Hard work pays off for Jonah Montagnese, Quaker Valley teammates in WPIAL cross country gold

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, November 2, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Jonah Montagnese turned on the jets and left the rest of the Class 2A boys field in his wake.

The Quaker Valley junior won a WPIAL cross country title Oct. 23 by almost 26 seconds, finishing in a time of 15:08.70 at chilly White Oak Park.

“Jonah ran an absolutely outstanding race at the WPIAL championships,” QV coach Ryan Kelly said. “From the very beginning of the season, he’s shown an incredible level of focus and consistency, and his performance at White Oak Park was the culmination of months of hard work.

“Winning the WPIAL cross country championship is a tremendous accomplishment, and Jonah earned every bit of it through his preparation, leadership and competitive drive. His 15:08 finish not only set the tone for our team but also reflected the standard of excellence he brings every day to practice and meets.”

Montagnese rose to first after a third-place finish last year. He cut nearly 38 seconds from his 2024 WPIAL time.

“This feels pretty good,” said Montagnese, who took ninth (15:03) at the prestigious Virginia Showcase meet as part of his preparation for WPIALs.

“I am really happy with my (WPIAL) performance. I really pushed myself out there. It was a time that I was really proud of. I was finally able to show where my training is and that I am at a really elite level right now.”

Montagnese’s golden performance helped Quaker Valley claim its second straight WPIAL team championship.

Alongside Montagnese’s winning effort, QV senior leaders such as Ryan Kempton (16th place), Tyler Bell (18th) and River Capek (35th) ran critical races to help secure the team title.

Freshman Henry Howard (21st), junior James Irwin (47th) and senior Michael Minnock (61st) rounded out a deep and balanced lineup for the Quakers.

“Our boys were phenomenal. They pushed each other all season,” Kelly said. “Winning a second consecutive WPIAL title is a testament to their dedication, teamwork and resilience. Every runner contributed to this championship, and it truly was a full team effort.

“We’ve talked all year about racing for each other and pushing ourselves to the best of our abilities, and today, that work paid off. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished, and we’re excited to represent Quaker Valley and the WPIAL at the PIAA cross country championships.”

The top four boys teams from Class 2A were scheduled to run Nov. 1 in Hershey at states. Joining the Quakers were North Catholic, Ellwood City and Hampton.

“The group of guys we have,” Montaganese said, “we’re looking forward to the chance to go after a state title. With a good week of training and preparation, I know we can put ourselves in that position. It will be fun to see what we can do.”

Carter French, a junior from Knoch and the Tri-State champion at White Oak, took second at the district meet in 15:36.60.

French said it was going to be a challenge to keep pace with Montagnese.

The Knoch junior did his best in his quest for WPIAL gold, but Montagnese was just too tough.

“I think I ran a really smart race,” French said. “I knew it was pretty cold, and everyone went out pretty hard. I knew they would come back, and I had to be patient. Knowing what Jonah had done this year, I thought he was probably going to take it, so I am pretty pleased with the second-place finish considering how deep the field was.

“I thought I would stick with (Montagnese) for probably the first (1,000 meters). After that, I knew he would go, so I knew it would be between me, (North Catholic sophomore) Jack (Steineman) and (North Catholic senior) Tyler (Carroll) for second. I was just ready to battle it out at the end.”

French moved up to second from fifth at WPIALs last year.

Michael Love contributed.

Tags: Quaker Valley