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Boyd Places Sixth at States; Annville-Cleona Girls, Cedar Crest Boys Finish Among Pennsylvania’s Best
The 2026 high school cross country season came to a close Saturday as Pennsylvania’s top runners gathered at Big Spring High School in Newville for the PIAA State Championships. For the first time, Big Spring hosted the State Meet, giving District 3 runners the opportunity to compete for state honors on the same course where they had raced just one week earlier.
Lebanon County was well represented, with two qualifying teams and five additional individual runners competing against the best in Pennsylvania.
The day’s biggest individual highlight came from Annville-Cleona’s Benjamin Boyd, who raced to a sixth-place finish in Class AA. Meanwhile, Annville-Cleona’s girls earned a ninth-place finish in AA, and Cedar Crest’s boys placed 12th in AAA, giving Lebanon County two teams among the top 12 in the state.
Northern Lebanon also had three runners competing individually, while Annville-Cleona was represented by another individual qualifier in the boys competition.
Boys AA: Boyd Earns Sixth-Place Finish
After narrowly missing a District 3 championship a week earlier, Annville-Cleona’s Benjamin Boyd returned to Big Spring looking to finish his season among Pennsylvania’s best.
Boyd delivered, covering the 5,000-meter course in 16:09 to finish sixth overall in the Class AA race.
The performance was the highest individual finish of any Lebanon County runner at Saturday’s championships and placed Boyd among the state’s elite distance runners.
Quaker Valley’s Jonah Montagnese captured the individual state championship in 15:02, finishing 37 seconds ahead of runner-up Jack Steineman of North Catholic (15:39). Bellefonte’s Jonathan Gasper placed third in 15:54, followed by District 3 champion Asher Baker of Big Spring in 16:03.
Northern Lebanon’s Anthony Frederick III finished 63rd in 17:12, continuing a strong season that included a ninth-place finish at Districts.
Annville-Cleona’s Hunter Troxell finished 115th in 17:41, while Northern Lebanon sophomore Isaac Bruce placed 196th in 18:28.
The Class AA team championship went to Quaker Valley, which scored 128 points to finish ahead of Brookville (151) and District 3 champion Susquehannock (193).
Lebanon County Boys AA Results
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Benjamin Boyd | Annville-Cleona | 16:09 |
| 63 | Anthony Frederick III | Northern Lebanon | 17:12 |
| 115 | Hunter Troxell | Annville-Cleona | 17:41 |
| 196 | Isaac Bruce | Northern Lebanon | 18:28 |
Boys AA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quaker Valley | 128 |
| 2 | Brookville | 151 |
| 3 | Susquehannock | 193 |
| 4 | Harbor Creek | 197 |
| 5 | Central Cambria | 199 |
Girls AA: Annville-Cleona Finishes Ninth in Pennsylvania
Annville-Cleona’s girls entered the State Championships following a third-place finish at Districts, and the Little Dutchmen continued their successful postseason with a ninth-place team finish in Class AA.
The team scored 268 points, finishing just six behind eighth-place Lampeter-Strasburg and 11 ahead of 10th-place Crestwood.
Junior Lucy Stellmach led Annville-Cleona with a 45th-place finish in 20:11, improving upon her 15th-place District 3 performance to lead the Little Dutchmen at States.
Fellow junior Paige Stoltz finished 91st in 20:58, followed by senior Emily Shearer, who placed 108th in 21:12.
Junior Leah Rotunda crossed 123rd in 21:28, while sophomore Bridget Funck completed the scoring five with a 160th-place finish in 21:57.
Freshman Anna Rotunda finished 201st in 22:51, and fellow freshman Kennedy Sanders placed 213th in 23:23, rounding out Annville-Cleona’s seven-runner lineup.
The Little Dutchmen’s ninth-place finish was a fitting conclusion to a season that also included a fourth-place showing at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships and a team berth earned at Districts.
Northern Lebanon freshman Kayleigh DiPasquale also represented Lebanon County in the Class AA girls race. DiPasquale finished 93rd in 21:00, completing a successful postseason that saw her qualify individually for States with a 23rd-place District 3 finish.
Wellsboro’s Lauren Kosek won the individual state championship in 17:49, finishing 35 seconds ahead of Bedford’s Chloe May, who took second in 18:24. Forest Hills’ Bella Ascherl also crossed in 18:24 to finish third.
