Mifflin County, Juniata harriers compete at PA Middle School Championships
Husky boys place 13th overall
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LOCK HAVEN -- Juniata Middle School's trio of eighth-grader cross country runners made a strong showing at the Pennsylvania Middle School Cross Country Championships at Lock Haven University on Saturday, led by Evan Yackey's third-place finish in a time of 10:42.0.
Yackey improved from 11th place a year ago, while Landon Miller placed 93rd in 12:25.5 and Mason Hardin posted a personal-best 16:57.4. Juniata coach Jeff Miller praised all three runners for their effort, dedication and growth throughout the season.
“My goal last year at this time was for Evan to return to the Middle School Championship this year and place in the top three overall," Miller said. "He did exactly that. To top it off he ran the exact time I was looking for based off of training and racing this fall. I’m very proud of the way he raced today. He shows up every day and puts in the work and pushes himself when it matters.
"Landon unfortunately had some stomach issues in his race that held him back from his true potential," Miller added. "He still dropped a good bit of time from last year and is starting to realize he can be pretty good in this sport. Mason ran better than last year. He’s one of my most reliable kids I coach and does everything I ask of him. "
The Mifflin County Junior High cross country teams concluded the 2026 season with many season-best performances on Saturday at Lock Haven.
The Huskies’ boys were led by Kenneth Swartzell’s medal-winning 17th place in a personal record time of 11:03 in a fast, competitive boys’ race of 205 runners. Aiden Wible scored a personal-record of 11:34 over the two-mile course. finishing 33rd. Tanner Napikoski cracked the top 100 in 95th place with a PR of 12:33. Sam Mills, in his first year of running, knocked 53 seconds off his previous best time, finishing in 13:04. Thomas Connors and Leonidas Stivala both ran PR races of 13:56 and 14:08, respectively. Overall, Mifflin County placed 13th out of 22 teams in the boys’ competition.
Lillen Adams was tops among the Husky girls, placing 37th in a season PR of 13:05. Adalyn Lutz was 96th in a best time of 14:08. Hannah Russler also ran her fastest time of the season in 15:26. Brinley Foster finished with her second-best time of the year of 21:08. There were 224 finishers in the girls’ race.
Mifflin County coaches Gary Ishler and Kim Bennett expressed appreciation and admiration for the dedication and comradery the athletes demonstrated from the start of the summer practices and throughout the season.
“This year’s returning runners have demonstrated great leadership in creating a welcoming and supporting environment for our new runners,” Bennett said. “Our group of runners pushed each other and celebrated each other’s accomplishments. They showed up every practice with positivity and enthusiasm for whatever workout we were having them complete, and they never complained when we added to it.”
Coach Ishler pointed to the team’s willingness to embrace important core values in getting better every day. “Cross country’s a tough sell. It’s difficult and challenging. The results this season are a tribute to our kids because they completely bought-in -- constantly working hard, improving and competing, while always having fun. Plus, the experience helped instill in them a love for running they can carry forward not just at the high school level but for a lifetime.”