On Monday, Oct 29th the Portledge Varsity Cross Country team competed in the IPPSAL Cross Country Championships @ Eisenhower Park, and on Wednesday, Nov 7th it was off to Van Cortland Park for the PSAA Championship run . The IPPSAL and PSAA Championship meets are the primary focus of the Porledge runners and one can easily see that the Panthers were ready.
How Did Portledge Fare @ the IPPSAL Championsips?
The IPPSAL Cross Country Commissioner, Ken Johnson from Martin Luther High School, created a special new 5K grass course for the championship meet. It was a tough track with some testing hills and rugged terrain. So it was especially great to see the top two Portledge boys runners,Junior Steven Pardo and Sophomore Bryce Behar, have their best individual performances of the season. Pardo and Behar both ran their strongest times of the fall and both placed in the coveted top 15 medal earning slots. In addition, Sophomore Delphine Starr and Freshman Millie Stallings both earned top five honors and medals in the girls division. Other fine performances were turned in by Alan Phipps, 17th overall with a personal best time, as well as Eddie Huai and Nick Hagedorn. As a team Portledge placed third out of the seven schools competing.
What Happened @ the PSAA Meet?
Portledge sent a limited group to the PSAA Championships because it is not our primary league and has more of an individual focus. Once again, Steven Pardo was the top Portledge runner and finished in the top twenty out of some 100 runners or so. Junior Adam Kravietz, probably inspired by his father's completion of the NYC Marathon a few days earlier, ran one of the best races of his cross country career. Not an easy feet given that the blustery and cold conditions were not ideal for running.
The Portledge Cross Country program has a bright future with almost all of the team returning next year and many fine runners in the Freshman and Sophomore classes. We are also considering offering cross country as a 7/8 athletic option in the fall season. I would love to hear what people think about that. Are there any 6th or 7th graders out there that would consider taking up cross country next fall?
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