Fuller medals, makes Saegertown history

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

HERSHEY — Saegertown senior Paige Fuller will go down in school history as the first girl to medal at the PIAA Cross Country championship.

Fuller finished in 21st place at the Class 1A state championship meet on Saturday. She completed the course at the Hershey Entertainment Complex in 20 minutes, 45 seconds.

“She told me at the start line, ‘I’m not nervous, I’m just excited. I feel good.’ When she said that, I expected her to have a good performance,” Saegertown head coach Bill Hetrick said. “Going into the day we expected her to finish around 40th. If she managed to have a good day she had an outside shot at a medal. She stepped up and absolutely lit it up.”

It was Fuller’s third time at the state meet. In 2019 she placed 70th and in 2018 she finished 67th.

“It was the last race of her career and she ran a PR. She did everything right today,” Hetrick said. “We’ve had some great runners at Saegertown, but for her to qualify for states three times and medal once, she really set the bar.” In the Class 1A boys meet, five runners represented Crawford County at Hershey.

Hunter Spaid, a senior from Cambridge Springs, paced the quintet with a 27th place finish (17:46). Teammate Corbin Lehner placed 100th (18:39).

A duo from Cochranton placed inside the top-40. Kyler Woolstrum finished 30th (17:52) and Chase Miller crossed the line in 38th (18:08).

Sam Hetrick, a junior from Saegertown, placed 110th (18:45).

In the Class 2A boys race, Conneaut placed 15th as a team (381) in the program’s first trip to the state meet. The Eagles were led by six seniors. Simeon Hunter led the team with a 54th-place finish (18:15).

Jordan Kullen finished in 71st (18:30) and Dylan Fletcher was 77th (18:35). Nathaniel Turner was 84th (18:47), Evan Alsdorf 99th (19:15) and Zach Wheeler 106th (19:21) Sophomore Daniel Hunter finished 130th (21:13).

Meadville sophomore Max Dillaman placed 72nd (17:49) in his second trip to the state championship meet.

CASH boys take 2nd, get trip to states

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

TITUSVILLE — For the first time in program history, the Conneaut boys cross country team will compete at the PIAA cross country championships next Saturday in Hershey.

The Eagles posted a team score of 94 at the District 10 cross country championship meet on Saturday at Titusville’s Ed Myer’s Athletic Complex. The score was good enough for second-place. The toptwo teams qualify for states, in addition to the top-10 individuals.

Despite facing a muddy course, the senior-laden Eagles performed well in the Class 2A competition.

“It slowed them down some, but it’s the same for everybody. We tend to handle the mud a bit better than other schools,” Conneaut head coach Kris Cornell said. “They fought hard in some tough conditions and they did really well. They are super elated right now.”

Assistant coach Cody Cornell added that the mud can make the race more unpredictable.

“The mud throws in so many extra variable. Someone could go down and it completely changes the race,” Cornell said. “Physically the team is in great shape heading into next week. Our home course is hilly and we tend to run better at hilly courses so I think we can do well there.”

Jordan Kullen (17:56) and Simeon Hunter (17:57) led the Eagles with a ninth- and 10-place finish, respectively. Dylan Fletcher placed 21st (18:33), Zach Wheeler crossed the finish line in 23rd (18:42) and Nathaniel Turner came in 31st (18:42).

Winning the 2A race was Grove City. The team featured four of the top-five runners.

“We’ve been here before and I told the guys to act like they’ve been here before. We’ve trained all summer long to prepare for this day to make it back to states,” Grove City head coach Mike Sample said.

“They did even better than I anticipated they’d do,” Sample said. “There’s good competition in the district and it always prepares you well for the state meet. Hopefully we can represent the district well next weekend.”

Meadville’s Max Dillaman qualified for next weekend’s meet with an 11th-place finish (17:59). The sophomore placed 50th at last year’s state meet in his freshman campaign.

“It feels pretty good to qualify again. It’s exciting to go back,” Dillaman said. “The mud slowed me down a bit, but I feel good. We’ve been training hard for this. I’m ready for the chocolate at Hershey.”

