If you like this type of coverage, please let us know by Following us on social media: Twitter/X – @lebcosports1 and Facebook.
For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.
Lebanon County’s cross country teams were spread across three locations Tuesday, with Annville-Cleona traveling to Lancaster Catholic, ELCO hosting Northern Lebanon, and Cedar Crest and Lebanon meeting J.P. McCaskey at South Hills Park.
The afternoon produced several close team races, four individual victories by County runners, and a strong showing from Annville-Cleona, which swept its two races against Lancaster Catholic.
Palmyra was also in Mid Penn action at Northern York, but we have yet to receive the results.
How Are Cross Country Dual Meets Scored?
For those who may be new to cross country, team scoring is based on place rather than time. Each team’s first five finishers count toward its score. Their finishing places are added together, and the team with the lowest total wins.
For example, if a team’s first five runners finish 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th, its score is 25 points. The sixth and seventh runners do not add points to their team’s score, but they can still be important because their finishing positions can push an opponent’s scoring runners farther back.
When three or more teams race together, the meet is generally scored as a series of head-to-head matchups. That is why Cedar Crest, Lebanon, and McCaskey have separate scores for each pairing even though everyone competed in the same race.
Annville-Cleona vs. Lancaster Catholic
Girls
Annville-Cleona placed five runners among the first seven scoring positions on the way to a 21-37 victory over Lancaster Catholic in the Section 3 opener.
Lucy Stellmach led the field with a winning time of 21:25.36. Lancaster Catholic’s Leah Droter followed in 21:42.52 before Paige Stoltz and Emily Shearer crossed third and fourth in 22:40.66 and 22:55.47.
Anna Rotunda added a seventh-place finish for A-C in 24:35.67, while Kennedy Sanders was ninth in 25:34.69.
Top 10 Finishers
- Lucy Stellmach, Annville-Cleona — 21:25.36
- Leah Droter, Lancaster Catholic — 21:42.52
- Paige Stoltz, Annville-Cleona — 22:40.66
- Emily Shearer, Annville-Cleona — 22:55.47
- Amelia Atkinson, Lancaster Catholic — 23:06.80
- Anna Rotunda, Annville-Cleona — 24:35.67
- Taven Paxson, Lancaster Catholic — 25:03.33
- Kennedy Sanders, Annville-Cleona — 25:34.69
- Maggie Logan, Lancaster Catholic — 26:13.13
Team Score
Annville-Cleona 21, Lancaster Catholic 37
Boys
Annville-Cleona was even more dominant in the boys race, placing five runners among the first six to earn a 19-43 victory.
Mathew Altland took the individual win in 17:40.32, finishing ahead of Lancaster Catholic’s Owen McKeon, who crossed in 18:04.57.
From there, the Little Dutchmen filled the next four spots. Hunter Troxell was third in 19:13.46, Oliver Brandt fourth in 19:41.12, Jayden Jorge fifth in 19:51.87, and Abraham Weber sixth in 20:10.22.
Top 10 Finishers
- Mathew Altland, Annville-Cleona — 17:40.32
- Owen McKeon, Lancaster Catholic — 18:04.57
- Hunter Troxell, Annville-Cleona — 19:13.46
- Oliver Brandt, Annville-Cleona — 19:41.12
- Jayden Jorge, Annville-Cleona — 19:51.87
- Abraham Weber, Annville-Cleona — 20:10.22
- Gradyn Sanders, Annville-Cleona — 21:00.62
- Joe Snyder, Lancaster Catholic — 21:48.14
- Oskar Yakum, Annville-Cleona — 21:48.87
- Asher Kohr, Annville-Cleona — 22:50.71
Team Score
Annville-Cleona 19, Lancaster Catholic 43
Northern Lebanon at ELCO
The County’s closest team races came in Myerstown, where ELCO and Northern Lebanon split the girls and boys decisions, with each decided by just three points in the Section 3 clash between LebCo rivals.
Girls
Zoey Bouchard gave Northern Lebanon the individual victory with a time of 24:38, but ELCO used its depth immediately behind her to earn a 26-29 win.
Riley Keener led the Raiders in second at 25:11, followed by teammate Paityn Newswanger in third at 25:32. Northern Lebanon’s Kayleigh DiPasquale placed fourth in 26:21 before Cali Miller and Sarah Badallato crossed fifth and sixth for ELCO.
