The PIAA Cross Country Championships will be held on Hershey’s Parkview Course, adjacent to the Giant Center, beginning at 9:30 Saturday morning, with the Class 1A girls race kicking things off.
But when it comes to the Lancaster area girls runners, Hempfield’s Ella Wolfe — who recently committed to Arizona to compete in the triathlon — in Class 3A has perhaps the best chance of bringing home a title.
She’d be the first Lancaster-Lebanon League girl to accomplish that since Stacy Stoner of Northern Lebanon won Class 2A in 1994. But the task won’t come easy, as Wolfe enters yet another race as the underdog. Mount Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter (17:19) is favored. Wolfe has a season-best 18:03 with her win at the District Three meet last weekend, but loves a challenge.
“My goal is to execute my race like I did at districts,” Wolfe said. “I don’t really like to go into a race with expectations, because I don’t like that pressure on myself.”
Manheim Township’s girls tipped the boiling point on a hot day at Big Spring in the district meet, duplicating a feat the program pulled off in 2016-17 by winning back-to-back team titles.
It will take a monstrous effort to dethrone WPIAL powerhouse North Allegheny, which is the five-time defending champion. But with a solid effort from a pack that includes Kaila Atteberry, Elena Barrall, Macyn Fogleman, Piper Fogleman, Lexi Kauffman, Riley McGahren, Marina Papadimitriou and Ava Shirk, the Blue Streaks should pose a good challenge.
Township’s boys should do the same in Class 3A, but will need Adam Kingston (15:48), Gunner Geib, Cole Stevens, Ethan Peffley and Dylan DelVecchio to be at their best. Also running for the Streaks will be Breven Baublitz, Ben Doumaux and Luke Reinking.
And don’t count out a hungry Elizabethtown squad led by Jaycen Conrad to be in the thick of things, too. The Bears’ runners also include Dante Checco, Dalton Fink, Jackson Kay, Bradley Kreider, Nathan Merlo, Trevor Merlo and Jack Myers. Warwick’s boys — Jordan Barge, Rhys Craver, Collin Goshert, Cooper Hollinger, Summit Smoker, Lincoln Weaver, Troy Weidler and Ronan Zee — also qualified as a team.
State College, which scored a crazy 15 points in the District Six meet, is the meet favorite in boys 3A. Individually, Notre Dame commit Drew Griffith of Butler (14:21) is heads above the individual field.
Among the Class 2A boys, Lampeter-Strasburg’s Colin Whitaker has perhaps the best chance to become the L-L’s first state champion since Manheim Township’s Craig Miller claimed three Class 3A titles from 2003-05.
But Whitaker’s good friend from Ringgold, fellow Notre Dame commit Ryan Pajak, comes into the meet favored with a time of 14:40. Whitaker ran a 14:42.6 earlier this year and was close on Pajak’s heels at the Paul Short event last month.
Teamwise in 2A, if L-S — with Whitaker, Michael Colosi, Jacob McClune, Kaleb Murdock, Canaan Rohrer, Luke Smith, Alex Sutherland and Owen Witmer — put another good effort together, the Pioneers might have the talent to be golden.
The Tyler Shunk-led Northern Lebanon squad, also including David Boyer, Joseph Escobales, Luke Hentz, Josiah Kelly, Thaddeus Raub, Tucker Reiber and Caleb Sanders, was a surprise at the District Three meet with a third-place showing, and could also make some noise Saturday.
With a good race in Class 1A, Annville-Cleona’s Landon Hostetter (16:12) could also rise to the top of his field. Tyler Rader (16:00) of Huntington in District Six was second last year, although Jaxson Schoedel of Mohawk posted a fast 15:40 in the WPIAL meet.
Hostetter’s team, which cruised to the team title at Big Spring, could become the program’s fifth to win a team title. The last one came in 1977. The Dutchmen — Hostetter, Dominic Basselgia, Matt Clemson, Samuel Domencic, Oliver Funck, David Moran, Z Moyer and Luke Tshudy — will have to dethrone defending champion Central Cambria, which lost two of its top runners from last year but still had enough to win the District Six title last week.
Rounding out the field
Class 3A girls
Individually, seven other runners from the Lancaster-Lebanon League qualified for the PIAA meet. McCaskey leads the contingent with three: Ruby Garner-Valle (19:07), Isabella Shertzer (18:55.7), and Gabrielle Thiry (19:23.3). Cedar Crest’s Eliana Schneider (18:13.7), Cocalico’s Paige Reeser (19:39), Ephrata’s Ella Pfautz (19:41) and Warwick’s Ella Hartel (18:39) will also toe the line.
Class 3A boys
Lebanon’s Ramon Urena Batista (15:47.1) has the best time of the remaining L-L contingent, while Penn Manor’s Kaleb Kabakjian (16:09.44) and teammate Tristan Weaver (16:27.8), Conestoga Valley’s Micah Kao (16:58.2), Travis Furmanski (16:37.9) and Viseth Meng (17:02) of Cedar Crest also are heading to Hershey. Hempfield’s Sam Meyer (16:19) and Emerson Long (16:40.9) round out the runners.
Class 2A boys
Jack Holob of Octorara (17:03.3), Alexander Sheaffer (17:28) of Lancaster Catholic and Elco junior Chad Keller (17:06) are among this contingent.
Class 2A girls
The Annville-Cleona girls — led by Mackenzie Stellamach (20:20) and including Megan Brophy, Anna Lezon, Nadia Lezon, Madison Long, Emily Maag, Emilie Stefanchik and Leah Tshudy — qualified as a team. Two runners from Pequea Valley led a strong group from the L-L here, with Caleigh Vincent (20:06) and Aubrey Ressler (19:06) having a strong season. Donegal’s Kathryn Fernald (19:56.4) and Abigail Ballard (20:43.12), along with Octorara’s Meghan McGinnis (21:07) and Mya Trotty (20:28.2), will also line up in Hershey. So will another dynamic duo, Manheim Central’s Julie Lindberg ( 19:52.4) and Reagan Ibach (19:52.6).
Class 1A girls
Lancaster Catholic’s Eden Lin has the top time from the L-L from District Three action (21:17) and will be joined by three runners from Lancaster Mennonite, Claire Thomas (21:42), Olivia Zook (22:43) and Munira Siegrist (22:57).
Class 1A boys
Veritas Academy, out of Leola, has three runners here, with Henry Friedrichs (16:40.5) expected to be in the top 10. Gus Seifferlein (17:13) and Patrick Daughtrey (18:48) will also be running. Dayspring Christian’s Noah Huxta (17:34) also qualified.
