PENN STATE CLUB XC--IN ITS FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE CHALLENGE--WON THE 20-29 RACE. LEFT TO RIGHT: JOHN TERRY, RICK STRABLE, JOSH VERBANO, BILLY WEISSER AND BRIAN MCNULLY. ERICH DINKFELT PHOTO

Host West Penn Track Club Dominates
at Pittsylvania XC Challenge

BY JOHN HARWICK

PITTSBURGH, PA--Pre-race favorites prevailed in the Pittsylvania XC Challenge on November 12 at Frick Park, and the host West Penn Track Club dominated the team competition.

Former Edinboro U. of PA distance ace Pete Boyd, third in the Pittsburgh Great Race 10K, won the 6K in a quick 19:46 to claim a comfortable :17 margin of victory.

Defending champion Charlie Ban (20:03) had to settle for second place. Last year the former University of Richmond distance ace won the 8K (now a 6K) in 27:14.

Central Cambria High’s Carly Seymour--one week after winning the PIAAs--won her 6K in a convincing 22:22. WPIAL runnerup Diana Filtz of Penn-Trafford High took second in 23:09.

Canon McMillan High’s Kyle Gibson (13:51) and Fox Chapel High’s Rachel Humphrey (16:08) won the 14-15 4K races. Each of them broke the meet record.

Penn State Club XC won the men’s 20-29 team title, but West Penn countered by sweeping the 30-39, 40-49, and 50+ titles with the 30-39 team posting the lowest score of 80.

St. Vincent College (16-19 and 20-29) and West Penn (30-39 and 40+) split the women’s team titles with the West Penn 30-39 team posting the lowest score of 66.

TEAMS FROM THE HOST WEST PENN TRACK CLUB SWEPT THE 12-15 RACES. KNEELING (LEFT TO RIGHT): ANGELICA PECK, RACHEL HUMPHREY, LAURA HUMPHREY AND OLIVIA MCQUADE. MISSING: LESLIE KOVACH AND NOELLE KUMMANT. STANDING: MIKE CAIN, KEVIN MAY, CRAIG EDDY, PETE ALTER AND NATE ALTER. ERICH DINKFELT PHOTO

FINISH LINE--Twelve of the runners in the 2K/4K competed in the USATF Region 2 Junior Olympic XC Championships on November 20 at Holmdel, NJ. Challenge 8-9 2K winner Morgan Ansell of the Greensburg YMCA won the JO Sub-Bantam 2K title…Runners broke three 2K/4K records and established 19 6K records as the race replaced the 8K contested from 1999-2004. Owen Baillie of Pittsburgh ran 10:51 to break the 8-9 2K 11:09 record set by Will Nabors in 2001, Kyle Gibson of Canon McMillan High ran 13:51 to break the 14-15 4K 14:08 record set by Ben Hahn of Smethport High in 2003 and Rachel Humphrey of Fox Chapel High ran 16:06 to break the 14-15 4K 16:14 record set by Lauren Sittler of Ambridge High in 2004…West Penn’s Mike Cain claimed his third straight Challenge age-group win: 10-11 in 2003-2004 and 12-13 this year…No records remain from the 1999 or 2000 Challenges. Dario Donatelli’s 12-13 4K 15:05 from 2001 ranks as the oldest record…Sophomores Craig Eddy of Somerset High and Rachel Humphrey of Fox Chapel High led West Penn to a sweep of the 12-15 team titles. Both Craig and Rachel competed in the PIAAs for the second straight year…West Penn and St. Vincent College staged the closest team competition in the women’s race with captain Lisa Falenski’s 30-39 West Penn team edging the 20-29 Bearcat’s, 66-68…West Penners own 18 Challenge records. Nearly half of them belong to members of three families. Jim Humphrey (45-49) and three of his children--David and Mary (both 5-U) and Rachel (14-15)--own four records. Jeanette Boyd and husband Pete own 30-34 records. John Harwick (70-74) and granddaughter Katie (6-7) own a pair of records…Seven of the runners in the 6K competed in the USATF National Club XC Championships on November 19 at Rochester, NY…Participation hit 132 to rank as the second highest in the meet’s seven-year history: 99 in 1999, 78 in 2000, 97 in 2001, 90 in 2002, 157 in 2003, and 96 in 2004…Mark Swartz, long-time USATF National Official, served as the meet referee…Pennsylvania schoolgirl XC champion Carly Seymour of Central Cambria High ranks as the sixth state champ to win Challenge titles. She follows Baldwin’s Dan Mazzocco (16-19 in 1999 and 2000), Wheeling Park/WV’s Ricky Moore (20-24 in 2001), West Allegheny’s Lauren Shaffer (16-19 in 1999), Oak Glen/WV’s Justin Simpson (16-19 in 2001 and 2002) and West Allegheny’s Christine Taranto (16-19 in 2002)…Runners ranged in age from 6-year-old Madissen Steiner of Saegertown to 72-year-old John Harwick of West Penn…Marty Uher, veteran California U. of PA XC coach, started the races with his usual efficiency. Marty served as the meet’s honorary chair…