PennTrackXC - Features

December 21, 2001 - Four PA XC teams, and four athletes make the Harrier's final season rankings list in the latest issue. AAA Boys State Champ Cedar Cliff moved up a notch to finish the year in the Harrier Super 25 at #17. In the unranked 26-50 team listing, three other squads made the final rankings: PCL Boys Champ Cardinal O'Hara, Girls AAA Champ Allentown Central Catholic, and North Penn. Individually, Council Rock's Jessica Cickay got two honors, making the national All-Soph team (she was one of only three sophomores to qualify for Foot Lockers), along with a mention in the Top 50. Also making that list were fellow Foot Locker Finalists, North Allegheny's Stephanie Madia, and Eisenhower's Andy Weilacher. The final PA individual honored in the Top 50 list was AAA State Champ Dan Mazzocco of Baldwin. (The list consists of the top 15 in Foot Lockers who make up the three All-American teams, while #'s 16-50 are unranked, but receive Honorable Mention.) In the regional rankings, Cedar Cliff boys finished #3 in the Northeast, while O'Hara was #7. And the Allentown Central Catholic girls finished #8 in the region. To see the complete national lists, order the Harrier by clicking here.

December 9, 2001 - Stephanie Madia had a senior cross country season that anyone would dream of. Healthy. Fast. Tri-State Meet Champion. State Championship. Foot Locker Finalist. And to top it off, a 5K PR by six seconds. PennTrackXC talked with her Sunday afternoon after her return from Florida. Her responses.

December 8, 2001 - Stephanie Madia and Jessica Cickay made it to the big race, and finished 23rd and 26th, respectively on a day in which California's Amber Trotter smashed the course, and Foot Locker Meet Records with a 16:24. Madia ran 18:06.1, while Cickay was a few strides back in 18:14.6. Madia had been 8th at the Northeast Regional, and had edged Cickay for the PA State Championship by .5. Cickay was 6th at the Regional. Both were considered for the PA Female Runner of the Year by the PA Track Coaches Association, with Madia getting the final nod. Full results on the official Foot Locker page. Photos, etc. on Dyestat. The Foot Locker Finals will be broadcast on Wednesday, December 12 on FoxSportsNet. In the Philly area, that's 4:00 pm on Comcast SportNet.

PA athletes receiving Honorable Mention in Dyestat's Nike Athlete of the Week, click here.

December 5, 2001 - The PA Foot Locker Northeast team of Jessica Cickay, Stephanie Madia, Erin Franklin, Charity Learn, and Angie Saterstad, did indeed finish third in the region after a scoring error was discovered and corrected. The new totals were New York - 36, Massachusetts - 49, and Pennsylvania - 84. The difference was important, because the first three teams receive medals. PA Foot Locker page.

December 5, 2001 - Andy Weilacher is now home from the hospital. For those who wish to send a note of support, please email PennTrackXC, and I will give you the home addresses of both Andy Weilacher and Matt Allenson - Don Rich, Publisher

December 3, 2001 - Foot Locker has announced that Andy Weilacher will not be able to run in the finals at Disney World Dec. 8, and Brendan Sullivan of NY will take his place. The December 2 update on the 11/29 auto accident involving Weilacher and Matt Allenson is in PennTrackXC News, along with the original article from the Erie Times-News.

Three PA athletes earn trip to National Foot Locker Championships! PA FL HOME.

November 26, 2001 - McDowell's Sheena Gordon signs letter of intent to attend and compete for UCLA. Read the article. State Champ and Foot Locker Finalist Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, to run for Notre Dame. Upper Dublin's Katie Ewart will compete at Penn State. And Villa Maria's Kim Malcom will take her talents to Georgetown. Current PA Signings.

November 26, 2001 - It looks as if PA's Northeast Foot Locker team of Jessica Cickay, Stephanie Madia, Erin Franklin, Charity Learn and Angie Saterstad did indeed finish THIRD in the team competition, eclipsing New Jersey. PennTrackXC noticed the omission of Madia's name (and her low score of 8 points) Sunday morning, and emailed the timing service, Elite Racing Systems. Late last night, we received confirmation that Madia had accidently been listed as a male in the database, and was inadvertently missed. Elite Racing System's Fred Torres has officially notified the meet director of the error. PennTrackXC would like to thank two others who also noticed the scoring error and notified us Sunday. When corrected, it means PA was third in the Northeast in both boys and girls. Congratulations!

