Pictured is Madelyn Keating.
MESHOPPEN — Madelyn Keating’s District 2 Class 2A championship last season as a sophomore was described more than once as “surprising.”
Keating came up with another surprise Thursday at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds.
Running a race in which some did not even know she would be entered, Keating returned to competitive sports just in time to earn another chance to run in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Cross Country Championships Nov. 6 at the Herskey Parkview Course.
Keating will have a shot at repeating her state medal after finishing sixth in the 70-runner Class 2A girls field at the District 2 Championships.
She did so without having competed during the season.
Keating suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in basketball season. Medically cleared Monday for her return to running competitively, Keating made her way around the course, with her left knee protected by a brace, in 20:41.7 to claim one of 10 individual state spots available in the race.
Dallas freshman Madison Hedglin won the race, helping the Mountaineers grab the district’s second state berth behind team champion Holy Redeemer.
Holy Redeemer squeezed past Dallas, 77-79, for the title.
Wyoming Area did not have enough runners to post a team score. None of its other three runners finished higher than 46th.
The Wyoming Area boys were last in the 13-team Class 2A boys race.
Holy Redeemer won the title with Lake-Lehman, led by individual champion Nick Hockenbury, taking the second state berth.
Patrick Branley finished 23rd out of 93, missing out on a district medal by three places.
Neither Pittston Area team had the necessary five runners for a team score.
Preston Klem fell short of a Class 3A boys medal by one place, taking 11th out of 50 runners to lead the Patriots.
Molly Fetchko was the top Pittston Area finisher in Class 3A girls, placing 36th out of 52.
The North Pocono boys and Crestwood girls won the titles, led by individual champions Caleb Kenyon and Molly DeMarzo.
