North Hills’ Pietrzyk wins Everhart Invitational
North Hill's Ava Pietrzyk finishes first in the girls varsity race during Saturday's A.J. Everhart Invitational held at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus. Pietrzyk's winning time was 19:25.4.
Holly Tonini
Laurel Highlands’ Marisa Diechert leads Uniontown’s Jade Bellotti up the hill the first time during the girls varsity race at Saturday’s A.J. Everhart Invitational at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. Deichert finished second in 19:33.5 and Bellotti was third with a time of 19:36.3.
Ava Pietrzyk felt good and that was bad news for the other runners Saturday morning at the A.J. Everhart Invitational at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
The North Hills sophomore pulled away from the field in the latter stages of the 5K race to take the title in a time of 19:25.4.
The Lady Indians had four runners in the top 20 to win the team title with 72 points.
North Hills was running a little behind schedule so the team couldn’t get a full walk-through.
“The Uniontown people told us where to go on the course,” said Pietrzyk.
“About one mile in, I felt pretty good there,” Pietrzyk said of the pace. “I felt pretty relaxed going up the hills. Both times I felt I was able to push it faster.
“I tend to like hills more. I knew I had to push them.”
Laurel Highlands’ Marisa Deichert and Uniontown’s Jade Bellotti battled for much of the race with Deichert gaining the edge in the latter stages to finish second with a time of 19:33.5. Bellotti, running on her home course, trailed by three seconds in third place.
The Fillies had three runners in the top 15, including Emily Rohm (11, 20:46.7) and Alexis Kostelnik (12, 20:55.9), to finish second as a team with 107 points.
“I didn’t want to go out too hard. I wanted to go out conservative and work through the race,” said Deichert of her race strategy. “I wanted to work the hills more.
“I felt pretty good, but the last ¼-mile I started to feel it a little bit.”
Bellotti wanted to try to press the pace a little at the beginning of the race.
“I wanted to try to go out a little faster than usual,” explained Bellotti, who just missed her PR. “I like to see how the pace is going. It was a little faster in the first part (of the race).
“(The pack) on the back part of the back hill started to spread out.”
She also noted the impact running against a familiar foe like Deichert has.
“I want to pull along with her. It helps me out,” said Bellotti.
Southmoreland’s Kaylee Farino earned a spot on the awards podium by finishing 14th overall with a time of 21:01.4. Brownsville’s Sara Vance was four seconds behind in 15th place.
Greensburg Salem’s Riley Kwitkowski (4, 19:41.4), Forest Hills’ Tricia Varner (5, 20:05.4) and Cassie Smith (10, 20:31.5), Franklin Regional’s Sterling Simek (6, 20:11.7), North Hills’ Madeline Evans (7, 20:22.6), Plum’s Rachel Valotta (8, 20:23.0), and Cardinal Wuerl’s Rylee Kopchak (9, 20:23.4) all had top-10 finishes.
Albert Gallatin freshman Skylar Bogus was 186th with a time of 22:38.1. Connellsville’s Ally Wilson was 40th with a time of 22:42.2. Frazier’s Mikhayla Kushner completed the course in 31:11.2, and Waynesburg Central’s lone runner, Lindsee Zimmer, finished in 22:48.4. West Greene’s Sarah Courtwright completed the course in 22:53.3.