Hilverding places third at WPIAL cross country championships
Sean Hilverding is used to his body responding when called upon to maintain the pace in the race, but that’s when healthy and at top form.
The Waynesburg Central senior missed nearly two months of the cross country season because of an injury, but was strong enough to finish ahead of all but two runners last Thursday in the WPIAL Class AA Cross Country Championship held at Cooper’s Lake Campground near Slippery Rock.
Hilverding completed the 5K course in 17:02 to finish third behind Quaker Valley’s Zach Skolnekovich (16:45) and Ringgold’s Noah Smith (16:54).
The PIAA Championships are Saturday in Hershey.
Hilverding covered the first mile in 5:24, hit the 2-mile split in 10:58 for a 5:34-mile split, and closed the final 1.1 miles in 6:04 for a 5:31-mile pace. The difference in past races and what he usually is able to do was his body not responding and how he felt after the race.
“I truly don’t know. I’ve never felt like this,” Hilverding said after the race. “I’m never that slow in the first mile.
“I felt okay down the straightaway along the road (in the final ½-mile of the race). (Skolnekovich) took off and I just had nothing. I don’t know what it was.”
The competitor that Hilverding is wanted the gold medal, but he’s not disappointed where he finished.
“I’m happy with third. Last year I was sixth,” said Hilverding. “I got to states. That’s all that matters. I was sixth last year at states. I’m hoping for the top 3 this year.”
Teammate Ben Bumgarner was in the lead group at the first mile, but the sophomore was forced to withdraw when he suffered an injury.
The Raiders finished 15th in Class AA with Drew McConville (73, 18:55), Cade Rush (101, 19:30), Wyatt Harvey (106, 19:36), Ryan Brownfield (153, 20:42), and Jeremiah Snyder (218, 22:45) also competing in the district championship.
Lindsee Zimmer was the lone Waynesburg girl in the Class AA race with the junior finishing 49th overall with a time of 22:42.
Jefferson-Morgan sophomore Aaron Mylan was close to qualifying in the Class A after finishing 31st overall with a time of 18:27. The top 25 finishers qualified for the state meet. Mylan trailed the final qualifier by 13 seconds.
West Greene junior Sarah Courtwright was 50th overall in the Class A race in a time of 23:23. Teammate Mitchell Murdock, a freshman, was 186th overall in the Class A race with a time of 26:41.