Brownsville’s Jolena Quarzo, Pine-Richland’s Natalie McLean win PIAA cross country gold

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, November 5, 2022 | 6:07 PM

Brownsville senior Jolena Quarzo can scratch winning a PIAA cross country title off her bucket list.

Quarzo, a three-time WPIAL Class 2A champion, turned in an impressive run Saturday in earning her first state title at Hershey. Quarzo has won multiple PIAA in track and field.

Her time was 18 minutes, 11.3 seconds. Montour senior Harley Kletz was second (18:49).

Other Class 2A placewinners included Chartiers Valley sophomore Lilah Turnbull in eighth (20:02.3), Uniontown senior Hope Trimmer in 10th (20:06.2) and Beaver senior Ella Andrew in 14th (20:17.3).

Hampton senior Ava Vitiello placed 16th (20:24.4), Montour junior Lakyn Schaltenbrand was 17th (20:25.1) and West Allegheny freshman Grace Fritzman was 20th (20:27.0).

Erie Cathedral Prep was the team winner with 111 points. Danville was second at 115, Montour was third 119, Beaver was fourth at 120 and Uniontown was sixth with 183.

Quarzo wasn’t the only WPIAL runner to win a PIAA title.

Pine-Richland senior Natalie McLean grabbed the Class 3A title in a time of 18:46.1.

North Allegheny sophomore Wren Kucler was third (18:58.5), and WPIAL champion Mt. Lebanon junior Caroline Adams was sixth (18:59.1).

Other placewinners included North Allegheny junior Eva Kynaston in 10th (19:11.9), Mt. Lebanon junior Logan St. John Kletter in 11th (19:12.1), Kiski Area junior Eliza Miller in 12th (19:14.0), North Allegheny junior Erin McGoey in 23rd (19:48.0) and North Allegheny senior Grace Rowley (19:49.0) in 24th.

The North Allegheny girls and boys won the Class 3A team titles.

The NA girls finished with 60 points and the boys 85. It was the fifth consecutive title for the girls and eighth overall, while the boys have three in a row and 16th overall.

Hatboro Horsham senior Brian DiCola was the boys winner (15:24.2) in Class 3A, edging WPIAL champion Drew Griffiths (15:35.2), a junior from Butler. North Allegheny sophomore Jack Bertram was third (16:09.7), and Peters Township senior Brett Kroboth was fourth (16:13.5).

Other WPIAL placewinners included North Allegheny senior Greg Kossuth in 20th (16:53.8) and North Allegheny senior Jackson Pajak in 25th (17:01.2).

In the boys Class 2A race, Danville senior Rory Lieberman (15:53.6) pulled away from Ringgold junior Ryan Pajak (16:10.7) for the title.

Other WPIAL runners to place include Uniontown senior Mason Stewart in ninth (16:46.1), Blackhawk senior Ethan Papa in 13th (16:54.5), Hampton junior Dale Hall in 14th (16:55.6), Elizabeth Forward junior Patrick Burgos in 15th (16:55.6), Laurel Highlands sophomore Matt Schwertfeger in 18th (16:59.8), Montour junior Julian Kletz in 19th (17:02.4), Hopewell senior Dominic Flitcraft in 20th (17:03.9) and North Catholic senior Owen Schessler in 24th (17:23.9).

In Class A, Palisade senior Thomas Smigo was the champion (16:33.4). The top WPIAL finisher was Eden Christian senior Sean Aiken, who was third (16:42.22).

Other WPIAL placewinners were: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart senior Maxwell Hamilton in eighth (17:23.3), Freedom junior James Couch in 16th (17:45.9), Riverview senior Amberson Bauer (17:58.6) in 21st and Eden Christian junior Ethan Haring in 25th (18:04.4).

Central Cambria was the team champion. Winchester Thurston placed third, Eden Christian fourth, Riverview fifth and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was sixth.

Moravian Academy freshman Virginia Knaus won the Class A girls title. Shady Side Academy junior Chelsea Hartman was second (19:36), and Riverside junior Lexi Fluharty was eighth (20:20).

Other WPIAL runners to place were Aquinas Academy junior Alexis Abbett in 12th (20:49), Eden Christian sophomore Hope Haring in 14th (21:00) and Winchester Thurston senior Cyd Kennard in 25th (21:24).

Notre Dame Greed Pond was the team champion. Winchester Thurston was fourth, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was seventh.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.