Mancini sisters go 1-2 for champion O’Hara

UPPER PROVIDENCE » Cardinal O’Hara identical twin seniors Eleanor and Elizabeth Mancini ran almost identical times for most of the girls’ varsity race at the Delaware County Cross Country Championships at Rose Tree Park Saturday afternoon.

As the Mancinis headed up the hill to the finish line, Eleanor separated herself from her sister enough that she finished eight seconds ahead in claiming the individual championship in 18 minutes, 55 seconds.

O’Hara had its first five runners place among the top 17 and ran away with its fourth consecutive team title, scoring 42 points to runner-up Strath Haven’s 89. Haverford was third with 116 points.

Joining the Mancini twins among O’Hara’s leading runners were sophomore Katie Till (sixth), junior Christine Mancini (16th) and freshman Kaitlyn Durning (17th).

Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast’s Jenna Rastatter took third place, followed by Jamie Green of Ridley and Episcopal Academy junior Caitlin Jorgensen. Taylor Barkdoll, who was ninth, was the top finisher for Strath Haven, and Lindsey Scheivert (13th) was the leader for Haverford.

“These girls are good runners and excellent students,” said Cardinal O’Hara coach Bill Donovan, the former Monsignor Bonner runner who was Delco’s champion in 1984 and ’85. “Tom Kennedy had them on a great training program and they just kept on going. I’m happy with what they’ve done today.”

Kennedy, the longtime O’Hara head coach, recently joined the coaching staff at Eastern University. The O’Hara girls used markers to write “Coach K” on their arms before the race.

“(Kennedy) left to take a new job, but we wanted to run to make him proud of us today,” Eleanor Mancini said.

Mancini said she and her sister did not plan to run together for a good part of the race.

“We never go out there with a certain plan like that,” she said. “She’s usually faster than me, so I was a little surprised what happened today.

“We’re used to the heat, so that didn’t bother us as much. Our sister (Christine) hasn’t been running as much because she’s been hurt. But we needed her today and she ran.”

Elizabeth Mancini also mentioned the influence Kennedy, who guided O’Hara to the PIAA Class AAA championship last fall, has had on those who ran for his teams.

“We think of him as if he was a member of our family and want to dedicate all that we do to him,” she said.

Grace Mancini, the twins’ older sister who is a sophomore runner at La Salle University, was a Delcos champion in 2013 to help the Lions begin their streak of team titles.

Till competed against the Mancinis as a CYO runner before becoming their teammate at O’Hara.

Bonner & Prendie’s Rastatter had to be taken to the hospital after collapsing at the finish line.

“She started out as a long jumper but has been running very well,” Bonner & Prendie coach Kevin Kee said. “She’s really helping push our program forward. Last year, we were 10th in this meet. This year we were fifth. This team is definitely improving.”

Ridley’s Green was third in this race in 2016.

“I haven’t been running as much this year because of (leg injuries),” Green said. “Today I think I learned my lesson from last year’s race. I let (the Mancini twins) go out and tried to stay back a little. I hope I can keep getting better. I went to states as a sophomore, and I want to go back before I finish my senior year.”

Among the other top 10 finishers were Penn Wood junior Elicia Moore, who was seventh, Caroline Ditrolio of Radnor (eighth), and Strath Haven sophomore Ava Crawford (10th).

“We think of him as if he was a member of our family and want to dedicate all that we do to him.” — Cardinal’ O’Hara’s Elizabeth Mancini on the impact of former coach Tom Kennedy