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Cedar Crest, Annville-Cleona Earn State Berths as LebCo Runners Shine at District 3 Championships
The calendar read Halloween, but for Pennsylvania’s high school cross country runners, Saturday at Big Spring High School in Newville was all about chasing championships and extending their seasons.
The District 3 Cross Country Championships brought together top runners from across south-central Pennsylvania, with individual titles, team championships, and qualifying spots for next weekend’s PIAA Championships at stake.
Lebanon County had plenty to celebrate, highlighted by Cedar Crest‘s boys and Annville-Cleona‘s girls earning team berths to States.
Among the day’s most memorable moments, Annville-Cleona junior Benjamin Boyd finished second in Class AA just a hair behind the gold medalist. Northern Lebanon also had several strong performances, including three runners earning individual state qualifications across the boys and girls races.
With the PIAA Championships moving to Big Spring for the first time this season, the runners advancing to States will return to the same course on Saturday, November 7.
Boys AAA: Cedar Crest Takes Second, Advances to States
Cedar Crest entered Saturday looking to build on its runner-up finish at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships, and the Falcons delivered another outstanding team performance.
The Falcons placed fifth and eighth individually, then used three additional finishes inside the top 46 to secure second place with 127 points. Manheim Township captured the District 3 championship with 108 points.
Senior Zachary Margut led Cedar Crest with a fifth-place finish in 15:54.4, followed by junior Wyatt Wolfe, who crossed eighth in 15:56.0. The two Falcons were separated by just 1.6 seconds.
Senior James Engle added a 35th-place finish in 16:27.6, while junior Henry Wengert finished 40th in 16:37.0. Junior Avery Gatto completed the scoring five, placing 46th in 16:41.3.
Just 46.9 seconds separated Cedar Crest’s five scoring runners, helping the Falcons finish comfortably among the five teams advancing to the PIAA Championships.
Hayden Snavely finished 53rd in 16:51.2, while Ryan Zartman placed 122nd in 17:44.3 to round out Cedar Crest’s seven runners.
The Falcons were joined among the state-qualifying teams by Manheim Township, Hershey, Dallastown, and Lower Dauphin.
Individually, Dallastown senior Benjamin Farbman captured the District 3 championship in 15:34.0, followed by Red Lion’s Ryne Coble in 15:47.4 and Manheim Township’s Ben Doumaux in 15:50.6.
More Lebanon County Boys Highlights
ELCO finished 28th in the Class AAA team standings with 679 points. Junior Max Frederick led the Raiders in 45th place with a time of 16:40.8, followed by Cru Frederick, who finished 55th in 16:52.8. Nicholas Wolfe placed 218th in 18:43.0.
Lebanon senior Samuel Hershey was the Cedars’ top finisher, placing 93rd in 17:16.8. Trystan Steckbeck crossed 222nd in 18:47.1, followed by freshman Jowmi Torres Nieves in 225th at 18:48.0.
Palmyra sophomore Max Chesney led the Cougars with a 124th-place finish in 17:47.0. Finian Cummings was 177th in 18:12.8, while Emmitt Savary finished 239th in 19:06.3 and Landyn Rose placed 252nd in 19:24.8.
Boys AAA Top 10
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benjamin Farbman | Dallastown | 15:34.0 |
| 2 | Ryne Coble | Red Lion | 15:47.4 |
| 3 | Ben Doumaux | Manheim Township | 15:50.6 |
| 4 | Sam Ulrich | Governor Mifflin | 15:52.6 |
| 5 | Zachary Margut | Cedar Crest | 15:54.4 |
| 6 | Stephen Atteberry | Manheim Township | 15:54.6 |
| 7 | Boston Vincenti | Chambersburg | 15:54.6 |
| 8 | Wyatt Wolfe | Cedar Crest | 15:56.0 |
| 9 | Xavier Prinzivalli | Ephrata | 15:56.7 |
| 10 | Michael Sather | Lower Dauphin | 15:56.7 |
Boys AAA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manheim Township | 108 |
| 2 | Cedar Crest | 127 |
| 3 | Hershey | 176 |
| 4 | Dallastown | 177 |
| 5 | Lower Dauphin | 251 |
All five teams qualified for the PIAA Championships.
