2019 Race Summaries/Results
Punxsy boys cross country team seeking another district 9 title in 2019
The Punxsy boys cross country team enters the 2019 season as the defending District 9 team champion, returning five of their top seven runners from a squad that also placed 13thin the AA division at the PIAA state meet last November. Along with the returning varsity athletes, Punxsy has six additional runners on the team, several of whom have outstanding credentials despite being relatively untested at the five kilometer distance.
“I think we have the potential to be as good or maybe even a bit better than last year, when we won the district title by 33 points and placed six runners in the top 12 on a terribly muddy course in Ridgway,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “We lost Ethan May, who was 5that districts, Kevin Ingros, who was 11th, and Evan States, one of our leaders and a solid runner, to graduation, but hopefully the guys coming back are stronger and fitter than a year ago, and our newcomers should be more than capable of replacing the guys who have moved on.”
Punxsy will compete for their 26thdistrict title in program history against Bradford, Clearfield, DuBois and Saint Marys. “It’s obviously too early to know how strong the other teams are, but I’m expecting Bradford to be a difficult opponent as they return virtually their entire 2018 squad”, said Wehrle. “DuBois and Clearfield both had good seasons a year ago and will likely be competitive again in 2019, based on returning athletes and potential incoming freshman. Saint Marys has a tremendous girls program, so it would stand to reason that it’s just a matter of time before their boys team starts to reach that level of excellence as well.”
The Chucks have a formidable group of seniors leading the way this fall, led by longtime standout Owen Bartlebaugh. Despite winning two individual district titles in track and field, Bartlebaugh has yet to claim a championship in cross country, something that could easily change in Ridgway this season. “Owen was runner-up at districts in 2016 and 2017 before finishing seventh in 2018, but he rebounded nicely to win the 1600 meter title in track and field last May,” said Wehrle. “He’s looking good so far and I feel confident he’s poised to have his best cross country season to date. Owen cares about running and isn’t afraid to push himself, so hopefully he will get the type of season he deserves to cap off his outstanding career.”
Corbin Heitzenrater returns for his final season of cross country as well, having placed ninth, fourth and second the past three district meets. “Corbin is one of those guys who flies under the radar a bit, but he’s been one of our best runners since he was a freshman, and I can’t remember the last time he didn’t come through when the team needed him,” said Wehrle. “I expect him to be up near the front of the district pack once again this season.”
Samuel Rodgers placed 21stat districts in 2018 as Punxsy’s seventh varsity runner, and he logged one of the team’s best summers of training to prepare for the upcoming campaign. “Sam has steadily improved each of his three previous seasons, and he definitely put in the miles to get ready for his senior year,” said Wehrle. “He knows how to train and race intelligently, so I look for him to post his best times ever once the races get underway.”
Emmet Jamieson and Andrew Wehrle are both out for cross country for the first time, although both have had quite a bit of success in the distance races on the track. They were members of last year’s winning 4x800 relay team, while Wehrle captured the 800 meter individual title and Jamieson was fourth in the same race. “Having Emmet and Andrew is going to really help out the team this season, and I think that once they both get some experience racing cross country they’ll have quite a bit of success,” said Wehrle. “I can’t imagine there are too many runners in the district with their track and field credentials, so now they just have to show they can do it over a longer distance.”
The lone junior on the team is Aiden McLaughlin, who also happens to be the 3200 meter champion from last spring when he nipped teammate Owen Bartlebaugh in the closing straight at districts in Brookville. “Aiden has turned into an outstanding runner, finishing fourth last fall in cross country after having led late in the race,” said Wehrle. “The success he had on the track, winning a district title and setting multiple personal bests, should give him a tremendous amount of confidence heading into this season. He’s one of a select few guys who could win an individual cross country title this year.”
Eric Surkala and Andrew Barnoff are returning for their sophomore seasons, with Surkala already having made an impact on the varsity team as a freshman, while Barnoff is looking to break into the top seven for the first time in 2019. “Eric was a huge asset last season, running varsity at both districts and states, which is still somewhat rare for a freshman boy,” said Wehrle. “Now that he’s a year older, he’ll be even more consistent and capable of running up near our top guys. Andrew did a nice job over the summer and based on what I’ve seen the past two weeks of practice he’s our most improved runner from a year ago, by far. I’d love to see him challenge for a varsity spot as we progress throughout the season.”
Freshman Evan Groce, Isaac Greenblatt and Bryce Horne round out this year’s squad. Groce and Greenblatt both have experience in cross country from middle school, while Horne is relatively new to distance running at any level. “Evan and Isaac both had some nice success last fall, with Evan placing third out of 91 runners at the middle school championships in Kane, while Isaac placed 15th,” said Wehrle. “One sign of a good program is that you don’t have to rely on freshman to help you win meets, but instead they can gradually learn to race without pressure or expectations. That being said, Evan is pretty close to being on our varsity right now, and I think Isaac will improve tremendously throughout the season as he clearly has the ability based on his previous results in middle school cross country and track. Getting Bryce to give the sport a shot was an unexpected bonus late in the summer, but once he gets some consistent training and racing under his belt who knows what he can accomplish.”
Punxsy will open its season on Saturday, August 31stwhen they travel to Reedsville to participate in the Big Valley Invitational. Their first home meet is Tuesday, September 3rdwhen they host DuBois and Elk County Catholic.
Boys cross country team places first in AA classification at Big Valley Invitational
The Punxsy boys country team kicked off its 2019 season with a winning performance on Saturday at the Big Valley Invitational, finishing in first place out of 13 AA schools with a score of 69 points. District 9 rival DuBois claimed the runner-up spot with 105 points, while Juniata placed third with a score of 107. A total of 24 teams competed across all three classifications, with AAA powers State College and Altoona claiming the top two spots in the overall team standings, while Punxsy placed fifth.
“The guys ran quite well for their first competition of the year, and their efforts were rewarded with a well-deserved first place trophy, in addition to three individual placewinner medals,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “It’s nice to see their summer training pay off with good results this early in the season.”
Aiden McLaughlin led the way for Punxsy with a fine time of 17:28, a career best by 44 seconds. “Aiden really made a huge breakthrough today as far as his time is concerned, but he’s been running well for so long now that you pretty much expect this type of performance,” said Wehrle. “He placed fourth overall out of 87 runners in the AA field, so you can’t ask for a much better start than that.”
Owen Bartlebaugh placed 9thoverall, touring the 3.1 mile course in 17:53. “Owen’s been leading our workouts, so this result was not indicative of his current fitness,” said Wehrle. “He’ll be fine moving forward, and with a couple easy days will look to rebound on Tuesday.”
Senior Corbin Heitzenrater had a solid run, placing 12thin 18:13 to earn Punxsy’s final medal, awarded to those who placed in the top 15 in their division. “Corbin was just a couple ticks off his best time from all last season, so he looks poised to have his best season yet,” said Wehrle.
Fellow senior Emmet Jamieson turned in a fine performance in his inaugural cross country race, placing 21stin 18:37. “Emmet was steady as our fourth man pretty much all the way, and I was impressed with how well he maintained his pace for the entire distance,” said Wehrle. “For his first race he looked like a veteran.”
Sophomore Eric Surkala ran his best time ever to place 23rd, just 10 seconds behind Jamieson. “Eric came through with an excellent run today, five seconds better than his previous best result all last year,” said Wehrle. “It was nice to see our 1-5 runners be only 1:20 apart at the finish, and Eric was a big part of keeping it that close.”
Sam Rodgers scored a lifetime best with his time of 19:07, good enough for 27thplace. “Sam ran a great race, deservedly so after all the miles he put in over the summer,” said Wehrle. “In four years of cross country running he’s never had a better result.”
Andrew Barnoff turned in the performance of the meet for the Chucks, placing 30thwith a time of 19:27. “Andrew never even broke 21 minutes last season, so for him to run so well today is really impressive,” said Wehrle. “It just shows what a year of consistent running can do for you, and hopefully he continues improving.”
