PA Week Sept 3

by Don Rich, PennTrackXC.com, the site for PA news.

| Oakburne | Viking | Big Valley | Hickory | Cliff Robbins | Purple & White |

Steve Hallinan opens strong;
Hatboro-Horsham girls reload with two super frosh

	Viking Invitational was won by veteran Steve Hallinan (left) and freshman Liz Kearins (below)
Steve Hallinan, the Cardinal O'Hara senior, before the start of his first race of the season. He ran 15:39 at the Viking Invitational on a hot, humid evening to set a course record by several seconds.	Freshman Liz Kearins of Central Bucks East won the race in 19:30. It was a great night for debuts, as Hatboro-Horsham unveiled two frosh, Kerry Swayne, 3rd in 19:37, and Brittany Sullivan, 9th in 20:02, sandwiching junior Caitlin Klaas, 6th in 19:52, and senior Anna Baker, 8th in 19:58. Senior Meghan Ryder was 11th in 20:41 for a 1:14 spread on PA defending AAA state champs.

8/28-Oakbourne Relays @ Oakbourne Park - Relay kicks off Henderson's
season
In the varsity race, each team ran 8, with 4 doing the 1st mile, the
next four doing the 2nd mile, the 1st 4 doing the 2nd mile backwards and
the final 4 doing the 1st mile backwards. The host Henderson boys took
3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th by teaming their projected #1 guy with the #8 guy,
#2 with #7, #3 with #6 and #4 with #5. The Twin Valley team of Simonetti
and S. Moore were first, going 20:24.00 for 6400 meters. Ridley was
2nd. In the girls' varsity race, Melissa Ferry and her teammate,
Danielle Tuccio, were first in 25:04.36. Teams from Ridley and
Unionville were 2nd and 3rd respectively. Kevin McGoldrick of
Henderson, won the boys' JV 3200 meters in 12:22.00, while Jeanna Bush
of Unionville took the girls' 3200 in 14:21.00.

8/29-Viking Invitational @ Tamanend Park, Bucks County - Great debuts &
a course record
This meet always produces some clues about the coming season, and this
year was no exception, as a frosh burst onto the scene to win the
varsity girls race, a senior set a course record, and a defending state
championship team showed they may be even stronger. And that's a good
place to begin. Hatboro-Horsham's girls are coming off a AAA state
championship in cross country, losing their number one runner. Not to
worry, just plug in two super freshman, Kerry Swayne and Brittany
Sullivan, add 800 ace Caitlyn Klaas, a junior, and spice it up a bit
with seniors Anna Baker and Meghan Ryan, and then take five of the first
11 spots for 37 points. Oh, the spread on the top five was just 1:04,
and their sixth and seventh girls, a senior and a sophomore both
finished in the top 19. This team should be nationally ranked,and
probably will be after this performance. Their #1 in this race. Swayne,
in 19:37. Swayne was third, to senior Ashley Kelly of Bensalem, 2nd in
19:35, and another frosh, Liz Kearins of Central Bucks West, who
dominated the final mile in oppressive conditions to win in 19:30. And
as hard as it may be to believe, the guys race was just as entertaining,
with O'Hara senior Steve Hallinan coming into his final campaign in even
better shape than last year, setting a course record of 15:39. Those who
chose to match his opening 9:50 at the two-mile could only watch as he
cruised to the win. "I felt like I could have gone faster that last
mile," Hallinan explained after his record-setting race. Sophomore
teammate Greg Thomas grabbed the mantle of next up-and-coming O'Hara
leader, getting 2nd in 16:02, while chasing down Hatboro-Horsham senior
Mike Kenny over the final 20 meters. And this is just the first meet.

8/30-Big Valley Invitational @ Indian Valley Middle School - Lewisburg
boys win behind Spooner, State College girls tops
In a driving rain, defending AA State Champ Chris Spooner of Lewisburg
showed that he is ready to defend his title and maybe much more with a
15:54 showing on the 5,070 meter layout at the Big Valley Invitational.
His one point helped lead his team to a one-point win over 2000 AAA
State Champ Coatesville. Lewisburg placed five in the top 21, while
Coatesville had their scorers in by 17th, led by senior Shane Snyder,
6th in 17:04. In the girls race, State College was seven better than
Wellsboro behind the 20:52 sixth place effort by junior Meghan Mason.
Bishop Guilfoyle senior Sonya Hinish got off to a good start, winning in
20:23.

8/30-Hickory Invitational, Hermitage - West Middlesex boys and host
Hickory girls dominant.
The West Middlesex boys kicked off their season with signs they have
another good squad, while the Hickory girls topped the West Middlesex
girls on their home course. Kara Morris of Hickory set a course record
of 20:25 on the sloppy 5k layout, leading teammates Sarah Gill (21;14)
and Lauren Baldarelli (21:32) to a one-two-three finish. Hickory placed
their other two scorers in the top 20. In the boys' race, Josiah
Leuenberger of West Middlesex, set a course record of 16:59. His
teammates added 4th, 7th, 9th and 12th for a 33 point total.

8/30-Cliff Robbins Memorial @ Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre - Meaghan Robbins
starts with a win, Jessica Cickay 4th
Western Wayne's Meagan Robbins began her season with a win, going 19:00
to win by eight seconds over Jessica Squier of Elk Lake. Council Rock
North enior Jessica Cickay was 4th in 19:35. In the boys' race,
Hazleton's Brent Edwards went 16:23 for the win. Teammate Matt Edstrom
was 10th in 16:59. Northwest Area also placed two in the top ten, with
Caleb Fritz 4th in 16:47, Josh Fritz 7th in 16:50.

8/30-Purple & White @ Shamokin - Tamaqua takes two team wins.
The Tamaqua boys and girls teams took titles behind the first and second
place finishes of their team leaders. The Tamaqua boys' distance
program is always strong, and they got off to a good start, totalling
just 49 points by placing all five scorers in the top 20. Isaac
Dunkelberger led his team to the win with his individual title in 17:12.
Blue Mountain was 2nd, 22 points back. And the Tamaqua girls program
made some early noise, placing four in the top 12 to take the team
title over Blue Mountain by five, with 52 points. Alexa Griffiths led
Tamaqua with her 20:55 second place finish. Pottsville's Stephanie Evans
was 1st in 20:33.

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