NORTH ALLEGHENY BOYS RACE TO THIRD AT HOKA NIGHT XC SHOWCASE
by: Cross Country Contributor
The North Allegheny cross country teams opened their 2026 campaigns under the lights at the HOKA Night XC Showcase at SPIRE Academy in Ohio. Competing against large fields featuring many of the region’s top programs, the Tigers turned in a strong opening night, highlighted by a third-place team finish from the boys.
At 9:45 p.m., on a course illuminated by strings of lights, the boys got the showcase started with an impressive performance, placing third out of 48 scoring teams with 130 points, finishing just two points behind runner-up Mentor. Norwin captured the team title with 92 points. Sophomore Gatik Hirwani led the way for the Tigers, racing to third place overall in 15:40.42. Senior Wyatt Case followed with an 18th-place finish in 16:06.57, giving North Allegheny two runners among the top 20.
The Tigers’ strength continued through the rest of the scoring five. Junior Sam Patterson placed 37th in 16:32.50, while juniors Jack Pfeiffer and Denny Smith finished just two spots apart in 41st and 43rd with times of 16:37.54 and 16:37.89, respectively. Senior Ethan Voll finished 106th in 17:19.57, and senior James Kelly completed the varsity seven in 124th at 17:26.77.
The High School Girls HOKA Showcase was the 14th and final race of the day. Starting at 10:10 p.m., North Allegheny placed seventh out of 43 scoring teams with 376 points. Sophomore Samantha Strelick paced the Tigers, finishing 33rd overall in 19:39.77. Senior Gabriela Pizon was next across the line, placing 52nd in 20:07.65, while junior Lydia Stuart finished 82nd in 20:36.67.
Senior Madeleine Jablonski finished 117th in 21:03.91, followed closely by junior Leila Nocera in 118th at 21:05.77 to complete the scoring five. Sophomore Elizabeth Richmond placed 123rd in 21:09.27, while senior Abby Gordish rounded out the varsity seven in 127th at 21:12.25.
For complete results for all races click here: HOKA Night XC Showcase Results
With five scorers among the top 43 overall, the North Allegheny boys showed impressive depth in their third-place performance, while the girls put together a solid showing in a deep field. Both squads leave their season-opening trip to Ohio with a strong foundation to build upon as the 2026 campaign gets underway.
Tigers compete next at Peters Township on Wednesday, September 2nd.
