About This Article
This Q&A article gives athletes an opportunity to learn directly from their peers and gain perspective from others who share similar experiences. Every athlete’s journey is different, and hearing from others can provide valuable lessons, advice, and encouragement along the way.
The transition from middle school to high school sports comes with plenty of changes, but for most sports, the basics stay the same. The football field is still 100 yards long, the basketball hoop is still 10 feet off the ground, and the batter’s box still looks the same. Cross country is a little different. Many freshmen go from racing around 3K in middle school to racing a full 5K in high school, adding nearly two kilometers to the distance they are used to racing.
That jump is about much more than just running farther. The training changes, the competition gets tougher, and learning how to race becomes even more important. Going out too fast in a middle school race is one thing, but doing it in a 5K can make those final two miles feel a lot longer. Freshmen have to learn how to control the early part of a race, find the right pace, and still have enough left when it is time to compete over the final mile.
Then there is everything else that comes with being a freshman. They are now practicing and racing alongside juniors and seniors who have already spent several seasons competing at the high school level. Some freshmen step in right away and make an impact on the varsity team. Others need that first season to build mileage, gain confidence, learn the 5K, and simply figure out what high school cross country is all about.
That is also why freshman year should not be judged only by times or where an athlete finishes in a race. It is the starting point. A runner who is learning how to race a 5K today could look completely different by their sophomore, junior, or senior season. Every race, workout, good day, and bad day becomes another opportunity to learn and improve.
I asked several freshman runners to share their thoughts on their first high school cross country season, providing a firsthand look at what it is really like to make the jump from middle school to high school competition. Their answers not only give us a look at how this year’s freshman class is handling that transition, but can also give future freshmen an idea of what to expect when their own first high school season begins.
Question 1: What has been the biggest difference between middle school and high school cross country?
Katie Heese | Greater Latrobe “The biggest difference is definitely the amount of running. I am running five times the amount I did last year.”
Grady Molinero | OLSH “There are way more runners in the races, and the hills on these courses are much bigger than I thought they’d be. Plus, the races are longer than anything I ran in middle school.”
Shea Brancolini | Mt. Lebanon “The major difference I have noticed from middle school to high school has been the importance of variety in training, such as hills, distance, tempo, and pacing, and how each workout helps us prepare to compete in races. In middle school, we would only go out and run without having a real purpose or goal.”
Question 2: What do you remember most about running your first high school 5K?
Dylan Sweeney | Mt. Lebanon “One thing I remember from running my first high school 5K is all of the support throughout the race and from my teammates when I finished! Having the encouragement from them made the race so much more memorable and fun.”
Question 3: What has been the biggest adjustment to racing the 5K distance?
Mason Kephart | Hollidaysburg “The biggest adjustment in high school cross country is just pacing. Going from those short races to the longer races, pacing will get you if you don’t have it right!”
Stella Rega | Greensburg Central Catholic “Since you move from running 1.5–2 miles, pacing is definitely a little more of a challenge.”
Claire Dobson | Winchester Thurston “The hardest part of transitioning to a 5K was understanding when and how hard I should be going out in the race and finishing at the end. I’ve struggled with kicking at the right time during my races, but I’m looking to improve it throughout this season!”
Question 4: Which race are you most proud of so far this season, and what made that race stand out to you?
Sophia Contos | Chartiers Valley “The race I am most proud of so far is the Red, White & Blue race because I got super nervous and almost didn’t race before getting on the line, but when I got out there, I followed my plan and just raced my own race.”
Luca DiPietro | Hempfield “I am most proud of my race at Red, White & Blue because I got first in the freshman race.”
Stella Rega | Greensburg Central Catholic “I’m probably most proud of the one I just ran against Southmoreland, Steel Valley, Brownsville, and Serra Catholic. We were told last minute that we were being scored among all the teams and not just two teams like we thought, so we had to run harder. We ended up remaining undefeated, and I ran my PR for the season.”
Charlotte Lipkin | Mt. Lebanon “I am most proud of my most recent race, which was the Uniontown Invitational. This is because I was on the varsity team, and even though I didn’t PR, it was still a great experience to run with faster people.”