Freshman Evan Groce placed 23rdoverall out of 108 competitors in the junior varsity race, cracking the 20 minute barrier in his first high school invitational with a time of 19:53. “Evan looked smooth and relaxed, even though he was obviously working hard,” said Wehrle. “He didn’t seem to make any mistakes out there today and looks to have a bright future in running.”
Fellow freshman Isaac Greenblatt ran 22:16 to place 53rdoverall in the jv race. “I look for Isaac to be one of the guys on our team who makes the most improvement from this race to the end of the season, for although this was an excellent start I think he has a lot more time to shed in the coming weeks,” said Wehrle.
Bryce Horne completed his first ever cross country race by placing 95thin the junior varsity division, running 26:25 in the warm, muggy conditions. “Bryce ran quite a bit faster than I figured he would, and, much like Isaac, I think he has the potential to take huge chunks of time off his races with consistent running and more race experience,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy returns to action after the Labor Day holiday to compete at home on Tuesday against DuBois and Elk County Catholic.
Punxsy Cross Country sweeps DuBois, Elk County and DuBois Catholic in home meet
The Punxsy boys cross country team came away with three solid wins in the first of their two home meets of the season, defeating DuBois 26-32, Elk County Catholic 25-34, and DuBois Central Catholic 18-45.
“It’s always tough coming back after a big invitational like we had on Saturday, especially on a hot day like this, with it being the first day of school as well,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “There is typically a letdown that can occur, but overall the guys ran well and got the job done on a tough day for running.”
Elk County’s Ben Hoffman placed first overall, running a fine time of 17:22 on the 3.1 mile course. DuBois’ McKellen Jaramillo placed second in 17:41, followed by Punxsy’s Andrew Wehrle and Aiden McLaughlin with times of 17:52 and 17:54, respectively. “Andrew and Aiden both getting under 18 minutes today was an impressive showing,” said Wehrle. “Hoffman is one of the best runners around, and Jaramillo is the defending district champion, so being reasonably close to those two was a nice result for us.”
Elk County’s Joe Wolfe placed fifth overall, followed by DCC’s Johnny Ritsick in sixth. DuBois pulled ahead against the Chucks by having the next two finished, with Punxsy’s Corbin Heitzenrater finishing ninth in 18:38. “Corbin is a savvy veteran who knows what’s needed in any given race, and he did just enough to help the team while still running a pretty nice time on our course,” said Wehrle.
Elk’s Alex Miller claimed the tenth spot before the home team took the next three places to clinch the win, as Emmet Jamieson, Sam Rodgers and Eric Surkala came across the line in 19:20, 19:28 and 19:39, respectively. “It was great to see that we had a close pack just outside the top ten, as Emmet, Sam and Eric hung in there to give us five runners across the line before any other team had four,” said Wehrle.
After Dubois claimed the next spot, Punxsy’s Andrew Barnoff rounded out the top 15 with his time of 19:51. “Andrew bounced back nicely from his terrific run on Saturday,” said Wehrle. “He’s really taken his running to another level so far this season.”
Freshman Evan Groce clocked 20:23 to claim the final place in the top 20, against a field of 45 runners. “Evan had success at the middle school level, and he’s adapting to the high school distance nicely as well,” said Wehrle. “He’ll make his presence known more and more as the season progresses.”
Isaac Greenblatt placed 28thoverall with a time of 21:46, Punxsy’s only seasonal best performance on the day. “For Isaac to run faster than he did on Saturday, considering the tougher conditions today, has to give him a boost of confidence going forward,” said Wehrle.
Bryce Horne ran 30:18, placing 44th overall. “Bryce was not nearly as sharp as he was Saturday, but he hung in there and will benefit from this experience,” said Wehrle. “It’s tough to run your best each and every race, but if you keep working good things will happen more often than not.”
Punxsy travels to Schenley Park in Pittsburgh on Saturday for the Red, White and Blue Invitational. “This is one of the bigger invitationals in Western Pennsylvania, so it should be a good test on what I hear is a relatively quick course. It’s always fun to know you have a chance to run fast if the conditions are right."
Complete Boys Results:
Hoffman(ECC)17:22; Jaramillo(D)17:41; Wehrle(P)17:52; McLaughlin(P)17:54; Wolfe(ECC)18:05; Ritsick(DCC)18:08; Foradora(D)18:12; Deemer(D)18:30; Heitzenrater(P)18:38; Miller(ECC)19:06; Jamieson(P)19:20; Rodgers(P)19:28; Surkala(P)19:39; White(D)19:46; Barnoff(P)19:51; Roemer(D)19:55; Gildersleeve(D)19:56; JP Piccirillo(DCC)20:05; Straub(ECC)20:13; Groce(P)20:23; Scott(D)20:27; Gulvas(D)20:52; B. Paisley(DCC)20:59; Yarus(21:14); Dippold(ECC)21:26; Hook(D)21:37; S. Paisley(DCC)21:43; Greenblatt(P)21:46; T. Fenstermacher(D)22:19; Funaki(ECC)22:49; Knarr(D)23:13; A. Piccirillo(DCC); Pennington((D)23:18; J. Fenstermacher(D)23:21; Foster(DCC)23:24; Stevens(D)24:15; Wayne(D)24:22; Mulhollan(D)24:49; Ingram(ECC)25:03; Daghir(ECC)25:39; Gankosky(DCC)25:54; Gray(D)25:56;Kearney(D)26:17; Horne(P)30:18; Way(DCC)30:17;
Chucks cross country team places sixth at Red, White and Blue Invitational
The Punxsy boys cross country team earned a sixth place finish out of 16 teams competing in the AA division at Saturday’s Red, White and Blue Invitational, held in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. In addition to the team success, Aiden McLaughlin and Andrew Wehrle earned performance long-sleeve tees for finishing in the top 20 AA individual standings.
“Overall, the team performed well, coming away with seven seasonal bests out of our 10 athletes who competed,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “The competition here was a bit better than we typically see, but the guys held their own. This was their third 5k race in a week, so I’m sure they’re feeling the effects of all that racing as well.”
Traditional girls powerhouse Central Cambria won the boys team title with 81 points, just edging Indiana’s total of 88. Pittsburgh area schools Beaver and Ringgold took the next two places, while Greensburg Salem rounded out the top five with 134 points. The Chucks tallied 153 points to secure their sixth place finish.
Junior Aiden McLaughlin led the way for Punxsy with a 10thplace finish, running his fastest time ever by 13 seconds. “Aiden ran great, even better than he did in our first invitational, and he is definitely making a case for being one of a select few favorites for the district title,” said Wehrle.
Andrew Wehrle sliced 21 seconds off his previous best time, placing 16thin the AA classification with a time of 17:31. “Andrew is doing a really nice job for a first-year, part-time runner,” said coach Wehrle. “Races will be a big part of his training this fall, and hopefully he can continue to run like he did this week.”
Corbin Heitzenrater placed 30thin 18:08, followed by first-year senior Emmet Jamieson 22 seconds later in 38thplace. “Corbin and Emmet both took a handful of seconds off their best time of 2019, and I think they can get under 18 minutes in the coming weeks,” said Wehrle. “That would give us five runners under that benchmark, which would be an impressive achievement for a Punxsy team in recent years.”
Eric Surkala, Andrew Barnoff and Sam Rodgers finished in a close-knit group, with the two sophomores running identical times of 19:24 while the senior Rodgers was five seconds back. “Eric, Andrew and Sam have been fairly close to one another in all three races this season, and hopefully that friendly competition brings out the best in each one of them,” said Wehrle. “They didn’t run their fastest times today, but I like how they finished so tightly packed.”
Evan Groce led the junior varsity runners with a fourth place finish in a field of 51 AA runners, clocking 19:52 over the five kilometer course. “Evan has been very consistent thus far, and I look for him to start dropping those times significantly in the near future,” said Wehrle.
