Riverview runners off to strong start despite early-season injuries

By: Michael Love
Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

There were high expectations coming into the 2024 season for the Riverview boys and girls cross country teams.

Six Raiders boys runners returned from a team which captured the WPIAL Class A title last year and finished as the state runner-up in Hershey.

The Riverview girls, the 2023 WPIAL runners-up in Class A, returned five girls.

“We had a good summer with our camp and race trip to Michigan, but we’ve had a tough start to the year with three injuries,” Riverview coach Palma Ostrowski said. “That is new to us. Last year, we didn’t have any adversity like that. The boys had the same top seven for every race.”

But despite the early health setbacks, Ostrowski said she’s excited for what her runners have accomplished in the still-young fall season.

Senior Holden Deasy, who medaled in seventh at WPIALs last year, has been battling back from an ankle injury. Junior Braden Longstreth stepped in a hole running at the Gateway Invitational at Boyce Park on Aug. 31 and didn’t finish the race.

Despite not having either at the finish line, Ostrowski said, the boys team fared well with senior Chris Barnes, a WPIAL and PIAA medalist last year; senior Micah Ivy, a WPIAL medalist in 2023; and sophomore Ashton Saunders, the top freshman last year in the Class A race at WPIALs; all earning medals in the varsity race.

On the girls side, senior Lily Bauer, a WPIAL medalist (12th) last year, and sophomore Hannah Hudack both picked up medals at the Gateway Invite.

The team was without junior Grace Johnson because of an injury suffered in dance.

The boys placed fourth and the girls fifth in the varsity team standings.

“Without Holden, Braden and Grace’s team positions, the (team finishes) were not as strong as we had hoped, although it was a competition filled with Class 3A and Class 2A teams,” Ostrowski said. “Saunders and Hudack exceeded expectations.”

Ostrowski said her runners were determined to improve at the prestigious Red, White & Blue Invitational on Sept. 6 at White Oak Park.

The Riverview boys ran away with the Class A title with 58 team points. Ivy and Barnes ran with the lead pack the entire race and finished fifth and sixth, respectively, while Saunders earned a top-10 finish in ninth overall.

Neshannock placed second with 100 team points.

“Ashton had a great third mile to move into the top 10, and he continues to build on his breakout freshman year. This year’s breakout freshman, Oscar Smith, won his first high school medal (13th). It was a nice reward for a great summer.

“Winchester Thurston, the top-ranked PIAA team in Class A, opted to run in the Class 2A race, and they beat our times by quite a bit, so we have a lot of work to do to stay competitive with them. Winchester is deep and definitely deserves their No. 1 WPIAL and PIAA rankings.”

Five of the top six girls teams in the Class A WPIAL rankings raced at Red, White & Blue. Riverview started fifth at the mile and moved up to fourth at two miles, and reached the podium (third) in the last mile.

Bauer and Hudack earned medals in eighth and 15th, respectively. Ostrowski said junior Rosa Lascola, senior Lily Hood and freshman Kirsten Levarse were keys to the comeback.

“Kirsten has been a very pleasant surprise,” Ostrowski said. “She’s running a faster pace at 5K this year than she ran 3Ks last year in middle school.

“Overall, I am very proud and encouraged by the girls’ effort. After getting beat up by the bigger schools at Gateway, the girls felt better after Red, White & Blue and now have the confidence to compete for one of the four state spots (from WPIAL Class A). It won’t be easy for us to do it, as Grace will have to get healthy, and we’ll need contributions from the four dual-sport soccer players (Hudak, Hood and sophomores Catie Hoolahan and Juliette Brun).”

Ostrowski said her runners are looking forward to a number of upcoming meets, including senior recognition on Tuesday at Riverside Park, and the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational on Sept. 28 in Jackson Township, N.J.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Riverview