Cross Country: Cummings Leads Palmyra Cougars at Carlisle Invitational

On Saturday, the Palmyra Cougars traveled to Cumberland County to compete in the Carlisle Invitational, a highly competitive meet that drew top teams from across the region.

Boys Team

The Palmyra Boys placed 15th as a team in the Challenge Division. The team title went to State College, followed by LaSalle College Prep and host Carlisle. Cape Henlopen finished 4th overall.

Leading the Cougars was Cornelius Cummings, who turned in an outstanding 13th-place finish with an outstanding time of 15:52.2. Nathan Keiner finished 99th at 17:24.8, Gavin Bullard came in 113th at 17:38.5, Dalton Cole crossed 130th at 18:07.9, and Landyn Rose placed 133rd at 18:12.0.

Cummings’ performance was particularly impressive. In comparison, the less competitive Champions Division, which included 227 runners, was won by a runner just one second faster than Cummings’ time.

Girls Team

The Cougars’ Girls team finished 20th as a team in the Challenge Division. The team championship went to Padua Academy, a private Catholic school in Havertown.

Palmyra was led by Leah Senft, who ran 72nd in 20:41.1. Andrea Cooper followed in 78th at 20:49.6, Amber McCurdy in 99th at 21:09.6, Alyssa McCully in 132nd at 21:57.2, and Jericho Church in 133rd at 21:57.5. Chelsea Herr (136th – 22:03.8) and Laura Reese (165th – 22:52.0) also posted strong finishes.

A total of 217 racers completed the Challenge Division course, with another 184 finishing in the Champions Division. Senft’s time would have placed her 28th in the Champions race.

Overall, the Palmyra Cougars delivered strong individual performances, highlighted by Cummings’ standout run, showing that they are postseason-ready.