Check out the individuals and teams that excelled at Friday’s SOL Cross Country Championships. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Rick Woelfel
BETHLEHEM- The start of the championship season provided Suburban One’s best runners with a jolt of energy.
And no team brought more energy to the Suburban One cross country championships than the Pennsbury girls.
The three-time defending state champions rolled to an easy win on Friday in the National Conference championship race. The Falcons took six of the top seven places to finish with 18 points. Council Rock South was a distant second with 58. Pennsbury won the overall season title as well with 18 points to South’s 61.
Pennsbury sophomore Olivia Sargent won the individual race, covering the 5,000-meter course at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus in a time of 18:13. Teammate Hannah Molloy was second in 18:33. Kaelyn Heinicke from Council Rock North was third in 18:41 before the Falcons took the next four places. Erica Gray was fourth in 18:52, while Meridith Twomey was fifth in 19:08 and Bailey Balmer sixth in 19:33. Maddie Sauer was seventh in 19:38.
The Falcons set a quick pace over the opening mile and built on their advantage from there.
“We took it out pretty hard from the start,” Sargent said. “ We just kind of raced from the front.”
Central Bucks East used a different formula to win the Continental Conference race. The Patriots’ top runner, Louise Huuki, was not in top form, but her teammates picked up the slack.
Freshman Tate Dawson won the race in 18:25 in her first trip over the championship course.
“I liked it,” she said. “It’s a fast course. The hill didn’t bother me.”
Dawson’s teammate Meghan Willcoxon placed fourth in 18:47, Elizabeth Morris wound up sixth in 19:03,while Hannah Morris finished ninth in 19:24. Jillian Keyte placed 16th.
In the end, the Patriots finished with 37 points to 46 for runner-up Central Bucks West. North Penn was third with 54.
The Patriots also won the conference title with those same 37 points to 49 for the Bucks (the title was determined by adding three points to each team’s total for each dual-meet loss).
Wissahickon’s Lotte Black ran away from the field in the American Conference race. The sophomore hit the line in a time of 19:22, leaving 39 other runners in her wake. Brittany Finn of Upper Moreland placed second in 19:48.
Black says she likes to get off to a fast start.
“I’ve changed,” she said. “I used to go out slow and then catch up, but I realized that going out fast helps me.”
Upper Dublin won the meet with 32 points. Upper Merion was next with 38. Despite a dual meet loss to the Vikings, the Flying Cardinals claimed the conference crown with 35 points to 38 for Upper Merion.
The American Conference boys’ title belongs to the Wissahickon Trojans, who finished Friday’s race with 44 points to 46 for Upper Merion. The Trojans bested Upper Merion in a dual meet earlier this season, giving them the edge in the league championship standings; Wissahickon finished with the same 44 points to 49 for Upper Merion.
Friday’s race saw Wissahickon put together a solid pack; the Trojans’ Lukas Marcelis placed third in 16:29 while Tristan Marcelis was fourth in 16:47. Kyuande Johnson was seventh, Louis Orehek 12th, and Andy Harman 18th.
The five runners finished in a span of 1:12.
“Today was really a team win,” said Wissahickon coach Bill Gallagher. “These kids have really come together this year as a team. At the beginning of the year, we knew we had Tristan and Lukas, but after that was a question mark.
The individual race went to Upper Merion’s Austin Cooper; the senior finished in a time of 16:08 after taking control of the race in the last mile.
“The two other guys I was with [Lukas Marcelis and Dan Shalala of Plymouth Whitemarsh] they passed me going into the two-mile mark,” he said. “I was so tired at that point. I took it easy up the hill and managed to get in first.”
North Penn dominated the Continental Conference race. The Knights finished with 49 points. Central Bucks East was second with 69 while Pennridge was third with 73.
The Knights’ 49-point total also gave them the conference title. Pennridge was second with 76 league championship points while the Patriots were third with 78.
North Penn’s top five runners finished within 37 seconds of each other. Senior Ryan Grace placed fifth, covering the distance in 16:22. Ryan Tung was eighth in 16:36, while Matt Aham was ninth in 16:40 and Anthony Camasso was 10thin 16:41. Tom Boyle placed 17thin 16:59.
“We were really just trying to run tight as a pack," Camasso said.
Hatboro-Horsham’s Casey Comber won the individual race, outsprinting Central Bucks East’s Jake Brophy over the final 250 meters to win in 15:41. Brophy was second in 15:16 while Alexander Balla of Quakertown was third in 16:16.