Freshman Isaac Greenblatt placed 22ndin 21:57, while Bryce Horne placed 44thto round out Punxsy’s junior varsity times for the day. “Isaac did well, just a few seconds off his best time, while Bryce looked like he was racing with focus and determination and was rewarded with his best time yet, running over four minutes faster than he did on Tuesday.”
The Chucks are on the road this Tuesday when they travel to Ridgway to take on the host team, along with Saint Marys, Coudersport and Northern Potter. “We’ll try to be a bit more conservative on Tuesday, but it will be nice to get on the district course when it’s in good shape, unlike how it usually is in late October,” said Wehrle. “I want to thank the parents of both the boys and girls for helping provide a nice picnic lunch for the athletes after today’s races. It was much appreciated.”
Punxsy boys cross country team runs past Saint Marys and Ridgway
Competing for the first of what will be three times on Ridgway’s district cross country course, the Punxsy boys squad claimed seven of the first eight places against the Flying Dutch to secure a 16-47 win under hot and humid conditions on the challenging 3.1 mile layout. The Chucks defeated Ridgway’s three runners by the score of 15-50 using modified scoring, while Northern Potter and Coudersport did not have enough runners to score against.
“With this being our fourth race in 11 days, we tried to run a little more conservatively than normal, treating today a bit more like a workout than an all-out effort,” said head coach George Wehrle. “I thought the guys did a nice job and hopefully they had some fun trying something different for a change.”
Aiden McLaughlin placed first overall with a time of 18:11, 20 seconds ahead of Norther Potter’s Sean Baker. “Aiden opened up a lead in the first mile and pretty much cruised to an easy win with a solid time on this course, especially under these conditions,” said Wehrle.
Corbin Heitzenrater, Emmet Jamieson and Eric Surkala took the next three places after working together the entire race. Heitzenrater ran 19:23, Jamieson was one second back, and Surkala was just a few strides behind in 19:30. “I was impressed with the control Corbin, Emmet and Eric showed to hold back and not tax themselves needlessly,” said Wehrle. “Eric in particular ran almost as fast as he did on Saturday without even pushing all that hard, so that’s encouraging.”
Taylor Belsole was the first Saint Marys runner across the line as he placed sixth overall with a time of 20:00, followed by another Punxsy trio consisting of Sam Rodgers, Andrew Barnoff and Evan Groce, all of whom finished between 20:30 and 20:34. “It’s great to see pack running when it’s practical to do so, and today was a great opportunity for Sam, Andrew and Evan to encourage each other and work together a bit,” said Wehrle.
Saint Marys had the next four runners cross the line before Isaac Greenblatt rounded out the scoring for Punxsy by placing 14thoverall with a time of 22:01. “I thought Isaac was just a bit too ambitious his first mile based on our plan, but he settled in nicely and only finished a few seconds off his seasonal best,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy improves to 5-0 in dual meets on the season, with their next competition scheduled for next Tuesday at Brookville. “Hopefully everyone can get everyone healthy and be able to compete by next week, as we had three guys not run today as a precautionary measure,” said Wehrle. “There’s a long way to go until the championship part of the season, and we’ll need everyone racing their best when October rolls around.”
Complete Results:
McLaughlin(P)18:11; Baker(NP)18:32; Heitzenrater(P)19:23; Jamieson(P)19:24; Surkala(P)19:30; Belsole(SM)20:00; Rodgers(P)20:30; Barnoff(P)20:32; Groce(P)20:34; Foster(SM)20:40; Schauer(SM)21:11; Hayes(SM)21:31; Tettis(SM)21:45; Greenblatt(P)22:01; Blythe(SM)22:34; Secco(SM)22:35; Frey(SM)23:19; C. Patterson(C)23:43: McHenry(SM)23:52;Thorwart(SM)26:12; Young(R)26:48; Annis(R)27:39; M. Patterson(C)28:29; Reffo(R)31:49
Punxsy boys cross country improves to 6-0 with 17-45 win over Brookville
Thanks to a sweep of the top three places and eight of the first 10 spots overall, the Punxsy boys cross country team secured a decisive 17-45 win over Brookville on the Raiders’ challenging home course Tuesday afternoon. “Brookville’s course is one of the tougher ones around, and especially on a hot day it can really be a grind,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “We seemed to handle it fairly well and now have a week off to train and rest up a bit for the second half of the season.”
Aiden McLaughlin placed first overall with a time of 18:22, ten seconds ahead of teammate Owen Bartlebaugh, who was back in action for the first time in a couple weeks. “Aiden looked in control as usual, and it was nice to see Owen up near the front again,” said Wehrle.
Corbin Heitzenrater placed third overall in 18:57, followed by Brookville’s Bryce Baughman nearly 30 seconds later. Emmet Jamieson ran 19:38 for fifth, two seconds ahead of Sam Rodgers, who in turn was a couple ticks ahead of Eric Surkaka’s seventh place result. “Corbin ran smooth and controlled, and Emmet, Sam and Eric had a nice competition that resulted in a close finish with solid times,” said Wehrle.
Calvin Doolittle was Brookville’s second finisher in eighth place, with Punxsy’s Evan Groce and Andrew Barnoff taking ninth and tenth, respectively, with times of 20:13 and 20:26. “I thought Evan looked strong out there today, and Andrew did well to hang close despite not having one of his best races,” said Wehrle.
Isaac Greenblatt ran a seasonal best time of 21:40 to place 12thoverall, and Bryce Horne ran 27:45 to place 15th. “Isaac somehow managed to run his fastest time yet on this difficult course, and Bryce ran a nice race as well after dealing with a slight injury last week,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy travels to Kane next Tuesday.
Overall results:
McLaughlin(P)18:22; Bartlebaugh(P)18:32; Heitzenrater(P)18:57; Baughman(B)19:25; Jamieson(P)19:38; Rodgers(P)19:40; Surkala(P)19:42; C. Doolittle(B)19:54; Groce(P)20:13; Barnoff(P)20:26; Moore(B)21:20; Greenblatt(P)21:40; O. Rupp(B)22:14; L. DoolittleB)23:01; Waterbury(B)23:14; H. Rupp(B)25:00; Horne(P)27:45
Punxsy Cross Country squad picks up wins against Kane, Brockway
On a near-perfect day for running, the Punxsy boys cross country team defeated host Kane 16-43 and Brockway 16-47, achieving nine seasonal bests in the process. With the wins, the Chucks are now 8-0 in dual meet action on the season.
“The weather was ideal, and Kane’s course is relatively quick, so that added up to some really good performances by all the runners tonight,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “Hopefully this gives everyone a nice boost of confidence heading into the last month of the season.”
Aiden McLaughlin and Owen Bartlebaugh led the way with a 1-2 finish, running times of 17:21 and 17:31, respectively. “Aiden and Owen ran together most of the way and looked really good controlling the race from the front,” said Wehrle. “Owen ran his best time of the season by 22 seconds, which is great to see.”
Corbin Heitzenrater set a lifetime best in third with his 17:42, followed by teammate Emmet Jamieson 23 seconds later. “Corbin looked so relaxed out there today, but yet he still ran his fastest time ever, and Emmet sliced a healthy 25 seconds off his previous best as well,” said Wehrle.
Kane’s John Wolfe placed fifth in 18:13, followed by Brockway’s Landon Schmader eight seconds later. Punxsy’s Andrew Wehrle returned to action after some injury and illness to place seventh overall in 18:26. “Andrew has had a rough couple weeks, so the main goal for him today was to get the race in and gauge where he’s at physically,” said Wehrle. “Hopefully he’s on the mend and has better days ahead.”