Cathedral Prep claimed the Class AA team championship with 92 points, edging Central Cambria, which finished second with 99. Danville placed third with 145 points.
District 3 champion Oley Valley finished fifth in the state with 200 points.
Lebanon County Girls AA Results
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Lucy Stellmach | Annville-Cleona | 20:11 |
| 91 | Paige Stoltz | Annville-Cleona | 20:58 |
| 93 | Kayleigh DiPasquale | Northern Lebanon | 21:00 |
| 108 | Emily Shearer | Annville-Cleona | 21:12 |
| 123 | Leah Rotunda | Annville-Cleona | 21:28 |
| 160 | Bridget Funck | Annville-Cleona | 21:57 |
| 201 | Anna Rotunda | Annville-Cleona | 22:51 |
| 213 | Kennedy Sanders | Annville-Cleona | 23:23 |
Girls AA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathedral Prep | 92 |
| 2 | Central Cambria | 99 |
| 3 | Danville | 145 |
| 4 | North Catholic | 161 |
| 5 | Oley Valley | 200 |
Annville-Cleona: 9th place, 268 points
Boys AAA: Cedar Crest Places 12th at States
Entering the 2026 season, there were questions surrounding Cedar Crest’s boys cross country team. After all, the Falcons had graduated Travis Furmanski, who captured a PIAA State Championship before taking his talents to Ole Miss. Replacing a runner of that caliber would be no easy task.
However, Coach Brandon Risser’s crew stepped up to the challenge. Rather than relying on one standout runner, the Falcons developed the depth and consistency needed to remain among Pennsylvania’s top programs.
Cedar Crest finished runner-up at both the Lancaster-Lebanon League and District 3 Championships before capping off its impressive postseason with a 12th-place finish at States.
The Falcons scored 302 points, finishing four ahead of Manheim Township, which placed 13th with 306. It was a particularly satisfying result considering Cedar Crest had finished just 19 points behind the Blue Streaks at Districts one week earlier.
Senior Zachary Margut led Cedar Crest with a 46th-place finish in 16:16. Margut had previously placed fifth at Districts and eighth at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships.
Junior Wyatt Wolfe was Cedar Crest’s second finisher, placing 82nd in 16:37.
Senior James Engle finished 118th in 16:54, followed by junior Avery Gatto, who took 140th in 17:06.
Junior Henry Wengert rounded out the Falcons’ scoring five, placing 177th in 17:24.
Hayden Snavely finished 195th in 17:38, while Ryan Zartman placed 217th in 18:11.
Cedar Crest’s top five scoring runners finished within 1:08 of one another, a reflection of the team depth that helped the Falcons remain competitive despite losing their state champion.
The Class AAA boys race was dominated by State College, which placed three runners among the top seven and all five scorers inside the top 22 overall.
Senior Luke Bradbury won the individual championship in 15:06, followed by teammate Theo Oppermann in 15:27. Norwin’s Declan O’Donnell finished third in 15:33.
State College captured the team championship with just 33 points, finishing well ahead of runner-up Norwin (69) and third-place La Salle College (84).
Cedar Crest Boys AAA Results
| Place | Runner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Zachary Margut | 16:16 |
| 82 | Wyatt Wolfe | 16:37 |
| 118 | James Engle | 16:54 |
| 140 | Avery Gatto | 17:06 |
| 177 | Henry Wengert | 17:24 |
| 195 | Hayden Snavely | 17:38 |
| 217 | Ryan Zartman | 18:11 |
Boys AAA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State College | 33 |
| 2 | Norwin | 69 |
| 3 | La Salle College | 84 |
| 4 | North Allegheny | 210 |
| 5 | North Penn | 243 |
Cedar Crest: 12th place, 302 points
Lebanon County’s State Championship Results
The County’s two qualifying teams both finished among the top 12 in their classifications, while the five additional individual qualifiers represented Annville-Cleona and Northern Lebanon.
