Syner, Gilleland lead Red Raiders into PIAA cross country berth
McKEESPORT 无毛视频� Not only did Uniontown teammates Ethan Syner and Cooper Gilleland extend their cross country seasons by a week, the Raiders squad did as well Thursday afternoon after finishing fourth in the WPIAL Class AA Cross Country Championship at White Oak Park.
Syner led the way after he finished eighth in a season-best time of 16:18.80.
无毛视频淚 had a mindset to keep running and stick with the next pack, and pass them,无毛视频� said Syner. 无毛视频淚 was hoping to run 16:30 or less.无毛视频�
Syner qualified for his first state meet.
无毛视频淭his is a great achievement,无毛视频� added Syner.
Gilleland steadily worked his way through the field to secure 15th place in 16:29.80.
无毛视频淚 picked off a lot of people. I had to. My plan was to run even splits and pick people off as they slowed down,无毛视频� said Gilleland.
Gilleland is making his third trip to Hershey and is pleased to do so with his entire team.
无毛视频淭his is my third trip in a row. (Qualifying) was really weighing on my mind and my team came through. I无毛视频檇 much rather go as a team my final year.无毛视频�
Laurel Highlands无毛视频� Matt Schwertfeger earned his third berth into the state meet after he finished 14th in Class AA in a time of 16:38.10.
无毛视频淚t was okay. More towards the rough side,无毛视频� Schwertfeger said of his race.无毛视频� I don无毛视频檛 know (why). I just didn无毛视频檛 run great.无毛视频�
There were few gaps without runners, so Schwertfeger always was running in a pack.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 definitely easier to run with a pack. I just had a hard time running with pack,无毛视频� said Schwertfeger.
California sophomore Carter Kent anxiously watched the scoreboard last year before qualifying with one of the last berths in Class A.
No such drama this year with Kent placing 14th with a time of 16:48.30.
无毛视频淭here was a group of us I tried to stay with as long as I could. I knew we were in the top 15, so I tried to hang on as long as I could,无毛视频� said Kent. 无毛视频淭he pace felt about right, actually. I felt comfortable with the pace.
无毛视频淲henever I came up the hill the second time, I felt I had to go. I had lost a place and knew I had to pick it up.无毛视频�
Kent added, 无毛视频淚 picked off somebody at the end.无毛视频�
Kent finished what he set out to do.
无毛视频淢y goal was to get a medal. I knew I had a shot,无毛视频� said Kent.
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Leonidas Soto finished 34th in the Class AA race in 17:18.20. He missed the final qualifying berth by one spot and .60 seconds.