We have made it to the halfway point of the 2026 cross country season. Returning champions have gotten stronger, breakout runners continue to emerge each weekend, freshmen have made an immediate impact, and new names continue to enter the conversation. Teams across the WPIAL are getting stronger, times continue to drop, and the races are starting to get more interesting as we move into October.
With the WPIAL Championships just over four weeks away, we are getting closer to finding out who will be at their best when everyone finally lines up together at White Oak Park. There is still plenty that can change between now and October 29th.
Girls Team Thoughts
Class A Girls
OLSH has been the team to watch so far in Class A girls this season. They have a solid 1 through 5 lineup, and that depth is going to make them a tough team to beat. Winchester Thurston has established itself as a strong No. 2, with six girls currently among the Top 25 times posted in Class A this season.
After those two, things get interesting. Riverview, Eden Christian, Shenango, and Chartiers Houston are all in the mix. Right now, there isn’t much separating that group, and the battle behind OLSH and Winchester Thurston could be one of the better team storylines to follow over the next month.
At this point, OLSH has the advantage on paper, but championship races aren’t won on paper. The next few weeks should give us a much better idea of which teams are beginning to put their complete lineups together.
Class AA Girls
North Catholic continues to look stronger each week. With seven girls ranked among the Top 25 times in Class AA this season, North Catholic has shown the type of depth that can make a major difference in championship racing.
Behind them, things are wide open. Beaver, Ringgold, Oakland Catholic, Belle Vernon, Greensburg Salem, and Quaker Valley could shuffle around throughout the rest of the season.
When these teams finally go head to head, the difference probably won’t be at the front. It could come down to those No. 4 and No. 5 runners. Those final scoring spots could completely change the team results, and one runner having a big day could be the difference between finishing on the podium or moving down several places.
That is what makes Class AA so interesting right now. There are enough teams close together that every scoring position is going to matter.
Class AAA Girls
Right now, the top of the mountain belongs to Norwin and Fox Chapel.
These two teams are almost mirror images of each other from the No. 1 runner through No. 6. There isn’t much separating them on paper, which means when they line up against each other, it may simply come down to which team puts together the better race that day.
North Allegheny has gotten back on track this season and has positioned itself as a solid No. 3 team in Class AAA. North Allegheny is close enough that Norwin and Fox Chapel certainly can’t afford to overlook them.
This could become less about which team has the fastest No. 1 runner and more about which lineup performs the best from top to bottom. Norwin and Fox Chapel may have separated themselves early, but North Allegheny is still close enough to make sure neither team can get comfortable.
Boys Team Thoughts
Class A Boys
Winchester Thurston may have one of the best 1 through 5 lineups in the entire WPIAL, but the biggest question surrounding the team is Reeve Flotta. The Taylor Allderdice transfer is not eligible for the 2026 postseason, meaning Winchester Thurston will eventually have to race without its No. 1 runner.
Even without Flotta, I still have Winchester Thurston as the clear No. 1 team to beat in Class A right now. The depth is there. The bigger question is how that lineup adjusts once Flotta is no longer part of the scoring.
Neshannock and Riverview continue to be two teams capable of challenging Winchester Thurston, and both still have time to close the gap. For Winchester Thurston, the next month is going to be about figuring out exactly what its postseason lineup looks like. For everyone else, it is about figuring out whether they can take advantage of that missing No. 1 runner.
Class AA Boys
Quaker Valley had its breakout race at the PIAA Foundation Invitational. With a very young team, Quaker Valley should continue to get stronger as its runners gain more experience.
North Catholic has also broken out in a big way this season and established itself as one of the top teams in Class AA with its win at the Red, White & Blue Invitational. Quaker Valley and North Catholic are starting to set up what could be a great team battle.
Don’t forget about Ringgold, Hampton, Indiana, and Knoch either. All four have solid teams capable of getting into the mix and making things interesting.
Class AA might be the classification where one breakout performance changes everything. When several teams are this close, a No. 4 or No. 5 runner dropping 10 or 20 seconds at the right time can completely change the team standings.
Class AAA Boys
Norwin has a strong Top 3, with runners who could easily be the No. 1 runner on plenty of other teams. Even more impressive, that No. 1 spot seems to rotate from meet to meet depending on who is having the best day.
Norwin isn’t just a team I’m watching within the WPIAL. If that lineup continues to develop, Norwin could also be an interesting team to follow at the PIAA Championships against some of the top programs in Pennsylvania.