“I was scared [Brophy] was going to catch me,” Comber said. “He’s a tough kid. You never know what’s going to go on with him.”
The National Conference boys’ title was decided by the slimmest of margins. Council Rock North finished the meet with 43 points to 46 for second-place Pennsbury. When the Indians’ dual-meet loss to the Falcons was factored in, North was still on top in the conference but by just one point; the Indians finished with 46 points to Pennsbury’s 47.
North’s Ross Wilson defended his individual title, covering the distance in a time of 15:31. Pennsbury’s Sam Webb was next in 15:49.
After battling gusty headwinds for the first 800 meters, Wilson settled into a comfortable pace.
“There were no mile times or anything,” he said. “It was a lot of feel. The first 800 we didn’t go out too hard because of the wind, but then it picked up.”
The Indians and the Falcons each put three runners in the top seven.
”Our fourth and fifth runners finished right next to each other today,” said North coach Dave Marrington. “Both ran the best races they’ve run all year. They knew what had they had to do.”
Next week marks a fresh start for all concerned when all of District One converges on the Goodman Campus for the district championship races,
The first race gets underway at 9:30 a.m.
Girls
American Conference
Championship Meet Points: 1.Upper Dublin 32; 2. Upper Merion 38; 3. Wissahickon 66; 4. Cheltenham 103; 5.Plymouth Whitemarsh 131; Norristown Did not score; Springfield Did not score; Upper Moreland; Did not score.
•League Championship Points 1. Upper Dublin 35; 2. Upper Merion 38; 3. Wissahickon 72; 4. Cheltenham 112; 5. Plymouth Whitematsh 143; Norristown did not score; Springfield did not score; Upper Moreland; did not score.
Individual Results
1. Lotte Black (W) 19:22; 2. Brittany Finn (UMo) 19:48; 3.Lucille Ionescu (UD) 19:49 4. Jada Wilson (UMe) 19:58; 5. Sydni Stovall (S)20:01; 6. Zeinab Bakillah (UMe) 20:09; 7. Isabel Uribe (UD) 20:16; 8. Emily Stewart (UD) 20:19; 9. Gabrielle Hnatin (UMe) 20:19; 10. Adelie Ionescu (UD) 20:19;11. Sarah Richart (Ch) 20:30; 12. Colleen Butler (UMe) 20:31; 13. Sara Smith(UD) 20:44; 14. Marissa Holl (UD) 20:53; 15. Pattie Fortescue (N) 20:58.
Continental Conference
Championship Meet Points: 1.C.B. East 37; 2. C.B. West 46; 3. North Penn 54; 4. C.B. South 98; 5. Souderton161; 6. Pennridge 174; 7. Hatboro-Horsham 180; Quakertown did not score
League Championship Points: 1.C.B. East 37; 2. C.B. West 49; 3. North Penn 60; 4. C.B. South 107; 5.Souderton 173; 6. Pennridge 189; 7. Hatboto-Horsham 198; Quakertown did not score.
Individual Results
1. Tate Dawson (CBE) 18:25;2. Kaitlin Poiesz (CBS) 18:37; 3. Maddie Villalba (CBW)_18:44; 4. Meghan Wilcoxon (CBE) 18:47; 5. Brianna Mengini (NP) 18:53; 6. Elizabeth Morris (CBE)19:03; 7. Lindsey Gerlach (CBW) 19:11; 8. Meghan Iatarola (CBW) 19:21; 9.Hannah Morris (CBE) 19:24; 10. Melanie Vlasic (NP) 19:26; 11. Ali Valenti (NP)19:27; 12. Emily Aunins (CBW) 19:38; 13. Phoebe Clowser (NP) 19:38; 14. Brynne Mulloy (CBS) 19:40; 15. Jenna Reimer (NP) 19:43.