In the class 2A girls event, Riley Fronce finished 61st (23:45) for Meadville. Keaira Smeltzer paced Conneaut with a 35th-place (22:40) finish.

Saegertown’s Paige Fuller qualified for the state meet with a seventh-place finish (20:55) in the 1A event.

“It feels pretty good. It was scary because there was a lot on the line,” Fuller said. “I feel pretty good about the state meet. I’m nervous, but excited for Saturday.”

As a team, the Panthers finished fourth. Emma MacAdam placed 27th (23:24) and Skyler Bland crossed the line in 31st (23:44). Makayla Stevens and Rachel White finished in 38th and 39th.

Alexis Wyant paced Maplewood with a 21st-place (22:03) finish. Elizabeth Kline led Cambridge Springs. Kline placed 24th (22:41).

In boys 1A, Cambridge Springs and Cochranton finished third and fourth, respectively, in the team scores.

Blue Devil senior Hunter Spaid placed third overall (18:01) to advance to states. Teammate Corbin Lehner is also making the trip after finishing in 13th (18:51).

“At the beginning of the season I was seeded fourth. I know the strategy of the guys around me because we’ve raced against each other before so I know the strategy of trying to get by them at the end,” Spaid said. “I’m excited to go back to states. I’ve been before so I know what the routine of going down there and preparing is like.”

Spaid said the mud slowed him down, but overall the course was in better shape than he expected.

Cochranton is also sending two runners to the state meet. Kyler Woolstrum placed fifth (18:10) and Chase Miller finished eighth (18:24). Miller, a junior, will compete at the state championship race for the third time in his career. He finished in 30th last year.

Beyond Fuller, Saegertown is also sending a runner on the boys’ side — Sam Hetrick.

Hetrick finished in 11th (18:38) to punch his ticket to Hershey. In last year’s state meet, he placed 25th.

“I’m extremely proud of Paige and Sam. We knew they were both capable and they stepped up to have a good day on a course we’re not designed for. This course is flat and more made for speedsters,” Saegertown head coach Bill Hetrick said. “We train and are built for hills. We’re more designed for Buhl Park and the state meet because they are hilly courses.

“Both runners have peaked and are ready to go. The goal was to qualify today and go down next weekend and light it up.”

Cochranton’s Kyler Woolstrum advanced to the state championships with a fifth-place finish Saturday.

Saegertown’s Paige Fuller (left) qualified for the state meet with a seventh-place finish, as did Sam Hetrick, who placed 11th.

Woolstrum leads Cardinals to wins at tri-meet

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — Kyler Woolstrum won a cross country tri-meet at Saegertown High School on Tuesday to power Cochranton to wins over Saegertown and Franklin.

Woolstrum, a sophomore, led all runners with a time of 16 minutes and 44 seconds. He was followed by teammate Chase Miller who finished in 17:02.

Third place belonged to Saegertown’s Sam Hetrick in 17:27. Fellow Panthers Eddie Hazelet and Mike DeJohn took sixth and tenth place, respecively.

Cochranton’s Landon Homa placed seventh and Lance Axton finished eighth.

As a team, Cochranton defeated Saegertown 22-37 and Franklin 26-31. Franklin beat Saegertown 25-24. On the season, Cochranton is 2-0, Franklin 1-1 and Saegertown is 0-2.

For the girls, Franklin’s Nadalie Latchaw won with a time of 19:29.

Paige Fuller was Saegertown’s top runner. She finished in second (20:50). The Panthers also claimed the fourth through sevenths spots. MaKayla Stevens took fourth (23:04), Emma MacAdam placed fifth (23:06), Skyler Bland took sixth (23:08) and Rachel White finished seventh (23:48).

As a team, Saegertown beat Franklin 24-31 and moved to 2-0 on the season while Franklin is 1-1. Cochranton lose to both teams 15-50 and is 0-2 on the year.