Abbey Hackworth | Mt. Lebanon “My best race this season was Red, White & Blue. That was my best performance, but I had the most fun at the Ben Bloser Invite at Big Spring because I got to spend lots of time with my team there, even though I didn’t run my best because my foot was hurting.”
Question 5: What have you learned about yourself as a runner during your freshman season?
Sophia Contos | Chartiers Valley “I have learned that I do better when I am running with my team, and when I do not run with them, I do not run as well. I have also learned that when I run with people who are much faster, I gain so much speed.”
Reese Anderson | Riverside “I have learned that I can really push my limits and exceed my goals!”
Raigan Fretts | Belle Vernon “This season, I have learned that if I consistently put in the effort and work hard, I can reach any goal I set for myself.”
Norah Sondej | Mars “I have learned how much hard work and true effort can affect your performance as a runner. Since joining high school cross country, I have realized how much your hard work pays off in races.”
Question 6: Who has helped you the most with your transition to high school cross country, and how have they helped you?
Zaiden George | Northgate “Someone who has helped me the most in my transition to high school is my coach, Coach Veshio, who is always supportive and always has something positive to build me up or give me confidence. Someone else who has helped me is one of my close friends, Hope Stiteler, who has cheered me on for every race and is very kind to me even when I’m being hard on myself. I’m grateful for my team and everyone who makes it feel like a family. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Claire Rihely | Beaver Area “I would say my teammates have helped this transition the most. They constantly push me to be better and are some of my best friends.”
Grace Dansak | Norwin “My two sisters, Emily and Anna, have helped me transition to high school cross country by showing me what it means to be a committed runner and always giving me the best racing advice.”
Sydney Burgbacher | North Allegheny “My coaches and teammates have helped me the most with my transition to high school cross country because they’ve always supported me and made the sport such an encouraging and fun environment to become a better athlete in.”
Question 7: What has surprised you the most about high school cross country?
Mason Kephart | Hollidaysburg “The thing that surprised me most about high school cross country is how much smarter the racing is compared to middle school racing. In middle school, everyone would just sprint out and blow up in the first half mile, while now in high school you might start out fast, but then you slow down and settle into a good pace.”
Question 8: What is one thing you still want to accomplish before your freshman season ends?
Katie Heese | Greater Latrobe “I would like to break 20 and be top 40 at the WPIAL Championship.”
Grady Molinero | OLSH “Before my freshman season ends, I would like to run a sub-19.”
Eliana Perez | South Fayette “I want to get another PR.”
Question 9: If you had to describe your freshman cross country season so far in one word, what would it be and why?
Reese Anderson | Riverside “Excited! I am excited for what I have already achieved, and I look forward to crushing goals and setting PRs!”
Charlotte Lipkin | Mt. Lebanon “Management. This is because I have learned from cross country how to balance practice, school, and my friends. This has helped me create a better daily routine and better time-management skills.”
Question 10: Looking ahead, where do you hope to be as a runner by the time you’re a senior?
Zaiden George | Northgate “There are several benchmarks I hope to achieve before I’m a senior. My PR I hope to have by the time I’m a senior is a low-15 5K time, maybe even under 15. I have many post-high-school goals, and to achieve them, I have to have great times. I also hope to win states by my senior year because that is a big achievement and it’s very important to me. Finally, my last goal is to make XC feel the same way for the freshmen that I have felt my freshman year. I want to make them feel welcome and appreciated because XC isn’t just about the PRs and medals; it’s about enjoying the experience with friends.”
Claire Rihely | Beaver Area “By senior year, I’d like to break 20 and continue being the best teammate I can be.”
Eliana Perez | South Fayette “I hope by the time I am a senior, I will look back and see a big improvement in my running.”
Freshman year is only the starting point. The times, finishes, and rankings from this season give us an early look at some of the young talent across Western Pennsylvania, but they do not tell us where these runners will be one, two, or three years from now.
For some, the impact has already been immediate. Others are still learning the 5K, building confidence, and adjusting to everything that comes with high school cross country. That is what makes following their progression over the next several seasons so interesting. Today’s freshman learning how to handle the distance could be tomorrow’s varsity scorer, WPIAL contender, or one of the top runners in the area.