November 25, 2001 - Cedar Cliff held their Northeast #3 and US #18 Harrier rankings is the latest poll released in the December 3rd issue. Cardinal O'Hara, off their PCL championship, is NE #7. And on the girls poll, PA AAA champ Allentown Central Catholic is NE #8.

November 25, 2001 - Changing his race tactics for one day, Andy Weilacher lays back early and surprises a lot of people late. Story and Photos!

November 25, 2001 - Jessica Cickay and Stephanie Madia borrow each other's race tactics for a day, and it works well for both – each can now be called a Foot Locker Finalist! Story and Photos!

November 24, 2001 - An unbelievable day for Pennsylvania, as Jessica Cickay, Stephanie Madia, and Andy Weilacher travel to New York and win a ticket to Orlando in two weeks for the national championship of cross country, the Foot Locker finals. In the team competition, PA finished 3rd in the boys' race behing Weilacher, Dan Mazzocco, Rob Robertson, Joel Thomas and Ryan Blood. On the girls' side, the finish may or may not be 3rd, as the 2nd scorer was inadvertently omitted from the list.

(Cickay and Weilacher finish photos by DyeStat)

Cickay, of Council Rock, who finished second to Madia in the AAA state championships November 3rd, finished 6th in 18:20, 32 seconds behind two-time champion Natasha Roetter of Massachusetts. Madia hustled in six seconds later to claim the 8th and final coveted spot. Erin Franklin, who was 6th at the PA state race, nearly broke into the top eight, getting 12th place just 15 seconds behind Madia. Mansfield's Charity Learn placed 36th in her only Foot Locker appearance in 19:19. Last year's 10th place finisher, junior Angie Saterstad of Hershey, finished 44th. Wyomissing's Amy Huss was 47th in 19:30. And AA state champ Jesi Christiansen was 51st. Girls' Race Description, Quotes and Photos coming Sunday AM. Complete Girls Championship Results.

Eisenhower's Andy Weilacher, the AA state champ, skipped the Mid-East Regional meet last Saturday to "maintain his focus" for the Foot Locker meet, and it paid off with a 3rd place finish in 15:34, just 5 seconds out of first. AAA champ Dan Mazzocco, Baldwin, lost momentum on the hills approaching mile two, and finished 14th in 16:04, 21 seconds behind 8th place. Coatesville's Rob Robertson was 20th in 16:09. Other top 50 PA finishers included Joel Thomas, Emmaus, 24th in 16:10 (the final medalist); Ryan Blood, an East Pennsboro junior, 29th in 16:22; Council Rock senior Rob Hampson, 34th in 16:24; Henderson sophomore Ian Gottesfeld, 35th in 16:26 (the 4th fastest soph OF THE DAY); Council Rock senior Mike DiDio, 40th in 16:28, and Pottsgrove senior Corey Rogers, 49th in 16:34. Boys' Race Description, Quotes and Photos coming Sunday AM. Complete Boys Championship Results.

In the other Foot Locker races, PA fared quite well. Getting top 25 finishes were: Girls' Freshman Race: Tricia Learn, 3rd in 19:51, Lauren Bowles, 6th in 20:19, Emily Beaham, 11th in 20:30, Jessica Jones, 15th in 20:47; Boys' Freshman Race: Andrew Winterhalter, 14th in 18:05, Curtis Carnes, 16th in 18:12; Girls' Sophomore Race: Kryston Fenon, 10th in 20:19, Shannon Reese, 12th in 20:22, Kyleigh Millhouse, 13th in 20:23; Boys' Sophomore Race: Michael Syrnick, 6th in 16:51, Nicholas Brousse, 19th in 17:11; Girls' Junior Race: Ashleigh Wetzel, 3rd in 19:55, Renee Spangler, 4th in 19:57, Reisel Berger, 20th in 20:48, Alaina Ambrose, 23rd in 20:51; Boys' Junior Race: Chris Robson, 3rd in 16:46, Chip Carnes, 16th in 17:06, Joseph Dare, 19th in 17;10, Matt Lawson, 25th in 17:16; Girls' Senior Race: Ruth Mick, 2nd in 20:05, Ketie Farnsworth, 17th in 20:52; Boys' Senior Race: Joshua Vanderveen, 27th in 17:36.

