GC boys win PIAA Class 2A XC team title; Myers 3rd, Viccari 5th in 1A girls race

Nov. 5—It was a big day for Mercer County at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey as the Grove City boys captured the 2A team title and four runners earned medals in the 1A girls competition.

Grove City (67) rolled to the team championship over Danville (128) and Lewisburg Area (128) and became just the second Mercer County team to ever win a PIAA team title in cross country (West Middlesex 2006 under coach Bob Morris).

In the Class 1A girls race, Mercer senior standout Willow Myers led Mercer County's contingent with a third-place finish.

2A BOYS

Coach Mike Sample's Grove City squad finished second to Lewisburg Area last year, but on Saturday the Eagles did what they've done all year — dominated.

The Eagles captured the program's fifth straight District 10 title in Titusville on Oct. 29 and followed it up with PIAA gold on Saturday.

Sophomore MJ Pottinger led the way for Grove City with a fifth-place finish in 16:33. He was followed by junior Josh Jones (10th in 16:50) and senior Justice Brown (27th in 17:27).

Grove City junior Quinn McKnight (17:38) placed 35th, sophomores Colsen Frank (17:59) and Isaiah Stauff (18:00) finished 61st and 62nd, respectively, and junior Wyatt Shepson (19:07) was 148th.

The placement for GC's runners among those competing for the team championship were: Pottinger 4th, Jones 6th, Brown 13th, McKnight 16th, Frank 28th, Stauff 29th, and Shepson 73rd.

"It was a great win," said Sample. "We are very happy down here in Hershey. I thought maybe some teams would be a little closer to us, but we really put everyone else's aspirations to win a state title away. We ran well.

"It was a solid performance. It's a sight to behold these races at the state meet. I've seen them sometimes go to a sixth man criteria, but there was none of that today.

"They are really a team. Every single runner has contributed in their own way. We don't have a solid one, two, or three. It's changed up over the course of the season. They are a group of kids who love being around one another. They love hanging out after practice and are friends in and out of practice.

"This was a team effort. The kids were focused all week long. We got down here Thursday and the kids knew how to approach it. There wasn't much my coaching staff or me had to say. There was a good vibe. It was our race to lose and we were mentally prepared."

Hickory sophomore Caden Riethmiller finished 33rd in 17:36 and Slippery Rock junior Viktor Zahn (18:44) was 114th.

1A BOYS

West Middlesex (202) placed seventh in the team standings while District 10 champ Lakeview (318) finished 11th.

The top five teams were Central Cambria (95), Jenkintown (108), Winchester Thurston (141), Eden Christian (146), and Riverview (164).

Lakeview senior Colson Jenkins led the way by placing 30th in 18:12 while West Middlesex junior Luke Schneider clocked in at 18:14 to finish 31st.

Also for WM, senior Nick Varga (18:29) placed 47th, senior Giovanni Rococi (18:48) was 66th, senior Derek Johnson (19:14) finished 103rd, senior Dennis Jones (19:41) was 137th, senior Devin Gruver (21:03) finished 215th, and sophomore Logan Kent (21:36) placed 228th.

The placement for the Big Reds' runners among those competing for the team title were: Schneider 17th, Varga 29th, Rococi 38th, Johnson 51st, Jones 67th, Gruver 120th, and Kent 128th.

For Lakeview, freshman James Alexander (19:25) was 115th, freshman Ryker Harold (19:51) was 149th, sophomore Nicholas Savolskis (20:00) finished 156th, senior Noah Rotz (20:21) placed 179th, junior Philip Peltonen (20:56) was 208th, and sophmore Ethan Williams (22:53) placed 242nd.

Their placement among the team competitors was Jenkins 16th, Alexander 59th, Harold 74th, Savolskis 77th, Rotz 92nd, Peltonen 115th, and Williams 137th.

Wilmington freshman Tully Caiazza clocked in at 19:12 to place 101st.

1A GIRLS

Myers took third in a time of 20:02 behind Moravian Academy freshman Virginia Kraus (18:54) and Shady Side Academy junior Chelsea Hartman (19:36).

"It was a really tough race," said Myers. "Being a senior I wanted to leave it all out there and have no regrets and I feel like I accomplished that.

"I'm proud of the other girls in our district and county. It shows how dominant our particular area is in the state, especially with how young some of the medalists are. I'm really proud of how everyone did."

West Middlesex freshman star AnnaSophia Viccari placed fifth in 20:06, just one second behind fourth-place finisher Kate Moncavage of Southern Columbia.

West Middlesex finished ninth in the team standings with 270 points while D-10 champ Seneca (274) was 10th. The top five teams were Notre Dame Green Pond (78), Montrose (78), York Catholic (141), Winchester Thurston (160), and Elk County Catholic (164).

The other runners for the Reds: senior Lia Bartholomew 21st (21:10), sophomores Ella Bartholomew 68th (22:29) and Julia Thornton 195th (25:47), senior Lily Widmyer 235th (27:48), and sophomore Ava Widmyer 253rd (32:07).

West Middlesex's placement among competitors in the team race were Viccari 2nd, Lia Bartholomew 10th, Ella Bartholomew 30th, Julia Thornton 98th, Lily Widmyer 130th, Ava Widmyer 143rd.

"We're super proud of our kids," said West Middlesex coach Morgan Grandy. "It was a really great day. AnnaSophia and Lia medalled and I believe that was the first time in school history we had two girls medal at the state meet.

"Both teams did well and I'm super pleased with their performance. It was a beautiful day in Hershey and a great ending to our season."

Jamestown sophomore Karis McElhaney finished 22nd in 21:11, Lakeview freshman Kendall Emmert placed 37th in 21:58, Wilmington senior Emma Mason finished 49th in 22:13, and Lakeview senior Kady Alexander placed 112th in 23:26.

2A GIRLS

Hickory's Jillian White finished 62nd in 21:43 while Grove City freshman Josie Jones (22:24) placed 104th.

Brownsville Area senior Jolena Quarzo won the race in 18:11 while Montour senior Harley Kletz (18:49) was runner-up.

District 10 champ Cathedral Prep (111) went on to capture the state team title. They were followed by Danville (115), Montour (119), Beaver Area (120), and Central Cambria (161).