XC warms up for PSUAC championships

XC warms up for PSUAC championships
October 22, 2021

The Penn State Fayette Cross Country team took part in the Hood College Invitational, also known as the Hood College Open, at Othello Regional Park in Knoxville, MD on Saturday, October 16 to get some work in, and head coach Joe Carei spoke about the event.

"We really came into this treating it as a workout and there were no pressures," he said. "We were just trying to work on racing tactics (and whatnot).  The women were supposed to run a 6k but only ran a 5k as the leaders cut out a loop and everyone followed.  The men did not do well, but it was the time and place not to do well."

Nicole Walker (West Mifflin, PA/West Mifflin HS) finished 11th in a time of 20:52.1 to lead the Fayette women.  Chloe Kalp (Melcroft, PA/Connellsville HS) was 26th in 22:23.8 and Josie Pindro (Hopwood, PA/Geibel Catholic) was right behind her in 27th with a time of 22:25.0.  Haley Miller (Masontown, PA/Albert Gallatin HS) was 73rd in 26:36.9.

On the men's side, Mitch Minda (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward HS) looked best for Fayette with a 24th-place finish in 29:53.5.  Joe O'Connell (West Mifflin, PA/West Mifflin HS) was 60th in 31:40.2, Ethan Mates (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant HS) finished 101st in 34:32.2, Logan Miller (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS) finished 132nd in 38:19.8 and Jacob Noel was 133rd with a time of 38:26.2.

Fayette is now preparing for the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, October 30th. The event has a 1 p.m. start time.  For more information on the PSUAC women's championships, go to https://www.psuacsports.com/sports/wxc/2021-22/2021_PSUAC_Women-s_XC_Invitational.  For more on the PSUAC men's cross country championships, go to https://www.psuacsports.com/sports/mxc/2021-22/2021_PSUAC_Men-s_XC_Invitational.

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships take place on Friday, November 12 in Virginia Beach, VA.

For more on the cross-country team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/xc/index or follow us on Instagram @fayetteathletics.