2019 PIAA cross country preview capsules

District 2 runners will look to bring home state medals at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey.

Holy Cross senior Andrew Healey is one of among the favorites in the Class 1A boys race and junior teammate Kevin Jumper could also place high. Other District 2 runners who earned state medals last year and will be looking to repeat are Elk Lake sophomore Krista Jones in Class 1A girls; Crestwood sophomore Molly DeMarzo in Class 2A girls; and Scranton senior Josh Christianson in Class 3A boys.

It starts Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with the Class 1A girls race. Here is a link to the Hershey Parkview course map on the PIAA website. Saturday’s weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 53 degrees, winds south-southwest at 5-10 mph. There’s only a 10 percent chance of precipitation, but it will be curious to see how all the rain from Thursday will affect the course.

Here’s a look at all six classes:

CLASS 1A GIRLS

START: 9:30 a.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 6 Marion Center (team); Isabell Sagar, District 4 Loyalsock (individual)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Lauren Shaffer, District 6 Portage (2nd)

DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Montrose (Annika Bixby, Paige Brewer, Lizzy Chidester, Margaret Nebzydoski, Hannah Perkins, Stephanie Summerville, Kelley Warner); Sadie Bosscher, Krista Jones, Elk Lake; Rachel Korty, Forest City; Tori James, Lackawanna Trail; Kathryn Long, Mountain View
AROUND THE STATE: Elk Lake’s Jones, a sophomore, earned a state medal last year by finishing 17th. … Shaffer, a sophomore, won the District 6 title in 19:11. … Marion Center lost at the District 6 Championships to Westmont Hilltop, 51-52, but both teams qualified for states. … Wilmington junior Grace Mason, who placed third last year at states, won the District 10 title in 19:38. … Northern Lehigh senior Reagan Pender, who was sixth last year at states, won the District 11 title in 19:25.20. … Notre Dame Green Pond junior Grace Medei was second to Pender at the District 11 meet. Medei placed 10th last year at states. … At the District 7 Championships, Our Lady of Sacred Heart senior Haley Hamilton won the title in 20:09 and North Catholic sophomore Alaina Hicks was second in 20:45. Last year at states, Hamilton finished seventh and Hicks 18th. 

 

 

CLASS 2A GIRLS

START: 10:15 a.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 6 Central Cambria (team); Marlee Starliper, District 3 Northern York (individual)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Starliper
DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Holy Redeemer (Destiny Andes, Anna Capaci, Chelsea Flaherty, Lia Keefe, Emily Lehman, Cameron Marcinkowski, Lexie Marcinkowski, Diane Tran-Tang); Honesdale (Rachael Collins, Kira Fox, Isabella Frigoletto, Olivia Lord, Tess Meagher, Rachel Olver, Dana Pratt, Alexandra Skidmore); Jadia Geiser, Berwick; Molly DeMarzo, Crestwood; Megan Borton, Dallas; Madison Brdaric, Abby Paczewski, Lake-Lehman; Carly Schofield, Scranton Prep; Samantha Adams, Brianna Zipay, Valley View; Madison Kammer, Western Wayne; Aubriana Marranca, Wyoming Area.
AROUND THE STATE: Starliper won the District 3 title in 17:21.30. The senior is seeking her third straight state title; she also

finished second as a freshman. She is a North Carolina State commit. … Greencastle-Antrim senior Taryn Parks, who was second to Starliper at the District 3 Championships in 17:40.40, was second last year at states. … At the District 10 Championships, Sharon junior Gianna Labbiento was first in 18:33, Conneaut Area junior Meaera Shannon second in 19:03 and Fairview junior Maddison Hayes was third in 19:30. All three are returning state medalists: Labbiento third, Hayes fourth and Shannon 10th. … Blue Mountain sophomore OIivia Haas won the District 11 title in 18:18.19. Haas finished fourth last year at states. … North Schuylkill junior Cori McCormick was second to Haas at the District 11 meet in 19:10.41. McCormick was seventh last year at states. … Brownsville Area senior Gionna Quarzo won the District 7 title in 18:56. She placed sixth at states last year. … Sophomore Stella Kuntz led a 1-2-3 finish for Central Cambria at the District 6 Championships, winning in 19:48.0. Kuntz was ninth last year at states. … Warrior Run junior Lauren Trapani won the District 4 title in 18:58.0. Trapani was 11th last year at states. … Saint Marys junior Samantha Hayes was second at the District 9 Championships in 20:17 to Punxsutawney junior Olivia Roberts (19:44). Hayes was 16th last year at states. … Crestwood sophomore DeMarzo, two-time District 2 champion, placed 19th last year at states to earn a state medal.

CLASS 3A GIRLS

START: 11 a.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 7 North Allegheny (team); Jenna Mulhern, District 1 West Chester Henderson

(individual)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Mulhern
DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Abington Heights (Maia Archangelo, Allison Dammer, Catherine Healey, Kristen Lipkus, Abby Marion, Gigi Sabatini, Sabriya Said, Ellie Saunders); Laina Bogusta, Delaware Valley; Emily Hopkins, Amelia King, Bella Noreika, Scranton
AROUND THE STATE: Mulhern, a sophomore, won the District 1 title in 17:49.10. West Chester East senior Allyson Clarke was second in 18:20.10. Clarke placed third last year at states. … At the District 7 Championships, Moon sophomore Mia Cochran was first in 18:14.0 and North Allegheny senior Hannah Lindgren was second in 18:59.0. Last year at states, Lindgren was fourth and Cochran seventh. … Carlisle senior Sophia Toti won the District 3 title in 18:00.80 and Cedar Crest junior Gwyneth Young was second in 18:06.60. Last year at states, Young placed sixth and Toti was 14th.

