Norwin girls cross country team racing toward what it hopes is a state-title season

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, September 28, 2025 | 6:44 PM

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Norwin is lining up wins like it lines up runners at the starting line.

Methodically, the Lady Knights are pulling away from the pack with landslide victories.

The state’s No. 1-ranked girls cross country team in the preseason is building momentum to go for its first WPIAL title since 2009 and first PIAA championship.

“We have put in the time and the effort,” senior Annie Czajkowski said. “We continue to put in the time and effort every day. We spend every day together, which has helped us work together as a team. The goal of winning states really holds us together. We know we are fully capable. We just have to keep working hard to get it done.”

Norwin, which is now No. 2 in the state behind William Penn Charter, which is not a PIAA member, features a senior group that is 32-0 in section the last four years. Norwin is 103-10 against section teams since 2012.

Norwin opened the year by winning the Riverside Classic Night Race in Ohio by 81 points over Avon, which was ranked No. 4 in its home state.

Czajkowski, Anna Dansak, Jillian Ryba, Emily Dansak and Addie Farrah have been some of the top runners.

Norwin followed with a 74-point victory at the Red, White & Blue Invitational at White Oak Park, putting 55 on the board. The Lady Knights had not won the event in 16 years.

Czajkowski ran a school-record time of 17 minutes, 52.9 seconds, the first time a girl as broken the 18-minute mark in the program.

A win at the PIAA Foundation meet came next as Norwin scored a season-low 45 points to take the Gold race, with Czajkowski winning the individual title.

A win at the section meet at IUP featured another dominant performance, with Norwin taking four of the top five spots. Anna Dansak won the race on a course that was as muddy as it was hilly.

“Annie is our low stick at these meets,” coach Brian Fleckenstein said. “She has multiple full-ride offers from several Division I programs and continues to build off a very strong junior year in track that saw her medal in the 3,000-meter indoor and the 1,600- and 3,200-meter outdoor.

“The ‘Wolf Pack’ of six juniors that continue to run steadily and allow us to keep our team point totals very low. Anna Dansak has had a breakout year in cross country, and her last two meets have been her strongest. Her twin sister, Emily Dansak, has been a steady competitor and dropped about 45 seconds to a minute off her times from last year. Jillian Ryba has run steadily as well to keep that pack in tight, running multiple strong races. Addie Farrah closes out the top five so far for the girls with some strong finishes in the meets.”

One thing that shows Norwin’s dominance: Where opponents’ fourth, fifth and sixth runners are placing (on average) 14th, 55th and 60th, Norwin’s are fourth, fifth and sixth.

“I always measure the strength of the team by our back of the pack and JV squad,” Fleckenstein said. “We have lots of girls on JV that would be varsity on many other teams.”

Fleckenstein said a key to leading a talented group like this is not placing limitations on runners.

“Often, they believe they can run faster times than I anticipate, and that’s what makes coaching them so fun,” he said. “They want to run fast. They’re driven and dedicated. They’ve put in the work season after season and year after year.

“I told them in the spring that they are capable of winning a state title. They believe they can run with anyone, and they are so competitive. It’s been fun to watch.”

Norwin also has an eye on the national meet, starting at the Nike Northeast Regional in late November. The top two teams there advance to the national finals.

“That would be the ultimate goal,” Fleckenstein said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and have been approaching each meet and week of training with a short-term focus. … Let the chips fall where they may.

“I’m so proud of these girls and how hard they’ve worked. It really is the freezing winters, the summer heat and the thousands of miles that have enabled them to achieve all that they have. They believe in themselves and this team and know that if they continue to work hard and work together, the sky is the limit.”

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

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