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DyeStat Cross Country 2000
PA Weekend 9/16
by Don Rich, publisher of DyeStatPA
- for complete coverage of Pennsylvania
Briarwood
Invitational-Philadelphia - 5k
Belmont Plateau, Philadelphia
Junior Julia Pudlin, Baldwin School, eclipsed the 1998 course record of Prendie star Sheila Klick by four seconds, and the meet record of Norristown stand-out Donna Fidler by 24 seconds, with an 18:32. The time is especially impressive, considering it is an early season invitational.
Following the race, Sheila Klick, who is a freshman at Villanova and was watching the race to support her sister Shannon (10th in 20:27), congratulated Pudlin on her record with a hug.
1999 winner, Maureen McCandless, of Nazareth was well back. The winner of the Girls Division I race was Gen Story of Haverford (20:20.1), who has battled injuries throughout her career. Fiana York, a freshman from Haverford, was second (20:39.7). In the Girls Division II race, the winner was Jackie Truncelitto of Villa Maria (20:13). Pearl River (NY), with 68, took Prendie (89) in the team competition. Shawnee (NJ), with 46 points, defeated Neshaminy (52) in Division I. In Division II, Great Valley dominated.
On the boys side, Dave Atkiss sends an early season message with a 16:11 first place finish in the Championship race. O'Hara's Sean Duffy (16:20) and Rich Anderson (16:25), were second and third, leading their team to a second place finish by just four points behind Chaminade(NY)'s 67 points.
In Division I, Shawnee's Adam Ambrus ran a strong 16:28 to win. Hunderdon Central (NJ) took the team trophy with 38 points. Haverford was second with 74. And in Division II, Great Valley took the individual and team championships behind Eamon Brazunas' 16:39.
Spiked Shoe
It rained. The sun came out. It rained even harder. The sun came out. And during it all, two PA runners established national credentials with strong, convincing wins in the 22nd Spiked Shoe Invitational at State College.
Hempfield soph Lauren Bricker followed up her win over Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, with another PR and win over Randy Buzzell, of US #16 Middletown, MD, with her 18:29.52. Middletown girls took the team win with 98 points over District 3 power Governor Mifflin, 153.
Following a stellar frosh season in which she won the WPIAL Championships in XC, Bricker said that she felt really good at a mile-and-a-half, and simply decided to pull away from the two Middletown (MD) stars.
"I just kept it up until the end. And I was really surprised at how fast I ran. That's another PR this week."
Her goals for the season are to continue setting new PR's and to do well at States. And if she continues to improve, that should be a scary prospect for competitors, because Bricker is already running times that put her among the top harriers in the country, let alone the state of Pennsylvania.
Her coaches seem to be keeping it basic for their star, as Bricker says they have given her a very simple, yet powerful race strategy for this season: to stay with the leaders and to have some fun.
That strategy fits quite nicely with Bricker's personal perspective on why she loves cross country a lot more than track. "I like the scenery. I just like looking at everything as I run by. And I actually like hills. What can I say?"
Dan Mazzacco, Baldwin, won his second early season invitational with a strong 15:45 in State College. Hempfield's Matt Evans took second with a 16:01. Good Counsel MD took the boys championship with 86 points.
Mazzacco is another western PA runner who is bursting on to the national scene, and used the Spiked Shoe Invitational as launching pad. His 15:45 on the Penn State course would do quite nicely at any state championship. On Saturday, he ran a different race than he had the week before at the California (PA) Invitational, where he ran out of gas in the final 600, getting second to Mt. Lebanon's Shawn Cavanaugh.
"I just wanted to do the best I could, and keep pushing it and see where I could go today. Mazzacco went through the mile in 4:51 because, as he pointed out, he "didn't want to have the same thing happen as last week" (where went out too fast and didn't have a kick). "I \ried to make a move before it (the mile), and then work on my kick in the end."
Mazzacco was pushed most of the way by Hempfield's Evans, who was second with a solid 16:01. Mazzacco will be seeing friend and rival Cavanaugh again in the coming weeks, and feels he is ready to mount a consistent challenge. "He's a good runner. It's always fun to race him."
And if form holds, those races could be a preview of the top two at States. Or at the very least, an interesting race within the race.
Behrend
Invitational-Erie - 5k, hilly
by DyestatPA correspondent Jeff Hiner
Penn State-Behrend in Erie holds their own version of the Spiked Shoe Invitational. While Penn State Main Campus is holding the Famed Spiked Shoe Invitational, the Erie campus holds their own mini Spiked Shoe on the Penn State-Behrend Campus.
In the boys race Harborcreek sophomore Eric Soder, who qualified for states last year, served notice that he not only plans a return visit, but is looking for a medal this time around. Soder ran an impressive 17:13 on The hilly 5K course to run away with the Boys individual title. Harborcreek took the boys team title.
On the Girls side, Leah Kerstetter, of Iroquios, breezed to a 20:34 to easily outdistance the field under nearly perfect conditions. McDowell took the team win.
Bulldog-Northern
Lehigh - 5k
by N. Lehigh XC Coach David Oertner
Twenty seven District XI teams participated in the annual race run on the Northern Lehigh Cross High School XC course (3.1 miles). Weather 65 degrees and breezy. Bethlehem Liberty (41) defeated Emmaus in the boys race by 57 points. Northampton's Mike Vidumsky took the championship, setting a new meet and course record with his 16:01.3.
Allentown Central Catholic, behind the winning 19:19.3 effort of Jackie Adamshick, took the team title with 53 points. Freshman Krystn Fenon of Lehighton was fourth with a 19:39.8.
Upper
Dublin Coed Invitational
- teams combine scores for the title
In a unique format, the boys and girls teams combine results for a single team title. Penncrest took the team title behind Mike Espinosa's winning 16:01 effort, and Kim Baxter's 18:38 and Laura Hixson's 18:44 second and third place finishes. Katie Ewart took the girls individual title with her 18:15.
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