Spring-Ford’s Smith tops area finishers

HERSHEY >> She turned the tables Saturday.

The previous two weeks, Emily Smith was upstaged by Naomi Hillen in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and District 1 championship meets. But Saturday, on Pennsylvania big stage, the Spring-Ford senior got one over Pottsgrove’s super sophomore.

Smith emerged as the highest-finishing runner from PAC schools with qualifiers in the PIAA State Championships at Parkview 5K (Reverse) Course. She placed 60th in the girls Class AAA race with a time of 20:41.

Hillen wasn’t far off Smith’s pace, however. The PAC girls champion, whose 24th place run at districts made her the conference’s highest female finisher, was two seconds back of Smith in 62nd place.

Other local runners in the AAA field were Delaney O’Sullivan of Perkiomen Valley (75th, 20:54) and Hannah Kopec of Owen J. Roberts (94th, 21:01).

The girls AA competition saw Pope John Paul II, District 1’s team champion, run a tight pack in the second hundred on the way to finishing 14th. Freshmen Kayla Croiger (101st, 22:01), Gianna Cagliola (112th, 22:07) and Kathryn Todd (123rd, 22:16) led the Golden Panther contingent, which included Natalie Florig (126th, 22:37), Sarah Abruzzo (157th, 22:51), Julia Costello (167th, 23:10) and Claudia Dolan (177th, 23:25).

Matt Varghese was the highest finisher for the PAC boys in the AAA race. The Methacton junior placed 67th in 17:25, followed by John Zawislak of Spring-Ford (78th, 17:28), Tyler Clifford of Perkiomen Valley (94th, 17:35), Gabe Puleo of Phoenixville (158th, 18:06) and Christian McComb of Boyertown (172nd, 18:15).

In team competition, Owen J. Roberts was 13th with 293 points. The Wildcats were headed by freshman Thomas Damiani (84th, 17;11), with Vincent Fennell (103rd, 17:41), David Brunton (112th, 17:46), Quinten Sherwood (125th, 17:52), Linus Blatz (141st, 17:59), Matt Muthler (160th, 18:07) and Cole Smith (210th, 18:51) following.

The boys AA race saw a 78th-place showing from Pope John Paul II’s Jack Phillips, who ran an 18:14. The Golden Panthers, 15th in the team standings off last weekend’s repeat finish as District 1-AA team champion, added Jack Brosius (112th, 18:31), Kaden Buchler (145th, 18:50), John Schiele (158th, 18:00), Jack Flynn (176th, 19;12), Jason DiMarco (177th, 19;13) and Luke McCarthy (219th, 20:48).

Pottsgrove, second to PJP in the district team standings, was led by Laree Hills’ 99th-place (18:23) run. Following Hills were Bryce Hampton (165th, 19:04) and Simon Keen (182nd, 19;22).

Champions of the AAA and AA races were Jenna Mulhern of West Chester Henderson (girls AAA), Marlee Starliper of Northern (girls AA), Patrick Anderson of Mount Lebanon (boys AAA) and Jonah Powell of Grove City Area (boys AA). North Allegheny emerged as team champions for both the boys and girls AAA, with Greensburg Salem the boys AA champ and Central Cambria doing the same in girls AA.