RIDGWAY – Jared Feura led the championship race from start to
finish as Bradford dominated with all seven runners in the top 10
at the District 9 Class AAA cross country championship meet
Saturday.
Feura ran the course in 17:38 to lead the Owls to their seventh
straight title.
This marked the second straight year the Owls won the individual
and team titles.
Steve Kirkland took second for the Owls (17:53). It marked only
the second time Bradford recorded a 1-2 finish at districts. The
Owls did it in 1974 when Roy Burgess and Steve Winner accomplished
the feat.
“We knew we were in pretty good shape going into this meet,
having beaten the other teams convincingly during the season but
strange things happen at districts and we wanted to take care of
business,” BAHS coach Tom Tessena said. “These guys really wanted
to show people that all seven of our guys are tough runners.
“The course was a little slow because of the weather and the
three races that were run before us. But we ran good times.
“Steve and Jared have run well all season and today was business
as usual for them.”
Senior Ben Moran took fifth with an18:04, just a scant .02 out
of fourth.
“Ben is all business and is one of our most consistent guys,”
Tessena noted. “He and Steve become one of a few guys who ever
qualified for states four straight years. That’s quite an
accomplishment.”
Junior Mike Foerstner came up with a big performance taking
seventh with a time of 18:11.
“Nobody will outwork Mike. He gives his best every meet,” the
coach said. “He saved his best race for districts.”
Colton Langianese finished strong to take eighth, just a foot
behind Foerstner.
Senior Anthony Cavallaro was ninth in 18:14 and Shroy Mukerjee
took 10th in 18:18 to cap a remarkable team finish.
“Only 40 seconds separated our seven runners,” Tessena remarked.
“We scored only 23 points and had a margin of victory of 40 points
over DuBois which tallied 63 points followed by Punxsutawney with
66.
Feura and Foerstner were Fuhrman Chiropractic Runners of the
Week.
The Owls’ JV team was just as impressive taking first with 27
points. Rich Bartlebaugh ran away with the individual title with a
time of 18:33.ð
“This would have placed Rich 12th in the varsity race,” the
coach said.
Jarret Clarke was second in 19:32, just nipping teammate
freshman Patrick Perschke who was third in 19:33.
Another freshman, John Karrasch, took fourth in 19:52, while Ben
Pfeil was 20th in 21:32.
“Jarret and Patrick would have been 18th and 19th in the varsity
race,” Tessena declared. “We are losing three really great seniors
in Steve Kirkland, Ben Moran and Anthony Cavallaro but our future
looks bright next year with all these other guys returning.
“The seniors provided a lot of leadership and inspiration to
this team and I think these other guys will carried it forward.ð We
have a saying at Bradford that tradition never graduates and it has
been holding true for cross country and track at BHS.
“Now we have to get ready for states which will be held at
Hershey next Saturday. We are hoping to finish in the top half but
the competition will be tremendous.
“I would like to thank girls coaches Bob Macfarlane, Mark Kelley
and Larry Stillman for all their help during the season and
congratulate them on an outstanding season as well. It always makes
it special when the boys and girls both win.”