 

CLASS 1A BOYS

START: 11:45 a.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 1 Jenkintown (team); Jack Miller, District 1 Jenkintown (individual)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Andrew Healey, District 2 Holy Cross (2nd)
DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Holy Cross (Spencer Decker, Carlos Escobar, Andrew Healey, Kevin Jumper, Owen Jumper, Thomas Lee, William Roever, Doug Walsh); Justice Johnson, Elk Lake; Nick Coy, Montrose; Austin Gow, Susquehanna; John Coates, Angelo Lombardo, Wyoming Seminary
AROUND THE STATE: Holy Cross senior Healey is a two-time District 2 champion, four-time state qualifier and a two-time state medalist. … Freedom Area senior Adam Hessler won the District 7 title in 16:49.0. Hessler finished third at states last year. … Riverview junior Mason Ochs was second to Hessler at the District 7 meet. Ochs was 17th last year at states. … Penns Valley won the District 6 title behind the 1-2 finish of juniors Colton Sands (15:14.0) and Brendan Colwell (15:50.0). Last year at states, Colwell was sixth and Sands 18th. … Wyalusing won the District 4 title behind the 1-2 finish of seniors Alex Patton (16:40.0) and Kemuel Laudermilch (16:49.0). Patton and Laudermilch placed seventh and eighth, respectively, last year at states. … Northern Bedford junior Ian Zimmerman won the District 5 title in 16:49.70. Zimmerman was 13th last year at states. … Reynolds senior Troy Hart won the District 10 title in 16:30. Hart was 19th last year at states. … Jenkintown junior Luke Miller, who was 22nd last year at states, won the District 1 title in 16:20.90.

CLASS 2A BOYS

START: 12:30 p.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 7 Greensburg Salem (team); Jonah Powell, District 10 Grove City (individual)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Garrett Baublitz, District 6 Juniata (2nd)

DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Lake-Lehman (Nick Hockenbury, Stephen Kapsick, Chandler Longstreth, Sam Lukasavage, Bryan Morio, Michael Serafin, Jacob Stash, Casey Weaver); Mid Valley (Bradley Desmarais, Nicholas Freeswick, Vincenzo Iacavazzi, Michael Novak, Collin Pacyna, Gabe Pacyna, Justin Padilla, Christian Snee); Gavin Ross, Abington Heights; Joey Rowley, Stephen Rowley, Hanover Area; Chris Hine, Holy Redeemer; Dustin Edsall, Honesdale; Gavin Beck, Riverside; Justin Goodrich, Scranton Prep; Jack Baronski, Valley View; Michael Branley, Jacob Katulka, Wyoming Area
AROUND THE STATE: Baublitz, a senior, won the District 6 title in 15:49.0. Bedford junior Van May was second in 15:58.0. May finished 16th last year at states. … Lewisburg sophomore Jacob Hess won the District 4 title in 16:12. Hess placed seventh last year at states. … At the District 10 Championships, General McLane junior Dylan Throop won in 15:48.24 and Meadville senior Patrick Stevens was second in 16:24.84. Both were state medalists last year: Throop was eighth, Stevens 15th. … Wyomissing senior Ben Kuhn won the District 3 title in 15:46.5. Kuhn placed ninth at states last year. … New Castle senior Anthony Litrenta, who was 22nd last year at states, finished second at the District 7 Championships in 17:04.0. Beaver junior Will Lamb was first in 16:48.0. 

CLASS 3A BOYS 

START: 1:15 p.m.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: District 7 North Allegheny (team); Patrick Anderson, District 7 Mount Lebanon (individuals)
TOP RETURNING FINISHER: Anderson
DISTRICT 2 RUNNERS: Hazleton Area (Russell Blew, Nicholas Hebel, Stephen Hudock, Zack Keiner, Gabe McKittrick,

Ricardo Munoz, Dustin Polchin, Adam Sweich); Adam Kanterman, Delaware Valley; Josh Christianson, Scranton; Kyle Kellstrom, Wallenpaupack
AROUND THE STATE: Scranton senior Christianson was a state medalist last year, finishing 25th. … Anderson won the District 7 title in 15:41.0. North Allegheny senior Daniel McGoey was second in 15:58.0. McGoey finished third last year at states. … Also at the District 7 Championships, Mars senior Zachary Leachman was third (16:10.0) and Fox Chapel senior Christian Fitch was fourth (16:16.0). Last year at states, Fitch placed fifth and Leachman wound up 24th. … Unionville senior Cole Walker won the District 1 title in 15:22.70. Walker was 11th last year at states. … LaSalle College seniors Ethan Maher (16:28.5) and Vincent Twomey (16:28.7) finished 1-2 at the District 12 Championships. Last year at states, Twomey placed 22nd and Maher just missed out on a state medal, finishing 27th. … At the District 6 Championships, State College junior Brady Bigger (15:59.0) and senior Ben St. Pierre (16:05.0) finished 1-2 and Mifflin County junior Brayden Harris was third (16:09.0). Harris took fourth last year at states.

— SCOTT WALSH