HERSHEY — Cross country is often thought of as an individual sport, but for the Central Cambria girls, it’s all about the team.
The Lady Red Devils captured their third straight PIAA championship on Saturday at the Parkview Course.
“I’d say this was the toughest championship to win because when we had Carly (Seymour), it was our first year on the scene,” Central Cambria coach Randy Wilson said. “Last year, we came into the meet behind Lewisburg and this year we were seeded pretty high all year and had the target on our backs.
“The thing that most impressed me is the fact that they really used today to be great. We didn’t run great at our conference meet or at districts, but they put all that behind them and almost everyone ran their best race of the season today.”
Junior Ashley Stump has been part of all three winning runs for the Red Devils.
“I never thought that coming into this as a freshman that we would get three,” Stump said. “One was amazing, the second time was even better, but this is just unbelievable and I’m so proud of everyone.
“To win this we all have to give our all and we all have to rely on each other. If one person isn’t feeling good, they know they have to push through it because we are doing this as a team and we want to win it.”
Central Cambria, which won by just four points last year, finished with
72 points, well ahead of second-place Union City from District 10, which had 153. Northwestern Lehigh (154 points), Lewisburg (174) and St. Basil Academy (220) rounded out the top five.
“I’m really excited,” said senior Kelsey Seymour, who finished seventh overall. “It’s our third time and every time it happens, it doesn’t get old, it just gets more exciting. I’m really happy everyone ran really well.”
Freshman Alyssa Brandis was the top Central Cambria finisher, fourth in a time of 19:37.
“I was really nervous,” Brandis said.
“The start was the toughest part because I didn’t get out fast enough.”
Two other Central Cambria freshmen, Olivia Lipnic and Kelsey Hagans, also had early race jitters.
“It was very nervewracking at the start and pretty overwhelming,” Lipnic said.
Added Hagans: “It was very scary at first and I was really nervous.”
Even a veteran at running in the state meet such as Red Devils junior Kendall Seymour had concerns.
“I didn’t feel like I got a very good start, but it was a matter of pulling through and picking off different girls and I kept trying to focus on the tangents not the pain,” said Kendall Seymour, who was 25th overall.
Senior Morgan Eckenrod summed it up for the Red Devils.
“It wasn’t my best race, but I went out as hard as I could because I knew we had a shot to win and I didn’t want to let my teammates down,” she said.
Laurel Valley senior Hannah Miller was making her fourth appearance in the state championships and ended up 16th on Saturday in a time of 19:59.
“It definitely wasn’t my best run, but it was better than I did at districts,” Miller said.
Forest Hills junior Leah Anne Wirfel came into the race as one of the top contenders in the state, but had a disappointing day, 24th in a time of 20:20.
“I knew it was going to be tough, I just kind of got overwhelmed,” Wirfel said. “I felt good all season and coming into today and as soon as I started, I just didn’t feel right.”
The Rangers were 16th in the team competition.
Bishop McCort junior Chad King topped the local contingent of boys finishers among the 289 runners, finishing 25th in 17:18.
“The course is very difficult,” said King, who was making his second appearance at the state meet. “I tried to work the hills and catch some people on the downhills.”
The United boys were 18th overall while the Bedford boys were 25th.
Notes: Northwestern Lehigh senior Lindsay Kerr was the top female finisher in a time of 18:56 while senior Stephen Woods of Kutztown led the male finishers in a winning time of 16:37.
College
Central Cambria girls win 3rd straight PIAA cross country title
- College
-
-
College basketball in brief
A closer look at Thursday night's men's and women's college basketball games:
-
Penn State men absorb fifth straight loss
Penn State refused to be routed the first time No. 11 Michigan State had a chance to pull away for an easy victory.
The Nittany Lions, though, couldn’t stay consistent enough to keep their comeback hopes alive. -
South Florida rebounds with win over Pitt
South Florida’s Hugh Robertson combined a perfect night offensively with a stellar defensive performance that helped the Bulls rebound from their worst-ever Big East loss.
Robertson had a season-high 18 points and helped USF
(14-10, 7-4) hold Pittsburgh star Ashton Gibbs to a season-low four points in a 63-51 victory over the Panthers on Wednesday night. Augustus Gilchrist added 10 points for the Bulls, who lost by 30 points at Georgetown last weekend. - Local sports in brief 2-9-2012
-
Michigan board gives go-ahead on Winter Classic
The University of Michigan Board of Regents on Wednesday authorized athletic director Dave Brandon to seek a contract with the NHL that would allow the league to hold next year’s Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium.
-
Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers dominate Seton Hill
Pat Pecora picked up his NCAA Division II record 498th career victory on Tuesday night, but just like almost every other one, he saw some things that his Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team could improve upon.
-
Happy Valley readies itself for a new brand of football under Bill O’Brien
White placards with a set of rules were affixed to the glass doors of the players’ entrance at the Penn State football building about the time Bill O’Brien agreed to become the school’s next football coach.
-
Panthers win fourth consecutive game
Pittsburgh senior Ashton Gibbs is a happy man now that his backcourt mate, junior Tray Woodall, is back and healthy in the starting lineup. He’s almost as happy as Woodall, who recovered from a groin/abdominal strain to turn in one of his best performances of the season.
-
Panthers looking to extend winning streak
Even as the losses piled up, Pitt’s men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon said his players never abandoned hope. That can be tough in the face of an eight-game losing streak stretching from December into January.
-
Nittany Lions drop 4th in a row
Bryce Cartwright has been in and out of Iowa’s starting lineup all season. Now the senior looks like he’s there to stay.
Cartwright, bothered with concussion-like symptoms earlier this season, scored 17 points to lead the Hawkeyes to a 77-64 victory over Penn State on Saturday. - More College Headlines
-
College basketball in brief








