9/17 WKND: Pennsbury edges DT East - Gerlach 2nd - Wilson #3 AT | Piccirillo #2 AT at Penn State

Big Spring

Reynah Spence of Shippensburg picked up a comfortable victory with a winning time of 19:20.4, 23 seconds better than 2nd place Meredith Speakman of Boiling Springs. For the boys, Vinny Todaro of the host Big Spring defended his home course with a 14 second victory over William Meadows of Gilman. Todaro ran 16:33.2 to earn the gold.

NC State University

 

Top ranked West Chester Henderson girls took their show on the road to North Carolina and continued their momentum from their PTXC 3 win last week. Stephanie Aldrich finished 6th with a time of 18:44.3, and Janie Augustyn and Michelle Tracy finished in the top eleven overall to lead the team to a 2nd place finish. Their spread was 42 seconds and their score of 58 points was 4 points behind winners Midlothian of Virginia.

 

Boardman  

 

Photos by Phil Grove

 

By Phil Grove

A little change in scenery - or states - didn't affect the results much for western Pennsylvania runners and teams at the Spartan Invitational in Boardman, Ohio.

Grove City's Daniel Jaskowak continued to show he is a force to be reckoned with statewide, Ean DiSilvio of Allderdice kicked to his second close win of the 2011 season and the North Allegheny boys claimed their second consecutive team championship at one of Ohio's largest invitationals.

Jaskowak backed up his breakthrough victory at the Red, White & Blue Invitational on Sept. 10 with a wire-to-wire victory in the Division I race. The junior's winning time of 15:43.51 is the third-best clocking in the meet's history and the fifth-fastest ever on the repeating loop layout.

"That's what I wanted to do, I wanted to prove myself again," Jaskowak said of his 10-plus second win. "I think this really solidifies where I am."

Jaskowak immediately went to the front of the field and had a 10-meter gap when he went through the first kilometer in 3 minutes. The chase pack of several top Ohio runners could not close the gap.

"I think Daniel looks at what kind of competition he has and he goes out and makes sure he gets out in front," Grove City coach Mike Sample said. "He doesn't like to be in the crowd anymore, he doesn't like to come from behind. He wants to get out in front."

With a sixth from senior Logan Steiner, PA#3 North Allegheny claimed the Division I team title with 96 points. The next four Tigers were separated by less than 7 seconds in locking up the team title over the No. 5 and 11 teams in Ohio - Powell Olentangy Liberty (162) and Mentor (180). Erie Cathedral Prep was seventh and Grove City eighth in the 36-team field.

Earlier in the meet of more than 3,800 runners, DiSilvio matched up for the second time this season with Corry Area's Austin Pondel. DiSilvio had outkicked Pondel by 1.1 seconds to win the McDowell Invitational on Sept. 3, and Saturday's finish in Division II was almost a duplicate. The Allderdice junior, who also is a state-ranked wrestler, crossed the line in 16:06.9, with Pondel just 0.7 seconds back.

"I don't know what his potential is because so far all he has been doing is chasing the leaders," Allderdice coach Ed Flynn said. "Ean's a very strong kid so I don't think there's too many that can run away from him. He's going to be in all his races."

DiSilvio and Pondel separated themselves early from the field of almost 300 runners. On the second of two loops in the 3.1-mile course, DiSilvio was planning for his finish.

"I hoped to make my move going into the woods, and I did but he passed me again," DiSilvio said. "Once we came out (of the woods), he was a good 10 meters ahead of me. I just had to work to catch him at the end."

Hampton's Brian Shields was sixth and led the Talbots to third in the team standings with 206 points. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary - Ohio's top-ranked Division II team - won with 100 points, with No. 5 Peninsula Woodridge second with 163. Allderdice was fifth at 243.

On the girls side, PA#7 North Allegheny and Hampton picked up a pair of thirds. Paced by senior Shannon Wagner's 13th-place finish, the Tigers had 141 points. Brunswick - Ohio's No. 1 team - led the way in Division I with 68, while No. 7 Hudson had 113.

Hampton got a fourth from senior Emily Rabenold in finishing third in Division II with 191 points. Ohio's No. 2 Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy used a 1-2 finish to grab the top spot with 45 points, while top-ranked St. Vincent-St. Mary was second with 65. Villa Maria Academy finished seventh.

 

Bradford Area

 

Kennedy Weisner of Elk County Catholic won her 2nd race in 3 weeks with a meet record performance of 18:56.2, and winning the race by a full two minutes. Her team scored 31 points to hold off host Bradford Area by five. The Elk County Catholic boys also won the team title, scoring 45 points to win by 13 points over Oswayo Valley. Individual honors went to Barrett Kemp of Osway Valley, who ran 16:54.5 to win the gold.

Northern Lehigh

York College of Pennsylvania

 

Elmita Free Academy

 

Northampton Area

Easton boys held off Freedom 46-51 to win the team championship. Colin Abert of Easton ran 16:22.9 to win the individual title, and that led three in the top eight. For the girls, Easton completed the team title sweep, scoring 44 points to cruise to the girls title. Shana Peterson of Freedom won the gold medal by just under 3 seconds with a time of 20:10.9.

 

Slippery Rock University

Ringgold