JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Here’s a preview I put together for the upcoming District 3 boys’ and girls’ cross country meet:
DISTRICT 3 CROSS COUNTRY MEET
WHERE: The former Parkview Golf Course grounds, opposite the Giant Center in Hershey.
WHEN: Saturday, with the girls’ Double-A race at 9 a.m., the girls’ Triple-A race at 10 a.m., the boys’ Double-A race at 11 a.m., and the boys’ Triple-A race at noon.
BOYS’ FAVORITES: In Triple-A, Conestoga Valley senior Vince McNally is the defending champ. The two-time reigning Lancaster-Lebanon League champ – who shattered the course and league meet records with a winning time of 15:02.02 last Thursday at Ephrata Middle School – won last year, also at Parkview, in 15:58.68 – 18 seconds ahead of the runner-up. McNally went on to finish fifth in the PIAA Meet. … York-Adams League champ Greg Kareis, a senior at Red Lion, finished third behind McNally in Triple-A last year in 16:18.34. … In Double-A, Berks County champ Tyler Reigel, a sophomore at Tulpehocken, finished 18th last year in 17:39.84. … Mid-Penn champ Joe Beveridge, a junior at Bishop McDevitt, finished second last year in 16:38.55, just behind winner Deitrich Linde of Lancaster Mennonite, who won in 16:32.62 in his senior season.
LOCAL FLAVOR: Along with McNally, keep an eye on Hempfield’s Kevin Hull, the L-L League runner-up, Cocalico’s John Wallace, Manheim Township’s Mike Mousetis (who finished seventh here last year) and Cedar Crest’s Jared Feinstein, all in the Triple-A race. Those guys finished 2-5 in the league meet behind McNally.
GIRLS’ FAVORITES: Reigning L-L League champ Emily Martin, a freshman at Garden Spot, is fresh off winning her first league title in a time of 18:37.08 last Thursday. This will be her first District 3 Triple-A meet. … The favorite in Triple-A is likely Shippensburg senior Neely Spence, who is the defending PIAA champ. She finished 10th in the district meet last year (19:26.55), then turned on the jets in States, and ended up finishing eighth in the country last fall. … In Double-A, last year’s champ, Lancaster Mennonite’s Lindsey Shertzer, who won in 19:18.53, has moved on, making last year’s runner-up, Boiling Springs senior Kara Millhouse (19:49.75), the early favorite. … Berks County champ Heather Weiss, a sophomore at Tulpehocken, finished fifth last year (20:13.92), and York-Adams champ Kady Schrann, a freshman at York Catholic, will be making her first trip to Districts. She won the YAIAA title in 19:01.
LOCAL FLAVOR: Along with Martin, keep an eye on Penn Manor’s Megan Ecker, Elco’s Kayleigh Perry, Warwick’s Allison Mannon and Cedar Crest’s Becca Brandt (13th here last year), who finished 2-5 in the league meet behind Martin. … L-S sophomore Justine Barr, who finished sixth in the league meet, was second, and Hempfield senior Sydney Clark, last year’s L-L League champ, finished seventh here last year in Triple-A.
NOTABLE: The defending team champs are Manheim Township’s girls’ in Triple-A, Lancaster Mennonite’s girls’ in Double-A, Manheim Township’s boys’ in Triple-A, and Tulpehocken’s boys’ in Double-A.
UP NEXT: The PIAA Meet is set for Nov. 3, also at Parkview.
