MESHOPPEN – A nice round number helped explain just how ready Pittston Area’s Arianna Boccardi was for the start of her senior cross country postseason.
Boccardi’s time of 20:55 on the 3.1-mile course at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds Wednesday in hot conditions was exactly one minute faster than her time a year ago in the same meet.
With Boccardi placing fourth in the 113-runner field, Pittston Area was third out of 13 teams in the varsity girls race at the Ed Narkiewicz Wyoming Valley Conference Championship Meet.
“We’ve been working really hard so I felt confident physically,” Boccardi said. “But, the heat kind of came out of nowhere. That scared me a little bit, but we all performed great.
“It was an awesome meet.”
And, one that came at an important point in the season.
The District 2 Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Wednesday at Lakeland where Pittston Area could be battling with Hazleton Area and Abington Heights for what is actually a District 2-4 Subregional title in Class 3A girls. The subregional championship also determines which 3A team and five individuals continue their season on into state competition.
“I was a little nervous because this was going to be a precursor to next week,” Boccardi said, “especially running against all the girls we just did who are amazing, phenomenal runners.
“So, it was really an honor finishing with those girls.”
Boccardi moved up from 13th a year ago.
Although the Pittston Area team had the same place finish as in 2015, it lowered its team score and closed the gap on the positions it was behind.
Dallas, the regular-season champion, won the title with 32 points.
Hazleton Area edged Pittston Area, 73-77, for second.
“What I saw was a good thing,” Pittston Area coach Joe Struckus said. “I saw Bailey Loyack start to get into where her form is. We saw (Genevieve) English come up from her number-four position and battle with the top people in the conference, which is definitely going to help us next week going against Hazleton and Abington Heights.”
Abington Heights was the District 2 champion in Class 2A last year.
Loyack, a sophomore, was 11th in 21:30, two seconds ahead of freshman teammate Nicole Zambetti, who was 13th.
English came in 17th in 22:05.
Mary Silinskie completed the team score with a time of 23:41 while placing 36th.
Pittston Area placed five runners in the top 48, something only team champion Dallas was able to match.
Jessica Tighe was 40th and Katrina Dillon 48th.
Wyoming Area, which had just the minimum five runners needed for a team score, was ninth with 246 points.
Addison Orzel led the way, taking 29th in 23:06.
Gwen Glatz was 46th.
Pittston Area was 11th and Wyoming Area last out of the 17 boys teams.
Dallas won the title, 32-60, over Berwick. Pittston Area had a team score of 284 and Wyoming Area was at 474.
Tony Demark and Joey Fisher finished 36th and 37th out of 108 boys to lead Pittston Area. Demark’s time was 18:51, three seconds head of Fisher.
Matthew Hindmarsh led Wyoming Area, taking 108th in 21:41.
The meet, which was organized by the conference coaches association, also included a junior high championship.
Wyoming Area’s Aubrianna Marranca placed second in the girls race, completing the two-mile course in 13:12.
Wyoming Area was 10th and Pittston Area 14th of 15 girls teams. Wyoming Area was seventh and Pittston Area ninth out of 15 boys teams.
Michael Brantley and Grant Smith were 12th and 14th to lead Wyoming Area.
Pittston Area’s top finisher was Keith Romanczuk in 24th.
