Trib HSSN rewind: A look back at the 2018 cross country season

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, June 27, 2019 | 9:00 PM

Purchase Photo Options

There is a reason gold is in North Allegheny’s team colors.

Gold is usually given to first place teams or individuals, and North Allegheny’s boys and girls cross country teams earned gold medals and trophies for winning the PIAA Class AAA championships last fall.

The North Allegheny boys outdistanced La Salle College, 90-112, to claim the boys title, while the Tigers cruised the girls title by scoring 65 points. West Chester Henderson was a distant second with 106 points.

Greensburg Salem boys captured the team title in Class AA by outscoring Indiana, 63-100.

Mt. Lebanon junior Patrick Anderson claimed the Class AAA individual title by edging North Allegheny’s Zach Kinne and Daniel McGoey. Six seconds separated the WPIAL trio as Anderson crossed in 16:03.

Champions row

PIAA boys champions: North Allegheny (AAA), Greensburg Salem (AA), Jenkinstown (A).

PIAA girls champions: North Allegheny (AAA), Central Cambria (AA), Marion Center (A).

WPIAL boys champions: North Allegheny (AAA), Greensburg Salem (AA), Winchester Thurston (A).

WPIAL girls champions: North Allegheny (AAA), South Fayette (AA), Vincentian (A).

Boys section champions: Division I: Greensburg Salem (1), Ringgold (2), North Allegheny (3), Indiana (4), New Castle (5), Mt. Lebanon (6). Division II: Shenango (1), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (2), Chartiers-Houston (3), Riverview (4), Winchester Thurston (5).

Girls section champions: Division I: Greensburg Salem (1), McKeesport (2), North Allegheny (3), Fox Chapel (4), Moon (5), Upper St. Clair (6). Division II: Shenango (1), Vincentian (2), West Greene (3), Riverview (4), Serra (5).

Postseason honors

Anderson was named the Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year for Pennsylvania. He was the PIAA Class AAA champion. He also ran in other national races.

Noteworthy accomplishments

* Greensburg Salem won its first PIAA team title behind a strong performance from Cameron Binda, Mark Brown, Dylan Binda, Ethan Kelley and Mason Jobe. At the WPIAL championships, which the Golden Lions won, Brown edged Cam Binda for the individual title.

* At the PIAA Class AAA championship in Hershey, the WPIAL had a strong showing, with Anderson, Kinne and McGoey finishing in the top three. Christian Fitch of Fox Chapel finished fifth and Seneca Valley’s Sam Owiri was 10th.

* On the girls side at the PIAA meet, North Allegheny’s Hannah Lindgren was fourth, Fox Chapel’s Sarena Seeger was fifth, Moon’s Mia Cochran was seventh, the WPIAL champion, Oakland Catholic’s Hannah Schupansky, was eighth, Fox Chapel’s Grace Sisson was ninth, Bethel Park’s Emily Carter was 11^th and Kiski Area’s Kierra Shreffler was 13th.

* The WPIAL champions were: Boys: McGoey (AAA), Brown (AA) and Freedom’s Adam Hessler (A). Girls: Schupansky (AAA), Quaker Valley’s Annie Wicker (AA), Shenango’s Carmen Medvit (A).

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.