This is only the first chapter. There are still plenty of miles and plenty of their high school cross country stories left to be written.
WPIAL Boys Class A Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Atticus Mingo Winchester Thurston 16:36.10
Zaiden George Northgate 17:02.50
Isaac Vangura Aquinas Academy 17:14.20
Max Predis Aquinas Academy 17:28.80
Carsten Davis Laurel 18:11.00
Benjamin Harper Winchester Thurston 18:55.40
Landon Bell Our Lady of Sacred Heart 19:22.10
Grady Molinero Our Lady of Sacred Heart 19:28.00
Josh Kaufman Mohawk 19:34.00
Bobby Brown Riverview 19:47.10
Chace Pascoe Shenango 20:00.60
Joseph Smerk Riverside 20:12.46
Ollie Conaway Our Lady of Sacred Heart 20:13.00
Micah Wabiszewski Eden Christian 20:20.00
Will McCormick Shenango 20:25.80
Chase Bonaparte Freedom Area 20:28.90
Tom Mahaloff Serra Catholic 20:29.50
Regan Carroll Aquinas Academy 20:34.50
Will Reilly Eden Christian 20:36.40
Carson Miller Eden Christian 20:40.90
WPIAL Boys Class AA Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Landon Conley Quaker Valley 16:50.50
Leo Tyson Quaker Valley 16:52.80
Caden Lobur Ringgold 17:21.76
Owen O’Leary Beaver Area 17:59.40
Jackson Sharbaugh Indiana Area 18:10.70
Joshua Mummert Knoch 18:16.70
Luke Barton Hampton 18:40.40
Jack Hines Quaker Valley 18:41.30
Logan Monyok Quaker Valley 18:41.70
Carter Flinn Laurel Highlands 18:51.70
Bridger Hug Uniontown Area 18:54.00
Oliver Ferraro Indiana Area 18:54.70
Owen French Knoch 18:57.00
Giovanni Briscoe Indiana Area 19:07.90
Gavin Smith Freeport Area 19:12.90
Easton Kienzle Beaver Area 19:14.90
Lorenzo Carei Uniontown Area 19:15.20
Layne Weitzel Hampton 19:27.10
Gabe Sand Hampton 19:33.90
Isaac Weiderspahn Hampton 19:53.70
WPIAL Boys Class AAA Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Joe DiMarco South Fayette 17:13.20
Luca Dipietro Hempfield Area 17:15.90
Cameron Cramer Seneca Valley 17:24.99
James Christian North Allegheny 17:25.60
Everett Franchak Pine-Richland 17:38.50
Vinurudh Sai Pathuri North Allegheny 17:40.50
Chris Kaczmarek Seneca Valley 17:45.20
Zachary Homick Seneca Valley 17:47.76
Bryson Deitch North Allegheny 17:56.00
Sawyer Pritts Connellsville 17:56.70
Nathan Dickert North Allegheny 17:58.10
Luca Holderbaum Norwin 18:05.30
Nicholas Varhola Norwin 18:05.60
Jack Snyder Peters Township 18:11.20
Jackson Turney Mars Area 18:12.00
Ian Intini North Allegheny 18:12.70
Blake Bemis North Hills 18:14.40
Lucas Navratil Canon-McMillan 18:15.30
Lachlan Buick Baldwin 18:17.90
Grant Grabowski North Allegheny 18:17.91
WPIAL Boys Overall Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Atticus Mingo Winchester Thurston (A) 16:36.10
Landon Conley Quaker Valley (AA) 16:50.50
Leo Tyson Quaker Valley (AA) 16:52.80
Zaiden George Northgate (A) 17:02.50
Joe DiMarco South Fayette (AAA) 17:13.20
Isaac Vangura Aquinas Academy (A) 17:14.20
Luca Dipietro Hempfield Area (AAA) 17:15.90
Caden Lobur Ringgold (AA) 17:21.76
Cameron Cramer Seneca Valley (AAA) 17:24.99
James Christian North Allegheny (AAA) 17:25.60