Spaid inches by Hetrick; Fuller wins by 58 seconds

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — Cambridge Springs’ Hunter Spaid and Saegertown’s Sam Hetrick both finished in 17 minutes and 58 seconds, but Spaid barely squeezed by to capture the win.

Cambridge Springs hosted a tri-meet between Maplewood and Saegertown on Tuesday.

As a team, Cambridge beat Saegertown 25-34. The Blue Devils also beat Maplewood 18-41. Saegertown beat Maplewood 23-32.

Corbin Lehner, of Cambridge, finished third (19:29).

Fourth, fifth and sixth belonged to Saegertown’s Eddie Hazlette (20:15), Michael DeJohn (20:17) and Nathan Foster (20:17).

Caleb Szmpruch finished tenth (20:39) and was Maplewood’s lone top-ten finisher.

On the girls side, Saegertown’s Paige Fuller won with a time of 21:41.

Second place belonged to Shawna Piller (22:39) of Maplewood.

Elizabeth Kline took third (22:51) and was the top finisher for Cambridge.

As a team, Saegertown edged Maplewood 27-28. The Panthers beat the Tigers

15-50. Maplewood also beat Cambridge 15-50.

Cross country Dillaman leads Dogs at invite

SHARON — Sophomore Max Dillaman paced the Meadville Bulldogs at the Blue Devil Invitational at Buhl Park in Sharon on Saturday.

Dillaman finished 27th (17:43). Charlie Minor placed 77th (18:45), Anthony Gionti finished 116th (19:42), Connor Zimmerman in 185th (21:15) and Caiden Riordan in 230th (25:30).

As a team, Meadville finished 24th out of 40.

Saegertown’s Sam Hetrick placed ninth overall with a time of 17 minutes and 11 seconds.

For the Meadville girls. Cammie Guffy (21:11) and Riley Fronce (21:17) placed 40th and 43rd, respectively.

Saegertown Panthers look to build on productive 2020

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown boys and girls cross country teams have several top runners coming back from a productive 2020 season and look to be ready to compete this season.

On the girl’s side, Cassidy Boylan and Dixie Kindervater graduated. Boylan placed 55th and Kindervater 76th at the District 10 Championship meet last year.

Returning is No. 1 runner Paige Fuller. Fuller was named to the All-Region first team and finished 16th at districts.

“We have a lot of girls coming back from last year. The team should be very strong,” coach Bill Hetrick said. “They’ve looked great so far and I’m very impressed with their progress.”

Emma MacAdam, Makayla Stevens and Rachel White should all have a good senior year. Hetrick also expects sophomore runner Skyler Bland (50th last year at D-10 meet) to make even greater strides in her second campaign.

For the boys, junior Sam Hetrick looks to keep the momentum from his first two stellar seasons. As a freshman, he placed eighth at districts and 22nd at states. Last season, he placed fifth at districts and 25th at states.

“Sam has a groin injury but he is progressing through that now. He is a two-time state qualifier and is excited to see what he can do this year,” Hetrick said. “As his coach and dad I’m excited to see his progress and watch him compete this year.”

Also for the boys, Brennan McWright, Quincy Zook and Michael DeJohn look to be ready for a productive season, Hetrick said.

“Brennan is a dual sport athlete and is also playing soccer,” Hetrick said. “He is fatigued with both practices but looks good from what I’ve seen.”

Due to COVID-19, last season there were no tri-meets held and teams were forced to do two dual meets a week.

“Doing two dual meets a week last year was brutal on the kids,” he said. “They definitely should not be at a racing pace twice a week.”

Hetrick is looking forward to switching back to the old format of tri-meets on a Tuesday and invitationals on a Saturday. “I’m interested to see how the rest of the district performs at some invites,” Hetrick said. “Staying healthy will be important this season. Im hoping to stay injury free. The region looks to be competitive as well.”

Saegertown’s Paige Fuller is a returning first team All-Region runner and the team’s top runner.

Tribune file photo

Copyright (c)2021 The Meadville Tribune, Edition 9/1/2021