Pack Mentality

A gray, mud slicked and blustery Daniel Boone Homestead played host to the 2011 PAC-10 cross-country championships. Pottsgrove won the boys title with 51 points, followed by a surprisingly strong Spring-Ford with 78 points, while previously undefeated Methacton finished third with 87 points. On the girls side, Boyertown was victorious with 41 points, cruising to a win over Methacton (73 points) and Owen J. Roberts (86 points).

Both of the individual titles went to repeat winners, as Boyertown's Brett Kelly was the first to slog to the finish for the boys and Methacton's Kara Steinke paced the girls. Kelly finished the 5k course in 16 minutes, 6 seconds, 20 seconds ahead of second place Ian Yanusko of Pottsgrove. Steinke's margin was even greater, finishing well ahead of the Bears' Marella Angello, 18:38 to 19:05.

The Falcon's top five claimed second, ninth, tenth, 14th and 16th, a larger spread than typical for the tight running Pottsgrove Pack.

"The plan was, if we could get four guys in the top 15, we figured that we had it," Pottsgrove head coach Larry Rechtin said. "I knew Ian would be up there in the top 5, and he gets second, better than we expected. That was a huge thing. And the boy (John Garges) who usually is our sixth runner came up and was our fifth runner today, and he had a huge run."

Kelly took the lead early in the race and never looked back, as the Bears' harrier appeared to be in a class of his own. Following behind was Yanusko and Upper Perkiomen's Avery Scripture before the field began to coagulate. The resurgent Rams gave the Grove all they could handle, as Joe O'Such took fifth and Jesse Magolon placed seventh, in 16:45 and 16:54, respectively.

While Spring-Ford looked dangerous in a duel meet with Pottsgrove last week, taking second seemed a surprise to many in the mud.

"Spring-Ford really came up," Rechtin said. "Their top two guys were there. I believe they put four in the top 13 (they did--the Ram's fourth, Michael Cassidy, took 13th). Outstanding. They came to play today and they ran well."

The effort was enough to knock the favored Warriors down to third, but they could not overcome Pottsgrove, who ran Rechtin's plan almost perfectly.

"I'm just so excited for the guys," Rechtin said. "They have worked so hard. They've earned this; it was from the beginning of the summer."

Methacton's Kara Steinke decimated the field in the girls race, jumping out to an early lead and never truly being tested. The slight, blonde sophomore trudged through the muck, dogged by a pack of Boyertown runners. Angello led the field, as the race for second place and the team title seemed wide open until the end. The Warriors made one final, desperate push in the chute, as two of their runners snuck past the Bears, but it was not enough for the win.

The third place Wildcats were led by fifth place Alex Wood (19:44). She was joined by Rachel Melampy (20:19), Natalie Burgos (20:59), Sarah Taylor (21:13) and Cassidy Hart (21:18). The Falcons first runner was Kelsey Lloyd, who finished in 38th place with a time of 22:16. Rowan Meador and Devon Kling rounded out the top three, finishing in 22:24 and 22:29.

"The girls ran very well," Rechtin said. "The placing was not as high as we had hoped, but the times were fantastic. They ran well. There were a lot of PR's (personal records), so I'm very happy."

While one could argue that there are no moral victories in sport, Pottstown fielding a varsity team, at the end of a season that was not supposed to exist, could be seen as little else. With budget cuts putting cross-country on the chopping block, there was no guarantee that the Trojans would even be represented at the meet.

"In August, when the word got out that the program was cut, it wasn't for sure that we were going to have anything," Trojans coach Mark Agnew said. "Coach Hill and I decided to get together and help these kids have a season."

Agnew and coach Mary Ann Hill volunteered their time this fall to ensure Pottstown would have a team.

"In Coach Hill's and my mind, we were sure there was going to be a season," Agnew said. "We were going to be sure that these kids had a season, because it meant so much to them."

Agnew and Hill's challenge was something that most coaches take for granted--having a team to coach. "Our goal this year was to get a team out," Agnew said. "To show that there's still commitment to the program."

The team did more than simply exist, however. For the first time in years, the Trojans were more than an afterthought.

"We were fortunate this year to get our first boys PAC-10 win in a long time," Agnew said. "We beat Phoenixville in heads-up competition, which gave us our first win in five years or so. That was something we were hoping for that we didn't really expect."

The Blue and White boys also managed to finish ninth in the championship meet, ahead of Pope John Paul II. "We didn't want to come in last at the meet here for the boys, and we were able to do that," Agnew said.

Pottstown easily fielded the smallest team at Daniel Boone Homestead, one whose core was primarily middle distance runners and underclassmen. Still, Agnew believes that the lessons the Trojans took from The Season That Was were more important than the win-loss column.

"I think the kids took it on as a challenge; that nobody in Pottstown is interested in cross-country, and you know, we are," Agnew said. "There certainly is a sense of camaraderie that has come out of this season. The kids have bonded a good bit. And as a coach, record doesn't really matter. We're helping these kids learn lessons in the long haul."