Crossing the Finish Line 

Cranberry’s cross country season has been one to remember, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams earning spots at the PIAA State Championships in Hershey after strong performances at Districts in Ridgeway.

Senior Dalton Wenner led the boys with a fifth-place finish (17.06), qualifying for states alongside teammate Daniel McCain, tenth grader.

Wenner has been a standout runner all season, setting a personal best of 17:04 earlier in the year and earning First Team All-KSAC honors.

“Being my senior year, it feels good to see all the hard work pay off,” said Wenner. “Staying healthy was the biggest challenge, but putting in the miles really made a difference. I just want to finish strong and make my coaches proud.”

On the girls’ side, Beatrice Kolesar dominated Districts with a time of 19:32, claiming the individual championship and leading Cranberry to a second-place team finish that qualified them for States.

Kolesar, along with Elena Ishman (6th overall) and Darien Wenner, helped the team also place second at the KSAC meet.

Kolesar was named KSAC MVP, with Ishman making First Team All-KSAC and Wenner earning Second Team honors.

Kalynne Ziegler, Cranberry's Physical Education teacher, coached the girls’ team. She shared her excitement about the group’s success: “Coaching the girls this year was so rewarding. I’ve loved cross country ever since I was an athlete here, and being able to come back as a coach was something I’ve always wanted to do. They’re such a great group of girls--so supportive of one another and incredibly hardworking.”

Ziegler added that the future looks bright for both programs, “Our top five girls will all return next year, and our junior high team was the KSAC champion this season. The boys are also in great shape, with six of our top seven runners coming back. There’s a lot to look forward to.”

Because of their strong performance at Districts, the girls’ team along with Wenner and McCain will be representing the school at PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey this Saturday, November 1, 2025.

As both teams prepare to race at States in Hershey, Cranberry’s runners are carrying their momentum and school pride, all the way to the finish line.