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Quarzo seeks 4th county cross country crown

By Jim Downey jdowney@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo (left) and Belle Vernon’s Grace Henderson keep in stride after passing the mile mark of the course at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus during the 2018 FCCA Cross Country Championships. Quarzo seeks her fourth county title this afternoon.

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Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Uniontown’s Riley Gilleland (left), Sam Killinger (center), and Logan Maust lead the pack early in the 2018 FCCA Cross Country Championships at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. Maust returns to defend his county meet title this afternoon.

Laurel Highlands’ Jennifer Adamovich first accomplished the feat in 1996, and Uniontown’s Julie Friend did so 16 years later.

The task at hand this afternoon for Brownsville senior Gionna Quarzo is to match the mark of the aforementioned runners by winning her fourth consecutive FCCA Cross Country Championship at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

Quarzo, who recently verbally committed to North Carolina State, and the other county runners will have a dry track on Uniontown’s Penn State Fayette home course with temperatures expected to be in the low 70s and low humidity.

That was not the case last year with rain stopping right before the races, but leaving sloppy, muddy conditions in its aftermath.

Gionna Quarzo is favored to win her fourth title, but should expect challenges from Belle Vernon junior Grace Henderson and younger sister JoJo Quarzo. Henderson finished second to the elder Quarzo last year by 33 seconds.

JoJo Quarzo won the junior high race last fall.

The remainder of the top-5 finishers from last year return for the 2019 race. Uniontown’s Ryleigh Kelley was third, Belle Vernon’s Kaitlyn Keegan fourth and Brownsville’s Ashton Reposky placed fifth.

Brownsville’s Hannah DeWitt and Connellsville’s Shelby Basinger seek to secure another All-County performance.

Uniontown freshman Hope Trimmer had a solid section season and is expected to make a run for All-County honors. The Lady Raiders are the defending team champions.

The Red Raiders’ Logan Maust returns to defend his county title. As with the Quarzo sisters, the Maust siblings could celebrate a pair of All-County performances with freshman Leyton Maust, who won the junior high race last year, in contention for a medal.

Several All-County performers from last fall return, including Laurel Highlands’ Isaac Meeder, the defending bronze medalist, Joe Casteel, Brendan Kopich and Brett Lemansky, Connellsville’s Dom Prestipino, and Uniontown’s Dalton Grimes.

Connellsville’s Zach Bigam is one of the top contenders to run into All-County honors for the first time.

The annual WCCA meet will also be held this afternoon with Westmoreland County Community College hosting the championship. Southmoreland and Yough are among the Westmoreland schools competing.

The Washington County meet was held Monday with Ringgold winning the boys and girls small school team titles.

The local county meets begin a big month of individual and team races, culminating with the PIAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The TSTCA Invitational will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17, at California University of Pa.’s Roadman Park, with the WPIAL Championships on the following Thursday at the same Cal U course.

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