Kane’s Jack Bell and Chad Grevelle took the next two places, followed in short order by Punxsy’s Eric Surkala, Sam Rodgers and Andrew Barnoff. Surkala placed 10th overall in 18:38, with Rodgers just four seconds back and Barnoff one tick behind Rodgers. “Eric did well coming off some down time last week due to injury as he still ran a career best, and Sam and Andrew both scored lifetime bests by quite a bit,” said Wehrle. “We’ve had our share of interruptions in quality training as a team for various reasons, but I like where we’re at right now and there still is a fair amount of room for improvement going forward, so that’s encouraging.”
Evan Groce had a 23 second personal best in placing 14th overall with a time of 19:29. Isaac Greenblatt placed 17th with a new lifetime best of 20:31, his fastest by over a minute, while fellow freshman Bryce Horne chopped his previous best time by 1:43 as he placed 21st overall in the field of 25 runners with a time of 24:30. “Evan, Isaac and Bryce had excellent races today, and I’m really pleased with their improvement,” said Wehrle. “Evan can hang right in there with most of our top guys, and Isaac and Bryce are dropping their times by large amounts now that they are training consistently week in and week out,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy will head east this weekend for their first-ever trip to the Carlisle Invitional, one of the bigger cross country meets in the state. “Carlisle should be a fun opportunity to spend some time together as a team and run against excellent competition on a highly regarded course,” concluded Wehrle.
Complete Results:
McLaughlin(P)17:21; Bartlebaugh(P)17:31; Heitzenrater(P)17:42; Jamieson(P)18:05; John Wolfe(K)18:13; Schmader(B)18:21; Wehrle(P)18:26; Bell(K)18:32; Grevelle(K)18:34; Surkala(P)18:38; Rodgers(P)18:42; Barnoff(P)18:43; Smith(K)18:58; Groce(P)19:29; Jordan Wolfe(K)19:35; T. Pearce(B)20:04; Greenblatt(P)20:31; A. Pearce(B)21:56; Koehler(B)22:53; Butler(B)23:11; Horne(P)24:30; Bennett(B)24:32; Jenson(K)26:19; Pierotti(K)31:34
Boys Cross Country team places 11th at Carlisle Invitational
Led by junior Aiden McLaughlin and senior Owen Bartlebaugh, the Punxsy boys cross country team ran to an 11th place finish out of 54 complete teams in the Champions division of the Carlisle Invitational on Saturday. Wissahickon placed first overall with a low score of 156, followed by Central Cambria with 161 and Washingtonville from New York in third with 174 points. Indiana placed eighth at 340 points, while the Chucks totaled 430. Approximately 3000 runners took part in the event, and despite the oppressive temperatures, the Punxsy squad more than held their own against some of the best teams in the eastern part of the state.
“I have to give our guys a lot of credit for not letting the heat psych them out before the race,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “The conditions were far from ideal, but they still managed to compete and post some nice times on what’s known to be a fast course,” said boys head coach George Wehrle.
McLaughlin placed 22 out of a crowded field of 372 runners, just missing a medal by two places while running a career best time of 17:06. “Aiden ran like he had a purpose, going out fairly hard to avoid some of the congestion and holding on nicely toward the end,” said Wehrle. “He pushed close to his limit was rewarded with his best time.”
Owen Bartlebaugh recorded his second seasonal best in as many meets by running 17:16 to place 26th overall. “Owen was a bit farther back in the early going than I thought was ideal, but he stayed patient and moved up to just behind Aiden, giving us a really nice 1-2 punch up front,” said Wehrle. “I like what I see from Owen and am excited to see him finish strong this season.”
Senior Corbin Heitzenrater placed 99th overall in 18:07, also moving up steadily throughout the race. “Corbin was a bit buried early on, but he gradually made his way through the masses to end up with a nice result,” said Wehrle. “His was easily our most evenly-paced race today.”
Fellow senior Emmet Jamieson ran a solid time of 18:19 to place 124th. “Emmet has been so consistent for us, especially with this being his first season of cross country,” said Wehrle. “We really are fortunate to have him on board, as his pride and commitment are a great example to his teammates.”
Sam Rodgers performed well despite dealing with a lingering cold, running 18:45 to place 159th. “Sam was just a few strides off his fastest time ever, set in just our last meet, so to run this well despite illness and the weather conditions says a lot.”
Andrew Barnoff turned in yet another good result, placing 167th, just three seconds behind Rodgers. “Andrew and Sam are evenly matched in races, and I love seeing them working off one another and always being close at the finish,” said Wehrle. “Andrew is having a great season.”
Eric Surkala was hampered with an injury most of the race but persevered to finish 358th in 23:58. “Eric would normally be well under 19 minutes, so clearly this race didn’t show what he’s capable of,” said Wehrle. “Hopefully he will be back to full strength and up where he belongs soon.”
Punxsy had two competitors in the freshman boys race, with Evan Groce running a seasonal best time of 19:25 to place 39th, while Bryce Horne placed 213th out of 230 competitors with a time of 25:38. “Evan just keeps rolling along, getting a little bit better each week,” said Wehrle. “He’s very dependable and even-keeled for a freshman. Bryce was about a minute off what he ran on Tuesday, but his last two races were his two fastest of the season, so that’s encouraging.”
Punxsy travels to DuBois on Tuesday to take on the Beavers, one of their main rivals for this year’s district team title.
Punxsy Boys XC races past Dubois, Brockway and DuBois Central Catholic
The Punxsy boys cross country team swept the top three places against district rival DuBois on the Beavers’ challenging new home course while also defeating Brockway and DuBois Central Catholic to improve to 11-0 in dual meets on the season. The Chucks defeated DuBois 21-34, Brockway 17-44 and DuBois Central Catholic 18-45. “I was a little bit worried about this meet coming in, especially since we had no idea about DuBois’ new course, but I have to give our guys a lot of credit for running so well on a tough day.”
Aiden McLaughlin and Owen Bartlebaugh took the early lead on the 3.1 mile course and never relinquished it, taking 1-2 with times of 18:08 and 18:14, respectively. “I thought Aiden and Owen were sitting ducks out there in the lead, but to their credit no one was able to reel them in,” said Wehrle. “It’s reassuring to know they are both running well as we head into October.”
DuBois Central’s Johnny Ritsick placed third in 18:28, with Punxsy’s Corbin Heitzenrater coming in next in 18:57, ahead of DuBois’ top two runners, Mack Jaramillo and AC Deemer. “I wasn’t expecting Corbin to finish ahead of all the DuBois runners, but he showed he’s more than capable of running with just about anyone in the district today.”
Emmet Jamieson was only a few strides behind Jaramillo and Deemer, placing seventh overall in 19:17. “Emmet continues to be rock solid as our fourth man, giving our team a huge boost by finishing ahead of Dubois’ third runner in this race.”
Brockway and DuBois split the next four places, followed by Andrew Barnoff in 12th to close out the scoring as Punxsy’s fifth man. “Andrew ran inspired today, knowing he had to step in and break up DuBois’ pack,” said Wehrle. “He finished ahead of their fifth runner to help seal the win for our team.”
Sam Rodgers and Evan Groce both come across before the sixth finisher from DuBois, with Rodgers running 20:06 and Groce 20:10. “Evan went out a bit harder than normal to help the team, and he held on nicely all the way to the finish,” said Wehrle. “Sam started out a bit more conservatively but moved up throughout the race to lead Evan across the line.”
Isaac Greenblatt turned in a good showing by placing 22nd overall out of 45 runners with a time of 21:48. “For Isaac to finish in the top half of the field is a solid result, and I am confident his best racing is still to come this season,” said Wehrle.
Bryce Horne ran 30 minute flat to place 44th overall. “Bryce wasn’t quite as sharp as he’s been in his recent races, but he continues to improve in practice and just needs to gain some consistency in meets,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy will return to action on Saturday at the Ridgway Invitational. “Ridgway is always a good test as you get to see all the other teams from district 9 racing on the championship course with only three weeks left in the season,” said Wehrle.
