Check out the first cross country notebook of the season, highlighting several of the teams.
By Christiaan DeFranco
For SuburbanOneSports
Cheltenham boys’ cross country coach Tom Sexton is entering his 49th season. For 45 of those years, he has been taking his team away to camp to prepare for the season. This year, the Panthers went to Tobyhanna State Park in the Poconos.
“We’ve been going up there for about 20 years now,” Sexton said. “We rent cabins. We run around the lake every morning. We cook meals together. We talk about our goals. It helps us become closer as a team.”
Along on this year’s trip was Billy Way, who used to run at Cheltenham. Now he’s a sports psychologist, and he helped the current group of runners with their mental approach.
And this is a talented group to begin with.
“I think we’re going to be good this year,” Sexton said. “We have some depth.”
Leading the way are senior Marley Marc, junior Wolfgang Schanbacher and sophomore Will Griffen as well as Hunter Landon, Andy Rutkowski, Aaron Ngo, Liam Brown and C.J. Young.
Last Saturday was a tune-up, with the annual Mike Berry Run at Curtis Aboretum. Berry ran for Sexton nearly 35 years ago. He finished second in the state when he was a senior, and was tragically killed in an auto accident four years after graduating.
“The race is a way to honor him,” Sexton said. “Alumni come back and run and give money for a scholarship fund. It’s a really nice event.”
PENNSBURY GIRLS’ TOP BILLING
While Central Bucks East is ranked ninth in the entire Northeast by MileSplit, the Pennsbury girls are ranked No. 1. The Falcons are anchored by returning first team all-league recipients Olivia Sargent, Hannah Molloy, Meridith Twomey, Maddie Sauer and Bailey Balmer.
On Saturday, the Falcons ‘A’ team – comprised of Sargent, Molloy, Twomey and Erin O’Connell - captured first place at the Nike at the Quad X Invitational, Sponsored by Nike.
Garnering the No. 3 rating in the Northeast is area rival Unionville.
CB EAST THINKING BIG
Speaking of depth, the Central Bucks East boys have plenty of it. They are eyeing a big postseason.
“In my opinion, this is one the strongest teams I’ve had in about 11 years, since the early 2000s,” East coach Sam Losorelli said.
Jake Brophy, who finished eighth at states last year, anchors the squad. Other key runners include Connor Sands, Josh Wood, Jordan Thomas Ata Shahideh and Taylor Sorvalino.
“We have a lot of camaraderie and chemistry,” Losorelli said.
The East boys are currently ranked seventh in the state.
On the girls’ side, East is similarly talented, led by Tate Dawson, Elizabeth Morris, Jackie Kinkead and Elizabeth Huuki, among others.
“All the girls are extremely positive,” Losorelli said. “They’re very focused.”
Both the boys and girls teams captured first place in East’s annual invitational held in Saturday’s sweltering heat.
Brophy earned the individual title on the boys’ side with a time of 15:59.45 while Morris (19:36.05) and Kinkead (19:51.39) finished one-two on the girls’ side.
PENNSBURY BOYS IN MIX
Alex Sauer and Sam Webb lead a formidable group of Pennsbury boys, who have just missed out on a league title the last two seasons and hope to get over the hump this years.
“We’ve gone into the championship undefeated twice in a row and lost,” Falcons coach Tim Cass aid. “There’s no doubt we’re looking to finally win the title. Of course, Council Rock South, Rock North and some other teams are in the way.”
Bolstering Pennsbury’s lineup is junior Ari Bortman, who ran varsity as a freshman but studied abroad last year and missed the season.
“All the boys are hard workers, every single one of them,” Cass said. “They’re feeling really good about this season.”
The Pennsbury ‘A’ team – comprised of Webb, Sauer, Brotman and Thomas Wick – finished first at Saturday’s Quad X High School Invitational, sponsored by Nike.
ROCK NORTH ELITE AGAIN
Council Rock North boys coach Dave Marrington knows how good Pennsbury is.
“They’re the favorites, the team to beat, definitely,” the Indians’ coach said. “That’s just the way it is. They have a lot of guys back. And our whole league has really improved.”
Then again, he likes his own squad plenty too, this despite the loss of all-everything runner Ross Wilson, who has taken his talents to the University of Pennsylvania.
Bryan Arita, Sean Griswald and Jesse Leitman are the senior captains.
“They all ran at the state meet and have big-meet experience,” Marrington said. “They’re all leaders, very responsible kids. They organize team activities. They do it all.”
A balanced CR North squad also has a handful of freshmen who could make an impact.
LOOK OUT FOR HATTERS
Casey Comber finished 13th in the state last year and will lead a strong Hatboro-Horsham contingent this fall.
“He was a top runner in the conference, district and state,” Hatters coach Russ Coleman said. “He is healthy and has a great attitude.”
Hatboro-Horsham also returns most of its varsity squad, which was already among the area’s best a year ago.
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