Runners from Riverview, Plum reach goals at PIAA cross country meet

By: Michael Love
Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Ashton Saunders enjoyed the view from the medal stand at last year’s PIAA Class A cross country championships in Hershey.

The goal in his return Nov. 1 was to not only get back to that position but also stand a little closer to the top.

Both were achieved as the Riverview junior took seventh overall in the 257-runner field and recorded a time of 16 minutes, 57 seconds.

Last year, Saunders crossed the finish line 25th and in 17:19.

“Unlike last year, where he had to pass runners in the third mile to secure his award, Ashton established himself near the lead group right from the start,” Riverview coach Palma Ostrowski said. “His first mile time of 5:00 put him in 17th place, and he steadily moved up from there.”

Saunders, third at the WPIAL meet Oct. 23, was the second WPIAL finisher at states. Six WPIAL boys runners overall claimed medals in Class A.

WPIAL runner-up Scott McConnell, a senior from Mohawk, placed 15th while helping the Warrriors finish eighth in the team standings.

Saunders was 12th after the second mile before charging into the top 10 with a 6:20 final mile.

Only the WPIAL champion, Sewickley Academy sophomore Zachary Shahara, was faster among the collection of WPIAL runners. Shahara finished third overall in a time of 16:08 as he maintained a top-five pace throughout his 3.1-mile trek across the Parkview course.

It was a different feeling for Saunders at states from his first two seasons. He was the only Raiders boys runner in the field this year after competing with the entire Riverview team the past two years after it claimed its back-to-back WPIAL titles.

Saunders, who now owns four state medals, placed 62nd individually in 2023 and helped the Raiders finish second to District 3’s Annville-Cleona.

He also contributed to Riverview’s state runner-up finish last year.

The four states medals tie him with Mason Ochs and Chris Barnes for the most in the history of Riverview cross country.

Four Raiders ran in the Class A girls race in Hershey. It tied for the most from any one school that didn’t qualify for states as a team.

Each of the four grades were represented. It was the third state championship race for senior Rosa Lascola and junior Hanna Hudack, the second for sophomore Kirsten Levarse and the PIAA debut of freshman Saraya Sanderson-Bey.

Levarse led the Riverview girls in 109th (22:50).

Hudack took 114th (22:56), Sanderson-Bey placed 124th (23:02), and Lascola crossed the finish line in 148th (23:26) out of 250 in the race.

Torres represents Plum

Mayah Torres capped her high school cross country career in the PIAA Class 3A girls race in Hershey.

The Plum senior reveled in the opportunity as it almost didn’t come to pass.

She ran strong at the WPIAL meet Oct. 23 at White Oak Park, finishing 29th in 19:37.30. With 15 individual state qualifying spots available after the three qualifying teams were determined, the counting began.

“It took probably five to 10 minutes after the race to definitively say she was in,” Plum coach Brett Kennedy said.

“We were counting on our own and taking out the ones from the top three teams. It was so close. We thought she was in and then thought she was out. Then we thought she was in again. She ended up getting in by less than a second. It was awesome to see her reaction and have her family there to share in it. It was just a whole lot of fun.”

Torres was the last individual qualifier in the Class 3A girls field. Her season and cross country career extended for one more week, she powered through training before heading to Hershey the day before the event.

“Mayah had a great plan in getting ready for states,” Kennedy said. “She always does. It was another week of training, continuing what we’ve been doing. Some runners might be up and down and inconsistent, but that’s not Mayah. She has been steady the whole year, and that really helped her as she went into states.”

Torres and her Plum teammates ran the PIAA Foundation meet in September on the same Parkview course, so she was familiar. A trial run before the actual race allowed her to build further strategy.

She took to the course and finished her race in 131st (21:02). While the place might not seem exciting, she was able to knock off 22 seconds from her time at the Foundation meet.

“Mayah was a great example of how hard work will pay off,” Kennedy said.

Torres was the first Plum girls runner to compete at states since Angela Valotta did it as a freshman in 2016.

“For a Plum girl to get back there, hopefully we can build on that momentum,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said while Torres was happy to be able to run at states, she wished some of her teammates would’ve been able to make it with her.

“Mayah is such a team runner,” Kennedy said. “It was bittersweet for her because it was her last high school cross country race and also because she wanted to share the experience and run with some of her teammates. But those girls were very excited for her and supported her so much in her preparation for states.”

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: Plum, Riverview