North Allegheny is waiting for that race when everyone is on the same page. I could see that happening at the WPIAL Championships, when we finally get to see their full A lineup racing together.
Hempfield graduated five of its top seven runners from last season, yet the team has found a way to remain a contender. Mount Lebanon, Butler, and Seneca Valley are also teams that deserve attention.
That’s what makes Class AAA boys so much fun to follow. You can have a pretty good idea of where everyone stands in September, but with this many deep programs, one team putting five runners together on the right day can shake up the entire field.
Norwin has set the early standard. Now we get to see who responds.
Girls Individual Thoughts
Class A Girls Individual Thoughts
Mira Mosca of OLSH leads the way with the fastest Class A time so far this season at 19:40, followed closely by three of her teammates: Eva Crofford, Hannah Hayes, and Jules Goshen.
What makes OLSH interesting is that its No. 1 runner can change from meet to meet. Mosca, Crofford, Hayes, and Goshen have all shown that they can step up when needed, which gives OLSH several runners capable of being near the front of a championship race. Crofford recently added another strong performance by winning the Section 2 Championship on a muddy course.
Indie Pascal of Winchester Thurston won the Red, White & Blue Classic, and with the confidence she has built this season, she has put herself right into the WPIAL individual championship conversation.
Also from Winchester Thurston, Currence Bigham continues to get stronger with each race. Bigham is the highest returning finisher from the 2025 WPIAL Championships, giving her something several runners in the field don’t have: experience racing near the front under postseason pressure.
Miri Shaw of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh finished 15th overall at the Kiski Invitational but was the first Class A girl across the line. That performance showed she belongs among the names being discussed near the front of Class A.
Lydia Frankovich was the runner up at Red, White & Blue and posted her second fastest time ever on the White Oak Park course.
The freshman class has also made an immediate impact. Ellie Green of OLSH, Claire Dobson of Winchester Thurston, and Sophie Kim of Winchester Thurston are all currently ranked among the Top 10 based on some of the fastest Class A times posted this season. They may be freshmen, but they aren’t running like freshmen anymore.
Then there are the veterans. Seniors Hope Stiteler of Northgate and Aubrey Kuczynski of Shenango are two runners to keep an eye on over the next month. Both have plenty of miles and big races under their belts, and that experience can become an advantage when races become more tactical.
Class A has a little bit of everything: experienced seniors, returning WPIAL standouts, a strong group from OLSH and Winchester Thurston, and freshmen who have wasted no time introducing themselves.
We know the names. Now we get to see who makes the biggest jump during the next four weeks.
Class AA Girls Individual Thoughts
Shady Side Academy’s Charlotte Barker won the RWB Class AA championship for the second year in a row. With her experience, she never seems to have to hit the panic button or completely change what she is doing. She is built to adjust to whatever challenges a race throws at her, and that experience becomes even more valuable in bigger races.
Freshman Reese Anderson had the fastest time of any freshman girl at the RWB Classic. Instead of competing in the freshman race, Anderson moved up to the AA race and finished second overall in 19:22. Even more impressive, it was her first time racing on the White Oak Park course. Now she knows the course, which makes her return trip in late October even more interesting.
Hampton’s Rebekah Hall took third at the RWB Classic, but don’t let that finish fool you. A third place finish doesn’t faze her at all. Hall has shown that she knows how to peak when the races become more important, and she has enough experience that one September result isn’t going to change her mindset.
Lucy Montagnese currently owns the third fastest time among WPIAL Class AA girls this season after running 19:40 at the PIAA Foundation Invitational and placing 10th overall. That performance moved her right into the group of girls capable of making noise at the front.
North Catholic’s Anna Morris was the first Class AA girl across the line at the Youthtowne Clash and finished second overall. With each race, she continues to run faster and looks more confident.
Her North Catholic teammates Maggie Killian and Nora Narwold also continue to challenge the competition no matter who lines up against them. That gives North Catholic three runners capable of making an impact individually while also playing a major role in the team race.
Blackhawk junior Alaina DeSarbo is only listed as competing at the RWB Classic so far this season, where she placed seventh in Class AA. That makes her one of the bigger unknowns in the classification. With only one major result to judge her on, I’m interested to see what DeSarbo looks like the next time she gets into a deep field.
