.com is grateful to each of them for taking the time to share their perspectives, and again, congratulate them on their achievements. We'll publish one new one daily, beginning 12/27 with their freshman sensation, and soccer-player-turned-stud-runner, Kelyn Freedman. The Radnor Stories will be followed next week by the Coatesville Chronicles.

All year the strategy was simple

The online order page is now up for you to order your VHS or DVD of the 2006 PIAA State Cross Country Championships held November 4 at the new Hershey Parkview course. On this page, you can also order any past championships of the state T&F championships since 2002, or any of the Cross Country state championships since 2000. Link in the story or on the PCN ad to the right.

The PIAA State Cross Country Championships will be broadcast ONE MORE TIME this month: The AA races will be re-broadcast on Sun 11/26 at 3pm, followed by AAA at 4pm. Since the Eagles and Steelers kind of stink this year, you shouldn\'t have a schedule conflict on the 26th.

The North Allegheny boys cross country team is more than eager to start the indoor track season. And they should be after the fall they had. And they are even more excited about the prospects for their 2007 cross country campaign

Farley and the Chocolate Factory: Radnor to Hershey as favorites, and June makes it a sweet weekend. (Photo: June Farley with two Emmaus girls after the 2 mile mark)

Welcome to the first (and now final 2006 ranking) PennTrackXC.com PA Cross Country Team Rankings. We begin with the Pre-Season Top 10, which was developed through voting by a state-wide panel of coaches. Week one sees very minor changes with most teams idle.

We\'d like to focus all the speculation on the best boys\' cross country team in PA history. We\'re getting some info from the experts, but we can\'t talk to all the experts out there, and that includes you. Please send your opinion, with your reasoning for your choice, and include your name and team and/or district affiliation, plus any relevant high school career (athletic/coaching) info. We\'ll assemble the information, and publish it to fuel the discussion.

Kacey Gibson of Neshannock is just one of two runners, girls or boys, who run cross for her school. On Saturday she made up for that deficit by capturing the 2A girls title at the PIAA championships. And she did it in record setting fashion...

When St. Basil\'s girls cross country team stepped onto the starting line at its Bicentennial League Championship, the squad was toeing the line together for the first time this fall. \"It started in September with illness and injury, just the goofiest things,\" said coach Greg Green. \"In August we thought we could (win the 2A girls state championship), but by the end of September I was shaking my head. At the end of September we started all over again.\" (Kathleen Davies leads St. Basit with her 16th place finish)

Kevin Gatons, 46 (from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Photo Galleries and Select Pix by Don Rich, Karen Ward and James K. Wood of the PIAA State Championships.

Select Race Flow Photos from the 2006 PIAA State Championships on 11/4 @ the new Hershey Parkview CC Course

Greensburg Salem coach dies at Hershey Parkview XC course during Friday preview - by JoAnne Klimovich Harrop of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

11/4 STATES WK+ SUMMARY: A historic PIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS on a sun-bathed, cool, perfect day as a new course began its sure-to-be legendary future. The Men of Black of Coatesville, scored a modern record team score of just 26 in one of the deepest fields in the state's history. Team #1 Kyle Dawson was 3rd, behind Jason Weller, Boyertown and Paul Springer, Unionville. Neely Spence won the girls' AAA race as the Radnor girls scored an 81-102 win over up-and-coming Emmaus. Lucas Zarzeczny, Avonworth, won the boys AA gun-to-tape. West Middlesex won the team title. In Girls AA, St. Basil Academy beat a strong Lancaster Mennonite team, as Neshanock's Kasey Gibson caught Central Cambria's Carly Seymour with 400 meters to go and held on for the win. At Sunday's PHILADELPHIA CATHOLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS, packs ruled as LaSalle's boys four-peated and Cardinal O'Hara's girls three-peated. Phil Wood and Beth Kelly led their teams to the titles. Kelly's 18:44.7 was the 2nd best PCL League time ever, behind only Prendie's Sheila Klick.Coverage coming Sun-Mon-Tue-Wed to include photos, stories and as soon as possible, video(O'Hara JR Beth Kelly's 18:44.7 is #2 PCL all-time)

On to the State Meet! Or is it

Photo tour of the first year of the Hershey Parkview 5K course used for PIAA State XC Championships - First 1/2 mile revised in 2007 because of construction

A browser-viewed photo and map presentation of the new PIAA State Championships 5K course at Hershey Parkview... prepared by Karen Ward, PennTrackXC.com