Girls AAA: Dallastown Claims Team Title
The girls Class AAA competition was dominated by Dallastown, which claimed the District 3 team championship with 74 points, well ahead of runner-up Governor Mifflin’s 140.
Manheim Township finished third with 190 points, followed by J.P. McCaskey with 235. Those four teams secured the District’s team berths for the State Championships.
Daniel Boone senior Julia Leady won the individual championship in 17:42.8, finishing more than 13 seconds ahead of Red Lion senior Gabrielle Houck, who was second in 17:55.8.
Chambersburg’s Natalie Quinn finished third in 18:17.9, followed by Dallastown’s Leah Navarro in 18:26.3.
J.P. McCaskey placed two runners among the top six, with Ruby Garner-Valle finishing fifth in 18:34.3 and Carolynn Main taking sixth in 18:36.6.
Cedar Crest & Palmyra Represent Lebanon County
Cedar Crest finished 21st in the Class AAA girls team standings with 560 points.
Junior Clara Schneider led the Falcons, placing 77th overall in 20:47.9. Junior Sophie Meli followed in 123rd with a time of 21:28.5, while freshman Madisyn Willis crossed 126th in 21:32.1.
Sophomore J’Liana Reyes finished 138th in 21:39.6, and Sage Henery completed Cedar Crest’s scoring five in 149th place at 21:50.3.
Palmyra finished 28th as a team with 671 points.
Senior Leah Senft led the Cougars with a 98th-place finish in 21:07.8, while junior Chelsea Herr took 114th in 21:17.9. Senior Olivia Yorty was 128th in 21:32.5.
Alyssa McCully finished 196th in 22:53.9, followed by Helena Baker in 206th at 23:15.7. Sophia Yorty rounded out the Cougars’ contingent, finishing 234th in 24:23.3.
Girls AAA Top 10
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julia Leady | Daniel Boone | 17:42.8 |
| 2 | Gabrielle Houck | Red Lion | 17:55.8 |
| 3 | Natalie Quinn | Chambersburg | 18:17.9 |
| 4 | Leah Navarro | Dallastown | 18:26.3 |
| 5 | Ruby Garner-Valle | J.P. McCaskey | 18:34.3 |
| 6 | Carolynn Main | J.P. McCaskey | 18:36.6 |
| 7 | Ava Butler | Cumberland Valley | 18:36.8 |
| 8 | Melissa Sweigart | Governor Mifflin | 18:39.3 |
| 9 | Abigail Evans | Dallastown | 18:45.8 |
| 10 | Vivian Millar-Kellner | New Oxford | 18:49.3 |
Girls AAA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallastown | 74 |
| 2 | Governor Mifflin | 140 |
| 3 | Manheim Township | 190 |
| 4 | J.P. McCaskey | 235 |
| 5 | Cumberland Valley | 238 |
The first four teams qualified for the PIAA Championships.
Boys AA: Boyd Finishes Second in Dramatic Race; Northern Lebanon Takes Sixth
The Boys Class AA championship produced one of the day’s closest individual finishes, with Big Spring junior Asher Baker and Annville-Cleona junior Benjamin Boyd both officially credited with times of 15:51.1.
Baker was awarded the District 3 championship, with Boyd taking runner-up honors. The two runners were well ahead of third-place Patrick Tanney of Trinity, who crossed in 16:06.5.
Boyd’s performance earned him an individual berth to the PIAA Championships, where he will have another opportunity to race at Big Spring.
Northern Lebanon also enjoyed a strong showing, finishing sixth in the team standings with 204 points, just one point behind fifth-place Pequea Valley.
Junior Anthony Frederick III led the Vikings with a ninth-place finish in 16:49.8, earning a trip to States. Sophomore Isaac Bruce added another state-qualifying performance, taking 20th in 17:20.7.