National Conference
Championship Meet Points: 1.Pennsbury 18; 2. Council Rock South 58; 3. Council Rock North 59; 4. WilliamTennent 111; 5.Neshaminy 164. 6. Bensalem 169; Abington did not score
• League Championship Points: 1. Pennbsury 18; 2. Council Rock South 61; 3. Council Rock North 65; 4. WilliamTennent 117; 5. Neshaminy 176; 6. Bensalem 184; 7. Abington did not score
Individual Results
1. Olivia Sargent (P) 18:13;2. Hannah Molloy (P) 18:33; 3. Kaelyn Heinicke (CRN) 18:41; 4. Erica Gray (P)18:52; 5. Meridith Twomey (P) 19:08; 6; Bailey Balmer (P) 19:33; 7; Maddie Sauer (P) 19:38; 8. Kelsey Brady (CRS) 19:44; 9. Lia Chak (CRS) 19:53; 10.Maura Wandling (CRS) 19:57; 11. Natalie Guarna (CRN) 20:06; 12. Elizabeth Sauers (CRS) 20:15: 13. Anna Cruser (P)20:25; 14. Nicki Van Thuyne (CRN) 20:25; 15. Grace Hartman (CRN) 20:29.
Boys
American Conference
Championship Meet Points: 1.Wissahickon 44; 2. Upper Merion 46; 3. Upper Dublin 62; 4. Cheltenham 92; 5.Plymouth Whitemarsh 118; 6. Upper Moreland 172; 7. Norristown 173; Springfield did not score
• League Championship Points: 1. Wissahickon 44; Upper Merion 49; 3. Upper Dublin 68; 4. Cheltenham 101; 5.Plymouth Whitemarsh 130; 6. Upper Moreland 182; 7. Norristown 191; Springfield did not score
Individual Results
1. Austin Cooper (UMe) 16:08;2. Dan Shalala (PW) 16:14; 3. Lukas Marcelis (W) 16:29; 4. Tristan Marcelis (W)16:47; 5. Andrew Stewart (UD) 16:52; 6. Zakaria Khattabi (UMe) 17:01; 7.Kyuande Johnson (W) 17:06; 8. Steve Williamson (UD) 17:08; 9. Jonathan Gross (UMe) 17:16; 10. Brian Rosenstein (Ch) 17:20; 11. Sam O’ Connell (UD) 17:20;12. Louis Orehek (W) 17:20; 13. Michael Hranek (UMe) 17:23; 14. Joe Petty (Ch)17:28; 15. Marley Marc (Ch) 17:29.
Continental Conference
Championship Meet Points: 2.North Penn 49; 2. C.B. East 69; 3. Pennridge 73; 4. C.B. West 117; 5.Hatboro-Horsham 118; 6. Quakertown 119; 7. C.B. South 130; 8; Souderton 223.
• League Championship Points: 1. North Penn 49; 2. Pennridge 76; 3. C.B. East 78; 4. Hatboro-Horsham 130; 5.C.B. West 132; 6. Quakertown 134; 7. C.B. South 139; 8. Souderton 244.
Individual Results
1. Casey Comber (HH) 15:41; 2. Jake Brophy (CBE) 15:45; 3. Alexander Balla (Q) 16:16; 4. Joseph Logue (P)16:17; 5. Ryan Grace (NP) 16:22; 6. Matt Schulberger (P) 16:31; 7. Matthew Scarpill (CBS) 16:32; 8. Ryan Tung (NP) 16:36; 9. Matt Aham (NP) 16:40; 10. Anthony Camasso (NP) 16:41; 11.Jon Wommer (CBE) 16:43; 12. Brian Iatarola (CBW) 16:46; 13. Colin McLaughlin(Q) 16:49; 14. Phil Gunderson (P) 16:55; 15. Joshua Goetz (CBE) 16:56.
National Conference
Championship Meet Points: 1.Council Rock North 43; 2. Pennsbury 47; 3. Bensalem 66; 4. William Tennent 88;5. Council Rock South 107; 6. Abington 162; 7. Neshaminy 193.
• League Championship Points: 1. Council Rock North 46; 2. Pennsbury 47; 3, Bensalem 78; 4. William Tennent 94; 5. Council Rock South 116; 6. Abington 177; 7. Neshaminy 211.
Individual Results
1. Ross Wilson (CRN) 15:31; 2. Sam Webb (P) 15;49; 3. Kyle Francis (B) 16:11; 4. Brian Arita (CRN) 16:17; 5. Robert Simmons (CRN) 16:23;6. Alek Sauer (P) 16:27. 7. Liam O’ Connell (P) 16:29; 8. Andrew Hanna (CRS) 16:30; 9. Tyji Mays (B)16:31; 10. Alex Ramirez (B) 16:37; 11. Sean Griswold (CRN) 16:41; 12. Mike Kane (WT) 16:46; 13. Eli Segal (WT) 16:52; 14. Jake Good (A) 17:01; 15. Dan Tokar(P) 17:02.
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