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Exeter's Carly Keith, Gov. Mifflin's Zack Zerbe finish with best times of Berks runners at PIAA Cross Country Championships

andrew heller, reading eagle, pa.
·5 min read

Nov. 5—HERSHEY — After finishing with the fastest time of all Berks County runners at the District 3 Cross Country Championships, Exeter's Carly Keith and Gov. Mifflin's Zack Zerbe accomplished the same feat again at the PIAA race Saturday at Parkview Cross Country Course.

In addition to finishing with the fastest time, Zerbe finished with the highest place standing of any Berks runner, boy or girl, by coming across the finish line with vigor in 17:07.1 for 29th place in the boys Class 3A race. At the district run, Zerbe finished in fifth.

"Being top of Berks County really means a lot to me," Zerbe said. "I was 32nd in my first-ever county championship, then 62nd in my first-ever district championship. So being the first in Berks County, it didn't happen for me at the BCIAA (2022 BCIAA championship, but with two in a row I think I've proved myself."

Zerbe sprinted down the final stretch through a crowded pack and did not let up until he fully passed the finish line. Though he was disappointed he didn't win a medal, Zerbe said he believed he gave everything he had.

"I might be disappointed right now, but I'm gonna be happy in the future," Zerbe said. "I'm thinking to myself (down the final stretch) this isn't really the race I wanted. So I hit that final stretch, I knew I've got a really good advantage on these guys; they can't sprint as fast as I can. So I just gave every little thing I had to see if it can last the whole way and luckily it did."

In the girls Class 3A race, Keith finished in 20:23.7 for a 38th place finish.

"My legs are really tired; I feel really tired," Keith said shortly after the race. "I wish I could have felt better today but I'm so glad I came out with the fastest time in Berks County."

At the District 3 race, Keith finished in 18:59.0. In both races, Keith was followed closely by her sister, Gabrielle Keith, who finished in 20:33.2 on Saturday for a 45th place finish.

"It's really nice," Carly Keith said. "I love training with her. It's like having a training buddy all the time. And I love racing against her; it's really fun and competitive."

Gabrielle Keith, a junior, echoed her sister's sentiments as she said the two push each other to greater heights.

"I really love it," Gabrielle Keith said. "I always run with her all the time so it's great having a running buddy that can push me during races."

With three years of running ahead of her and plenty of potential, Carly Keith is hoping to continue improving and advancing her success as she continues with her high school career.

"I'm hoping to get a medal here maybe in the next three years; that's my goal," Carly Keith said.

Also in the boys 3A race, Berks champion Anthony Engle of Twin Valley finished in 52nd place with a time of 17:20.9; Exeter's Slater Von Stetten Jr. finished 57th in 17:25.2; Wilson's Elijah Stoudt finished 58th in 17:25.3; Exeter's Nathan Wentling finished 72nd in 17:31.3; and Twin Valley's Ben Meister finished 102nd in 17:53.4.

Also in the girls 3A race, Gov. Mifflin's Lydia Drago finished 91st in 21:16.6; Wilson's Ella Reidinger finished 93rd in 21:18.6; Twin Valley's Laura Posh finished 111th in 21:30.2; Exeter's Madelyn Holbrook finished 132nd in 21:55.2,

The boys teams from Wyomissing and Conrad Weiser qualified for the 2A boys race after the Spartans finished first and the Scouts third at districts.

David Giles had the best time for Wyomissing and the best time among Berks competitors in the 2A race after finishing in 17:40.8 for 39th place.

Jio Garcia had the best time for Conrad Weiser after finishing in 18:46.1 for 118th place.

Fleetwood's Nate Goldsborough finished the 2A race in 55th place in 17:55.1, and Schuylkill Valley's Aiden Konetsky Jr. finished 146th in 19:05.6. The two were the lone competitors from Berks in the boys 2A race not from Conrad Weiser or Wyomissing.

Both the Kutztown and the Tulpehocken boys teams qualified for the state race after the Cougars finished first and the Trojans second at districts in Class 1A.

Finishing with the highest standing of all the Berks County runners in 1A was Tulpehocken's Allen Ebersole, who finished 32nd in 18:15.6. The fastest runner from Kutztown was Phoenix Kellogg, who finished in 19:17.5 for a 53rd-place finish.

In the girls 2A race, Berks champion Addie Cohen from Wyomissing finished in 39th place in 21:08.5; Conrad Weiser's Sydney Werner finished 63rd in 21:44.2, and Oley Valley's Meghan Higgins-Haas finished 151st in 23:18.6. The three were the only competitors from Berks County in the 2A race.

Berks had three runners in the girls 1A race. Tulpehocken's Isabella Headley had the fastest time of Berks runners, finishing in 23:53 for 133rd place. Her teammate, Vanessa Vantiggelen, finished in 24:04 for 140th place. Kutztown's Lily Asplundh finished in 24:37 for 155th place.