Thursday October 29th, 2026
1:45 PM – A Boys Championship Race
Individual State Qualifiers Spots – 20 (Non-Team Qualifiers)
Team State Qualifiers Spots – 4
2025 WPIAL Championship Recap
| Individual WPIAL Champion | Zachary Sharara Sewickley Academy 15:41 |
| Individual WPIAL Runner-Up | Scott McConnell Mohawk 16:05 |
| Individual WPIAL Third-Place Finisher | Ashton Saunders Riverview 16:10 |
| Team WPIAL Champion | Winchester Thurston 77 |
| Team WPIAL Runner-Up | Shady Side Academy 102 |
| WPIAL Team Third-Place Finisher | Mohawk 103 |
2026 Invitational Winners
| Red, White & Blue Classic | Reeve Flotta Winchester Thurston 15:56 |
| TSTCA Cross Country Championship | Ethan Moldovan Carlynton 16:34 |
| Bald Eagle Invitational | Ethan Moldovan Carlynton 16:20 |
| PIAA Foundation Invitational | Zachary Sharara Sewickley Academy 15:51 |
| Mingo Classic | Zachary Sharara Sewickley Academy 15:48 |
| A.J. Everhart Uniontown Invitational | Ashton Saunders Riverview 17:02 |
| Beaver Area Cross Country Invitational | Ashton Saunders Riverview 17:34 |
NixonTFXC Individual Special Recognition Picks
| Fastest 5K Performer Pick The runner who has recorded the fastest 5K time of the 2026 cross country season. | Zachary Sharara Sewickley Academy 15:22 |
| Elite Challenger Pick A proven contender capable of competing for the championship. | Jack Iyer Winchester Thurston |
| Dangerous Runner Pick A fierce competitor capable of upsetting the favorites. | Ashton Saunders Riverview |
| Peaking at the Right Time Pick A runner delivering their best performances when it matters most. | Connor Lough Neshannock |
| Dark Horse Pick An overlooked competitor capable of surprising the field. | Ethan Moldovan Carlynton |
| Momentum Contender Pick A runner building confidence and momentum heading into the championships. | Ayan Ganesh Winchester Thurston |
| Breakout Performance Pick A runner ready to deliver a career-best championship performance. | Otis Pascal Winchester Thurston |
| Senior Statement Pick A senior determined to finish their WPIAL career on a high note. | Max Maltony Burgettstown |
| Top Freshman Finisher Pick A talented freshman ready to lead their class. | Atticus Mingo Winchester Thurston |
| Medal Chase Pick A determined competitor capable of earning a championship medal. | Carter Kent California |
| Team X-Factor Runner Picks Key runners whose performance could influence the team standings. | Parker Nguyen Winchester Thurston Max Predis Aquinas Academy Oscar Smith Riverview Jack Hurley Eden Christian Tyler Cooke South Side Anthony Mangiarelli Neshannock |
2026 WPIAL Championship Projected Times
| WPIAL Champion 1st place | 15:14 |
| WPIAL Runner up 2nd place | 15:49 |
| WPIAL 3rd place | 15:51 |
NixonTFXC 2026 Team Championship Predictions
| WPIAL Team Champion Pick | Winchester Thurston (47) |
| WPIAL Team Runner-Up Pick | Riverview |
| WPIAL Team 3rd Place Pick | Eden Christian Academy |
| WPIAL Team 4th Place Pick | South Side |
| State Qualification Sleeper Pick | Aquinas Academy/Neshannock |
*Teams finishing 2nd through 6th have 120 possible finishing combinations. That’s how close these five teams are, making this a tough prediction to make.
WPIAL Website
https://wpial.org/tournaments/?id=4
PIAA Website
https://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/2026_XC_Memo.pdf
Gingerbread Live Results
https://live.gingerbreadtiming.com/meets/79981
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