Jesi Christiansen's younger brother, Jed, was the only freshman to run the Championship Race, and he finished a very respectable 104th in 16:59. More importantly, he was the fastest freshman boy of the day. And Charity Learn's younger sister Tricia, who was 3rd in the freshman girls race, had the 5th fastest frosh girls' time of the day. Congrats to both on a great season, and good things to come.

November 24, 2001 - Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, signs with Notre Dame. Upper Dublin's Katie Ewart makes verbal commitment to Penn State.

November 22, 2001 - Two PA stars sign with great programs. Dominique Darden, Harrisburg, will attend the University of Miami, and Erin Franklin, Wissahickon, will run for Wake Forest.

November 21, 2001 - Wissahickon's Erin Franklin was added on Wednesday to the Northeast Footlockers competitors' list in a late update. Erin's presence only improves PA's chances, as she spent much of the season breaking course records of former Wissahickon teammate and state champ Paige Miller. Franklin was in the lead pack at States this year, finishing only 20 seconds off Madia and Cickay. PA Girls Preview.

November 19, 2001 - Cedar Cliff held their Northeast #3 Harrier ranking is the latest poll. The two teams ahead of them, Haddonfield and Amherst, are both top 10 US. More on Dyestat.

November 19, 2001 - PA INDOOR SCHEDULE NOW ONLINE

November 18, 2001 - Madia - Cickay - Saterstad want to go to Disney (with a side-trip to the Foot Locker Championships - GIRLS' PREVIEW.

November 18, 2001 - Mazzocco - Weilacher - Robertson best PA class in four years at Northeast Foot Lockers - BOYS' PREVIEW.

PLUS on the PA Foot Locker page: links to the list of runners, plus a link to a map and video of the course. If you just want the photos - click here. You'll also find a complete list of every one of PA's 52 qualifying performances since 1979.

November 17, 2001 - Robertson, Mazzocco and Madia get top 10 finishes at the Mid-East Regional Championships in western Ohio. PA teams finish 4th and 5th for the boys/girls, respectively. Complete results.

November 17, 2001 - Led by Tim O'Neill's 13:35, St. Joseph's Prep took the 57th Jesuit XC Championships in Van Cortlandt Park in NYC with just 39 points going 1-6-9-11-12. Gonzaga from Washington DC, was second. O'Neill was alone as he exited the woods at the storied layout, and cruised to his title. Results for St. Joseph's, and link to full results.

November 17, 2001 - From our neighbors to the east, Haddonfield takes the Meet of Champions at Holmdel with 87 points. Old Bridge is 2nd. The US#4 squad placed three runners in the top five, all under 16:00 on the tough layout, to take the All-Group Championship. Complete results on Dyestat. (I'm just braggin' on my nephew, who finished 6th overall, and 3rd for Haddonfield)

Finally caught up with all the PA Elite postings for Boys and Girls. Let me know of any errors or omissions.

See a photo tour of the Hersheypark course so you can describe your race to your friends. Plus a new photo page from States.

PA athletes receiving Honorable Mention in Dyestat's Nike Athlete of the Week,
click here.

Videotape ordering information for 2001 PIAA XC Championships can be found on the 2001 States page:

November 15, 2001 - Philadelphia Public League Championships at Belmont Plateau. William Penn ends Central's three-year dominance by a single point in girls' team competition as Madonna Patterson wins in 20:42. But Central boys dominate their race, led by Public League course record-holder, sophomore Mike Syrnick in 16:29. Partial results on, along with a photo page from PennTrackXC coverage. Results Page. Photo Page.

November 11, 2001 - Philadelphia Catholic League Championships @ Belmont Plateau - Cardinal O'Hara sweeps the Philadelphia Catholic League team titles, the guys led by Steve Hallinan in 16:13, just four seconds up on St. Joseph's Prep soph Tim O'Neill. Their total of 36 points (1-4-5-10-16) was accomplished with a 58 second spread. In the girls' race, O'Hara's 41 points (4-7-8-10-12) meant it was the first time in four years a team other than Archbishop Prendergast has won. