Pioneers’ Grimes finishes just shy of medal stand
West Greene sophomore places 26th in cross country state meet
NEWVILLE — Joel Grimes was one place from earning a spot on the medal stand during Saturday’s PIAA Cross Country Championships in the boys Class A race at Big Spring High School.
The West Greene sophomore completed the 5K (3.1 mile) course in 26th place with a time of 16:47.
Grimes was 25th at the one-mile mark in 5:04 and 28th at the halfway point of the race in 8:09. He moved up to 25th at the two-mile mark in 10:32 and 21st with one kilometer remaining in 13:26. Grimes ran a pace of 5:25 per mile.
Susquehanna Community’s Evan Beamer was 25th in 16:44.
Grimes qualified for the state meet as a freshman, and competed in the race at Hersheypark before the PIAA moved the championships to the Newville cross country course beginning this season.
California senior Carter Kent completed his final high school cross country race in 17:06 for 34th place in Class A.
The Pioneers’ Kameron Hackney was 150th in the Class A race with a time of 18:45. The sophomore was competing in his first state meet.
Uniontown senior Ezra Batovsky completed his high school cross country career in the state meet with a time of 17:58 for 145th place in the boys Class 2A race. Batovsky was running in his first state meet.
Laurel Highlands’ Taylor Schwertfeger placed 133rd in the girls Class 2A run in 21:36. The senior was competing in her third state championship.
Belle Vernon senior Leonidas Soto was 45th in the boys Class 2A race with a time of 16:58. Soto was racing in his second state competition.
Belle Vernon girls qualified for the PIAA championships as a team in Class 2A. The Leopards placed 15th on Saturday with 350 team points.
Junior Brooklyn Steeber finished first for her team with a time of 21:12. She was 54th among teams and 109th overall. Fellow junior and teammate Lily Walsh was 64th in team points and 124th overall in 21:29. Steeber was competing in her third state meet and Walsh was making her first appearance in the state championships.
Delaney Fretts (21:35), Kallyn Misenhelder (21:41) and Abby Hager (21:59) rounded out the top five for Belle Vernon.
West Greene freshman Maggi Courtwright finished 155th in the Class A girls race with a time of 22:50.
Peters Township sophomore Katie Froelich edged South Fayette junior Angela Zeng to win the girls Class 3A title in 17:33.
Senior Mira Mosca of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) won the Class A girls race in 19:05, and senior Laurel Kosek from District 4’s Wellsboro broke the tape in the Class 2A girls meet in 17:49.
Quaker Valley senior Jonah Montagnese nearly broke 15 minutes in winning the boys Class 2A race in 15:02. Montagnese set a pace of 4:51 per mile.
State College had three finishers in the top 10 to claim the team title in boys Class 3A with 33 points. Senior Luke Bradbury won the race in 15:06 and fellow 12th grader Theo Oppermann was second in 15:27. Sophomore Declan O’Donnell was seventh in 15:33.
Senior Gabe Simkiss of District 1’s Regina Luminis won the boys Class A race in 15:27.