Tigers battle the heat at Peterswood Park
by: Cross Country Contributor
The North Allegheny cross country teams traveled to Peterswood Park on Wednesday afternoon for a dual meet against Peters Township, battling scorching temperatures in the 90s along with a long and hilly course. The Tiger boys came away with a 19-40 victory, while the girls fell to Peters Township by a 25-32 score.
The North Allegheny boys controlled the front of the race, sweeping the top three positions. Senior Wyatt Case led the way, capturing the individual victory in 20:00. Senior Ethan Voll followed in second place at 20:23, with junior Denny Smith just one second behind in 20:24 to complete the Tigers’ 1-2-3 finish.
After a pair of Peters Township runners crossed the line, senior James Kelly finished sixth overall in 21:02 and senior Jack Gordish followed in seventh at 21:14 to complete North Allegheny’s scoring five and give the Tigers 19 team points.
The Tigers’ depth was also on display just behind the scoring five. Junior Nathan Wach placed ninth in 21:18, while junior Sam Patterson finished 10th in 21:25. Their finishes displaced Peters Township’s fourth and fifth scorers to 11th and 12th place, helping secure the 19-40 victory.
On the girls’ side, freshman phenom Sydney Burgbacher led the Tigers with a runner-up finish, crossing the line in 25:00. Senior Gabby Pizon was the next North Allegheny runner across the line, placing sixth in 26:25.
From there, a young Tiger pack came through in quick succession. Freshman Allie Ryan finished seventh in 26:51, senior Madeleine Jablonski placed eighth in 26:56, and freshman Ellie Smith crossed ninth in 27:00 to complete North Allegheny’s scoring five.
Junior Leila Nocera followed closely in 10th place at 27:12, while freshman Avalyn Yurky was 11th in 27:16. The Tigers showed impressive pack running, with just 25 seconds separating their second through seventh finishers.
Peters Township placed four runners among the top five and used a ghost runner as its fifth scorer to earn the 25-32 victory.
Despite the extreme early-season heat and demanding terrain at Peterswood Park, the Tigers put together a strong afternoon highlighted by the boys’ sweep of the top three places and victory, along with an encouraging display of depth from a young North Allegheny girls squad.
The Tigers will return to competition at the Red, White & Blue Invitational on Saturday, September 12th.
