Cross country: Huskies run in packs, push State College in dual meet
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REEDSVILLE -- State College won both varsity races Tuesday, but the most revealing part of Mifflin County's afternoon came in clusters.
State College won the boys’ meet 19-36 and the girls’ meet 22-41 on Mifflin County's 3.1-mile course. Husky boys’ coach Alex Monroe called it a perfect evening to race, and both Husky teams kept answering the Little Lions the same way: runners together, one after another, following the plans their coaches had given them.
State College swept the first four places in the boys’ race before Mifflin County put four straight runners across the line. Wyatt Kauffman led the Huskies in fifth at 17 minutes, 3.96 seconds, followed by Hoyt Rodenbaugh in sixth at 17:09.99, Aidan Scavitti in seventh at 17:28.04 and Koy Aurand in eighth at 17:37.11.
State College's own front pack was tight. Kyle Fritzsche won in 16:36.20, Luke Bradbury followed in 16:36.53, and the next two Little Lion runners were across by 16:48.17. Four runners, less than 12 seconds apart, gave the visitors control of the scoring early.
The arithmetic was difficult to overcome. State College's five scorers finished 1-2-3-4-9. Mifflin County countered with 5-6-7-8-10. State College had created its advantage at the front before the Huskies' pack could answer.
That sequence didn't erase the early deficit, but it gave Monroe the kind of race he was looking for. With two invitationals coming Saturday, he wanted his runners to manage their effort, pair up and try a different approach instead of treating the dual as an isolated test.
"My boys did an excellent job of managing their efforts against one of the best teams in the state," Monroe said. "The goal today was to pair up and execute a different race plan than we have been trying."
Craig Whitenight completed Mifflin County's scoring five, finishing 10th in 18:24.24. Camryn Treaster followed in 11th at 18:37.36. Monroe singled out both runners, calling Whitenight "incredibly consistent" and saying Treaster staying with him was exciting to watch.
The Huskies also received a 15th-place finish from David Snyder in 18:41.63 and a 20th-place effort from Levi Anderson in 18:49.57. Monroe pointed to newcomers Colt Hoy, Dominic Altamuro, and Drew Krohn for what he called "great performances" on the JV side.
"A lot of them expect to extend their seasons, and so it was important for us to check the box and move on," Monroe said. "I saw good days from my top four, and we had some really great things happening behind them."
The loss was Mifflin County's first of the season. The boys are 4-1 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-Penn.
The girls’ race developed along much the same lines. State College took the first three places, then Mifflin County answered with Elissa Bell in fourth, Esperanza "Espie" Bargas in fifth, and Liberty "Libby" Cook in sixth. Daliyah Bargas finished eighth, giving the Huskies four of the next five places after State College's opening sweep.
Bell led Mifflin County in 21:11, followed by Espie Bargas in 21:19 and Cook in 21:20. Coach Kristin Kauffman saw more than three times close together. She saw the race plan taking shape.
"They are really learning how to pack up and pull their teammates along," Kauffman said. "Elissa Bell, Espie Bargas, Libby Cook, and Daliyah Bargas grouped up and ran as our first pack, placing 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th respectively."
State College's scoring five went 1-2-3-7-9. Mifflin County answered 4-5-6-8-18. The Huskies stayed close through four runners, but State College's fifth scorer crossed nine places ahead of Mifflin County's fifth.
The pattern repeated farther back. Abigail "Abby" Anderson finished in 23:41, Jovie Kauffman in 23:44, Lizzy Massie in 23:45 and Madalyn "Maddy" Yoder in 23:48. Four teammates reached the line within seven seconds of one another.
Kauffman said several runners also set personal records.
"I'm again so proud of how the girls raced and followed the plan that was given to them," she said. "I'm happy with where we are, and we are looking forward to racing at Ben Bloser and Altoona on Saturday."
The girls are 3-2 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-Penn.
Neither Mifflin County team got the score it wanted Tuesday. Both came away with something measurable beyond points: packs forming, teammates holding together, and a race plan surviving contact with State College.