Ringgold sophomore Claire Brenneman broke the 20 minute barrier at the Ben Bloser Bulldog Invitational while racing against several schools and runners she had not seen this season. Breaking 20 minutes is another step forward for Brenneman and gives Class AA another young runner moving in the right direction.
Class AAA Girls Individual Thoughts
Kathryn Froelich of Peters Township has put together one of the strongest first halves of the season of any runner in Pennsylvania. She currently owns the fastest time not only in the WPIAL, but in the entire state.
Froelich has stepped into two major races this season and walked away with two first place finishes at the Red, White & Blue Classic and PIAA Foundation Invitational. She has shown that she isn’t afraid to take control of a race and push the pace. With the way she has been running, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her challenge the 17 minute barrier the next time she steps onto the fast White Oak Park course.
Angela Zeng of South Fayette took another big step forward at the PIAA Foundation Invitational, finishing second and breaking the 18 minute barrier with a 17:50 performance. Each time Zeng steps into a major race, she seems to gain a little more confidence and gets more comfortable challenging the top girls in the field.
Hailey Long of Mars had one of the best performances at the Red, White & Blue Classic, running 18:01 on the fast White Oak Park course. She was right on the doorstep of breaking 18 minutes, and that is a mark I could see her reaching during the second half of the season.
Piper Munyon of Gateway has already picked up two invitational victories this season, winning the Kiski Invitational and Gateway Invitational. Camryn Bruno of West Allegheny has also collected two invitational victories this season, winning the Marty Uher Invitational and Youthtowne Clash.
North Allegheny sophomore Samantha Strelick is another runner I’m keeping my eye on. The freshman nerves are gone. She now has a full year of varsity racing and postseason experience behind her, and that Year 2 experience can make a big difference.
Norwin and Fox Chapel are both led by strong trios this season. Norwin features Jillian Ryba, Anna Dansak, and Emily Dansak, while Fox Chapel counters with Claire Loiudice, Bridget Hemmingray, and Sydney Kimmons.
These six runners will play a major role in the team race, but they are also chasing standout individual performances. With both teams having multiple runners capable of finishing near the front, every position could matter when the team scores are added up at the WPIAL Championships.
Boys Individual Thoughts
Class A Boys Individual Thoughts
Zachary Sharara of Sewickley Academy is the runner to watch right now in Class A boys. Sharara finished second at the Red, White & Blue Classic while competing in the AA race, then followed that performance by winning the Class A race at the PIAA Foundation Invitational. He currently owns the fastest time by a Class A boy in Pennsylvania.
Sharara has already shown that he can compete against strong fields regardless of classification. The question now becomes how much faster he can go.
Winchester Thurston has taken over the Class A Top 10, with five runners currently ranked among the 10 fastest Class A boys in the WPIAL this season: Reeve Flotta, Jack Iyer, Atticus Mingo, Ayan Ganesh, and Otis Pascal.
Having five runners among the Top 10 is impressive, but times on paper only tell part of the story. When everyone lines up together at White Oak Park, could four of them walk away with individual WPIAL medals around their necks?
Then there are the senior veterans. Ashton Saunders of Riverview and Ethan Moldovan of Carlynton have both gotten off to strong starts this season and have the experience to make some noise in the biggest races.
Saunders has been extremely consistent against some of the better competition he has faced, recording two third place finishes and one runner up finish at three of the top invitationals this season. He continues to put himself near the front. At some point, does one of those Top 3 finishes turn into a win?
Moldovan has also been putting together a strong senior season, with two fourth place finishes and a new personal best of 16:22 at the Ben Bloser XC Invitational. For a senior, this is exactly when you want to start seeing the times drop. He has the experience, and now he is running faster than ever.
Sophomore Connor Lough of Neshannock is another name worth following. Lough has spent some of this season competing in meets outside the WPIAL, but his performance at the PIAA Foundation Invitational gave us another look at what he can do against a championship level field.
Class AA Boys Individual Thoughts
Jonah Montagnese of Quaker Valley has established himself as one of the top runners not only in the WPIAL, but in the entire state of Pennsylvania. Montagnese currently owns the second fastest time in Pennsylvania and has already picked up two major victories this season, winning the Red, White & Blue Classic and the Class AA race at the PIAA Foundation Invitational.
Those are two completely different courses and two championship level fields, and Montagnese found a way to win both. At this point, it isn’t just about how fast Montagnese can run. He has shown that he knows how to race and win.
