GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: Dessoye, Costa, two Lady Devils qualify for state meet

MESHOPPEN — Pittston Area’s Bella Dessoye, Wyoming Area’s Bella Costa and Old Forge’s Cali Talarico and Elena Bialkowski all qualified for the state cross country meet with their performances in Wednesday’s District 2 Championships on the Wyoming County Fairgrounds Course.

Dessoye claimed the last available state berth in Class 3A, where only the team champion and the best five other individuals make it to Hershey.

The Pittston Area junior was ninth out of 52 runners, but four of those ahead of her, including three-time champion Anna Pucilowski, were from repeat team champ Abington Heights.

Dessoye finished the 3.1-mile course in 20:35.4 to also land a medal for finishing in the top 15 in the district.

Pittston Area was fifth out of seven in the team standings, scoring 134.

Abington Heights beat out Crestwood 35-43 in a showdown between undefeated conference champions for first place.

Olivea Scalese was 26th as the second finisher from the Lady Patriots.

Costa also earned a medal by taking 12th out of 81 in Class 2A with a time of 21:12.8.

The Warriors finished seventh out of 12 teams with a score of 161.

Valley View, led by individual champion Sadie Loftus, edged Wallenpaupack in the day’s closest team race 60-62. Both advance to the state meet along with the best 10 other individuals.

Kierstyn Orlandini and Sofia Menta were 30th and 34th for the Lady Warriors.

Ten different schools will send runners to states in Class A girls, where Elk Lake won the title over Montrose 40-87, with both earning trips to Hershey.

Old Forge was sixth out of eight teams with a score of 124.

Talarico took the last medal with her 15th-place finish in 21:54.1.

Bialkowski claimed the final state berth in 17th in 22:24.4 as Old Forge joined Holy Redeemer in landing two individual spots each.

Brynn Negvesky, Old Forge’s third finisher, was 22th out of 64.