WPIAL Girls Class A Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Ellie Green Our Lady of Sacred Heart 20:46.46
Sophie Kahn Winchester Thurston 21:00.00
Claire Dobson Winchester Thurston 21:08.00
Isolina Brun Riverview 21:35.60
Gabrielle Haring Eden Christian 22:01.00
Alexandra Robinson Aquinas Academy 22:02.40
DiIanni Deltondo Our Lady of Sacred Heart 22:03.00
Natalie Montgomery Shenango 22:31.40
Lila Mangus Chartiers Houston 23:10.40
Alison Harris Eden Christian 23:11.00
Aleah Kerr Greensburg Central Catholic 23:13.30
Greta Littell Winchester Thurston 23:20.00
Samantha Jackson Riverview 23:28.00
Reagan Hassler Greensburg Central Catholic 23:53.60
Michalena Watt Shenango 23:55.00
Maggi Courtwright West Greene 24:10.40
Michaelena Watt Shenango 24:12.50
Tairyn Fontana Shenango 24:32.80
Lana Madia Eden Christian 24:46.00
Darby Wygant Eden Christian 24:46.00
WPIAL Girls Class AA Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Reese Anderson Riverside 19:22.70
Nora Narwold North Catholic 19:57.30
Samantha Green Ringgold 20:45.74
Marley Schollaert Quaker Valley 20:55.50
Jessica Henson Seton-LaSalle 21:18.20
Londyn Tomman Oakland Catholic 21:44.80
Mia Herman Ligonier Valley 21:53.60
Claire Rihely Beaver Area 21:59.70
Claire Guthridge Oakland Catholic 22:25.10
Leah Straub Oakland Catholic 22:29.90
Julia Hixon Freeport Area 23:04.20
Elizabeth Hall Hampton 23:04.40
Carmelita Ornelas Beaver Area 23:07.10
Maddie DeCarlo Uniontown Area 23:08.50
Kallyn Misenhelder Belle Vernon 23:09.30
Katie McConnell Mohawk 23:17.00
Raigan Fretts Belle Vernon 23:25.30
Chloe Boosel North Catholic 23:25.50
Mackenzie Rush West Mifflin 23:29.60
Natalie Hannah Beaver Area 23:45.90
WPIAL Girls Class AAA Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Abbey Hackworth Mount Lebanon 19:23.80
Bryn Westerman Franklin Regional 19:33.50
Norah Sondej Mars Area 19:35.90
Naomi Thorne Fox Chapel Area 19:39.30
Grace Dansak Norwin 19:52.90
Sophia Contos Chartiers Valley 20:14.97
Katie Heese Greater Latrobe 20:20.60
Tess Liddle Trinity 20:38.30
Sydney Burgbacher North Allegheny 20:38.41
Ellie Smith North Allegheny 20:40.60
Madelyn Blodgett North Hills 20:41.94
Ava Rummel Pine-Richland 20:42.60
Jocelyn Chauvet Peters Township 20:53.90
Alyse Chauvet Peters Township 20:55.30
Olivia Machi Thomas Jefferson 20:58.80
Margaret Coffman North Allegheny 21:03.80
Allison Ryan North Allegheny 21:04.90
Sawyer Fordeley South Fayette 21:11.50
Shea Brancolini Mount Lebanon 21:12.10
Olivia Norris Hempfield Area 21:12.30
WPIAL Girls Overall Fastest Times (Freshmen)
Reese Anderson Riverside (AA) 19:22.70
Abbey Hackworth Mount Lebanon (AAA) 19:23.80
Bryn Westerman Franklin Regional (AAA) 19:33.50
Norah Sondej Mars Area (AAA) 19:35.90
Naomi Thorne Fox Chapel Area (AAA) 19:39.30
Grace Dansak Norwin (AAA) 19:52.90
Nora Narwold North Catholic (AA) 19:57.30
Sophia Contos Chartiers Valley (AAA) 20:14.97
Katie Heese Greater Latrobe (AAA) 20:20.60
Tess Liddle Trinity (AAA) 20:38.30
*All times were pulled on Monday, September 28.*
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