SOL Cross Country Wrap (10-1-11)

Below are some of the results for SOL teams from this weekend’s events.

SOL GIRLS

The Pennsbury girls’ squad completed the trifecta on Saturday, capturing its third team title in as many weekends. The Falcons finished first in the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University (Girls’ Brown) with 114 points-44 points ahead of second place Walt Whitman in the 42-team race. Senior Ann Herman and junior Sara Sargent finished eighth and ninth respectively with times of 18:34 and 18:47. Also finishing in the top 30 were freshman Erin O’Connell (19:21) and junior Elizabeth Wedekind (19:26). Sophomore Erica Gray finished 47^th out of 391 runners who completed the race, finishing with a time of 19:54 as all five of the Falcons’ top finishers completed the course in under 20 minutes. Pennsbury was the only team with four runners in top 40.

Pennridge finished in ninth place in the Girls’ Brown Division at the Paul Short Run with 354 points but had the second place individual finisher in senior Tori Gerlach, who finished with a time of 17:54. Freshman Marissa Sheva was not far behind, finishing third with a time of 18:24. Junior Caitlyn Sheva finished 33^rd with a time of 19:37.

Central Bucks South finished 28^th in the Paul Short Run with 690 points. The Titans’ top finisher was senior Rachel Bachman with a time of 20:55.

Seven SOL runners finished with times that met the national silver standard. They are Tori Gerlach (Pennridge) Marissa Sheva (Pennridge), Ann Herman (Pennsbury), Sara Sargent (Pennsbury), Erin O’Connell (Pennsbury), Elizabeth Wedekind (Pennsbury) and Caitlyn Sheva (Pennridge).

In the Girls’ White Division of the Paul Short Run, William Tennent finished 11^th out of 40 teams with 373 points. Freshman Karlie Brasch finished 11^th with a time of 19:59.  Bensalem finished 20^th in team competition with 520 points. Gabriella Brackett and Natalla Balla finished in 14^th and 15^th places respectively with times of 20:04 and 20:05.  For a complete list of all the results from Saturday’s Paul Short Run, click on the following Penn Track link: http://pa.milesplit.com/meets/97011/results/172532.

The North Penn Maidens captured the team title in the Girls’ Championship Race at the Salesianum Invitational, finishing with 38 points – 33 points ahead of second place Great Valley. Senior Meghan McGovern won the individual title, finishing the 5000-meter race in 18:42.77, which was an all-time best for the course. Teammate Rachel Brown was third with a time of 20:12.60 – the ninth all-time best time - while Courtney Kern was ninth with a time of 21:12.74. North Penn’s Jenna Reimer was 11^th with a time of 21:30.67 while Melanie Vlasic and Janki Patel finished in 14^th and 15 places respectively with times of 21:40.40 and 21:41.28. Colleen McGovern was 22^nd with a time of 22:05.07.  Wissahickon finished seventh with 164 points. The Trojans’ top runner was senior Marissa Fritz, who finished 26^th with a time of 22:29.90.

Hatboro-Horsham finished ninth in the 12-team Girls’ Varsity Large School Division of the Salesianum Invitational. The Hatters’ top finisher was junior Kaitlyn Hitchcock, who finished 30^th with a time of 23:49.15.

Upper Merion finished eighth in the 20-team Girls’ Varsity Small School Division of the Salesianum Invitational with 188 points. Amber McAteer finished third in the individual competition with a time of 21:07.83. Teammate Colleen Butler was 13^th with a time of 22:38.09. For a complete list of results from Saturday’s Salesianum Invitational, click on the following Penn Track link:  http://de.milesplit.com/meets/96324-salesianum-invitational

Neshaminy finished second out of seven teams at the Steel City Invitational at Coatesville High School. The Redskins’ top finisher was Kelly Larson, who finished fifth with a time of 21:57.34.  Cynthia Holderer was 15^th with a time of 22:47.65 while Katie Pinker was 20^th with a time of 23:10.50. Cheltenham finished seventh in the team competition. Azure Rucker was the top finisher for the Lady Panthers, capturing 13^th place with a time of 22:37.88.  Maria Papacostas was 17^th with a time of 22:49.90.

SOL BOYS     
The North Penn Knights finished second in the Salesianum Invitational (Boys’ Varsity Championship Division) with 51 points. The Knights’ Jack Macauley finished third with a time of 16:52.23 while teammate Dan Davis was fifth with a time of 16:58.64. Chris Trimble was seventh with a time of 17:21.51 while Ryan Grace was 14^th with a time of 17:46.61. Rounding out the Knight runners in the top 25 were sophomore Tyler Johnston (22^nd, 28:09.47) and sophomore Matt Malloy (23^rd, 18:10.64).

Also competing in the championship division was Pennsbury, which finished seventh with 161 points. The Falcons’ top finisher was Connor Harriman, who was 17^th with a time of 17:54.45.

SOL runners swept the top three spots in the Boys’ Varsity Large School Division of the Salesianum Invitational. Upper Moreland senior Drew Magaha was the top individual finisher with a time of 16:22.18. On his heels were a pair of Hatter runners who finished second and third respectively in Sam Hibbs (16:38.67) and Conner Quinn (16:46.02).

William Tennent was the top SOL team finisher in the 19-team race, capturing third place  with 118 points. Colby Henry posted the best time for the Panthers, finishing 12^th with a time of 17:59.93. Mike Kane was 18^th with a time of 18:13.18, and Jesse Coleman finished 20^th with a time of 18:19.32. Rounding out the top 25 was Tennent’s John Simila, who finished 25^th with a time of 18:30.97.

Hatboro-Horsham – led by Hibbs and Quinn - was fifth with 151 points in team competition while Central Bucks South was sixth (174 points) with a pair of runners in the top 25 in junior Shane Connor (19^th, 18:16.95) and Austin McCadden (24^th, 18:29.05). Wissahickon finished seventh with 185 points. The Trojans’ Tristan Marcelis finished 15^th with a time of 18:05.44.  Upper Moreland, which was paced by the first place showing of Magaha, was 12^th in team competition with 322 points.

Upper Merion finished ninth in the Boys’ Varsity Small School Division, of the Salesianum Invitational with 269 points. Sophomore Austin Cooper finished 17^th with a time of 18:40.47. For a complete list of results of all the divisions of the Salesianum Invitational, click on the following Penn Track link: http://de.milesplit.com/meets/96324-salesianum-invitational

Council Rock North won the team competition in the Steel City Cross Country Invitational, finishing with 28 points. Neshaminy finished fourth with 134 points. Rock North placed five runners in the top 10: Mac Emery (2^nd, 16:57.24), James Zingarini (3^rd, 17:47.99), Ross Wilson (4^th, 17:51.23), Zac Keller (9^th, 18:17.98) and Forrest Kentwell (10^th, 18:21.22).  Eric Chapman was Neshaminy’s top finisher, capturing 18^th with a time of 18:42.64. Joe Salon was 10^th with a time of 18:50.61.