Mancinis lead as O’Hara claims Briarwood crown

The Cardinal O’Hara girls cross country team is rounding into championship form.

Elizabeth, Eleanor and Christine Mancini all finished in the top seven places to lead the defending PIAA Class 3A champion Lions to the team title at the Briarwood Invitational Saturday at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

Elizabeth Mancini was second (18:49), followed by Eleanor in third (19:13) and Christine in seventh (20:33). Katie Till (16th, 21:20) also finished in the top 20 for O’Hara.

Caitlin Jorgensen of Episcopal Academy was fourth in the challenger race in 20:51. Teammate Jilliana McEntee was 12th.

On the boys side, sophomore Mike Donnelly of Haverford continued his strong season with an 11th-place finish in the championship race. Donnelly covered the 5,000-meter course in 17:10. Teammate Evan Peetros placed 18th to help the Fords finish seventh in the team competition.

Cardinal O’Hara’s Jack Becker was the only other Delco runner to finish in the top 25. He was 21st in 17:36.

Elias Lindgren of Episcopal Academy upended Ben Woodward of Highland Regional (N.J.) by six seconds to win the challenger race. Lindgren’s winning time was 16:35. Anthony Harper of Bonner & Prendergast was seventh in 17:09.00.

Bulldog Invitational

Sacred Heart All-Delco Kayleigh Doyle held off Wissahickon’s Maddy Hippensteal to win the girls small school race at Rose Tree Park.

Doyle won in 21:37.1, 2.5 seconds ahead of Hippensteal. Brianna Juliano of Springfield took third in 21:48.9 to lead the Cougars to a third-place finish in the team competition.

In the large school race, Denise Cisco was fifth and Wilbertrice Boduo 15th to help Upper Darby place third in the team standings. Carolina DiTrolio of Radnor was the top Delco finisher. She was third, while teammate Julia Havertine was 13th as the Raiders took fourth.

On the boys side, Upper Darby’s Jarnail Dhillon was the finishers in large school was 14th.

Jack Bell finished sixth, Doug Rosin placed eighth, Asa Hartman 11th and Frank Brown 19th to help Radnor place second in the boys small school race.

Aiden Doherty of Archbishop Carroll (10th), and Springfield’s Veraj Thomas (13th) and Michael Remy (20th) also finished in the top 20. top Delco the boys race. He