Saucon Valley senior Virginia Kraus took her final step toward becoming the first runner to win the maximum four Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association cross-country titles during Wednesday’s District 11 championships at DeSales University.
A state title would be her unprecedented fourth four-peat of the postseason.
Kraus, who completed the Class 2A girls race in a course record 17-minutes, 49-seconds, became just the third runner (boys or girls) to win four District 11 titles.
She secured her fourth Colonial League championship last week.
Liberty’s Joleen Tocci collected four consecutive district titles from 1988-1991 and Palisades’ Thomas Smigo was the first boy to accomplish the feat in 2022.
“It’s been a really long journey so I’m proud of it,” said Kraus, who won her first two District 11 titles in Class 1A while at Moravian Academy and her last two in Class 2A at Saucon Valley. “I think it’s one of my biggest accomplishments and it shows consistency. I read a statistic the other day that 60% of all female distance runners get injured at some point every year. So to be able to have the consistency is something I’m really proud of and very grateful for.”
Kraus wasn’t the only familiar face to cross the finish line first.
Her friendly track and field rival, Madelyn McCartney of Emmaus, won a third consecutive Class 3A crown in 18:02. McCartney, who placed third as a freshman, also reached rarified air as a three-time champion.
Easton, meanwhile, ended Emmaus’ streak of six straight 3A team titles.
Coach Bobbi Jo Powell’s Red Rovers captured the championship with 57 total points while Emmaus secured second with 84. Both EPC programs will compete at next weekend’s state championships in Hershey.
In Class 2A, Notre Dame-Green Pond won an impressive eighth straight District 11 team title. The Crusaders compiled 50 points compared to second-place Wilson’s 91.
Even with the district eight-peats and three-peats, Kraus overshadowed the competition as she often does.
The diminutive Saucon star opened a 24-second advantage by the mile-mark and a 47-second lead by the two-mile mark. She sped up as she neared the finish line to secure her personal-best time at DeSales by two seconds. (She ran 17:51 at last week’s Colonial League championships.)Kraus bested second-place Juliana Bonham, a Wilson sophomore, to the tape by 1-minute, 20-seconds.
“This was my 11th time running this course in my high school career,” said Kraus, who is also a state champ in track and field. “The week before the postseason I came out here to do a workout and I did three mile repeats and a couple quick 800s on the last mile. I told myself that’s a four-mile workout, and today, I’m only running three miles so it’s going to be easy. That was my mindset.”
Kraus has been aware for several years now that she could become the first ever four-time state champion in cross country.
She said she tries not to think too much about it, but still, she does think about it.
“It’s definitely been on my mind,” said Kraus, a Dartmouth commit. “I’m trying to tell myself, though, that it’s anyone’s race and it’s going to come down to who wants it more.”
Earlier this year, at the PIAA Track & Field Championships in Shippensburg, Kraus and McCartney went 1-2 in the Class 3A 3,200, with Kraus collecting the state gold and McCartney taking the silver.
McCartney, who will run at the University of Kentucky, is hoping to add to her vast array of distance medals with a strong performance in Hershey.
She looked strong in winning the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 3A races in back-to-back weeks in Center Valley. Like Kraus, McCartney PR’d at DeSales in districts with an 18:02. She prevailed last week in 18:11.
“I’m pretty happy,” she said. “I wanted to see if I could run into the 17s this week. I just missed it but I still ran faster than last week so I’m happy.
“Winning districts has been a big goal since my freshman year. I didn’t quite do it that year but my sophomore year I wanted to do it and I was able to do it and I’ve kept it up.”
McCartney earned a 13th-place medal at last year’s state cross country meet.
“Time goals, I don’t really have any,” she said, “but I would like to be in the top-eight. We’ll see what happens.”
Easton took the 3A team title thanks to putting four runners among the first 12. Sophomore Lyla Knoble placed sixth, with junior Vivian Clark seventh and senior Lama Mahmoud ninth, while senior Lena Mahmoud was 12th.
Notre Dame put three in the top seven in 2A. Seniors Samantha Karwacki, Ella Schweitzer and Brenna Hammerstone finished third, sixth and seventh, respectively.
Minersville senior Marley Zimmerman won the Class 1A race in 21:06 to help her Battlin’ Miners claim the team title with 44 points.
This year’s PIAA Cross-Country Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1 in Hershey.
The Class 1A girls race is set for a 9:30 a.m. start on the Parkview Course, with the 2A race at 10:15 a.m., and the 3A race set for 11 a.m.
Michael Blouse is a freelance writer.
DISTRICT 11 CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At DeSales University
(Note: Every individual/team listed qualified for the PIAA Cross Country Championship scheduled for Nov. 1 in Hershey.)
GIRLS
Class 3A
Team results: 1. Easton 57, 2. Emmaus 84.
Individual results: 1. Madelyn McCartney (Emm) 18:02.5, 2. Elizabeth McClarin (Lib) 18:49, 3. Hannah Brodhead (Fre) 19:06, 4. Katie Drabouski (Lib) 19:09, 5. Harshita Keerthi (Park) 19:10, 6. Lyla Knoble (Eas) 19:30, 7. Vivian Clark (Eas) 19:40, 8. Caelee Lenhart (SL) 19:43, 9. Lama Mahmoud (Eas) 19:48, 10. Taylor Vidumsky (Fre) 19:51, 11. Helaina Acker (Naz) 20:04, 12. Lena Mahmoud (Eas) 20:08.8, 13. Emma Carlson (Park) 20:08.9, 14. Grace Nosal (Emm) 20:12, 15. Delaney Schoeneberger (Naz) 20:13, 16. Liv Jusinski (Nor) 20:18.
Class 2A
Team results: 1. Notre Dame-GP 50, 2. Wilson 91.
Individual results: 1. Virginia Kraus (SV) 17:49, 2. Juliana Bonham (Wil) 19:09, 3. Samantha Karwacki (NDGP) 20:05, 4. Logan Gillespie (JT) 20:07, 5. Katherine Colon (Wil) 20:13, 6. Ella Schweitzer (NDGP) 20:14, 7. Brenna Hammerstone (NDGP) 20:22, 8. Rosalia Nestor (NW) 20:25, 9. Vanessa Frasnelli (BM) 20:31, 10. Genevieve Dando (NS) 20:35, 11. Emma Heil (NL) 20:53, 12. Ainsley Tighe (ACC) 21:12, 13. Bridget Steidle (SV) 21:14, 14. Claudia Pagotto (Leh) 21:15.3, 15. Shaylee Gormley (Tam) 21:15.8.
Class 1A
Team results: 1. Minersville 44, 2. Schuylkill Haven 56.
Individual results: 1. Marley Zimmerman (Min) 21:06, 2. Felcia Bro (Mah) 21:43, 3. Rio Stoudt (BC) 22:02, 4. Anna Cook (TV) 22:31, 5. Ava Bosack (Min) 22:47, 6. Teaghan Biros (Mar) 22:56, 7. Ayla Essler-Kiryaman (SH) 23:01, 8. Alexa Sukeena (Min) 23:03, 9. Anna Keer (Mar) 23:16, 10. Alexia Kehler (Wea) 23:30, 11. Valeria Hernandez (SV) 23:41, 12. Faith Krammes (SH) 24:01, 13. Allie Bright (SH) 24:09, 14. Razavi Lily (MA) 24:14, 15. Victoria Hernandez (SV) 24:28, 16. Skylar Husser (BC) 24:38.