Complete Results:
McLaughlin(P)18:08; Bartlebaugh(P)18:14; Ritsick(DCC)18:28; Heitzenrater(P)18:57; Jaramillo(D)19:12; Deemer(D)19:13; Jamieson(P)19:17; Schmader(B)19:33; Foradora(D)19:34; White(D)19:35; Williamson(B)19:41; Barnoff(P)19:43; Gildersleeve(D)19:54; Rodgers(P)20:06; Groce(P)20:10; Scott(D)20:19; Gulvas(D)20:43; JP Piccirillo(DCC)21:05; Yarus(D)21:15; Roemer(D)21:37; B.Paisley(DCC)21:46; Greenblatt(P)21:48; Hook(D)21:58; T. Pearce(B)22:11; Glasl(B)22:12; Kearney(D)22:46; Stevens(D)22:54; S. Paisley(DCC)22:55; D. Foster(DCC)23:06; A. Piccirillo(DCC)23:16; Mulhollan(D)23:30; Wayne(D)23:31; Pennington(D)23:35; Knarr(D)23:35; Gray(D)23:51; Fenstermacher(D)24:05; A. Pearce(B)24:44; Buttery(B)24:55; Koehler(B)25:20; Duckett(B)25:56; Armanini(DCC)26:45; Scolese(B)29:03; Way(DCC)29:29; Horne(P)30:00; Bloom(DCC)36:38
Punxsy XC team places first at Ridgway Invitational!
The Punxsy boys cross country team captured first place at the 16th annual Ridgway Invitational on Saturday, placing three runners in the top 15 to come away with a 19 point win over Cranberry under sunny but windy and chilly conditions on the district 9 championship course. The Chucks scored 80 points as Cranberry totaled 99, with Elk County Catholic placing third with 120, followed closely by DuBois and 121 and Bradford's 126. A total of 17 complete teams figured in the scoring, with a total of 167 runners completed the 3.1 mile route.
"All the district teams in all the divisions were in attendance, as the championship meet is held in just three weeks time at this same venue," said head coach George Wehrle. "It was great opportunity to see how we stacked up against DuBois and Bradford, our main competition for the district team title and a trip to the state meet."
Elk County had the first two runners across the line, but Punxsy's Aiden McLaughlin continued his fine running by placing third overall with a time of 17:05. "Aiden broke into the top 25 all-time performers on this course, which is impressive considering over a thousand runners have competed in this invitational since its inaugural year in 2004," said Wehrle. "If he runs like this in three weeks he'll be tough to beat, as the two Elk County runners who finished ahead of him today are not in our classification."
Owen Bartlebaugh ran another strong race, shadowing McLaughlin for much of the distance before finishing 6th overall in 17:23. "Owen finishing ahead of all the DuBois and Bradford runners is big, and today he ran as well on this course as he ever has, so that's encouraging as well."
Corbin Heitzenrater ran his fastest time ever on the Ridgway layout by 28 seconds, placing 15th with a time of 17:44. "Corbin is really finding his form the last few races, and he always runs well at districts," said Wehrle. "He was a bit behind a couple Bradford runners and DuBois' top guy, but I think he might have something to say about that order in three weeks time when he faces them again."
Emmet Jamieson placed 26th overall in 18:18, his second-fastest time of the season. "Emmet came through with an excellent race for us today, finishing ahead of both Bradford’s and DuBois' number four runners," said Wehrle.
Andrew Wehrle closed out the scoring for Punxsy as the team’s fifth man, placing 34th overall with a time of 18:28. "Andrew was far from what he's capable of today, but he still managed to help the team by finishing ahead of DuBois' fifth man and Bradford's fourth runner," said Wehrle.
Eric Surkala came on strong with a career-best time of 18:36, finishing 41st overall. “Eric looked as good or better than ever, running over two and a half minutes faster than he did at this meet last year,” said Wehrle.
Andrew Barnoff was just five places and 12 seconds behind Surkala, improving an impressive 3:39 from his time at this invitational in 2018. “I can’t imagine anyone showing as much improvement from one year to the next on the same course as Andrew,” said Wehrle. “He continues to have a terrific sophomore season.”
Sam Rodgers placed 54th overall in 19:02, significantly faster than his 20:24 clocking a year ago. “Sam ran quite well, especially considering he had a very late night in Bradford with the school band and was probably running on fumes,” said Wehrle.
Evan Groce picked up another seasonal best, running 19:22 to place 63rd. “Evan keeps chipping away at his best time, as he’s now set a personal best in three of his last four races,” said Wehrle.
Isaac Greenblatt placed 99th overall with a time of 20:48, with fellow freshman Bryce Horne finishing with a time of 24:39 to place 149th. “Isaac ran a good race was just 17 seconds off his best time of the season despite this being a tougher course, and Bryce was only nine seconds off his and picked up enough points today to earn a varsity letter, which is a nice accomplishment,” said Wehrle.
Punxsy will host Brookville and Kane on Tuesday, with the middle school race scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm and Senior Night to follow, before the varsity race. “I’m happy for the team that they were able to win this invitational for the first time since 2014, and if they can pick up a couple wins on Tuesday they will have the program’s first undefeated season since 2012 and only the second one in 30 years,” said Wehrle.
Boys cross country finishes 13-0 with home wins against Kane, Brookville on Senior Night
The Punxy boys cross country team finished the dual meet season with a pair of wins on their home course Tuesday afternoon, defeating Kane 15-50 and Brookville 19-43. With the wins, the Chucks finish with an unblemished 13-0 dual meet record, the program’s first undefeated season since 2012 and only the second one since 1989. Senior members of the 2019 team were Owen Bartlebaugh, Corbin Heitzenrater, Emmet Jamieson, Samuel Rodgers and Andrew Wehrle
“I can’t say enough about what a nice, talented and dedicated group of guys our seniors are, and they certainly will be missed,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “Their parents and teachers have done a great job guiding them, and I’m grateful for how they’ve made my job as a coach very enjoyable. “They are excellent students and fine athletes-the total package.”
Aiden McLaughlin, Owen Bartlebaugh and Corbin Heitzenrater made short work of the 3.1 mile course as they claimed the first three places, all in seasonal best times. McLaughlin dipped under the 17 minute barrier with his 16:59 performance, a personal best by six seconds. Bartlebaugh ran 17:11 to shave five seconds off his previous best, the same margin Heitzenrater improved in running 17:37. “Aiden getting under 17 in a low-key dual meet on our course is very impressive, and Owen and Corbin looked as good as I’ve seen them all season as well,” said Wehrle. “We’re fortunate to have most all of our team running some of their best times these last couple weeks.”
Brookville took the next two places before the Chucks came through with five finishers in a row, giving them seven of the first nine competitors across the line. Emmet Jamieson and Eric Surkala were a virtual dead heat as they both ran 18:18, followed by Sam Rodgers and Evan Groce 20 seconds later, with Andrew Barnoff just a few strides back in 18:41. “Emmet has now run 18:18, 18:19 and 18:18 in three of his last four races, so hopefully a breakthrough is on the horizon,” said Wehrle. “Eric ran great today, setting a career best by 18 seconds. Sam improved his best ever by four seconds, while Evan really impressed today by cutting 44 seconds of his previous fastest time. Andrew has been so consistent for us all season, and he also managed to chip a couple seconds off his best time today as well.”
Isaac Greenblatt placed 15th overall with his time of 19:57, his first race under 20 minutes and an improvement of 34 seconds. Bryce Horne placed 21st overall, running 23:40 to shatter his old personal best by 50 seconds. “Isaac and Bryce are looking better and better with each passing week, so hopefully their improvement on the stopwatch gives them motivation to keep working hard in practice and races.”
Punxsy will wrap up its regular season on Saturday when they travel to the Rocky Grove Invitational. “Rocky Grove is a pretty fun invitational on a mostly wooded course, and they hand out a lot of awards, so if the weather is nice it should be a great way to finish our season before we begin preparations for districts,” said Wehrle.