Northern Lebanon put three runners in positions seven through nine, but ELCO’s four finishers among the top six provided enough of an advantage for the Raiders to hold on.
Top 10 Finishers
- Zoey Bouchard, Northern Lebanon — 24:38
- Riley Keener, ELCO — 25:11
- Paityn Newswanger, ELCO — 25:32
- Kayleigh DiPasquale, Northern Lebanon — 26:21
- Cali Miller, ELCO — 26:35
- Sarah Badallato, ELCO — 27:03
- Chloe Seyfert, Northern Lebanon — 27:58
- Taylor Cunningham, Northern Lebanon — 28:16
- Sophia Roye, Northern Lebanon — 28:22
- Isabel Klick, ELCO — 28:37
Team Score: ELCO 26, Northern Lebanon 29
Boys
Northern Lebanon returned the favor in the boys race, holding off ELCO by the same 26-29 margin.
Anthony Frederick III won the race in 19:15, while teammate Owen Kelly followed in second at 19:49. ELCO responded by taking the next three positions, with Sawyer Shanaman third in 19:57, Nicolas Wolfe fourth in 20:16, and John Gass fifth in 20:22.
Mason Krall then crossed sixth for Northern Lebanon in 20:29. With Isaac Bruce and Avery Costanzo finishing eighth and ninth, respectively, the Vikings had all five of their scoring runners across the line within the first nine places to secure the narrow victory.
Top 10 Finishers
- Anthony Frederick III, Northern Lebanon — 19:15
- Owen Kelly, Northern Lebanon — 19:49
- Sawyer Shanaman, ELCO — 19:57
- Nicolas Wolfe, ELCO — 20:16
- John Gass, ELCO — 20:22
- Mason Krall, Northern Lebanon — 20:29
- Joshua DeSteno, ELCO — 21:22
- Isaac Bruce, Northern Lebanon — 21:26
- Avery Costanzo, Northern Lebanon — 21:44
- Jack Dermes, ELCO — 21:52
Team Score
Northern Lebanon 26, ELCO 29
Cedar Crest, Lebanon & J.P. McCaskey at South Hills Park
In LL Section 1 action, Cedar Crest and Lebanon welcomed J.P. McCaskey to South Hills Park for a three-team meet, with each race producing three separate head-to-head results.
Girls
McCaskey topped Cedar Crest 20-35, while both teams earned victories over Lebanon. Cedar Crest defeated the Cedars 15-50, with McCaskey also recording a 15-50 decision.
McCaskey’s Ruby Garner-Valle won the race in 19:55, followed by teammates Carolynn Main and Vivian Salerno.
Madisyn Willis was Cedar Crest’s first finisher, taking fourth in 22:49. The Falcons then put four more runners inside the top 10, with Clara Schneider sixth, Sophie Meli seventh, J’Liana Reyes eighth, and Caroline Maisto 10th.
Top 10 Finishers
- Ruby Garner-Valle, J.P. McCaskey — 19:55
- Carolynn Main, J.P. McCaskey — 21:12
- Vivian Salerno, J.P. McCaskey — 21:13
- Madisyn Willis, Cedar Crest — 22:49
- Munira Siegrist, J.P. McCaskey — 23:04
- Clara Schneider, Cedar Crest — 23:13
- Sophie Meli, Cedar Crest — 23:18
- J’Liana Reyes, Cedar Crest — 23:26
- Nyla LaRue, J.P. McCaskey — 23:36
- Caroline Maisto, Cedar Crest — 23:39
Team Scores
J.P. McCaskey 20, Cedar Crest 35
Cedar Crest 15, Lebanon 50
J.P. McCaskey 15, Lebanon 50
Boys
Cedar Crest earned two wins, defeating McCaskey 27-32 and Lebanon 17-46. McCaskey also defeated Lebanon 17-46.
Wyatt Wolfe gave Cedar Crest the individual victory, crossing in 17:19. The race at the front was tight, with McCaskey’s Lance Engle finishing just two seconds back in 17:21, followed by Thomas Ardia in 17:24 and Isaac Hoover in 17:28.
The Falcons answered with Henry Wengert in fifth at 17:35 and Avery Gatto in sixth at 17:57. Lebanon’s Samuel Hershey was seventh overall in 18:19, followed by three straight Cedar Crest runners as Cameran Willis, Ryan Zartman, and Michael Meitzler occupied positions eight through 10.
