RUNNERS HOPING STRATEGY PAYS OFF

When North Allegheny junior Daniel McGoey crossed the finish line to win the WPIAL Class 3A individual cross country championship, he did so after running a strategic race that took everything on the new course at California (Pa.) University into account.

Especially “The Hill.”

“I just had to hang on to the top and I had to be able to hang a little bit before the hill hit,” McGoey said. “I just wanted to kick it up the hill because I’m usually strong on hills and finish it up the last mile.”

California’s course is dominated by a large hill in almost the exact middle of the track. Its location forced runners to take it into account and make a game plan for how to attack it in the WPIAL championships.

McGoey was one of the success stories as he finished in 16 minutes, 1 second to beat Mt. Lebanon junior Patrick Anderson for the Class 3A boys title by 19 seconds.

“It played an important role, that’s for sure,” McGoey said. “I was looking forward to itall week and I was glad I got to do it.”

Whatmakes the hill such a huge factor now isn’t that it was part of the course in the WPIAL finals. It’s because it makes the WPIAL championship track somewhat similar to the one in Hersey where the PIAA finals willbe held on Saturday.

“It’s the same game plan,” McGoey said. “I’m just going to go out, hang onto the front and have a good race.”

North Allegheny won the WPIAL team title for the first time since 2015 and has an opportunity to win its first state team title since 2014. The Tigers girls also won the WPIAL this season — the first time they won both crowns since1997 — and are looking for their first title since winning back-to-back in 1998-99.

Class 2A

It has been quite a while since a WPIAL team has brought home a state Class 2A championship. A long time.

For the boys, the last to do it was Quaker Valley in 2011 and, prior to that, it was Neshannock in 1976. On the girls side, the previous WPIAL team to win it all was Ellwood City when it took consecutive titles in 1992-93.

Individually, Ben Baumgarner of Waynesburg won in 2016 and, before that, Lucas Zarzeczny of Avonworth in 2006. Kacey Gibson of Neshannock was the previous female to take the gold in 2006.

Greensburg Salem is looking to change at leastsome of that.

Seniors Mark Brown and Cameron Binda went 1-2 in the WPIAL finals, the first time that happened in that classification since Roy Hadfield and Nat Fox accomplished it for the Quakers state championship team in 2011 and, like Quaker Valley, they brought home the WPIAL team title.

South Fayette won the girls team championship with just 55 points, which bodes well as the state champion has had at least 107 points thepast two years.

Quaker Valley junior Annie Wicker easily won her second WPIAL individual crown in 19:18 and will look to improve upon her eighth-place finish a year ago. She’ll still have to contend with Northern York junior Marlee Starlliper, who ran a 17:50 last year to win by 52seconds and qualified again this year.

Class 1A

Shenango sophomore Carmen Medvit didn’t run in some of the bigger meets this season but she did win every section race she was in. Then she capped it off with a 19 minute, 55 second performance at the WPIAL Class 1A finals at California as she beat Vincentian sophomore Tara Lucot by 19 seconds. This after a ninth-place finish in the event at Cooper’s Lake Campground as a freshman a year ago.

“I feel like maybe I was a surprise because there were a few girls [with better times] and I ran at Cal [recently] and I came in third overall,” Medvit said. “Those two girls that ran in frontof me I was worried about them.”

Now Medvit will head to the state finals as a reigning champion, which could change her mind set as she prepares for Hershey.

“I feel like I’m going to have a lot more pressure on me and there’s going to be a lot more expectation,” she said. “I know what I can do nowand I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

Winchester Thurston’s boys did not have an individual champion as Freedom junior Adam Hessler brought home the school’s first title since World War II. The Bears did win the team championship and are looking to win their third PIAA Class 1A title in five years.