Complete Results:
McLaughlin(P)16:59; Bartlebaugh(P)17:11; Heitzenrater(P)17:37; C. Doolittle(B)17:55; Baughman(B)18:06; Jamieson(P)18:18; Surkala(P)18:18; Rodgers(P)18:38; Groce(P)18:38; Barnoff(P)18:41; Bell(K)19:05; Moore(B)19:47; Wolfe(K)19:50; Kramer(B)19:43; Greenblatt(P)19:57; Bernecky(K)20:08; Smith(K)20:15; Waterbury(B)20:42; L. Doolittle(B)21:28; H. Rupp(B)22:37; Horne(P)23:40; Jensen(K)26:41; Pierotti(K)32:39
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Boys cross country second overall at 26 team Rocky Grove Invitational!
The Punxsy boys cross country team faced muddy conditions for the first time all season at Saturday’s 46th annual Rocky Grove Invitational, but despite the slower times the Chucks came away with the runner-up trophy and a total of eight individual placewinners. Cambridge Springs, a single A school in cross country, placed first overall with 65 points, 11 ahead of Punxsy. Cochranton was third with 113, while the Ridgway Invitational runner-up team Cranberry scored 119 to finish fourth. Knoch rounded out the top five with 147 points. A total of 26 compete teams scored in the boys varsity race, with 258 athletes finishing.
“The top five projected teams coming into the meet all placed in the top five in the actual race, but Cambridge Springs ran a very good race to move up a couple spots and knock us off,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “We ran well, perhaps not quite as well across the board as we did on Tuesday, but overall it was a good day on a nice course with lots of award-winning performances.”
Aiden McLaughlin and Owen Bartlebaugh again led the way for Punxsy as they placed third and fourth overall, running times of 17:40 and 17:43, respectively. “To finish in the top five out of 257 runners is impressive, and both guys improved their times on this course from last year by over a minute,” said Wehrle. “Aiden and Owen have turned into a formidable duo, and are probably the two best runners in the whole district.”
Corbin Heitzenrater and Andrew Wehrle claimed the next two places for the Chucks, with Heitzenrater 16th in 18:29 and Wehrle 24th in 18:40. “Corbin ran well, as he always does, improving by 6 places and 16 seconds from a year ago here,” said Wehrle. “Andrew hasn’t been able to do any workouts and has done minimal running the past five weeks, so his effort today was a step in the right direction with a couple weeks until districts.”
Emmet Jamieson placed 29th with a time of 18:53, followed by Evan Groce in 43rd at 19:16 and Eric Surkala in 19:19 one place later. “Emmet was his usual consistent self, just missing a medal for placing in the top 25 but earning a top 75 ribbon, as did Evan and Eric,” said Wehrle. “Evan has never finished as our sixth man, so his race today was an eye opener, and Eric improved by 49 seconds and 22 places from last year’s race.”
Sam Rodgers placed 71st overall in 19:56 to claim Punxsy’s last ribbon on the day, and Andrew Barnoff came across the line in 90th place at 20:19. “Sam ran 44 seconds faster than last year and moved up 18 places, but Andrew, who in my opinion didn’t even run his best race today, chopped 3:24 from his time on this same course a year ago and moved up 110 places,” said Wehrle.
Isaac Greenblatt ran 22:40 to place 177th, with Bryce Horne running a great race to place 205th in 23:54. “Isaac wasn’t quite as sharp as he was on Tuesday when he broke 20 minutes, but his overall improvement this season has been tremendous,” said Wehrle. “Looking at who ran closest to their seasonal best time, Bryce was only 14 seconds away from his, which was the closest of anyone on the team today. Most of the guys were anywhere from 40 seconds slower to some who were well over a minute or more, mostly because of how slippery parts of the course ended up due to the rainy conditions.”
Punxsy now has two weeks to prepare for the district championship meet on Saturday, October 26th in Ridgway.
District 9 boys cross country preview
The Punxsy boys cross country team will attempt to win the 26th district nine title in program history on Saturday when they travel to Ridgway to compete on the Grandinetti Elementary School course that has hosted the past 15 championships. Bradford, Clearfield, DuBois and Saint Marys are the other schools participating in the AA classification, with the winner advancing to the PIAA State Championship on November 2nd in Hershey. The Chucks will be defending the title they reclaimed a year ago when they posted a low score of 29 points, which was 33 points ahead of Bradford. The team is coming off an undefeated 13-0 dual meet season and has a pair of invitational wins and a runner-up finish to its credit thus far in 2019.
“Based on results from this season, I think most people who follow the sport would say we are the favorite to win the team title, but Bradford and DuBois are quality teams and should give us all we can handle on Saturday,” said head coach George Wehrle. “If we run like we’re capable of we should be fine, but it’s not like we’re a shoe-in by any means.”
Punxsy won the Ridgway Invitational on the district course three weeks ago, finishing ahead of DuBois by 41 points and Bradford by 46, but that result included runners in the single A division who served to inflate all the team scores. Calculating scores based on the AA runners only, as will be the case on Saturday, resulted in a winning margin of only 15 points for the Chucks. “The guys ran quite well on this course at the invitational, so they should feel confident they can do it again when it really counts,” said Wehrle. ”On the flip side, last year we ran rather poorly at the invitational and then came through in a big way at districts, so you never can tell what might happen in any given race, especially one with so much on the line.”
Individually, Aiden McLaughlin and Owen Bartlebaugh will both be in the hunt for the win, along with DuBois’ defending champ McKellen Jaramillo and Bradford’s duo of Tyler Kraft and Ryan Cottillion. “Again, based on what I’ve seen this season, these are the five guys who should be fighting it out for the individual title,” said Wehrle. “Aiden has been so consistent all season, and Owen has looked as good or better than he ever has, so I think they will be tough for anyone to beat.”
McLaughin placed fourth a year ago at districts and ninth as a freshman, while Bartebaugh was runner-up as a freshman and sophomore before taking seventh a year ago. “It would be a great result for Owen to go out with a district title, but if he doesn’t get it I’m certain he’d be happy if Aiden did,” said Wehrle. “Jaramillo beat Aiden once early in the season, otherwise both of our guys have been ahead of him each time they’ve raced since then. Kraft and Cottillion are running well but it would be a slight upset if they come out on top on Saturday.”
Corbin Heitzenrater, last year’s district runner-up, figures to finish no worse than sixth or seventh and could move up a few places if history is any indication. The steady senior has placed 11th, 4th and 2nd the past three years at districts. “Never underestimate Corbin at the district meet, as he always performs his best when it counts the most,” said Wehrle. “Most people probably have no idea he was the runner-up last season, but as a coach you love to have a guy like him who is so dependable.”
Andrew Wehrle and Emmet Jamieson are looking for top 10 finishes, which would likely be more than enough to give Punxsy the win in the team standings. “There seem to be more quality runners in the district this year as compared to what I remember any of my previous four years as the boys head coach, but I have confidence in both Andrew and Emmet to run their best for the team and hopefully give us five runners in the chute before anyone else has four across the line,” said Wehrle. “A few seconds either way could result in quite a swing in points, so we’ll hope our guys are ready to chase down a runner or two in the closing stretch.”
Eric Surkala and Sam Rodgers round out the varsity seven for the Chucks, with Surkala ranked 14thand Rodgers 18th in the field of 34 runners. “Eric is tough and athletic enough to be right up near Andrew and Emmet, but even if he’s our sixth man he should be able to displace some of Bradford’s and DuBois’ top five guys like he did at the Ridgway Invitational. Sam is a bit of insurance in case one of his teammates falls back, and I know with Sam we’ll get a reliable performance and one that has him closing as well or better than anyone in the second half of the race because of his efficient racing strategy.” Surkala was 12thin the championship meet a year ago, while Rodgers will be running his third district meet as a varsity runner, having placed 25th in 2017 and 21st last year.
