Silver lining: Lady Raiders鈥� Trimmer takes second in Class AA at WPIAL meet
McKEESPORT 鈥� The Lady Raiders鈥� Grace Trimmer made a run at the WPIAL Class AA Cross Country Championship title, but Quaker Valley蘑菇视频 Cecelia Montagnese wasn鈥檛 allowing herself to be caught with the Uniontown senior finishing second for her best finish in the district meet.
Montagnese蘑菇视频 winning time was 17:56.20 with Trimmer second in 18:15.20 on the White Oak Park course. The trip to the state meet is the third for Trimmer.
鈥淚 think right before the second mile. I felt horrible today. I don鈥檛 know what it was,鈥� said Trimmer, who was third last year. 鈥淚 ran a PR, so I鈥檓 pretty proud of that. Second (place) is good.鈥�
Uniontown teammate Charley Murtha finished 18th with a time of 20:11.20 for a trip to the state meet. The Lady Raiders finished fourth in the team standings, finishing just nine points out of third place.
Southmoreland senior Lexi Ohler made it 4-for-4 after she finished fourth in 19:32.70.
鈥淚 tried to keep it under control in the first mile. I knew there would be a lot of people going out crazy,鈥� said Ohler. 鈥淚 just stayed patient and just let them fall back. I feel like after the first mile I settled in.
鈥淩unning against someone really helped me. That pushed me.鈥�
Ohler added, 鈥淚 just wanted to finish in the top five. My goal next week is to win a state medal.鈥�
Laurel Highlands teammates Isabella Baker and Taylor Schwertfeger both earned their first trip to the state meet. Baker finished 13th with a time of 20:02.60, while Schwertfeger placed 24th in 20:28.20.
鈥淚 like running a pack. It pushes me. I feel I slow down when I鈥檓 running by myself,鈥� said Baker. 鈥淚 wanted to run 20 and I ran 20:02. I think it was a seven-second PR. I wanted to make states and I wanted to medal.
鈥淚 felt time would come with place.鈥�
鈥淚 ran pretty well. It蘑菇视频 my PR,鈥� said Schwertfeger. 鈥淚 was 19th and moved back a little in the third mile.
鈥淚 tried to keep Charley Murtha and Brooklyn Steeber in my sights.鈥�
Belle Vernon freshman Brooklyn Steeber extended her season by a week by finishing 14th with a time of 20:08.10
鈥淭his is my fourth time here this year,鈥� said Steeber. 鈥淚 wanted to get into a place where I could get into states. The main thing is I wanted to go to states.鈥�
鈥淚 passed three people down the stretch. That got me in the top 15 and I medaled.鈥�
Ringgold sophomore Lily Brenneman secured a PIAA berth after she finished 21st with a time of 20:22.00.
Geibel Catholic junior Emma Larkin earned her third trip in as many attempts after she finished 29th in the Class A race with a time of 21:26.70.
Larkin said the quick start caught up to her as the race progressed.
鈥淚 went out fast. Actually, my first mile was 6:38. My adrenaline was pumping,鈥� explained Larkin. 鈥淚 definitely paid for it in the third mile.鈥�
Larkin took a spill after heading into the second mile after a collision with another runner.
鈥淪omebody cut me off and clipped me, and I took a tumble around the curve,鈥� said Larkin, adding, 鈥淭he cold affected my muscles, even my jaw (when she was breathing).鈥�
Despite issues, Larkin sent the message to herself it was time to get moving.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 the WPIAL (finals). You know you have to go,鈥� said Larkin. 鈥淲hen people were telling me my place, top 25, top 25. I felt a huge relief. I knew where I was and knew I had to push. I needed to focus to get that third time (to states).鈥�
Larkin kept her goal alive to be a state qualifier in cross country all four years.
鈥淚 want to be a four-time qualifier in cross country and track. I want to be 4-for-4,鈥� said Larkin.
California蘑菇视频 Lucia Meiss finished just ahead of Larkin, placing 28th overall in 21:25.40. The first-year senior moved her way through the field as the race progressed.
鈥淚 started at 42nd place and got up to 27th,鈥� said Meiss. 鈥淚 have always been a second half racer. I play soccer and I鈥檓 a second-half player.
鈥淢y goal was to get a PR, because that蘑菇视频 about you. I had a PR (with her time of 21:25). My goal before the season was to get into the 21s.鈥