Owen Kelly finished 34th in 17:54.8, followed by Mason Krall in 66th at 18:43.9 and Emeri Kreiser in 88th at 19:32.4.
Annville-Cleona placed seventh as a team with 217 points. In addition to Boyd’s runner-up finish, senior Hunter Troxellsecured an individual state berth by taking 24th in 17:26.3.
Oliver Brandt finished 59th in 18:35.2, while Jayden Jorge was 69th in 18:51.4. Gradyn Sanders rounded out the Little Dutchmen’s scoring five, finishing 76th in 19:00.9.
Susquehannock captured the Boys AA team championship with 70 points, comfortably ahead of Octorara (132) and Trinity (143). Those three teams earned the District’s automatic team qualifications for States.
Boys AA Top 10
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asher Baker | Big Spring | 15:51.1 |
| 2 | Benjamin Boyd | Annville-Cleona | 15:51.1 |
| 3 | Patrick Tanney | Trinity | 16:06.5 |
| 4 | Ian Bucalo | Susquehannock | 16:34.6 |
| 5 | Liam McNelis | Trinity | 16:36.8 |
| 6 | Jack McGinnis | Octorara | 16:37.0 |
| 7 | Brandon Reisig | Susquehannock | 16:38.2 |
| 8 | Gavin Wenger | Big Spring | 16:39.4 |
| 9 | Anthony Frederick III | Northern Lebanon | 16:49.8 |
| 10 | Owen Dull | Bermudian Springs | 16:52.0 |
Boys AA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Susquehannock | 70 |
| 2 | Octorara | 132 |
| 3 | Trinity | 143 |
| 4 | Conrad Weiser | 162 |
| 5 | Pequea Valley | 203 |
The top three teams qualified for States.
Lebanon County Individual State Qualifiers: Benjamin Boyd (Annville-Cleona), Anthony Frederick III (Northern Lebanon), Isaac Bruce (Northern Lebanon), and Hunter Troxell (Annville-Cleona).
Girls AA: Annville-Cleona Earns Third-Place Finish and State Berth
Annville-Cleona added another major accomplishment to its 2026 season, finishing third in the District 3 Class AA girls competition and securing a team berth to the PIAA Championships.
The Little Dutchmen scored 107 points, finishing behind champion Oley Valley (78) and runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg (96). All three teams qualified for States.
Junior Lucy Stellmach paced Annville-Cleona with a 15th-place finish in 20:12.2, followed closely by fellow junior Paige Stoltz, who placed 17th in 20:17.9.
The Little Dutchmen’s next two scoring runners finished just three-tenths of a second apart. Junior Leah Rotunda took 25th in 20:48.5, while senior Emily Shearer finished 26th in 20:48.8.
Sophomore Bridget Funck completed the scoring five with a 36th-place finish in 21:26.8.
That depth helped Annville-Cleona hold off East Pennsboro, which finished fourth with 153 points, and Eastern York, which was fifth with 158.
Northern Lebanon finished 16th in the girls team standings with 422 points. Freshman Kayleigh DiPasquale turned in an outstanding individual performance, taking 23rd place in 20:46.2 and earning a berth to the PIAA Championships.
Hannah Cyphers was the Vikings’ second finisher in 117th place at 25:28.3, while Chloe Seyfert finished 125th in 25:58.8.
ELCO finished 19th with 452 points. Sophomore Sarah Badolato led the Raiders with a 79th-place finish in 23:18.6, followed by junior Paityn Newswanger, who was 86th in 23:44.9.
The individual championship went to Pequea Valley sophomore Reagan Gates, who won the race in 18:10.5. Oley Valley senior Marli Laity finished second in 18:46.1, while East Pennsboro’s Cora Minnich took third in 19:02.5.