Punxsy will have four runners competing in the varsity extra race, including a sophomore and three freshmen. Sophomore Andrew Barnoff will be looking to win the race, although teammate Evan Groce appears capable as well. “Andrew would be a varsity runner on every other team in the district, as would Evan, for that matter,” said Wehrle. “Both guys might have something to prove and I am looking forward to seeing them have the opportunity to control the front of the race and have a shot at the victory.”
Isaac Greenblatt should be able to claim a spot in the top ten among the roughly 25 runner varsity extra field, while Bryce Horne is looking to continue his fine October running in his final cross country race of the season. “Isaac has been doing some terrific workouts lately and should be primed to run his best time on what would be his third race on this course in 2019,” said Wehrle. “Bryce should feel he’s capable of running a seasonal best if the course conditions are decent, and if he does that he’ll more than hold his own in this field.”
The boys AA race is scheduled to begin at 1:15pm, with the varsity extra race to follow.
Punxsy boys cross country team wins district 9 title to qualify for PIAA State Championships!
The Punxsy boys cross country team defended the team title they won a year ago, once again in convincing fashion as they totaled just 23 points, well ahead of runner-up Bradford’s 44. DuBois placed third with a score of 61, while Saint Marys and Clearfield came in with 120 and 124 points, respectively. The Chucks team score was the lowest for a winning squad since Bradford scored just 22 in 2004, which was the first year the district meet was held in Ridgway.
“The weather was just outstanding compared to what we’re used to in Ridgway for districts, and all the runners responded with some excellent times,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “Our 1-5 runner average was the fastest ever by any team on this course by 30 seconds, out of 68 total team performances since 2004. The great weather was a factor, but our guys were ready to run regardless of the conditions.”
Owen Bartlebaugh ran his fastest time of the season to edge out teammate Aiden McLaughlin and capture his first district cross country title after runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017. The senior also clocked the best time ever by a Punxsy runner at districts on the Ridgway course, running 16:59 to McLaughlin’s 17:04, which happens to be the second-fastest time ever by a Punxsy runner on this course. “Aiden and Owen were together for the first couple miles before Owen pulled ahead slightly in the final mile,” said Wehrle. “It was a two-man race right from the gun, and Owen just had a bit more in the tank. He had his struggles last season and even early this fall, but I could tell the last month or so that Owen was really starting to run well. He and Aiden make a great team, and I think it’s safe to say that Aiden helped Owen win the district title by pushing him in practice and leading the way today.”
McLaughlin’s second-place finish was 12 seconds ahead of Bradford junior Ryan Cottillion’s 17:16 effort, as those two were the only juniors in the top six. “Aiden has had a couple near-misses the last two years here at Ridgway, so next year I’m sure he’ll be hungry to go out with a win like Owen did in his final attempt,” said Wehrle. “Aiden ran a great race in posting a time that would have won in each of the last six district meets prior to today.”
Seniors Corbin Heitzenrater and Andrew Wehrle placed fourth and fifth, respectively, both in 17:25 and both with their fastest time of the season. “Corbin again showed why he’s one of the most reliable runners I’ve ever coached, as he consistently beats runners who are ranked ahead of him coming into this meet,” said Wehrle. “He always rises to the occasion, which is something not every runner can claim. Andrew really came through with a strong effort, easily his best of the season, in staying with Corbin and giving us an impressive four runners in the top five overall.”
Bradford’s Tyler Kraft placed sixth overall, followed by DuBois runners AC Deemer, McKellen Jaramillo and Joey Foradora coming across the line in short order to claim the final three individual state qualifying berths, with Cottillion and Kraft already securing the other two. Bradford freshman Manny Diaz was the first runner to miss out on a trip to states, finishing less than a second behind Foradora in 10th place. Punxsy clinched the team title when Emmet Jamieson ran a seasonal best time of 18:00 to place 11th overall. “Emmet ran like he always does, grinding it out to help the team and just missing out on a top 10 finish and a sub 18 time,” said Wehrle. “We had the tightest 1-5 spread of the top three teams in our race, in no small part to Emmet’s fine run.”
Sam Rodgers placed 18th overall with a time of 18:58, his fastest ever on the Ridgway layout. “Sam moved up from 25th as a sophomore and 21st last season to crack the top 20 today, and he’s another one of our reliable veterans who will be sorely missed next year,” said Wehrle.
Sophomore Eric Surkala was positioned in the top 15 and hoping to make a positive move in the final mile before suffering a setback that caused him to drop back to 20th place with a time of 19:09. “Eric should have been around 18:30 or better with these conditions, but he’s earned another shot next week at states and I fully expect him to run a race that’s more on par with his capabilities,” said Wehrle. “He ran two good races last season on the state meet course, so that should give him confidence for next Saturday.”
Runners not among their team’s top seven had the opportunity to compete in the varsity extra race, and Punxsy’s Andrew Barnoff blitzed the 3.1 mile course in 18:39 to easily claim first place in the field of 31 runners. “Andrew was the best runner out there, and he went out to the lead and gradually pulled away to win by almost a minute over his teammate Evan Groce,” said Wehrle. “Andrew would have been 13th in the varsity race with that time, ahead of every other team’s fifth runner.”
Groce ran stride for stride with Barnoff before falling back in the latter stages of the race, hampered somewhat by an injury flare-up. “Evan would have been a lot closer to Andrew under normal circumstances, but he showed all season he’s a runner to keep an eye on in the future,” said Wehrle. “Evan was knocking on the door of being a varsity runner the past few races, which is impressive for a freshman on a district-winning team.”
Isaac Greenblatt placed seventh overall with a time of 20:35, 13 seconds faster than he ran on this course three weeks ago at the Ridgway Invitational. “Isaac really impressed me the last couple weeks with how he performed in workouts, and I like his size and athleticism for a freshman,” said Wehrle. “He had a good rookie season and should only get better.”
Bryce Horne placed 13th overall in the varsity extra race, improving his seasonal best by a whopping 2:26 with a time of 22:04. “I never would have thought Bryce would run so fast today, especially coming off being sick and missing some practice time at the end of last week,” said Wehrle. “He looked like a totally different racer compared to when he started, and in a way it’s too bad the season has to end for him as he’s just starting to figure out he can be a pretty good distance runner.”
Punxsy’s seven varsity runners, along with Andrew Barnoff, will travel to Hershey next weekend to compete in the PIAA State Championships on Saturday. “We’ll try to have some team and individual goals in mind for states, but for now I hope the team is proud of what they accomplished all season long and especially today,” said Wehrle. “I would like to thank all the parents, relatives, friends and alumni for supporting the team throughout the season and here in Ridgway. It was nice to have so many familiar faces in attendance cheering for the runners.”
2019 State Meet Preview
The Punxsy boys cross country team will conclude its season on Saturday when they travel to Hershey’s Parkview Course to race in the 80th annual PIAA Cross Country Championships, competing against a field of 18 other teams and 90 additional individual qualifiers in the AA classification. The Chucks are seeded 12th coming into the meet and are hoping to move up into the top 10, a spot no Punxsy team has occupied at the state meet since 1996, back when there were only two classifications in cross country instead of the current three division system.
“It just goes to show how tough the state of Pennsylvania is in cross country, as this team is probably the best our school’s had in over 20 years, and they’re still only projected to beat seven teams,” said boys head coach George Wehrle. “I think a top 10 finish is realistic, but it will take close to everyone’s best result to make it happen.”
Punxsy finished 13th a year ago, which is the best result by a District 9 boys team since the third classification was added to cross country in 2012. Lewisburg, competing out of District 4, is predicted to win the championship, with Grove City Area, York Suburban and North East expected to be their main competition. Indiana is seeded ninth, with the Chucks slated to be just 25 points behind the Indians. “There are two other schools between us and Indiana in the projected point standings, so it’s possible we could run well enough to move up three places,” said Wehrle. “It really doesn’t take much to climb the leaderboard, perhaps just a few seconds per runner.”
