One last run?
35th running of A.J. Everhart Invite could be last at PS Fayette
In what could be the last running of the A.J. Everhart Uniontown Invitational at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, the host school more than held its own in finishing fourth in the boys and girls team standings on Saturday in the 35th edition of the event that honors legendary Red Raiders basketball and cross country coach A.J. “Abe” Everhart Jr.
The invitational has been run at Penn State Fayette every year but two since 1991, and is also Uniontown’s home course, but due to the campus closing at the end of the spring semester next year, there is a high probability the Red Raiders will need to find a new space to host meets and the invitational.
Uniontown senior Ezra Batovsky led the way for the Red Raiders with a ninth-place finish in the boys varsity race in a time of 18:03.5. Batovsky, who placed 20th in the Everhart Invitational last season, beat his time as a junior by 1 minute and 17 seconds.
The race will not be the last at Penn State Fayette for Uniontown this season, as it will host the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Championships on Oct. 15.
Batovsky didn’t believe he ran his best race, but he helped Uniontown finish first among Class 2A schools with 119 points in running his best time of the season.
“I set my season best on Tuesday, so I had about a 30-second gap from that race to today, but I thought I could have done better,” Batovsky said. “We only had a couple of days of training in between, so I just think my strategy was different today. I definitely attacked the hills harder and I wanted to get out hard, which I did.
“I wanted to stick with Ellic (Pritts), but he was about 50 seconds faster. He ran a really fast time. I was impressed with the race he ran.”
Matthew Page was the second Red Raider to cross the finish line in 14th place at 18:19. The junior was 19th in last year’s race. Senior Logan Davis was third for Uniontown with a 28th-place finish in 19:06.9. Davis was 10th in the event last season, but he has been hindered this year by an injury, as he also plays soccer.
Freshman Bridger Hug was 33rd in 19:22.8 and senior Zach Fisher was the Red Raiders’ fifth runner in 19:24.8 for 35th place.
Freshman Lorenzo Carei (37th/19:27.4) and sophomore Patrick Foster (54th/20:11) rounded out Uniontown’s top seven.
Senior Sadie Hostetler led the Red Raiders in the girls race with a 16th-place finish in a time of 23:19.6.
Teammate Maddie DeCarlo followed Hostetler in 17th. The freshman crossed the finish line in 23:29.4. Fellow ninth grader Aurora Payton was 20th in 23:43.2.
Sophomore Addison Caruso was Uniontown’s fourth runner after placing 24th in 24:05.8. Freshman Gracie Thompson closed the scoring for the Red Raiders in 52nd place with a time of 26:21.4.
Sophomores Sorcha Best (54th/26:56.2) and Peyton Scott (57th/27:31.2) were the Red Raiders’ sixth and seventh finishers.
Uniontown was second among Class 2A schools and had a score of 114.
Laurel Highlands senior Taylor Schwertfeger led the local contingent with a fourth-place finish in 21:49.3. Schwertfeger was 16th in last year’s Everhart Invitational, and she hopes to carry the momentum from Saturday’s race into the final races of the season.
“It was muddy on the course in a few spots, so I had to navigate around those,” Schwertfeger said. “I have ran at this course many times during my four years of cross country in high school, and I think that has definitely helped me because this is a tough course.”
Schwertfeger and Bella Baker, who is now running in college for Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va., worked together the last three seasons, but Schwertfeger has sophomore Hannah Hertlein to train with. Hertlein was 12th overall in 22:57.5.
“Hannah does help me, and I’ve been trying to run with our boys team to challenge myself, but it’s been tough without Bella,” said Schwertfeger. “We ran at what will be the new course for the state meet last week. I like that course better than the one at Hershey. I hope I can qualify for the state meet because it will be my third time running at states.”
Connellsville’s Abby Zavatchan was sixth overall in a time of 21:56.6. The junior was 11th in last year’s race.
Zavatchan’s time didn’t break last season’s mark, as most PRs (personal records) weren’t accomplished due to a soggy course because of earlier rain in the week, but she was pleased with the finish, and looks forward to returning to Penn State Fayette for the FCCA meet.
“I knew where Taylor (Schwertfeger) was going to be, so I just tried to keep her in my sight,” Zavatchan said. “The girl that won the race was second in the WPIAL meet last year, so I knew she was very tough. I didn’t want to allow that to dictate my pace because she went out and took the lead early.”
Falcon sophomore Addison Lane was ninth overall in 22:24.8. Connellsville was third in the overall team standings with 107 points. The Falcons compete in Class 3A in the individual postseason races, which is the highest classification in the WPIAL and PIAA, but Zavatchan hopes she can continue lowering her times. She has been training with Lane, as the duo has led the Connellsville contingent for the majority of the season.
“Addison and I do our workouts together and we have been going back and forth this year,” Zavatchan said. “I think I have been doing pretty good this year. It was a little difficult when the season started, but I am still doing better than last year.”
West Greene freshman Maggi Courtwright was 13th in 23:00.5.
Gateway junior Piper Munyon won her second straight Everhart Invitational in 19:04.2. She bested second-place finisher Gretchen Cass of Warren County, Va., by 2 minutes and 19 seconds. Cara Cass of Warren County was third in 21:34.1.
Warren County won the team title in the girls division with 71 points. Mount Lebanon was second at 97. Followed by the Falcons, Red Raiders and Mustangs.
Connellsville’s Ellic Pritts was the top local finisher and third overall in the boys race in 17:18.7. Pritts was second in last year’s Everhart Invitational. The sophomore’s brother, Sawyer Pritts, was 12th in 18:06.7 in the freshman’s first varsity race in the Everhart Invitational. Sawyer Pritts won the middle school race in last year’s event.
West Greene’s Joel Grimes was fifth in 17:21.8. Grimes placed 15th last season.
Laurel Highlands junior Noah Hudock was 15th in 18:20.3. Sophomore Mason Mahoney was 20th in 18:31.5 for the Mustangs, who took fifth in the team standings with 129 points.
Hudock was pleased with his race, and hopes Laurel Highlands can continue to improve as the season winds down.
“It was a little treacherous on the course today because of the weather, especially around that one hairpin turn, but I felt pretty good out there,” Hudock said. “I have run here before, and I think the experience that is gained at this race, and on this course, will benefit myself and my teammates as we get into the postseason individual races.”
Riverview senior Ashton Saunders edged Gavin Beard of Georgetown Preparatory School, Md., to win the title in the boys race. Saunders crossed the finish line in 17:02 and Beard was 3/10ths of a second behind.
Georgetown Prep had four finishers in the top 10 and its fifth runner was 11th to win the overall team championship with 30 points. Riverview was second with 105 and Mount Lebanon placed third with 108.
Mount Lebanon swept the junior varsity races with Karl Becker winning the boys division in 19:36.1 and Leah Kopicko the girls in 24:30.6.
Grayson Gainer of St. Francis Central Catholic, W.Va., won the boys middle school race in 7:51.8. St. Francis earned the team title with 52 points.
Waynesburg’s Julianna Kirsch won the girls race in 9:09.4. Indiana was the team champion with 25 points.
The event was timed by Gingerbread Running Company.