The pop of the starters’ gun echoing across John Rudy Park in York signaled the start of the cross-country season for runners in five Diocesan high schools, as the annual Diocesan XC Championship got underway on Thursday, August 31.
The meet drew dozens of student-athletes from Bishop McDevitt, Delone Catholic, Lancaster Catholic, Trinity and York Catholic, as well as from Berks Catholic in the neighboring Diocese of Allentown
The breezy, late-afternoon 5K ascending and descending the park’s fields and tree lines proved to be a worthy opener for the runners, many of whom were familiar with the course from previous events and – in York Catholic’s case – their home turf.
In the girls’ race, last year’s District 3 bronze medalist Lila Shore sprinted to an early lead and paced the field from the start, finishing in first place with a time of 20:18. Bishop McDevitt’s Erin Roche crossed in second place with a time of 21:14.
With a score of 39 points, and six runners finishing in the top 15, Bishop McDevitt took home the team championship in the girls’ event.
On the boys’ side, Trinity’s Isaac Burd and York Catholic’s Jack Driscoll and Mitchell Bradley set the pace in a three-runner pack and were neck and neck beyond the first mile marker. Pushed by the York Catholic runners pounding their home turf, Burd forged ahead with an average pace of 5:42, crossing the finish line at 17:40. Driscoll and Bradley followed, with times of 17:59 and 18:12.
With five runners finishing in the top 15, York Catholic edged Trinity in the boys’ championship by four points, 37-41.
No doubt, the teams will look to make a name for themselves again this fall, including the defending District 3 1A girls’ champions from York Catholic, led by District champ Madeline Murphy, and the defending 2A girls’ champions from Bishop McDevitt.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
