NA Boys Capture TSTCA Title; Girls Finish Third
by: Cross Country Contributor
The North Allegheny cross country teams delivered another impressive performance Thursday afternoon at the TSTCA Cross Country Championships at White Oak Park. Competing against some of the top programs in Western Pennsylvania, the Tigers brought home the boys’ team title, while the girls earned a third-place finish.
Boys – 1st Place (70 Points)
The NA boys claimed the team title in a tightly contested battle with Mt. Lebanon, outscoring the Blue Devils 70–79. Greater Latrobe finished a distant third with 162 points.
Sophomore Gatik Hirwani led the Tigers with an outstanding performance, winning the individual title in 15:52.18. Senior Wyatt Case followed with a sixth-place finish in 16:18.70, giving North Allegheny two runners among the top six finishers.
Junior Denny Smith placed 15th in 16:35.79, joining Hirwani and Case as individual medal winners, with medals awarded to the top 20 finishers.
Junior Jack Pfeiffer finished 21st in 16:40.50, while senior Ethan Voll rounded out the Tigers’ scoring five with a 27th-place finish in 16:57.64.
Sophomore Colin Clarkson (29th, 16:58.26) and senior Andrew Morton (31st, 17:00.90) completed NA’s top seven, demonstrating the Tigers’ impressive depth with all seven finishing among the top 31 runners in a field of 288.
Girls – 3rd Place (123 Points)
The NA girls also turned in a solid performance, finishing third with 123 points. Fox Chapel captured the team title with 68 points, followed by Cathedral Prep with 116.
Sophomore Samantha Strelik led the Tigers with an outstanding third-place finish in 17:54.61, earning an individual medal and establishing herself among the top runners in the field.
Senior Lily Ries was NA’s second finisher, placing 14th in 19:20.58, while senior Gabriela Pizon finished 20th in 19:29.95. Both runners also earned individual medals for their top-20 finishes.
Sophomore Elizabeth Richmond followed in 46th place with a time of 20:22.73, and freshman Avalyn Yurky completed the scoring five in 50th place at 20:24.91.
Sophomore Margaret Coffman (53rd, 20:27.83) and junior Leila Nocera (58th, 20:36.58) rounded out the Tigers’ top seven.
The girls demonstrated impressive depth, with just over one minute separating NA’s second through seventh finishers.
Up Next
The Tigers will return to White Oak Park next Thursday, October 29, for the WPIAL Cross Country Championships, competing on the same course at the same scheduled times.
