Abington Heights maintained its status among the state’s top big school girls cross country teams.
Anna Pucilowski led the way Sept. 21 when she finished third out of 245 Class 3A girls to help the Comets take fifth out of 36 teams in at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Foundation Cross Country Invitational.
Pucilowski completed the 3.1-mile Hershey Parkview Course, site of the PIAA Championship, in 19:22.
North Allegheny posted a team score of 91.
Owen J. Roberts beat out State College 143-155 for second place in the race which draws many of the state’s top teams and individuals to Hershey for a preview of the November state championship meet.
Abington Heights finished 13 points behind fourth-place Haverford Township with 222 and was five points ahead of sixth-place Manheim Township. After that, there was more than a 100-point gap back to the rest of the field.
The performance followed up the second-place state finish by Abington Heights last season. That was the best ever by a Class 3A cross country from District 2 at the state level.
Hazleton Area, the only other full District 2 team in the field, finished 31st. Runners from West Scranton also entered.
Hatboro-Horsham senior Lilian DeCola ran away with the title in 18:38.
Devon Jackson from State College was eight seconds ahead of fellow junior Pucilowski.
Senior Reese Morgan was the second Abington Heights finisher, placing 39th in 21:01.
Sophomores occupied the next three spots for the Comets. Calli Gilboy was 45th, Marley Gilboy 66th and Morgan Kresge 75th to complete the team score.
Kiera Crowell was 80th and Kenadi Lotz 130th.
The Abington Heights boys were 28th out of 35 teams in a Class 3A race won by State College.
Wallenpaupack, in 21st, was best among three full teams from District 2.
Jack Shoemaker was 125th of 251 finishers.
Lackawanna Trail’s Avery Ronchi was 12th in Class A boys where seven of the top 13 finishers were from District 2.
Kendel Jones finished second to lead Elk Lake to second place as a team. Susquehanna was fourth.
