NA Boys Finish Runner-Up; Girls Place Fourth at WPIAL Championships
by: Cross Country Contributor
The North Allegheny cross country teams turned in strong performances at the WPIAL Class AAA Championships on Thursday, October 29, highlighted by a runner-up finish from the boys and a fourth-place showing from the girls.
The NA boys finished second among 33 teams with 94 points, securing a berth in the PIAA State Championships. Norwin captured the district title with 45 points, while Mt. Lebanon finished third with 140.
Sophomore Gatik Hirwani led the Tigers with an outstanding third-place finish, covering the 5K course in 15:44.2. Senior Wyatt Case joined him in the top 10, placing 10th in 16:08.5. Junior Denny Smith gave North Allegheny a third top-20 finisher, crossing the line in 18th place with a time of 16:26.6.
Sophomore Colin Clarkson finished 28th in 16:38.4, while senior Ethan Voll rounded out the scoring five in 35th place with a time of 16:51.3. Junior Jack Pfeiffer (56th, 17:14.8) and senior Andrew Morton (66th, 17:23.6) completed the Tigers’ varsity lineup.
In the girls’ race, North Allegheny placed fourth out of 32 teams with 163 points, falling just two points shy of the final
team qualifying position for the state championships. Norwin won the district title with 86 points, followed by Fox Chapel (92) and Peters Township (161).
Sophomore Samantha Strelick led the Tigers with an impressive sixth-place finish in 18:11.4, earning an individual berth in the PIAA State Championships. Senior Lily Ries followed in 24th place with a time of 19:30.9, also securing an individual qualifying spot for the state meet. Fellow senior Gabriela Pizon finished 30th in 19:43.6.
Juniors Leila Nocera and Lydia Stuart completed NA’s scoring five, placing 53rd (20:32.8) and 54th (20:35.6), respectively. Sophomore Elizabeth Richmond finished 68th in 20:57.4, while freshman Sydney Burgbacher rounded out the lineup in 70th place with a time of 21:01.0.
Both North Allegheny squads showcased the depth and determination of the Tigers’ program. With the boys advancing as a team and Strelick and Ries qualifying individually, NA will look to carry its WPIAL success into the PIAA Class AAA Championships.
