Lady Raiders’ Trimmer breezes to county cross country title
LEMONT FURNACE – Uniontown senior Grace Trimmer pushed into the lead in the first quarter mile and kept pushing the pace on her home course Thursday afternoon to win her second FCCA Cross Country Championship title.
Trimmer covered the Penn State Fayette Campus course in 19:30.90.
The trailing pack was over a minute behind Trimmer with Albert Gallatin senior Mia Medved finishing second in 20:54.10.
“I definitely wanted to win and PR on the course because it’s the last time I’ll run here. You want to end on a good note,” said Trimmer.
Trimmer felt in control after the first mile.
“After the first mile, I had a sense no one was around me,” said Trimmer.
Medved expected Trimmer to push the pace from the start.
“I kind of expected that. (Grace) is a good runner,” said Medved. “I didn’t want to go out too fast. I tried to stay pretty close the first mile and run off the feel.
“I settled in around Mile 2.”
Medved said she ran with Baker for most of the course.
“Bella (Baker) was on my shoulder until the hill and I got a gap on her. I worked that hill,” said Medved.
Medved was pleased with her performance in her final county meet.
“I was pretty happy with my time. The course is pretty hilly. It’s the first time I ran under 21 minutes,” Medved said with a big smile. “I’m excited to see what I can do on a flatter course.”
Laurel Highlands junior Isabella Baker placed third with a time of 21:09.80.
“I had Mia in my sights basically the whole time. She got away from me on the hills, a little bit,” said Baker. “I feel she picked it up and I kept the same pace.
“I expected coming into the meet how it was going to go. It was either me or Mia in second.”
Baker believes how she ran will carry forward to the WPIAL final in a couple weeks.
“I had a 10-second PR. It gives me confidence, especially with the WPIALs coming up,” added Baker.
Belle Vernon freshman Brooklyn Steeber finished in fourth place in 21:35. Steeber was running the course and most of the field for the first time.
“Some of the parts were difficult. (College Hill) was rough,” said Steeber, adding, “I was hoping to medal.”
Laurel Highlands sophomore Taylor Schwertfeger was the fifth-place finisher in 21:54.80.
Connellsville freshman Abby Zavatchan held off the late charge by Uniontown’s Paisley Murtha for sixth place in 22:09.10. Murtha crossed the finish line in 22:10.70.
Uniontown’s Charley Murtha (22:14.70), Geibel Catholic’s Emma Larkin (22:23.60), and the Lady Raiders’ Addy Martin (22:31.40) closed out the top 10 for all-county honors.
Mataia Geary finished 22nd in 30:09.90 for Brownsville’s top finish.
Uniontown’s Sadie Hostetler won the junior varsity race with a time of 23:04.10.
Connellsville’s Addison Lane won the middle school race with a time of 9:18.50. Belle Vernon won its second straight team title by one point over Uniontown, 38-39.