Team Finishes
- Annville-Cleona Girls (AA): 9th, 268 points
- Cedar Crest Boys (AAA): 12th, 302 points
Individual Results
Girls
Class AA
-
- 45th – Lucy Stellmach (Annville-Cleona), 20:11
- 91st – Paige Stoltz (Annville-Cleona), 20:58
- 93rd – Kayleigh DiPasquale (Northern Lebanon), 21:00
- 108th – Emily Shearer (Annville-Cleona), 21:12
- 123rd – Leah Rotunda (Annville-Cleona), 21:28
- 160th – Bridget Funck (Annville-Cleona), 21:57
- 201st – Anna Rotunda (Annville-Cleona), 22:51
- 213th – Kennedy Sanders (Annville-Cleona), 23:23
Boys
Class AAA
-
- 46th – Zachary Margut (Cedar Crest), 16:16
- 82nd – Wyatt Wolfe (Cedar Crest), 16:37
- 118th – James Engle (Cedar Crest), 16:54
- 140th – Avery Gatto (Cedar Crest), 17:06
- 177th – Henry Wengert (Cedar Crest), 17:24
- 195th – Hayden Snavely (Cedar Crest), 17:38
- 217th – Ryan Zartman (Cedar Crest), 18:11
Class AA
-
- 6th – Benjamin Boyd (Annville-Cleona), 16:09
- 63rd – Anthony Frederick III (Northern Lebanon), 17:12
- 115th – Hunter Troxell (Annville-Cleona), 17:41
- 196th – Isaac Bruce (Northern Lebanon), 18:28
Other Results
Girls AAA: Norwin Claims Team Title; Froelich Wins Individual Championship
The Class AAA girls competition featured one of the closest individual finishes of the day.
Peters Township sophomore Kathryn Froelich captured the state championship in 17:33, with South Fayette junior Angela Zeng also officially credited with a time of 17:33 in second place.
Daniel Boone senior Julia Leady, the District 3 champion, finished third in 17:40.
Norwin captured the team championship with 86 points, followed by District 3 champion Dallastown with 120. Fox Chapel finished third with 141, while Upper Dublin placed fourth with 168.
Dallastown’s runner-up finish was the highest team placement by a District 3 girls AAA program.
Girls AAA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwin | 86 |
| 2 | Dallastown | 120 |
| 3 | Fox Chapel | 141 |
| 4 | Upper Dublin | 168 |
| 5 | Downingtown West | 203 |
Boys A: Simkiss Wins Individual Title; Winchester Thurston Takes Team Championship
The Class A boys race featured an impressive winning performance from Regina Luminis Academy senior Gabe Simkiss, who captured the state championship in 15:27.
Sewickley Academy junior Zachary Sharara finished second in 15:36, followed by District 3 champion Jaxon Hobbs of Anchor Christian Academy in 15:37.
Veritas Academy senior Gus Seifferlein placed fourth in 15:52, while Dayspring Christian senior Noah Huxta finished fifth in 16:04.
Winchester Thurston captured the team championship with 49 points, ahead of Riverside (68) and Riverview (128).
Boys A Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winchester Thurston | 49 |
| 2 | Riverside | 68 |
| 3 | Riverview | 128 |
| 4 | Northeast Bradford | 142 |
| 5 | Shalom Christian Academy | 234 |
Girls A: Mosca Leads Our Lady of Sacred Heart to State Championship
Our Lady of Sacred Heart enjoyed a dominant performance in the Class A girls competition, claiming both the individual and team championships.
Senior Mira Mosca won the individual title in 19:05, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Elk County Catholic freshman Lane Schreiber, who took second in 19:15.
District 3 champion Alex Sagen of Covenant Christian Academy finished third in 19:19.
Our Lady of Sacred Heart scored just 49 points to secure the team championship, finishing well ahead of runner-up Winchester Thurston (108).
Covenant Christian Academy finished 12th as a team with 291 points.
Girls A Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Our Lady of Sacred Heart | 49 |
| 2 | Winchester Thurston | 108 |
| 3 | Elk County Catholic | 181 |
| 4 | Richland | 198 |
| 5 | Lakeview | 199 |
A Strong Finish to the 2026 Season
Saturday’s championships brought the curtain down on another memorable cross country season for Lebanon County.
Cedar Crest’s boys followed their Lancaster-Lebanon League and District 3 runner-up finishes with a 12th-place performance at States, while Annville-Cleona’s girls built on their strong League and District showings to finish ninth in Pennsylvania.
Individually, Boyd’s sixth-place finish provided one of the County’s top moments of the postseason, while Frederick, Bruce, DiPasquale, and Troxell earned the opportunity to test themselves against the state’s best.
For the County’s runners, Saturday represented the culmination of months of training, early mornings, challenging workouts, and countless miles.
With the 2026 season now complete, Lebanon County’s runners have plenty of accomplishments to celebrate, along with a foundation to build upon when cross country returns next fall.
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