10/23-28 DISTRICTS WK+ SUMMARY: PIAA DISTRICT 3 postponed their meet from Sat to Mon at noon because of flooding on the new Hersheypark course made parts impassable. When the race was on, Manheim Township captured both AAA team titles. Vince McNally (Manheim Township won both AAA titles, but it was a school-first for the PA#3 girls - photo by Megan Zeller) and Lara Crofford set course records that will be safe until Saturdy. Germantown Friends prevailed over LaSalle in the PA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHAMPS. At the PIAA DISTRICT 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS, Harbor Creek\'s Lauren Zarger soloed. It was a double sweep by two schools at the PIAA DISTRICT 9 CHAMPIONSHIPS in both AA and AAA. Elk County Catholic was AA Champs and Bradford dominated AAA. At the PIAA DISTRICT 6 CHAMPIONSHIPS, Carly Seymour led her Central Cambria team to a AA team title. On Friday, a day after the Emmaus girls posted their quick times at Lehigh, Radnor came along in the PIAA DISTRICT 1 CHAMPIONSHIPS meet to run a faster team avg by 19 seconds per girl. Unionville\'s Paul Springer led Boyertown\'s Jason Weller and Coatesville\'s Kyle Dawson across the line, all under 15. The Coatesville guys were just as dominating as the Radnor girls. On Thursday at PIAA DISTRICT 7 on a John Papa-renewed Cooper\'s Lake course, times were a lot faster than Tri-States. The North Allegheny\'s guys dominated AAA. The Emmaus girls made a statement with an 18:58 team average at PIAA DISTRICT 11 on Thursday. Parkland moves both squads to states. Easton nearly makes it, but Chanelle Price rips an 18:07. Isaac Dunkelberger and Alexa Griffiths four-peat and three-peat in AA. Lewisburg girls and Danville boys win titles in PIAA DISTRICT 4. In PIAA DISTRICT 5, AA Meyersdale won the girls title, while the Bedford boys were victorious. Engineering & Science won the PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Robeson\'s Shatievah Lewis took the individual title. Central won the boys\' title. On Wednesday in PIAA DISTRICT 2 meet, a changing of the guard as Dallas does not advance. A newcomer, Alexandra Hackett of Wyoming Seminary, wins in AA. Scranton Prep\'s boys tops again. Abington Heights boys repeat. Honesdale has the perfect race to take AAA girls. At the PCL NORTHERN DIVISION CHAMPS LaSalle\'s boys dominate. The St. Hubert girls were victorious. In the PCL SOUTHERN DIVISION, it was the Cardinal O\'Hara boys and girls sweeping. At the INTER-AC CHAMPS , it was the Malvern Prep boys and Notre Dame girls. In the FRIENDS\' LEAGUE, Germantown Friends swept the individual and team titles. Philmont Christian swept the top five spots at the KEYSTONE CONFERENCE CHAMPS. Last week, at the PIAA DISTRICT 12 MEET Robeson\'s Shatievah Lewis posted a quick 19:32 to win, but the Engineering & Science girls were AA qualifiers. Girls\' High won the AAA. Masterman boys were the AA champs and Central was AAA champ. In PIAA DISTRICT 8, Allderdice swept both team titles.

Because she had started her run before the rest of the team one Christmas break practice last year, Allison Sikora missed an announcement from her coach. But as she finished, she met up with the other girls who gave her the news she had a feeling was coming.

The PIAA has published the 2006 Cross Country State Championships memo, complete with all the iinfo you\'ll need to be eligible, quality, find a place to stay, to compete, and to cheer on the runners on November 4th. Inlcuded map of the new course.

The logistics of course construction, and conflicts with existing athletic schedules and the Rosh Hashanah religious observance, combined to nix plans for an advance course inspection of the new PIAA State Champs layout in Hershey.

A new individual champion will be crowned for the first time in 3 years as the Craig Miller era comes to a close. Let\'s end the discussion right now. The boys of the Ches-Mont league are year-in and year-out, the best teams in the state over the last decade. And after two years of disappointment, Coatesville is more focused, and more dangerous than ever.

The top two from 2005 return to battle it out again. Isaac Dunkelberger missed his outdoor season with mono, and he can\'t wait to race. Lucas Zarzeczny was right there at the finish. And don\'t look now, but Scranton Prep will probably be in the mix challenging for their 6th state title in seven years.

Sample pix of the new 2006 PIAA State Championship XC course at Hershey Parkview - under construction

PIAA Associate Executive Director Dr. Robert Lombardi said today that a hoped-for race opportunity on the newly designed Hershey Parkview XC course will not be possible for 2006. But, he says, the PIAA is still trying to work out details for an inspectiion/walkthrough/workout opportunity weeks in advance of the state championships. Cover photo: the first kinda nasty hill is right at 1600 meters

There are plenty of top-returners, but a welcome newcomer could shake things up.

Once again, the AA girls race will be one to watch. The field boasts 3 sub-5 minute milers, and even more impressively, 5 sub-11 minute 2 milers.

With the help of the PIAA Cross Country Steering Committee, the PIAA is designing and building a new state championship cross country course on the site of the now-closed Hershey Parkview Golf Course located behind the Giant Center. The location of the District 3 Championships will be determined by district officials in August.

Based on elite performances entered into the PennTrackXC.com database through the 2005 XC season, this list does not include any incoming freshmen, or performanaces from meets for which we never received results, or athletes for whom we have no graduation year. If any missing information is provided, the list will be updated.

Based on elite performances entered into the PennTrackXC.com database through the 2005 XC season, this list does not include any incoming freshmen, or performanaces from meets for which we never received results, or athletes for whom we have no graduation year. If any missing information is provided, the list will be updated.

With construction at the site of the five-year-old PIAA State Cross Country Championship course near Hotel Hershey, the PIAA was forced to look for alternatives for 2006 and beyond. According to PIAA Assistant Executive Director Melissa Mertz, they looked across the street and down the hill a little and found what they believe will be a great site.