Scott Huff highlights several of last weekend’s top performances.
By Scott Huff
The invitations were sent out for the prestigious Elite Eastern States Champions Invitational held at the Manhattan (NYC) Cross Country venue last week, and the Pennsbury girls’ team should save that special invite in their respective scrapbooks.
Pennsbury finished third in the race as senior Sara Sargent, freshman Maddie Sauer, sophomore Erin O’Connell, freshman Hannah Molloy, junior Erica Gray, and senior Elizabeth Wedekind all finished in the top 35.
“We are very pleased with the results,” said Pennsbury head coach Don Little. “Often your times reflect the competition that you run against. If you run with people that are fast, you run fast. If you run with people that are slower, you tend to run slower. We competed against some very strong runners.”
Sargent was spectacular with a fourth place finish with a clocking of 14:38.6. Sauer captured 19th place in 15:09.7; O’Connell finished in 26th place with a time of 15:27.7; Molloy finished 31st in 15:36.5; Gray finished in 34th place in 15:39.9; and Wedekind finished in 35th place in 15:40.3.
“We really consider the Manhattan event a mid point to our season,” said Little. “We have leagues, districts, and states coming up soon, and we want to be ready to compete at high level.
“The girls all know that if you run for Pennsbury, you run with an X on your back,” added Little. “We have a great reputation, and even though we have some young runners, that know what it is like to compete at a high level.”
Sargent leads the pack for the Lady Falcons and has done so for the last few years.
“Sara isn’t really a vocal kid, but she does a great job of leading by example,” said Little. “The top 10 girls all practice together, and the other kids basically try to chase Sara.”
Pennsbury has a trio of talented freshman in Sauer, Molloy, and Olivia Sargent.
“Maddie and Olivia ran together in CYO and have a legit racing and training schedule coming into our program,” said Little. “Hannah ran AAU and also has a sister on the team, and two brothers on the boys team. Running runs in the family for her.
“Erin came on strong at the end of her freshman year, and it has carried over to this season,” added Little. “And both Erica and Elizabeth should put on a strong surge to close out the year. This is a team that really trusts in the program.”
Pennsbury is a team that should compete for team championships as the season moves toward the finish line.
“We have experience being a top team, and that helps,” said Little. “Depending on the course and the type of day, we should be able to find a combination of runners that can make good things happen for us.”
Suburban One League Girls Championship
Friday – October 19, 2012
@ Lehigh University
SOL Continental Conference – 10:30 am
SOL National Conference – 11:30 am
SOL American Conference – 12:30 pm
Central Bucks West prepped for its championship season with a superb showing at the William Tennent Invitational.
“It was a terrific outing for the kids - we were hoping that would happen,” said Central Bucks West head coach Greg Wetzel. “Chris Berry ran a great race to win it, but we also had a strong showing by the remainder of the team.”
Berry – who clocked in with a winning time of 15:30.20 – is a senior that should contend for a state medal this year.
“Chris has transformed into a runner that was able to be a good runner into being a runner that can achieve success,” said Wetzel. “He has gained a tremendous amount of confidence since his sophomore year (Berry played football as a freshman) and was a state qualifier last year. He finished 114th, but he was able to perform well at that level, and he ran a successful race. He now knows the course and should compete for a state medal this year.”
State medals are awarded to the top 25 finishers at the state meet.
“The league championship race should be a great race to watch,” said Wetzel. “There are four runners that should separate themselves from the pack, and really, any one of those four runners could win.”
That fearsome foursome includes Berry, defending state champion Connor Quinn (Hatboro-Horsham), Jack Macauley (North Penn), and Alec Brand (Central Bucks East). During the dual meet season, Macauley beat Quinn, Berry beat Macauley, Brand beat Berry, and Quinn beat Brand.
“I am really excited about having the outside chance of making states this year for the first time since 2007,” said Wetzel. “We have a team that is deep, and sometimes the ‘five man’ will determine whether or not you are going to make states.
“We have a team that has really begun to jell at the right time,” added Wetzel. “They are not only teammates, but they have developed friendships. It has been a great group to be around.”
The Bucks feature senior AJ Morgan, freshman Rock Fortna, freshman Brian Iatarola, senior Will Bone, and sophomore Baylor Griffin.
“AJ Morgan has been a real mentor for the younger runners,” said Wetzel. “He is an Eagle Scout – and that’s all you have to say about his leadership qualities. He always keeps the other runners focused on the program at practice.
“Our freshman Brian Iatarola has gained a great deal of confidence since the beginning of the season. And our other freshman, Rock Fortna, has been rock-solid every race this season,” continued Wetzel. “Both Will Bone and Baylor Griffin are very competitive kids and give us some nice depth.
“We are looking forward to the league meet, districts, and hopefully states as a team,” added Wetzel. “It is an exciting time of year.”
Suburban One League Boys Championship
Friday – October 19, 2012
@ Lehigh University
SOL Continental Conference – 10 am
SOL National Conference – 11 am
SOL American Conference – 12 pm
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