Jack Steineman of North Catholic may have had one of the best starts to the season of any WPIAL runner. Steineman opened his season by winning the HOKA Night XC Showcase at SPIRE in Geneva, Ohio, putting together a statement performance against a strong field.
He didn’t stop there. Steineman followed that performance by winning the Youthtowne Clash and then finishing second behind Montagnese at the PIAA Foundation Invitational.
Behind those two, another group has quietly put together a strong first half of the season. Carter French of Knoch, Brody Graham of Blackhawk, David Kristine of Freeport, and Harlan Cooper of Shady Side Academy have all shown they can put themselves near the front against quality competition.
French finished third at the Blue Devil Invitational, while Graham earned a runner up finish at the P3R River Trail Invitational. Kristine has already picked up an invitational victory, taking first at the Marty Uher Invitational, and Cooper finished second at the Kiski Invitational.
Those performances matter because each runner has already experienced what it feels like to race near the front with something on the line. Montagnese and Steineman have grabbed much of the early attention, but French, Graham, Kristine, Cooper, and others still have time to make this much more than a two runner conversation.
Class AAA Boys Individual Thoughts
The Norwin trio of Benjamin McBride, Alexander Barrett, and Declan O’Donnell seems to take turns each meet deciding who is going to be the Knights’ No. 1 runner that day.
McBride finished second at the HOKA Night XC Showcase, Barrett stepped up and won the Red, White & Blue Classic, and O’Donnell finished third at the PIAA Foundation Invitational. All three have already broken 15:40 this season.
That is what makes Norwin’s trio so dangerous. They don’t necessarily need one runner to carry the load every weekend because all three have shown they are capable of stepping up and leading the team.
It’s scary to think about how fast this group could run if all three put together their best race on the same day. Norwin would probably love for that day to come in November at the PIAA Championships with a state title on the line.
Asher Eckel had his career breakout performance at the PIAA Foundation Invitational, finishing second overall against one of the strongest fields he has faced this season. That performance alone would have been impressive, but Eckel has also collected victories at the Kiski Invitational and Gateway Invitational.
Another sophomore making noise is Gatik Hirwani of North Allegheny. He took third at the HOKA Night XC Showcase. With the tradition and depth North Allegheny brings every year, Hirwani is gaining valuable experience while competing alongside and against some of the best runners in the WPIAL.
Then there is another sophomore who might be in one of the most unusual situations in the WPIAL.
Ransom Gaydos of Norwin would probably be the No. 1 runner on 95% of WPIAL teams. At Norwin, he is currently the No. 4 runner behind McBride, Barrett, and O’Donnell.
Gaydos broke the 16 minute barrier for the first time at the Red, White & Blue Classic, giving Norwin another runner capable of finishing high in a major field. That fourth scoring position may not always grab the headlines, but it could become one of Norwin’s biggest advantages.
When Norwin lines up against the best teams in Pennsylvania, Gaydos could be one of the runners who makes the biggest difference in the team scoring.
Beyond that group, Charlie Kapanowski of Pine Richland, Griffin Martin of South Fayette, Charlie Heese of Greater Latrobe, Wyatt Case of North Allegheny, and Brendan Eicher of Butler round out some of the fastest WPIAL performances we have seen on 5K courses this season.
Each has put himself into the mix during the first half of the season, and now comes the harder part. Times will continue to drop, the fields will get stronger, and every position becomes more valuable.
October…………………………………
Can Norwin’s AAA boys put everything together on the same day?
How close can anyone get to Kathryn Froelich?
What does Winchester Thurston look like without Reeve Flotta?
Does Montagnese vs. Steineman become the Class AA boys championship battle, both individually and in the team race?
Which young runner takes the biggest jump?
Can the North Catholic girls go back-to-back and defend their WPIAL team championship?
Can the OLSH girls challenge for a PIAA team championship?
How close will the Norwin vs. Fox Chapel girls team score be at the WPIAL Championships?
Final Thoughts
Four weeks separate us from the WPIAL Championships, and if the first half of the season taught us anything, it’s that nothing is settled yet. We know who has run fast. We know which teams have the depth on paper. We know which returning standouts are still at the front, which freshmen have made an immediate impact, and which runners have taken major steps forward. Now comes the fun part. Courses change. Weather changes. Times don’t always tell the entire story, and one runner having the race of their life can completely change a team result. September gave us plenty to talk about. October is where the 2026 WPIAL cross country season starts writing its story.
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