Owen Bartlebaugh, fresh off his individual district title, and Aiden McLaughlin, the district runner-up who finished just five seconds behind his teammate, will lead Punxsy over the rolling 3.1 mile course that has been relatively unchanged since 2008. Bartlebaugh’s best result at the state meet was in 2017 when he ran 17:21 to place 48th out of 238 runners. McLaughlin placed 126th out of 228 runners a year ago in his only PIAA meet appearance, clocking 18:36 in the process. “Based on their times from our district meet on Saturday, Owen and Aiden are both poised to have their best result ever at this meet,” said Wehrle. “Bo Dinger was our last medalist, placing 21st in 2013 with a time of 17:09, so clearly Owen and Aiden are capable of making a run at that type of performance. They’ve both been at the top of their game this past month, and I expect that to continue on Saturday.”
Like Bartlebaugh, Corbin Heitzenrater will be running in his fourth state meet, with his previous best result coming last fall when he placed 85th in a time of 18:15. “Corbin is a wiley veteran who knows how to handle crowded conditions like he’ll face Saturday, and coming off his fastest time ever a week ago he should be primed to produce his best finish and cap off his outstanding career in style.”
Unlike Bartlebaugh and Heitzenrater, fellow seniors Andrew Wehrle and Emmet Jamieson will be competing in their first PIAA cross country meet, although neither are strangers to competing at the highest level of running, albeit on the oval in track and field. “Andrew and Emmet ran well in the state track meet last spring, so I’m sure they’ll handle the pressure just fine in Hershey,” said Wehrle. “In a way there’s less on the line for our team at states than at districts, where you have to win just to advance. I think talent, fitness and mental toughness are way more important than experience, so in that regard I expect Andrew and Emmet to excel on Saturday.”
Sophomore Eric Surkala and senior Samuel Rodgers round out the varsity squad, with Andrew Barnoff also representing the Chucks as an alternate. Surkala and Rodgers will both be competing in their second PIAA meet, having finished 146th and 211th, respectively, a year ago. “Eric actually ran his fastest time of the season on this course at states last fall, which on a layout this challenging is pretty rare,” said Wehrle. “He should move up significantly in the standings if he runs anywhere close to his best time of 18:18. Sam should also be much further up in the pack, as he’s averaged a minute faster per race this season than he did as a junior. It’s his last high school cross country race, and I’m sure he wants to end on a high note.”
The AA boys race is schedule to begin at 12:30 pm on Saturday, with weather conditions looking to be ideal with temperatures in the low 50’s under sunny skies.
Chucks Cross Country places 6th at PIAA Championships!
Heading into Saturday’s PIAA state cross country championships, the Punxsy boys team was projected to finish 12th in the 19 team field. However, the squad of mostly upperclassmen had other plans in mind, resulting in a fantastic sixth place finish, the highest by a Punxsy contingent at the state meet since 1996.
“I thought moving up a couple places into the top 10 was realistic, but I would have never predicted they would move up as far as sixth,” said boys coach George Wehrle. “Pretty much to a man they exceeded expectations and that really moved us up in the team standings. We were ninth as a team at the one mile mark with 257 points, then seventh crossing the two mile mat at 190 points before improving one place and 21 points in the final 1.1 mile. Only one other team, third-place finisher New Castle, lowered their team score more than we did from one mile to the finish, so that tells me our guys ran intelligently at the start and were able to pick off the competition when the real racing began in the back hills.”
Pre-meet favorite Lewisburg managed to secure the 2019 title with 82 points, although they had to go to the tiebreaker to determine the outcome as York Suburban also tallied a team score of 82. However, Lewisburg’s sixth runner placed 51st in the team standings while York Suburban’s sixth man only finished 97th, giving the title to the Green Dragons from District 4. New Castle and Indiana, both out of District 7, claimed the next two places with scores of 128 and 153, respectively, with Central Cambria placing fifth overall at 156 points. Punxsy, predicted to score 287 based on pre-race rankings, recorded 169 points, with South Fayette, Kennard-Dale, North East and Grove City rounding out the top 10. “Grove City was seeded second coming into the meet, North East fourth, and Kennard-Dale seventh, so you have to hand it to our guys for running what had to be their best race of the season what it mattered most,” said Wehrle. “Indiana ran a great race, also, moving from ninth coming into the meet all the way up to fourth today.”
Despite near-perfect temperatures in the mid-40’s and sunny skies on race day, the 3.1 mile Parkview Cross Country Course had several areas of mud due to Thursday’s heavy rains, likely slowing times by a few seconds on the already challenging terrain. Punxsy’s Owen Bartlebaugh navigated the course flawlessly, running his best race ever to place 27th in the crowded field of 227 runners with a time of 16:54. The senior came through the mile in 59th place and moved up to 34th at two miles before ending up just four seconds away from a medal by the finish. “For Owen to run as well as he did the last two weeks, first in winning the district title and now here at states, is just a great way for him to wrap up his cross country career,” said Wehrle. “It’s always tough to be so close to a medal and just miss out, but Owen really turned things around in October and placed higher than anyone from District 9 at this meet since Punxsy’s own Bo Dinger in 2013.”
Aiden McLaughlin ran 17:09 to place 44th, a significant improvement from a year ago on the same course when he clocked 18:36 to place 126th. “Aiden was 62nd at the mile and moved up 17 places by two miles, and at that point he did well to maintain his place and finish as well as he did,” said Wehrle. “Aiden is absolutely a potential medalist in 2020 if he continues to improve like he did this season, as 19 guys ahead of him today are seniors.”
Seniors Corbin Heitzenrater and Andrew Wehrle placed 88th and 91st, respectively, with times of 17:39 and 17:41. Heitzenrater improved his standing 50 places from the one mile to the two mile and Wehrle passed 34 runners during that same span. “Corbin ran his fastest time ever in four appearances here at states by 23 seconds, and Andrew did a fine job in his first cross country race of this magnitude,” said Wehrle. “Both Corbin and Andrew would now be in the top 15 all-time district 9 performers on this course since 2012, out of over 90 results during that span.”
Like Bartlebaugh, Emmet Jamieson ran his fastest time of the season at 17:57 to place 112th. “Emmet did a fantastic job, moving from 162nd to 131st at the first two mile markers and continuing to advance during that tough last mile, picking off more runners than anyone else on the team during that stretch,” said Wehrle. “His finishing time gave us 5 runners under 18 minutes, whereas no previous Punxsy team here had ever had more than one runner under that benchmark.”
Sophomore Eric Surkala placed 167th with a time of 18:36, with senior Sam Rodgers just seven seconds back in 175th. “Eric chipped 16 seconds from his time here last year, while Sam knocked off almost a minute and a half from his result in 2018,” said Wehrle. “Eric has a couple more chances to qualify to get here and move up, but for Sam this was it, and he made the most of his opportunity.”
Dylan Throop, a junior from General McLane, won the AA race in 15:57, 11 seconds up on Wyomissing’s Ben Kuhn. Indiana had two medalists, with Kendall Branen placing ninth and Joel Beckwith finishing 21st. The five district 9 individual qualifiers performed well overall, with DuBois’ McKellen Jaramillo running 17:39 to place 84th, followed closely with the same time by Bradford’s Ryan Cottillion in 86th. Bradford’s other qualifier, Tyler Kraft, placed 105th in 17:53, while DuBois other two individual qualifiers, Joey Foradora and AC Deemer, finished 123rd and 168th, respectively, with times of 18:06 and 18:38. “I thought district 9 performed quite well on the boys side, which is something to be proud about for a small district like ours,” said Wehrle.
After the race, all the Punxsy athletes were treated to a picnic lunch, provided by the parents. “I know everyone really appreciated some warm food fresh off the grill after they were done running, so thanks to all the parents for helping make that happen,” said Wehrle. “Today couldn’t have gone much better for all our athletes, both boys and girls, especially with Olivia Roberts coming home with a medal. It was a terrific end to a historic season for our programs.”