EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPASportsNation.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Wednesday’s action at the District 2 Cross Country Championships.
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
MESHOPPEN – Freshmen Kendel Jones from Elk Lake and Anna Pucilowski from Abington Heights were the only two runners to capture individual and team titles Wednesday during the District 2 Cross Country Championships at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds.
Jones won the Class A boys title while leading the Warriors to the championship.
Pucilowski led Abington Heights to the most decisive victory margin in the day’s six races, leading the Comets to the title in Class 3A girls.
Abington Heights swept the Class 3A titles, following up its twin, unbeaten Lackawanna League championship seasons.
The district’s only other league unbeaten was knocked off in Class 2A girls when Crestwood, last year’s Class 3A champion, beat out Wyoming Valley Conference champion Dallas, 76-70.
The top two teams earned state berths in both Class 2A races and Class A girls.
In addition to Abington Heights, Crestwood is sending both teams to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships in Hershey Nov. 5.
The Crestwood boys finished second in the closest race, falling to Honesdale, 73-75, in Class 2A to begin the day.
Like the Abington Heights teams, the Montrose girls were dominant, winning by more than 30 points in Class A. Lakeland took the second state spot.
Lake-Lehman’s Nick Hockenbury was the only individual repeater, winning a battle of 2021 district champions in Class 2A boys. He beat Riverside’s Daniel Danilovitz, the champion last season when the Vikings competed in Class A.
The day’s best races were the first two.
Hockenbury’s 2.8-second win was the slimmest victory margin.
Wyoming Area’s Madelyn Keating followed by taking the Class 2A girls title by four seconds, winning a race that involved another Danilovitz and the other returning champion.
Keating edged Riverside’s Lacey Danilovitz, Daniel’s sister, and defending champion Madison Hedglin from Dallas. Hedglin won the title last season as a freshman.
There were 11 different teams represented among the top 12 boys in Class 2A, then the first eight runners in the Class 2A girls race were all from different schools.
Forest City’s Kate Korty had the day’s biggest victory margin, winning in Class A girls by more than 46 seconds.
Scranton’s Brian McCormack ran the meet’s fastest time, winning in Class 3A boys in 16:30.7.
Keating, who missed the entire 2021 regular season while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, was the fastest girl with a time of 18:50.4.
The top 20 in Class 2A, top 15 in Class A and top 10 in Class 3A earned district medals.
In the two Class 2A races and Class A girls, the top two teams will be joined in Hershey by the best 10 other individual finishers. In both Class 3A races and Class A boys, the championship team will be joined by the other five highest individual finishers.
MORE COVERAGE
The Class 2A boys story and results have already been posted.
Class 2A boys story: Hockenbury, Hornets run to titles – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 2A boys results: District 2 Cross Country Class 2A boys results – NEPA Sports Nation.
Much more on the way. Return to our cross country page for additional coverage: Cross Country – NEPA Sports Nation.
