PJP girls lead area’s finishers
HERSHEY >> The next generation is showing promise for the future of the area’s cross country circuit.
It’s doing pretty good in the here and now, too.
Underclassmen were at the head of their brackets in Saturday’s PIAA Championship Meet at Hershey’s Parkview Course. They comprised the top finishers in the Class AAA and AA boys’ and girls’ races, in addition to contributing to high team showings.
The Pope John Paul II girls were the highest-finishing team among the Pioneer Athletic Conference schools competing. The Golden Panthers placed sixth with 198 points, capping a 2019 season that saw them sweep the PAC’s Frontier Division regular season and repeat as team champ in the District 1-AA meet last week.
“I was hoping for a Top 10 finish,” PJP head coach Lisa Cagliola said, “and we crushed that goal. You always hope for better, but I’m proud of each and every one of the girls.”
Gianna Cagliola headed the Panthers’ underclassmen-heavy crew among the race’s top finishers. The sophomore covered a muddy Parkview course — the same layout as 2018’s race, altered due to the effects of recent rains — in 20:14.7, good for 30th place.
“I started out slow, pacing myself,” Gianna said. “I didn’t want to go too hard.”
Behind Cagliola, PJP had sophomore Katy Todd go 51st in 20:39.8, and freshman Isabella Greco placed 78th in 20:59.5. The veteran of the foursome, senior Natalie Florig, was 100th in 21:18.2
“The whole team stepped up and did what was asked,” Gianna said.
The Owen J. Roberts girls boasted the highest individual finisher from the PAC competitors. Claire Zubey was ninth in 18:59, wrapping up a freshman campaign that saw her previously score thirds in the PAC and District 1-AAA races.
“We’re really excited about her performance,” OJR head coach Tim Marcoe said. “It was a good way for her to end the season last two weeks.”
Zubey finished as the last runner in the AAA field to crack the 19-minute mark. Her previous experience on the Parkview course was at the Sept. 25 PIAA Foundation Race, where she finished eighth in 19:30.
“It was really muddy, and that was hard,” she said. “One part at the hill was very muddy. It was hard to run through, but I just kept going.”
Marcoe sees considerable upside in Zubey for her scholastic future.
“Her confidence in passing people in the second half of the race,” he said. “She’s gained confidence, and we’ve been working on strategy change and pushing in the second half of a race.
“Finishing in the Top 10 is cool.”
Roberts placed 14th in the team standings with help from sophomore Calista Van Druff (98th, 20;23), senior Hannah Kopec (20:27), freshman Maggie Lustig (2107) and junior Emily Glasier (21:36).
“Times were pretty fast, surprisingly,” Marcoe said. “They actually ran fast.”
Elsewhere in the girls 3A field, Pottsgrove junior Naomi Hillen was 15th in 19:08, Upper Merion senior Veronica Sanchez was 43rd in 19:41 and Perkiomen Valley junior Delaney O’Sullivan 65th in 20:02.
In the boys’ competition, Owen J. Roberts placed 12th in the 3A standings. Sophomore Thomas Damiani was 38th in 26:42.9, and Andrew McGonigle 71st in 16:58.4.
“He was our top finisher last year,” Marcoe said of Damiani. “He actually moved up. Being our top guy the last two years is cool.
“He’s building his confidence. I can see him getting a medal next year.”
Josh DiMarino, Vincent Fennell and Cole Smith were other runners in the Roberts pack, whose 275 points put it six behind neighboring Twin Valley in the team standings.
Perkiomen Valley senior Tyler Clifford (48th, 16:47.5) and Boyertown senior Christian McComb (72nd, 16:59.2) — they were 1-2 ahead of Damiani at PACs — were other high PAC finishers. Clifford was fifth at districts, and McComb 13th.
The boys AA field saw Pottsgrove 19th as a team with 460 points. Brandon Henriksen, a junior, ran an 18:10.8 good for 64th place, while teammates Jaden Smith (sophomore) and Simon Keen (senior) were a respective 81st and 94th in times of 18:32.7 and 18:47.3.
Pope John Paul II’s highest-finishing boys were junior Jack Flynn (178th) and sophomore Jason DiMarco (183rd).
The races’ individual champions were Mount Lebanon’s Patrick Anderson (15:25.6) in boys 3A, Moon Area’s Mia Cochran (17:53) in girls 3A, General McLane’s Dylan Throop (15:57.1) in boys AA and Northern’s Marlee Starliper (17:10.9) in girls AA. The 1A races were won by Penns Valley’s Colton Sands and Olsh’s Haley Hamilton.
Team champions were Downingtown West (boys 3A), North Allegheny (girls 3A), Lewisburg Area (boys 2A) and South Fayette (girls 2A). The 1A team champions were Winchester Thurston (boys) and St. Joseph’s Cathedral (girls).