North Allegheny set to extend title streaks

Like most teams, North Allegheny uses the Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet is to strategize and get its ducks in a row a week before the WPIAL cross country finals.

After what both the boys and girls did last week, consider their aquatic fowl in perfect formation as they get set for the WPIAL Class 3A finals Thursday at California (Pa.) University.

“I couldn’t be happier about where the team is right now,” North Allegheny coach John Neff said. “Tri-States is always a good pre-WPIAL meet ... it lets the kids run the course, get a strategy for the course, see what the competition looks like. The whole reason to go down there is to make the following week a little easier.”

North Allegheny heads into the WPIAL finals as the three-time reigning team champion on both sides and, if everything goes as it did at the Tri-State meet, they could both once again be bringing home titles.

On the boys side, North Allegheny scored 42 points and beat second-place Fox Chapel by 57, while the girls only had 32 points and rolled past second-place Mt. Lebanon by 90.

For team totals, cross country is scored by the places the top five runners finish in relation to the other teams competing, hence the lowest score wins. Independent runners or schools that don’t have at least five runners in the field are counted in the overall standings, but for the purposes of the team finals, those placements are excluded.

As far as the team competition goes, though, the North Allegheny girls had four runners in the top 11, including the 1-3-4 finishers in freshman Wren Kucler, her twin sister Robin and sophomore Eva Kynaston.

On the boys side, freshman Jack Bertram continued his outstanding first year with a third-place overall finish to add to his title at the Red, White and Blue Classic earlier this year.

“Jack is a great talent, obviously, but he brings the attitude and the work-ethic with it,” Neff said. “He’s a wonderful kid, very coachable and has done a great job in the races. We’re looking for great things going forward.”

Having the two storied programs that have combined for 37 WPIAL titles both being led by freshmen is unusual to say the least. But it also bodes well for the Tigers as they move forward with both Bertram and the Kucler twins.

“One of the best things about the job is seeing freshmen grow into adults,” Neff said. “It’s going to be a fun time with Wren, with Jack and with a host of other young kids that we have.”

Class 1A

Mohawk is the defending Class 1A girls team champion, but the Warriors have not run any of the traditional invitationals, including the TSTCA meet, so it will be interesting to see how they perform.

While Mohawk is shrouded in mystery, several schools have shown a readiness to take over the top spot should it falter.

Winchester Thurston, led by junior Cyd Kennard, won the TSTCA meet with 55 points and edged second-place Avonworth by 34. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, led by Audrey Wrabley, has also performed well at several meets, including a statement win at The Foundation in Hershey and will be a team to watch moving forward.

What could be most interesting is that there is no real definitive favorite among the individuals.

Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer is the top returning finisher and finished fifth overall — first among small schools — at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association meet. Wrabley was the top finisher among WPIAL competitors at The Foundation, while Shady Side Academy’s Chelsey Hartman won the TSTCA.

Butler

There is little doubt that Butler has the top runner heading into the WPIAL Class 3A boys finals.

But after the TSTCA, the question is which runner will it be?

Butler senior C.J. Singleton is the defending champion, but the Notre Dame recruit has spent most of the year training on his own and didn’t run many of the larger invitationals. Instead, it was Golden Tornado sophomore Drew Griffith who posted a time of 16:13.57 to beat Singleton by 9.10 seconds to win the meet.

When the WPIAL finals were last held at Cal. U. in 2019, Singleton finished fifth with a time of 16:22.

Allderdice

Allderdice has been at the pinnacle of City League distance running for years and proved it once again Saturday at Schenley Oval as the boys and girls won both team and individual titles.

Senior Jack Barnhisel finished in 16:31.18 to win the boys individual race as the Dragons ended with 16 points. Junior Ruthie Haworth took home the girls crown in 19:24.50 as the team finished with a perfect 15 points.

Last season, the boys finished sixth out of the nine district champions at the PIAA Class 3A finals in Hershey, while the girls did not enter a team.