Girls AA Top 10
| Place | Runner | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reagan Gates | Pequea Valley | 18:10.5 |
| 2 | Marli Laity | Oley Valley | 18:46.1 |
| 3 | Cora Minnich | East Pennsboro | 19:02.5 |
| 4 | Kate Ferris | Trinity | 19:10.6 |
| 5 | Jillian Rogers | Oley Valley | 19:16.5 |
| 6 | Caitlin Reynolds | Lancaster Catholic | 19:17.2 |
| 7 | Liana Yoder | Lampeter-Strasburg | 19:25.2 |
| 8 | Julianna Gourley | Oley Valley | 19:34.5 |
| 9 | Chloe Joslyn | Boiling Springs | 19:44.8 |
| 10 | Matilda Walborn | Schuylkill Valley | 19:46.2 |
Girls AA Top Five Teams
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oley Valley | 78 |
| 2 | Lampeter-Strasburg | 96 |
| 3 | Annville-Cleona | 107 |
| 4 | East Pennsboro | 153 |
| 5 | Eastern York | 158 |
The top three teams qualified for States.
Lebanon County State Qualifiers: Annville-Cleona girls team and Kayleigh DiPasquale (Northern Lebanon).
Girls A: Covenant Christian’s Sagen Wins Individual Title
The Girls Class A race featured a strong individual performance from Covenant Christian Academy sophomore Alex Sagen, who captured the District 3 championship in 18:56.6.
Sagen finished more than 50 seconds ahead of York Catholic sophomore Abby Bullen, who was second in 19:47.7. Shalom Christian Academy freshman Kassidy Hubers placed third in 20:32.9.
While Covenant Christian took the individual crown, York Catholic earned the team championship with 48 points. Covenant Christian was second with 66, followed by Shalom Christian Academy with 79.
York Catholic and Covenant Christian both earned state-qualifying team berths.
Individual Champion: Alex Sagen, Covenant Christian Academy, 18:56.6
Team Champion: York Catholic, 48 points
Boys A: Hobbs Leads Anchor Christian, Shalom Christian Takes Team Title
Anchor Christian Academy sophomore Jaxon Hobbs claimed the Boys Class A championship with a winning time of 15:45.1.
Dayspring Christian senior Noah Huxta finished second in 15:51.3, while Veritas Academy senior Gus Seifferlein took third in 15:59.8.
Lancaster Catholic junior Owen McKeon also turned in a strong performance, placing fifth overall in 16:58.7.
The team championship went to Shalom Christian Academy with 62 points. Anchor Christian finished second with 92 points, while Dayspring Christian was third with 96.
Shalom Christian and Anchor Christian earned the two state-qualifying team positions.
Individual Champion: Jaxon Hobbs, Anchor Christian Academy, 15:45.1
Team Champion: Shalom Christian Academy, 62 points
Lebanon County State Qualifiers
Saturday’s District 3 Championships produced a strong contingent of Lebanon County runners advancing to the PIAA Championships.
Qualifying Teams
- Cedar Crest Boys (Class AAA), District 3 runner-up
- Annville-Cleona Girls (Class AA), District 3 third place
Individual Qualifiers
- Benjamin Boyd, Annville-Cleona Boys AA, 2nd
- Anthony Frederick III, Northern Lebanon Boys AA, 9th
- Isaac Bruce, Northern Lebanon Boys AA, 20th
- Hunter Troxell, Annville-Cleona Boys AA, 24th
- Kayleigh DiPasquale, Northern Lebanon Girls AA, 23rd
Looking Ahead to States
For the Lebanon County runners advancing, Saturday’s results mean the season continues for at least one more week.
The 2026 PIAA Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, November 7, at Big Spring High School, marking the first time the Newville course has hosted the State Championships.
For District 3 runners, the venue is familiar territory, having served as the District Championship course since 2015.
Now, Cedar Crest’s boys, Annville-Cleona’s girls, and the County’s individual qualifiers will have another opportunity to compete on that same course, this time against Pennsylvania’s best.
For the runners who earned their spots on a chilly Halloween Saturday, the return trip to Newville will be one more chance to put their season’s hard work on display.
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