Carlisle’s Ana Bondy scores silver, Olivia Cieslak, Haverford end North Allegheny reign at PIAA Cross Country Championships

North Allegheny's reign over PIAA girls cross country was halted by Haverford on Saturday.

Olivia Cieslak and Haverford claimed the Class 3A team title over runner-up and fellow District 1 team Owen J. Roberts and six-time defending champion North Allegheny to highlight the girls competition at the PIAA Cross Country Championship held on the Parkview XC Course in Hershey.

Individually, Lillian DiCola of Hatboro-Horsham won the 3A title in 18:31, edging out Carlisle's Ana Bondy and Dallastown freshman Leah Navarro, who finished 2nd and 3rd in 18:33. Rounding out the top 5 were Downingtown West freshman Julia Kelly (18:35) and the Fords' Cieslak (18:42).

Junior Virginia Kraus of Saucon Valley (11) was the Class 2A champion in 18:18, the top time by a girl runner Saturday.

Carlisle's Bondy, the Mid-Penn champion, rose of the rankings in her junior year after placing 14th at states a year ago. She settled for fourth at the District 3 championships two weeks ago, but brought her best in the finale.

What's more, illness had Bondy thinking she may not even go to the line Saturday.

"I'm a little bit in shock. I got really sick yesterday – I've had a cold and I haven't been able to breathe when I've been running. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to run today," Bondy said.

"On the line, I started to get a little panic attack. I was really, really nervous. I was very scared because I was sick, I didn't have my best district race. But I'm really happy I did race."

Bondy's ability to attack the downhills of the all-terrain, hilly Parkview Course allowed her to make up ground, surging from around 20th through one mile to overtaking nearly all of the field.

"At the top of the hill and the downhills and flat parts (is where I made up ground)," Bondy said. "I was probably in 20th coming off the first mile, and we came off this big hill and I was falling back a bit but on the downhill I caught everyone."

DiCola, a senior, follows in her family's footsteps as a PIAA cross country champion after brother Brian won the 2022 boys' 3A title in a course record.

DiCola's graduation means Carlisle's Bondy will be top returner in 2024-25 and the Carlisle junior left Hershey Saturday embracing what's to come.

"This is going to leave me wanting more," she said. "Next year, on a day where I'm sick and unsure if I want to do it, I can pull myself together. Trusting myself more, that's what I got out of this."

SQUAD GOALS

Haverford stopped North Allegheny from a seventh-straight PIAA girls title and overtook an Owen J. Roberts team that bested them at the District 1 Championships at Lehigh University a week earlier.

Cieslak placed second among runners in the team event and fellow senior Camryn McGeehan was 8th (16th overall).

"I'm thrilled. This is what we've been working towards," Cieslak said. "We've all been dreaming of this and I'm so proud of everyone who came on the line. We wanted to show what we've got. We knew we were capable of it and put our name back up there."

Five of the Fords' six scorers are seniors, also including Micha Haskins, Anastasia Harmon and Pru Frein.

"We've been working together, bringing each other up and being there for each other. I love having a team where we work together, not compete."

Cieslak is a mid-distance star in track and field, the 800-meter champion and 1,600-meter runner-up at PIAAs last spring. She had something to prove after she missed running at PIAA cross country last year due to an ankle injury suffered the day before the race.

"A lot of people say I'm the 'track girl'. I wanted to come out here and show that's not just me. I know I can do cross," Cieslak said. "In college I would like to run both so I wanted to go out and show I can be the 'cross country girl' not just a 'track girl.'

"I didn't get to race last year because I rolled my ankle the day before. On that last hill I was thinking, 'You didn't get to race last year, but this year show what you can do.' Having that setback and then being on the line today and seeing what I could do, I was just so happy to be running, let alone being able to perform as well as I wanted for the team."

Haverford (110), Owen J. Roberts (119) and North Allegheny (125) were followed by State College (162) and Conestoga (169) in the top 5. State College was led by junior Devon Jackson and senior Devyani Wadhia.

From District 3, Manheim Township placed seventh, Chambersburg came 15th and Cumberland Valley 17th. Chambersburg's top finisher was sophomore Brook Boone (20:17); CV's was junior Kennedy Lauer (20:45).

Class 2A

Kraus of Saucon Valley (11) was the champion in 18:18, followed by Somerset Area's Emily Fisher (18:37) and Quaker Valley's Cecilia Montagnese (18:49).

Cathedral Prep out of District 10 was team champ (118), followed by Disrtict 4 duo Lewisburg (151) and Danville (163).

Class 1A

Warrior Run junior Claire Dufrene was individual champion in 19:04. Cranberry won the 1A team title.

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