That pack helped Cedar Crest overcome McCaskey placing three runners among the first four and secure the five-point victory.
Top 10 Finishers
- Wyatt Wolfe, Cedar Crest — 17:19
- Lance Engle, J.P. McCaskey — 17:21
- Thomas Ardia, J.P. McCaskey — 17:24
- Isaac Hoover, J.P. McCaskey — 17:28
- Henry Wengert, Cedar Crest — 17:35
- Avery Gatto, Cedar Crest — 17:57
- Samuel Hershey, Lebanon — 18:19
- Cameran Willis, Cedar Crest — 18:23
- Ryan Zartman, Cedar Crest — 18:31
- Michael Meitzler, Cedar Crest — 18:52
Team Scores:
Cedar Crest 27, J.P. McCaskey 32
Cedar Crest 17, Lebanon 46
J.P. McCaskey 17, Lebanon 46
Palmyra vs. Northern & Lower Dauphin
Palmyra was in Mid-Penn Keystone dual-meet schedule against host Northern and Lower Dauphin, with Covenant Christian also joining the field for the combined races.
Girls
Palmyra opened Keystone competition with a pair of victories, edging Northern 27-28 and defeating Lower Dauphin 26-30.
Covenant Christian’s Alex Sagen won the overall race in 19:56, while Amber McCurdy led Palmyra with a seventh-place finish in 21:59. Ava Smith followed immediately behind in eighth at 22:20, giving the Cougars two runners among the top eight.
Olivia Vordi was Palmyra’s next finisher, placing 11th in 22:46. The Cougars received additional scoring contributions from Bailey Grissinger, Alyssa McCully, and Helena Baker as they came away with a 2-0 start in Keystone dual action.
Top 10 Finishers
- Alex Sagen, Covenant Christian — 19:56
- Lily Hayes, Northern — 20:47
- Loreli Hocker, Lower Dauphin — 20:55
- Caroline Chairmain, Northern — 21:49
- Nora Miller, Covenant Christian — 21:54
- Oakleigh Yarbrough, Lower Dauphin — 21:57
- Amber McCurdy, Palmyra — 21:59
- Ava Smith, Palmyra — 22:20
- Emmy Sagen, Covenant Christian — 22:20
- Ellie Meily, Lower Dauphin — 22:38
Team Scores
Palmyra 27, Northern 28
Palmyra 26, Lower Dauphin 30
Boys
Lower Dauphin controlled the front of the boys race, taking seven of the first nine overall positions. Daniel Dunk led the way with a winning time of 17:21.
Max Chesney was Palmyra’s top finisher, placing eighth overall in 18:48. Finn Cuming followed in 11th at 19:31, while Dalton Cole finished 19th in 20:37.
The Cougars also received scoring finishes from Ben Hohenwarter and Lucas Pachiaski, while Emmitt Savory, Carson McDonald, and Ryder Wildner formed a tight pack immediately behind them.
In the Keystone dual scoring, Northern defeated Palmyra 23-31, while Lower Dauphin earned a 15-49 victory.
Top 10 Finishers
- Daniel Dunk, Lower Dauphin — 17:21
- Michael Sather, Lower Dauphin — 17:22
- Ben Barreca, Lower Dauphin — 17:32
- Micah C., Lower Dauphin — 17:36
- Owen Falk, Lower Dauphin — 17:37
- Austin Grow, Lower Dauphin — 17:42
- Evan Dickin, Lower Dauphin — 18:32
- Max Chesney, Palmyra — 18:48
- Atticus Grill, Lower Dauphin — 18:49
- Adam Brown, Northern — 19:28
Team Scores
Northern 23, Palmyra 31
Lower Dauphin 15, Palmyra 49
More LebCo Cross Country Coverage
Tuesday’s races came just a few days after many of Lebanon County’s runners competed at the Dutchmen Invitational at Union Canal Tunnel Park, providing an early look at how the area’s teams and individuals are beginning to take shape.
For more on each County program, the runners to watch, and expectations for the fall, check out the 2026 LebCo Cross Country Season Outlook
For results and highlights from Saturday’s high school races, along with Lebanon Valley College and other local collegiate connections, check out the Dutchmen Invitational Recap
Carriage House Car Wash
Buzgon Davis Law
ProSeal
Penn Realty
