Knoch runner with eye on gold leads A-K Valley contingent into WPIAL cross country meet

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 5:36 PM

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Carter French has designs on winning a WPIAL Class 2A cross country championship Thursday at White Oak Park.

The Knoch junior, who placed fifth in last year’s Class 2A race, has raised his level this fall with several first-place finishes in meets and invitationals.

Last week, he built up a great deal of momentum with a second straight Tri-State Coaches Association title on the same White Oak Park course. He won by eight seconds with a time of 15 minutes, 31.27 seconds.

“Carter has been ready for this since last year,” Knoch coach Shawn McAnallen said. “He’s got a better strategy this year. He went up against some pretty good talent last year at WPIALs. Some of that talented graduated, but there still are some pretty strong runners he will have to contend with.”

That talent includes Quaker Valley junior Jonah Montagnese, who ran a 15:03 last Saturday at the Virginia Cross Country Showcase and took third at WPIALs last year.

“What has brought Carter to where he is today is the increased dedication to his training with his work ethic,” McAnallen said. “He has the poise in his approach to his races and the confidence in his abilities.”

French will help lead the Knoch girls and boys teams into the Class 2A races at 11 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. They will kick off a day of championship events with Class 3A to follow at 1 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.

The Class A races cap the day at 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

The top four teams and top 20 individuals not on one of those four teams for the Class 2A boys and Class A girls will advance to the PIAA championships Nov. 1 in Hershey. The top three teams and 15 individuals from the other four races will earn trips to states.

There will be a new Class 2A boys champion as last year’s winner, Freeport’s Michael Braun, graduated and is running at Penn State.

In Class 3A, Kiski Area senior Sam Plazio hopes to return to states for a fourth time. Last year, Plazio finished just outside the top 10 in his Class 3A race, placing 11th (16:02).

“Four trips to states is a pretty rare accomplishment, but Sam is ready to do it,” Kiski coach Tom Berzonsky said. “He has trained really well and is focused to run his best race.”

Berzonsky hopes the Cavaliers girls, ranked seventh in WPIAL Class 3A by PA Milesplit, can contend for one of the three team spots for states. They placed ninth last year.

“We’re all pretty happy with where we’re at both overall and with what we know about the White Oak Course,” Berzonsky said.

Alle-Kiski Valley runners fared well at WPIALs last year. The Fox Chapel boys, fronted by the now-graduated Ethan Vaughan, took third in Class 3A and qualified for states.

Senior Michael Costello, 28th individually last year and the Foxes’ third runner, hopes to make a jump Thursday and help his team challenge for another top-three finish.

Fox Chapel junior Cecilia Ressler hopes to compete for a top spot in the Class 3A girls race after earning a PIAA-qualifying ninth-place finish last year (18:48.40).

Freeport sophomore David Kristine finished three places and nine seconds away from a Class 2A individual trip to states last year. He took ninth (16:46.53) in Class 2A at last week’s Tri-State meet, one spot ahead of Deer Lakes freshman Joshua Jenny (16:51.82).

Knoch junior Natalie Zolinas took 46th last year in the Class 2A girls race. She hopes to make the jump into medal contention Thursday with the added goal of earning a trip to states.

The Riverview boys have finished in the top three in Class A at WPIALs each of the past 10 years, but with graduation losses from the core of championship teams the past two years, Palma Ostrowski said that streak might be in jeopardy.

But she said junior Ashton Saunders and sophomore Oscar Smith, ninth and 28th, respectively, at WPIALs last year, hope to make an impact for the team as they also seek trips to states.

Milesplit has the Riverview boys ranked seventh.

“Our stretch goal is a top-five team finish and to get Ashton and Oscar in the top 15 individuals,” Ostrowski said. “While single-A boys is not as strong at the top as last year with Riverview (first at WPIALs, second at states) and Winchester Thurston (second at WPIALs, first at states), there is much more depth.”

The Riverview girls took fifth last year, just eight points away from one of the top four state-qualifying places.

Ostrowski said the girls team, ranked fifth in Class A by Milesplit, has been getting healthy and focused on WPIALs.

“Shady Side, OLSH and Winchester Thurston are all ranked in the state top five and would appear to be locks to make it past districts,” said Ostrowski, who will see sophomore Kiersten Lavarse, junior Hannah Hudack, and juniors Rose Lascola and Juliette Brun help lead the way. Lavarse and Hudack ran at states last year.

Ostrowski said her team, along with the likes of Carlynton, Eden Christian and Serra Catholic, are in the mix for that fourth spot to states.

Hudack, Brun and senior Catie Hoolahan will run Thursday, just two days after their WPIAL Class A first-round soccer match against Riverside. The Raiders suffered a loss on penalty kicks.

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: Knoch