Honesdale boys cross country team cops District 2 Class AA championship
MESHOPPEN — Gray skies and a steady drizzle greeted runners as they arrived in Meshoppen Wednesday morning for the District 2 Cross Country Championships.
Hundreds of elite athletes from more than 30 schools gathered at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds, seemingly resigned to the soggy conditions. However, just as the Class AA boys took their places at the starting line, the sun peeked out and a rainbow appeared.
A Sign From Above?
“The rainbow was a sign!” exclaimed Honesdale Head Coach Lindsey Pender, who decided to keep her pre-race pep talk short and sweet.
“Our boys have such confidence and composure. I didn’t need to say much. I just took a deep breath, smiled and let them run.”
As it turned out, that was the right decision. Even against the toughest competition around, the Hornets did what they've done all season: They went out and won.
Led by senior superstar Aidan LaTourette, the Red & Black powered their way to a razor-thin win, holding off a scrappy Crestwood squad to capture their first AA championship in nearly two decades.
“Cross country can be such an individual sport at times,” Coach Pender said. “But, these boys have bought into the fact that it's much bigger than any one of them. We're a team and we're a family … and today I think they ran with that uppermost in their minds.”
Honesdale placed its first five runners within the Top 25, finishing with a final tally of 73 which was just two points clear of the runner-up Comets.
With this electrifying win, the Hornets now advance to the 2022 PIAA State Championships. This year's event is scheduled for Saturday, November 5 in Hershey.
On the Dais
Honesdale's boys team came into districts as the newly-crowned Class AA Lackawanna League champs.
The Hornets cruised to a 22-1 overall record, the lone blemish on their resume a narrow Week 1 loss to AAA champion Abington Heights. Since then, the Red & Black have been untouchable.
On Wednesday morning, LaTourette led his team to the starting line … a look of steely determination in his eyes. Health issues had hurt his gold medal quest last season, so he was laser-focused on closing out his senior campaign on a high note.
“I went into the race super-confident,” Aidan said. “I was looking for the overall win, but I just didn't have it in me.
“As a team, we knew we had the talent and ability to come home with the title and that's exactly what we did. A few of our guys really stepped up to the plate and helped secure the win for us.”
LaTourette came off the line hard and quickly established his spot at the front of the pack, where he remained throughout the 3.1-mile race.
Lake Lehman's Nick Hockenbury emerged as the overall winner, breaking the tape in a time of 16:31.30. Riverside's Daniel Danilovitz earned runner-up honors at 16:34.10, while Ethan Williams of Valley View (16:46.80) and Dunmore's Tommy Clark (16:56.10) took third and fourth, respectively.
LaTourette rounded out the Top Five, crossing the line in a time of 16:57.70.
Lucas Murray and Peter Pham then provided the Hornets with a potent 1-2 punch. Murray finished 13th at 17:35.10, and Pham was right on his heels copping the 14th spot in 17:36.30.
Joseph Taraschuk and Logan Novobilski shut down Honesdale's scoring with a pair of crucial Top 25 efforts, Taraschuk ended up 22nd (17:54.70) while Novobilski took 23rd (17:55.30).
Jonah Legg (18:10) and Paul Reiprich (20:19.80) also made key contributions finishing 30th and 74th, respectively.
“Things really didn't go exactly as planned,” Coach Pender admitted. “We had some mix-ups in our usual running order. But, the fact that we still came out on top is a tribute to these boys. If any of them had let just one more runner go by, we would have lost.”
Bronze Medals
While the boys team dominated headlines Wednesday, Honesdale's girls teams also turned in a memorable performance.
The Lady Hornets went 20-3 in Lackawanna League action this fall, sealing the deal on another Class AA team title and ratcheting up expectations for the district meet.
With Brenna Dahlgren once again at the forefront of the attack, the Lady Hornets fell just a bit short of their gold medal dreams. However, the local lasses did battle their way to third place in Class AA.
Honesdale was the top finisher among Lackawanna League schools, trailing only the WVC's Crestwood and Dallas in the standings.
“Our girls did a fantastic job,” Coach Pender said. “They ran a beautiful race. There were some changes in our order of finish, but that just goes to show the depth of our line-up.”
Dahlgren earned another trip to the medals stand by finishing 8th overall. Brenna stopped the clock at 20:10:10 and is headed back to the state meet.
“I'm so happy to qualify for states!” Brenna said. “Districts was very nerve racking. All throughout the race, I just tried to keep my spot and track down more girls.
“As for the team, I'm so proud of how we all worked so well together. We were fighting for that top spot, but coming out third is truly a huge accomplishment.”
Megan Krestchmer was the second Lady Hornet across the line. The sophomore finished 17th with a time of 21:10:30, good for a AA medal. Olivia Pinto (27th, 22:26); Kira Fox (33rd, 22:57) and Rachael Collins (37th, 23:04) rounded out the Red & Black front five.
Emilia Williams (55th, 24:21) and Ana Flynn (71st, 25:42) also turned in solid performances.
“I'm definitely proud of all our girls,” said Coach Pender. “They ran the race they should have. We knew coming in that Dallas and Crestwood were going to be tough, so third place overall is outstanding.”
Hero's Welcome
When Honesdale's bus arrived on the outskirts of town Wednesday afternoon, a celebration was already brewing.
Thanks in large part to the quick-thinking of Brian Wilken, Kipp Welsh and Chris Rosler, the Hornets received a hero's welcome home.
The bus was escorted down Main Street by fire trucks, an ambulance and the Wayne County Sheriff's patrol car. Family, friends and fans lined crowded the sidewalks to cheer them as they passed by.
And, when this impromptu procession finally ended its journey at the high school, teachers, students and staff poured out of the building to hail the conquering heroes.
It's a scene Coach Pender won't soon forget.
“I can' thank everyone enough,” she said, a catch in her throat and a tear in her eye. “This community and this school district are just the best. They always come out to support us and it means the world to us as coaches and to the kids.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: District 2 Class AA Boys Cross Country Honesdale LaTourette Dahlgren
