Palmerton’s Hibell, Moravian Academy’s Kraus break away
The surname Hibell is synonymous with elite long-distance running in the Lehigh Valley region.
Palmerton’s Connor Hibell has kept alive the family tradition, and on Wednesday at the Colonial League cross country championships, he claimed his first league crown. The sophomore clocked 17-minutes, 3-seconds on the hilly DeSales University terrain to outdistance runner-up Jordan Smith of Notre Dame-Green Pond by 32 seconds.
Hibell’s father, Jamie, won Colonial League crowns in 1988 and 1989 while at Southern Lehigh, and his older brother, Owen, took third for Palmerton at last year’s league championship race.
The girls champion was also a familiar name, albeit a new familiar name.
Moravian Academy’s Virginia Kraus, who won league, district and state titles as a freshman, looked better than ever in blowing away her closest competition by 119 seconds. The sophomore timed 18:05, which was 49 seconds faster than her winning time last season.
Wilson’s boys with 44 points and Notre Dame’s girls with 35 won the team titles.
With a year’s experience in tow, Hibell had an idea of what to expect in the first of perhaps three championship races in three weeks. He said his game-plan was to work his way into the lead position by the mile mark.
“Then I wanted to try to hold it until the end,” he said of his simple strategy.
Hibell, who won all of his regular-season races vs. Colonial League competition, was all alone after the opening mile. Smith secured second place in 17:35 and his Crusaders’ teammate, Jake Mattes, took third in 17:39.
“I expected it to be like this today,” Hibell said. “There will be more competition in the District 11 [Class 2A] race next week.”
With a distance-running dad and older brother in the family, Hibell said he’s learned a lot over the years. He learned about not always winning by watching Owen.
“Before I started to watch him in high school, I thought, ‘Oh, he’s the fastest kid ever,’ ” Connor Hibell said. “I grew up with him. Then I saw him against some of the other top kids. I learned I’m not always going to win.”
Coach Michael Browne’s Wilson boys won the team title thanks to a tight pack behind the first four. The Warriors took fifth, seventh, eighth and 10th to outduel rival Notre Dame.
Jeffrey Sunderlin led the way with a fifth-place finish in 17:43. Chase Eller, Shaan Matharu and Dillard Jones also earned top-10 medals for Wilson.
The boys race was never in doubt, but the girls race was over before it began.
Kraus has proven herself as the top female distance runner in the area — and by a wide margin. She’s still rapidly improving, too.
She said her goal Wednesday was to beat the best girls’ time (18:10) on the DeSales course, established by Blue Mountain’s Olivia Haas during a District 11 race.
“I think this is a good practice run for next week’s meet,” Kraus said. “I had my eye on what I think is the course record. The whole race I was imagining someone in front of me, that way I could feel like I was competing. I definitely emptied it out today. I went out with the mentality that I was going to put everything out there that I had. I’m pretty much dead.”
Kraus has a full week to recover for districts. Then, she’ll have another nine days before states.
“Last year I felt like I was hanging on by a thread because I was in [leg] pain. I’m feeling pretty strong. I felt like I was slowing down at this point last year. This year I feel like I’m going upward and peaking at the right time. So that’s good,” she said.
As far as the improvement from ninth-grade year to sophomore year, Kraus credits a new routine.
“Every day, I do a 20-minute core workout before bed,” she said. “I like it because it’s something that’s a constant. I try to cross-train, too, as much as I can. Swimming and biking, working out while getting off my legs.”
Avery Errico of Wilson placed second in 20:04.
Coach Art Corrigan’s Notre Dame girls easily repeated as the team champ, thanks to a thirdplace effort from Katherine Koons and a fourth-place finish by Ella Schweitzer.
Olivia Schweitzer (sixth) and Brenna Hammerstone (10th) also secured top-10 medals.
Southern Lehigh’s girls were second overall with 76 points.
The District 11 cross country championships are scheduled for next Wednesday at DeSales University. The boys Class 3A race, set for a 1 p.m. start, will be the first of six district championship races. The state championships are
Saturday, Nov. 4, in Hershey.
COLONIAL LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At DeSales University
BOYS
Team scores: 1. Wilson 44, 2. Notre Dame-GP 54, 3. Southern Lehigh 80, 4. Northwestern Lehigh 100, 5. Moravian Academy 179.
Top 10 medalists: 1. Connor Hibell (Palm) 17:03, 2. Jordan Smith (ND) 17:35, 3. Jake Mattes (ND) 17:39, 4. Aiden Twist (Ban) 17:40, 5. Jeffrey Sunderlin (Wil) 17:43, 6. Gregory Rubino (SL) 17:45, 7. Chase Eller (Wil) 17:51, 8. Shaan Matharu (Wil) 17:57, 9. Xander Giandomencio (NW) 17:59, 10. Dillard Jones (Wil) 18:02.
GIRLS
Team scores: 1. Notre Dame-GP
35, 2. Southern Lehigh 76, 3. Saucon Valley 106, 4. Northwestern Lehigh 108, 5. Moravian Academy 146.
Top 12 medalists: 1. Virginia Kraus (MA) 18:05, 2. Avery Errico (Wil) 20:04, 3. Katherine Koons (ND) 20:06, 4. Ella Schweitzer (ND) 20:28, 5. Olivia Bortz (SV) 20:31, 6. Olivia Schweitzer (ND) 20:38, 7. Lauren Miller (SL) 20:57, 8. Caelee Lenhart (SL) 21:00, 9. Sophia Cornell (NW) 21:01, 10. Brenna Hammerstone (ND) 21:09.