Norwin cross country teams head to regional meet with berth at nationals at stake

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, November 20, 2025 | 4:37 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Norwin already has proven itself to the state by winning its first PIAA Class 3A cross country championship.

Now, the mighty girls team will try to make its mark nationally.

Norwin will compete at the Nike Cross Country Northeast Regional on Saturday at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

The top two high school-affiliated teams from each of four regions — Northeast, Northwest, Midwest and Heartland — advance to the national meet Dec. 7 in Portland, Ore.

There, 22 teams will compete for a national title.

The Norwin boys also are competing.

“We are ready to rock and roll for nationals,” Norwin coach Brian Fleckenstein said. “We are really hoping — this is our third year going now — that we’ll go and really compete and have a good shot. I think the boys have a shot to finish top 10 in the region, and the girls finish in the top five.

“We’re going to give our best effort. We’ve had a great three weeks of practice. The team’s healthy, and we’re going to give it our all. The motto for Nike nationals is finish on empty, and that’s going to be our goal to go out there and represent our hometown and our home state and go out and represent as best we can.”

Norwin is listed as “Irwin XC.” It will go against 43 other teams in the girls championship race.

Norwin’s seven-runner lineup comprises Ciera Berthelsen, Annie Czajkowski, Anna Dansak, Emily Dansak, Addison Farrah, Kaelyn Lazr and Jillian Ryba.

Only two girls teams from Pennsylvania have ever reached nationals — Unionville and North Allegheny — with both advancing twice.

Norwin dominated most of its meets this season. The Knights won the state title by 54 points over Downingtown West in Hershey.

Czajkowski led Norwin with an 11^th-place finish in 19 minutes, 12 seconds.

Norwin won its first WPIAL team title since 2009 by a 36-point margin over Fox Chapel. Emily Dansak was third, Czajkowski fifth and Ryba sixth.

Norwin’s boys runners at nationals are Alexander Barrett, Ransom Gaydos, Atticus Knight, William Little, WPIAL champ Ben McBride, Declan O’Donnell and Owen Rankin.

Postseason awards

Fleckenstein was named the Pennsylvania Track and Field Association Coach of the Year, while Czajkowski was selected to the PTFCA all-state second team.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin