Scott Huff recaps the SOL Championships and highlights Pennridge’s Marissa Sheva and Upper Dublin’s Francis Ferruzzi.
By Scott Huff
The skies opened up on Friday morning with a deluge of rain that made the course at Lehigh University less than ideal for the Suburban One League championships last week. But the sloppy conditions could not dampen the satisfaction felt by the respective conference team and individuals champions.
In the SOL National Conference Pennsbury captured the girls title with 20 points, while Council Rock North finished second with 48 points. The third place finisher was William Tennent with 85 points.
Senior Kate Scott of Council Rock North was the individual champion with a clocking of 18:54. Freshman Maddie Sauer of Pennsbury was the second place finisher in 18:59, while teammate and fellow freshman Olivia Sargent took third in 19:27. Sara Sargent – a pre-race favorite – did not compete.
In the SOL National Conference Council Rock North won the boys’ team title with 28 points. Pennsbury was the runner-up with 44 points, while both William Tennent and Bensalem tied for third place with 85 points.
Council Rock North junior Ross Wilson was the individual winner with a clocking of 15:49. Senior Mac Emery of CR North was second in 15:52, while Pennsbury senior Connor Harriman was the third place finisher with a time of 15:57.
In the SOL Continental Conference Central Bucks West was crowned the girls team champion with 30 points. North Penn finished in second place with 56 points, while Central Bucks East was the third place finisher with 76 points.
Sophomore Marissa Sheva of Pennridge was the individual champion as she stopped the watches in 18:33. Central Bucks West freshman Maddie Villalba was second in 18:58, while the third place finisher was Kaitlin Poiesz from Central Bucks South with a time of 19:00.
In the SOL Continental Conference, Central Bucks West was crowned the boys team champion with 80 points. Central Bucks East was a close second with 82 points, while Pennridge was third with 85 points.
Senior Connor Quinn – the defending state champion – was the individual champion with a clocking of 15:49. North Penn senior Jack Macauley was second with a time of 16:13, while freshman Jake Brophy of CB East was third with a time of 16:32.
In the SOL American Conference Upper Dublin captured the girls team title with 42 points. Wissahickon took second place honors with 49 points, while Upper Merion was in third place with 68 points.
Freshman Lotte Black of Wissahickon was the conference individual champion as she stopped the watches in 20:03. The second place honors went to Cheltenham junior Hannah Gilliam with a time of 20:31, while Upper Dublin junior Isabel Uribe was third with a time of 20:45.
In the SOL American Conference Upper Merion captured the boys team title with 45 points. Upper Dublin was a close second with 47 points, while Plymouth Whitemarsh finished in third place with 66 points.
Senior Francis Ferruzzi was the individual champion as he stopped the watches in 16:30. Upper Merion senior Christian Sanders was in second place with a time of 17:00, while Wissahickon junior Tristian Marcelis was third with a clocking of 17:01.
The venue for the PIAA District One Championships will be Lehigh University this Friday – October 26, 2012 – as the events begin at 9:30 am. The AAA races for both the girls and boys are scheduled to begin around noon.
Marissa Sheva has Sights Set on District Title
There are those who feel that the PIAA District One Championships are a stepping-stone to get to the PIAA state championships the following week. The goal is to get to Hershey – and that means a top 25 finish in districts.
Pennridge sophomore Marissa Sheva is not of that mindset.
“My goal is to compete and win,” said Sheva, who won the Suburban One League Continental Conference championship last week. “In districts, we run against some of the best competition in the state, and I want to push myself to do well.”
“I would like to see her win – she has the ability and desire to win,” said Pennridge cross country coach Bill Smith. “Marissa has a tremendous desire to succeed. I would be surprised if she didn’t finish in or near the top at the end of the race.”
Sheva finished first in the conference meet at Lehigh University last week despite poor running conditions due to an early morning rainstorm.
“We were the second race on the course that day, so it wasn’t too bad,” said Sheva. “But we decided that the best way to run the race was to go out strong early and just focus on winning.
“In districts I might run a different race,” continued Sheva. “Sometimes I go out early, and sometimes I sit back and kick at the end. I really don’t have a set plan before the race, I pretty much go on how I feel on race day.”
Not bad for a runner in just her second season on the cross country course.
“Marissa had always been a runner, but running cross country is a different animal,” said Smith. “This year she has a much better understanding of what it takes to compete as a cross country runner. She has some great teachers during her sophomore season in Tori Gerlach and her sister.”
Junior Caitlyn Sheva is an accomplished runner in her own right and has been to states the last two seasons. Although she did not compete in the conference meet last week (ankle injury), Caitlyn will run at districts this week.
“We are each other’s biggest fans on race days,” said Marissa. “The longest race I had ever run before last year was the mile, and Caitlyn and Tori taught what it took to compete with the top girls around in a much longer race.
“I’m glad that we are back at Lehigh for districts,” added Sheva. “The course is flat, and everyone always like the times that you can get there. Hopefully it is a better day to run than last Friday.”
Sheva hopes that the weather is better – but the results are just the same.
Francis Ferruzzi has Sights Set on States
There are those that feel that the District One Championships are a steppingstone to the PIAA state championships the following week. You can count Upper Dublin senior Francis Ferruzzi in that mindset.
“My coach really want me to focus on qualifying for states,” said Ferruzzi who captured the SOL American Conference individual championship last week Lehigh. “I would love to finish in the top five, but the whole idea is to be able to move on to states.
“There are some great runners in our district,” added Ferruzzi who finished seventh in the event last season and competed at states. “Connor Quinn (Hatboro-Horsham), Jack Macauley (North Penn), the kids from CB West, CB East, Pennsbury, Council Rock North and West Chester Henderson. It is a tough field.”
“Right now we want to concentrate on running a nice time and get prepared for states,” said Upper Dublin head coach Paul Vandegrift. “If he would finish in the top three, he might have to run a little harder than I would want. He is fit and ready to compete at a high level.
“At the conference meet, he really didn’t have competition,” added Vandegrift. “We just wanted him to go out early and not get involved in the runners behind him. It was a sloppy course, and we weren’t going to be concerned with time.”
The District One race is back at Lehigh – not that Ferruzzi is in love with the venue.
“I have to admit I am not a huge fan of the course, but I am excited to compete with the best runners in the district,” said Ferruzzi. “I would like to get out in the top 20 for the first mile, and we’ll see what happens as the race develops.”
And as long as Ferruzzi finishes in the top 25 he will get to move on that final destination – the state meet at Hershey.
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