The Mid-Penn Conference is one of the best in the state. In almost every sport it has at least one of its teams in contention for a state title.

But, in cross country and track and field it might be the best in Pennsylvania.

Two years ago, 2022, Chambersburg and State College were one-two in the 3A state track meet. If Chambersburg’s top athlete would not have given up track and field for basketball after his sophomore year (2022), Chambersburg may have won the state title three years in a row.

In the recent 3A cross country meet, State College won the team title and the individual winner was Carter Smith from Mifflin County. Out of the top 25 medal winners, eight were from the Mid-Penn League.

I met Carter when he was a 13-year-old Mifflin County All-Star in 2022. Then in 2023, Carter was a key player on the Reedsville team that won the league title. He was a good baseball player and still might be.

But, he is a great distance runner.

Pennsylvania is the fifth most populated state in the country. The race he was in when he won the state was with all the large schools in the state.

Carter beat every runner from Erie, Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh suburbs, Johnstown, Altoona, State College, Chambersburg, Harrisburg, York, Reading, Lancaster, Williamsport, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Philadelphia and the Philadelphia suburbs.

You name the city in Pennsylvania and he beat them all. All those runners (there were 275) were from all over the commonwealth.

My friends, that is some kind of running.