The Pennsbury girls and CR North boys’ squads were the top SOL team finishers at Friday’s District One AAA Cross Country Championships. To view photos of the meet, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By DENNY DYROFF
LOWER SAUCON --Not surprisingly, the showdown for the team title at the District One Class AAA Girls Cross Country Championships was a two-team battle between Unionville, which is ranked number one in the state, and Pennsbury, which is ranked number two.
And, Unionville prevailed.
The Indians took first with 54 points, and Pennsbury placed second with 69. The Suburban One League claimed three of the district’s five team berths for the state championship meet when Central Bucks West took third with 135 points, followed by North Penn (186) and Strath Haven (273).
Pennsbury’s finishers were Olivia Sargent (seventh, 18:09), Sara Sargent (11th, 18:21), Maddie Sauer (14th, 18:26), Hannah Molloy (18th, 18:28), Erica Gray (19th, 18:34), Elizabeth Wedekind (23rd, 18:44) and Erin O’Connell (37th, 19:05).
As expected, the top SOL runner in the race was Pennridge standout Marissa Sheva.
Unionville’s Courtney Smith won the gold medal at 17:36, followed by Sheva at 17:45, West Chester Henderson’s Stephanie Aldrich at 17:55, Methacton’s Kara Steinke at 17:57 and Unionville’s Emily Fisher at 18:06.
“We went out kind of conservative -- which I liked,” said Sheva. “I felt pretty comfortable at the mile and then passed the Henderson girl (Aldrich) at the mile-and-a-quarter.
“Courtney (Smith) and I ran together until the last half-mile and then she pulled ahead. The last mile was tough. It was really mental for me just staying with her. Then, she really started to pull away at the end. I didn’t have as big a kick as I wanted. But, I still gave it as much as I could.”
Smith had her eye on Sheva.
“Sheva was pushing me,” the Unionville standout said. “Every time one of us would surge, the other would go too. Halfway through the cornfield, I started putting some distance between us. The straightaway at the end is really long so I just kept striding.”
North Penn’s team kept a long tradition intact.
“I think this is the 16thtime in the last 18 years that we’ve gone to states,” said North Penn’s veteran coach Jim Crawford. “This year, we did it without having a finisher in the top 20.”
The Maidens’ finishers at Friday’s meet were Ali Valenti (24th), Phoebe Clowser (25th), Courtney Kern (29th), Melanie Vlasic (50th), Janki Patel (58th), Jenna Reimer (73rd) and Brianna Mengini (85th).
Other individual Class AAA state qualifiers from the Suburban One League were Council Rock North’s Kate Scott (sixth, 18:08), Wissahickon’s Lotte Black (26th, 18:55), Central Bucks East’s Marisa Hawley (42nd, 19:12) and Central Bucks South’s Brynne Mulloy (51st, 19:22).
In the Boys Class AAA race, West Chester Henderson scored 67 points to win its fourth district title in a row. Council Rock North was runner-up at 133 followed by West Chester East (196), Great Valley (218) and Downingtown West (253).
Council Rock North’s runners were Ross Wilson (second, 15:19), Mac Emery (eighth, 15:40), James Zingarini (15th, 15:53), Brian Arita (48th, 16:26), Sean Griswold (60th, 16:37), Doug Benton (93rd, 16:56) and Zack Keller (117th, 17:04).
North Penn’s Jack Macauley placed fifth with a time of 15:28 and Hatboro-Horsham’s Conner Quinn was sixth at 15:32.
“I was happy with my race but it wasn’t that good at the beginning,” said Macauley. “I was in the top 20 for the first mile. Then, right after the hill, I went around a group to get in the top three or four.
“Conner (Quinn) and I were side-by-side for the first half of the race. My second mile was good. That’s where I felt the best. I kept the same pace I had for the first mile and led the race for most of the second mile. I came through the two-mile at 9:45.
“I knew Conner was right behind me so I made sure I didn’t get caught by him. Then, the Harriton kid (Norris) passed me on the last downhill. I had a very good time today. I dropped 50 seconds from last week.”
The SOL’s other individual qualifiers for next Saturday’s PIAA Class AAA Championships at Hersheypark were Upper Dublin’s Francis Ferruzzi (10th, 15:45), C.B. East’s Jake Brophy (16th, 15:53), Upper Merion’s Christian Sanders (24th, 16:00), Bensalem’s Kyle Francis (25th, 16:01), Quakertown’s Alexander Balla (27th, 16:02), C.B. West’s Chris Berry (29th, 16:05) and AJ Morgan (35th, 16:15), Souderton’s Connor Linse (30th, 16:08) and Pennridge’s Joseph Logue (37th, 16:15).
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