Honesdale varsity cross country teams set their sights on league and district titles
HONESDALE — It's been nearly two decades since Honesdale's boys varsity cross country team last won a District 2 title.
And, while the Lady Hornets are just six years removed from their most recent crown, local fans have waited a long time for both squads to be in contention simultaneously.
Now, thanks in large part to the leadership of Aidan LaTourette and Brenna Dahlgren, that wait is officially over.
With just two weeks left in the Lackawanna League season, Honesdale's boys team boasts a brilliant record of 16-1. LaTourette and his talented teammates trail only undefeated Abington Heights (17-0) in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets have been almost as impressive. With Dahlgren at the front of the pack, Honesdale has piled up 15 wins against just two losses. Only Abington (17-0) and Montrose (17-0) have a better mark.
“I love this team,” said veteran Head Coach Lindsey Pender. “I've been doing this for 20 years now and this is one of the best groups I've ever coached.”
Shooting for the Stars
Brenna is the daughter of Michael and Kristin Dahlgren, Honesdale.
She's been running cross country since the seventh grade. However, it wasn't until freshman year that she made a conscious decision to take her training more seriously.
“I fell in love with it right away,” she said. “I really love how cross country is both an individual sport and a team sport. I work as hard as I can to realize my goals at the end of the season.”
All that hard work has paid major dividends every year. As a frosh, Dahlgren finished third overall in the District 2 Class AA girls race. Last fall she notched her second Top Five finish and now she's looking to make it three straight.
“Brenna works extremely hard,” Coach Pender said. “She's definitely goal-oriented and is learning not to overthink things and just run. Brenna is a team leader and I couldn't ask anything more from her.”
So far this season, Dahlgren has been a fixture in the Lady Hornets' top spot. Brenna opened up the season with a first place finish versus Valley View with a time of 20:10. She followed that up with stellar races at Delaware Valley (19:42), Paupack (20:16), Lakeland (19:42) and West Scranton (20:10).
Dahlgren has also posted a pair of Top 10 showings in big non-league events at Kutztown University (20:57) and Lehigh (19:00).
“That's my best time of the year so far,” Brenna said of her 10th place overall finish at the Paul Short Invitational. “I knew that it was going to be a big one, so I really wanted to perform well. Definitely a big highlight for me!”
And, with Dahlgren leading the way, the Lady Hornets have been notching one clutch victory after another.
Honesdale dropped an early season decision to Abington (21-36), then reeled off 13 consecutive wins before suffering its only other loss at the hands of Scranton (27-28).
Megan Kretschmer (So), Kira Fox (Sr), Olivia Pinto (So), Rachael Collins (Sr), Emilia Williams (So), Ana Flynn (So), Erin Meagher (So), and Kate Dowling (12) have each made huge contributions to the squad all season long.
“I'm so excited for our team!” Brenna said. “Every week, we come out wanting to achieve even more. We all know that districts is going to be a challenge, but I think if we keep motivated and focused we have a very good chance.”
In addition to cross country, Dahlgren runs track in the spring. She is also heavily involved with the Student Council and Interact Club. Her future plans include attending college where she hopes to study Education.
“I'm definitely excited for the future,” Brenna said. “I want to pursue my academics and also continue running.”
Unfinished Business
LaTourette is coming to the end of a sensational high school career.
However, when it comes to cross country, Aidan has some unfinished business.
“The end of last season was really disappointing because I came down with mono and had to miss the state meet,” he said. “So, I'm very grateful to be where I am right now.”
And why wouldn't he be? After all, LaTourette is currently one of the truly elite runners in the region.
The talented senior has been the first Hornet home in each race thus far. He's also won every cluster meet but one in league action.
LaTourette began the year with a winning time of 17:15 at Valley View. He then dazzled at Delaware Valley (17:21), Paupack (17:28), Lakeland (17:52) and West Scranton (16:51).
Additionally, Aidan has come up big at invitational events, including a personal best 16:08 at Lehigh where he led his team to a sixth place overall showing.
“I'm extremely happy with where I am right now,” Aidan said. “Overall, I'm feeling great and couldn't be more excited for the district meet in a few weeks.”
While LaTourette is the team's unquestioned leader, Honesdale's roster is packed with standout athletes … all of whom have the Hornets poised for a run at the Class AA championship.
Logan Novobilski (Jr), Lucas Murray (So), Jonah Legg (Sr), Peter Pham (Jr), Joseph Taraschuk (Jr), Paul Reiprich (So), Gage Dickison (Sr) and Nathan Whitmore (So) each pose a genuine threat to the competition on any given day.
“I think it's pretty rare to have this much talent on one team,”Aidan said. “We are truly blessed. I feel like this is a historic group of guys. We're all performing to the best of our ability.”
The Hornets have just one blemish on their resume this fall, a 22-33 loss to Abington on Opening Day. Since then, LaTourette and his teammates have piled up 16 straight wins. Only Scranton managed to give them a run for their money, but even that match-up ended with a solid 24-32 victory.
For his part, Aidan is confident that the time has finally come for Honesdale's boys team.
“I have no doubt that we can snag the team title and earn a trip to Hershey together,” he said. “I believe we can even be among the top teams at the state meet.”
Along with his athletic achievements in track and cross country, LaTourette is deeply committed to the school and community.
Aidan is currently the Student Council Treasurer and a member of the National Honor Society. He is a co-chair of the Blood Drive Committee and also working toward his Eagle Scout rank.
LaTourette's plans after graduation are to attend college and pursue a degree in Engineering.
“Aidan is dedicated, driven and a real leader,” said Coach Pender. “He truly trains and lives like a runner. Aidan has great mental focus. He just loves the sport!”
On the Horizon
Honesdale was scheduled to travel to Delaware Valley on Tuesday afternoon for a cluster meet.
Weather permitting, the Hornets will close out their regular season at home on Monday, October 17 versus Forest City, Mountain View and Susquehanna.
“Our goal right now is to wish for it, to want it and to win it!” Coach Pender exclaimed. “These are the longest two weeks of the season. We're really trying to keep our foot on the gas, but also enjoy the ride.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna League cross country Honesdale Hornets LaTourette Dahlgren
