Current Season
2001 PIAA State Championships
Hershey
AAA Girls race photos, plus interviews with state champion
Stephanie Madia, 6th place medalist Erin
Franklin of Wissahickon, and Jack Pressman,
head coach of state champion Allentown Central Catholic.
Cickay
showed her strategy early. Madia is on the right in 20th.
Cickay
had opened a seemingly comfortable lead just past the mile.
The chase pack at 1.2 miles included
O'Connell, Madia, Franklin, Saterstad, and Malcolm.
Cickay
at 1.5 miles. Alone, but showing signs of strain.
A short time later, Madia, O'Connell,
Franklin, Malcolm and Saterstad had been joined by Perry.
Stephanie
Madia, North Allegheny, AAA Girls Champion
On the race:
"I wanted to be back in the pack, not just show my strength
yet. I don't like to start fast, and then I just work my way into
it. But when I saw her (Cickay) take it out I picked it up. I
worked the downhills pretty hard. I knew the last mile was pretty
much downhill, and that's my strong point. It's my senior year,
so I just ran on adrenaline and the gifts God has given me."
On the finish:
"I was feeling pretty good, so I was just hoping to pull
it together. I knew I was going to be strong. My coach and I had
talked about shifting, starting with quick turnover and just keep
getting stronger and stronger until the last 50. And so that's
what I did, I just kept shifting and shifting and shifting until
I left it all out there."
On Jessica Cickay and her other competitors:
"I went after her as much as I could because on any given
day it's anyone's race. The top five in the state can all take
it on any day. They're all very talented, and I just went out
there and did the best I could."
The
finish was as close as you'll ever see in XC.
On the course:"It's not as bad as
our WPIAL course, obviously, but I like it. It gave us a chance
to show what we can do on the hills."
Hempfield
junior Lauren Bricker took WPIAL, and finished 5th to Madia on
this day.
High
fives moments after victory and a hug from mom.
Erin Franklin,
Wissahickon, AAA Girls 6th place:
"I wasn't really concerned with how fast
Jessica (Cickay) went out. I was just trying to stay with Kelly
(O'Connell-Coatesville) and Steph (Madia) at the beginning. And
that's what I did until the two mile, and that's when they pulled
away a little."
Jack Pressmann,
Head Coach, Allentown Central Catholic
Moments
after getting the news that District 11 is once again state champs.
On winning, after placing third in 2000:
"I thought it was possible. I figured anywhere from first
to fourth. I knew the kids were ready. When you run against the
big schools like Council Rock and North Penn with their great
traditions, and the North Allegheny's, it's so tough to do it.
But this group of girls just hung in there. It's truly a team
win. Seven girls had to do the job. In two races in a row, we
had a different fifth girl."
On District 11 girls' teams - home to the
last two state champions:
"We have the toughest girls in the state. The last two championships
came out of here. District One, they've got great traditions,
great programs down there, but we're proving we have great teams.
Just look at two of our top four teams that didn't qualify for
states - they each got four individuals into States. Maybe we
should have "respect" on our t-shirts next year."
Allentown
Central Catholic getting the news.
Jackie Adamshick,
12th in AAA girls, and Coach Pressmann.
Other race Photo & Interview
Pages -
Boys AAA /
Girls AA / Boys
AA
