| For the first time since coach Josh Beightol took over the Orioles running program, his team captured first place in the Rocky Grove Cross Country Invitational, held Saturday on their home turf at Two Mile Run County Park. “Over the past two years we’ve won the District 10 championship but we’ve never won an invitational, so to win our first invitational at our home course, at our invite is pretty cool,” Beightol said during an interview with PA Milesplit. The 48th annual invitational drew nearly 1,000 runners from 45 schools to participate in six races for senior high, junior high and elementary school athletes. The boys varsity division there were 21 complete teams and more than 200 racers. Junior Ethan Knapp led Rocky Grove with a fourth-place overall finish (third in the team competition). He beat out other talented area racers, including Caleb and Jay Prettyman, of Franklin, and Keegan Kirkwood and Elijah Brosius of Oil City. “Ethan has been working with the rest of the boys on his finishing speed,” Beightol said. “He (Ethan) can run for days but he has been developing a strong kick at the end and learning from some of our real speedy guys at practice.” Rocky Grove’s strong finish was also due to a good grouping of ralsounners in the top 20. Sophomore Schiffer Anderson was 12th, followed quickly by junior Easton Adamczyk at 14th and senior Evan Wolfgong at 15th. Freshman Gauge Gierlach rounded out the team's scoring members with 31st place. |     |
Also running for Rocky Grove Saturday morning were seniors Logan Swartz and Jason Dunkle, juniors Cael Dailey and Ethan Baker, and sophomores Nathaniel Boley, Landon Platt and Quinten Boozell.
The successful outing has the team gearing up for their next big competition – District 10 championship on October 29 in Titusville. The Orioles have come out on top for their division there in the last two years.
“Our course is for sure a pretty difficult course compared to most,” he said in reference to the trail’s hills and woods. In comparison, Titusville’s course is flatter and often times results in faster overall times.
The successful outing has the team gearing up for their next big competition – District 10 championship on October 29 in Titusville. The Orioles have come out on top for their division there in the last two years.
“Our course is for sure a pretty difficult course compared to most,” he said in reference to the trail’s hills and woods. In comparison, Titusville’s course is flatter and often times results in faster overall times.
“My boys team is excited to get a shot at another district title. They still have a lot of work to do to be able to run with the other D10 schools, so we will work on that...,” Beightol said.
His advice to his runners going into the next two weeks – be focused.
“I’d say at this point, be mentally focused and ready to run at a faster pace on a much faster course than we have here,” he told PA Milespit. “We just keep chipping away for another three or four days, I think we will be ready.”
Check out all the Rocky Grove Invitational results at www.runhigh.com.
His advice to his runners going into the next two weeks – be focused.
“I’d say at this point, be mentally focused and ready to run at a faster pace on a much faster course than we have here,” he told PA Milespit. “We just keep chipping away for another three or four days, I think we will be ready.”
Check out all the Rocky Grove Invitational results at www.runhigh.com.
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