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By Alex Frazier
There’s never any lost love between Council Rock North and South.
The Indians came into Friday’s Suburban One League Championship at Lehigh University with a slim one-meet lead over the Golden Hawks.
But as Rock North coach Dave Marrington said, the league championship would decide the title.
And he was right.
Though he might not have figured it would be so close.
Teammates Chris Campbell and Mike Mahoney finished 1-2, with Council Rock South’s Sam Garfield, Hunter Smith and San Beck finishing 3,4,5. Rock North’s TJ Ierubino and Phil Wahlman came in 9th and 10th, ahead of South’s Dan Dreeman (12) and Steve Kandetzke (13). Chris Capecci, who was sick before the meet, finished 15th for North to tie the race, so officials turned to the sixth runner.
Council Rock North’s Mac Emery finished 17th (16:58), to edge South’s Mike Doyle by 10 seconds and give the Indians the National Conference title.
“The plan was to run the first mile under control, the second mile a little faster,” said Marrington, “and the third mile is almost all downhill, and by that point, you have to know where you want to finish and make sure you’re there. We did that. Most of our kids ran pretty well.”
Campbell tied his PR from districts last year with a time of 15:50, but moved up from third to first.
“I was hoping to beat my PR, but I’ll get it next week,” he said. “We went out pretty slow. It was pretty windy today.”
Campbell and Mahoney have been running well together either winning or tying in all of the season dual meets.
“We’re good friends and work out together,” said Campbell.
Campbell is looking for a top five finish at districts and to go to states as a team.
“Campbell is the complete package,” said Marrington. “He listens well. He wants to do well and he has natural talent, and he’s only a junior.”
•••
Upper Moreland’s Drew Magaha set a school record in winning the American Conference race in 16:12, a personal record for the first-time cross country runner.
As a team Wissahickon placed four in the top 15 to edge Upper Dublin 48-52 for the league crown. The Trojans’ Ben Ravetz finished second to Magaha in 16:16 with teammate Dillon Farrell, who was undefeated but missed three days of school with the flu, five seconds behind.
“I was very pleased with him even being able to run today let alone finish third,” said Gallagher. “My fourth and fifth kids (Hong Cho and Sam Brooks) ran great today. The kids ran as well as they could today.”
Magaha had run track and wanted to get better so he went out for cross country.
“It’s done more for me than that,” he said.
Coming into the last turn by the bird statue, Magaha started to fly, as he picked off both Wissahickon runners ahead of him.
“That’s the fastest I’ve ever run in my life,” he said. “My whole plan was to stick with the lead pack.”
“He’s a two flat half miler,” said Wissahickon coach Bill Gallagher of Magaha. “That’s faster than any of my kids are. They knew they had to get away from him because he had the kick at the end and they just couldn’t get away from him.”
Next week, Magaha is hoping to qualify for states.
“That’s my goal,” he said. “It’s pretty big.”
So was his league win.
•••
The Continental Conference race was pretty much decided before it began. North Penn’s Brad Miles ran on cruise control, finishing first by 10 seconds over teammate Sam Bernitt, to defend his league title.
“Today was just a little tune up for next week,” said Miles. “I just wanted to get out ahead and keep that pace going.”
Miles’ time of 15:24 was four seconds off his personal best.
“To hit a fast time is tough running alone,” he said, “but I kind of enjoy it. I like running by myself. It clears my head and allows me to focus more on the race.”
Next week, Miles is hoping to improve on his seventh place at districts last year.
“It’s my goal to win this year,” he said.
The Knights came into the meet undefeated but were wary of Hatboro-Horsham, which finished second.
North Penn placed five runners in the top 20 to defeat the Hatters 50-61.
“It was a great race,” said North Penn first-year coach Mike Werner. “Hatboro-Horsham had their pack where they needed it to be. Our pack struggled a little bit today, but our front runners ran real well.”
“Our main goal was to have another great race because we knew if we lost to Hatboro today we would lose the conference title,” said Miles.
C.B. West’s Nick Scarpello finished third and was disappointed by his time. His goal was to stick with Bernitt, who had beaten him last week by a second with a final kick, and make a move at the end, but Bernitt was too strong.
“I wasn’t mentally tough enough today,” said Scarpello. “I stayed with Sam Bernitt most of the race. I’d like to think we’re about equal ability level. My goal was to switch roles with him. Instead of letting him sit on my shoulder like he did last week, this week I was going to sit on his shoulder.
“The fact of the matter is he ran an honest pace, honest enough that I wasn’t ready today. I’m a little disappointed.”
His time of 15:45 was three seconds slower than his PR at the Paul Short race a few weeks ago on the same course.
“Overall there were better conditions today, so there’s no excuse for me running slow,” said Scarpello.
Scarpello is hoping for a better showing next week at districts. Last year he qualified for states and he is hoping to repeat, but he realizes he will have to run in the 15:20s or 30s to do that.
“My goal is to stay with Bernitt and run what he runs,” he said. “Time is irrelevant. The only thing that matters to me to get to states is place. I know I’m one of the stronger runners in the state. It’s just a matter of me exploiting that in these last two championship races.”
North Penn, meanwhile, will go back to work this week, focusing on defending its district title en route toward another state championship.
“As a whole we have a little bit of work to do to get ready for next week,” said Werner. “The next two weeks gets a little more challenging.”
2009 Suburban One League Boys Cross Country Championships
National Conference
Team standings: Council Rock North 37, Council Rock South 37, William Tennent 87, Neshaminy 107, Bensalem 136, Pennsbury 145, Abington 181
Individual results (top 10): 1. Chris Campbell (CRN) 15:50, 2. Mike Mahoney (CRN) 15:59, 3. Sam Garfield (CRS) 16:13, 4. Hunter Smith (CRS) 16:14, 5. Dan Beck CRS) 16:25, 6. Alex Cichitti (WT) 16:32. 7. Willie Swinney (B) 16:37, 8. Tim Haines (N) 16:38, 9. TJ Ierubino (CRN) 16:41, 10. Phil Wahlman (CRN) 16:43
American Conference
Team standings: Wissahickon 48, Upper Dublin 52, Cheltenham 78, Plymouth Whitemarsh 100, Upper Moreland 123, Springfield 141, Upper Merion 181, Norristown 220
Individual results (top 10): 1. Drew Magaha (UMo) 16:12, 2. Ben Ravetz (W) 16:16, 3. Dillon Farrell (W) 16:22, 4. Peter Schartel UD) 16:47, 5. Ryan Callahan (C) 16:49, 6. Sal D’Angelo (S) 16:50, 7. Mike Quinn (PW) 16:51, 8. Ian McGrath (UD) 16:51, 9. Francis Ferruzzi (UD) 16:52 10. Luca Merone (UMe) 16:59)
Continental Conference
Team standings: North Penn 50, Hatboro-Horsham 61, C.B. South 75, C.B. East 81, Pennridge 117, C.B. West 124, Souderton 167
Individual results (top 10): 1. Brad Miles (NP) 15:24, 2. Sam Bernitt (NP) 15:30, 3. Nick Scarpello (CBW) 15:45, 4. Tom Mallon (CBS) 15:58, 5. Alex Izewski (CBE) 16:16), 6. James Swasey (C.B. East, 7. Austin Gregor (CBS) 16:18, 8. Kevin Diflorio (HH) 16:27, 9. Justin Forget (HH) 16:27, 10. Conor Renn (HH) 16:30.
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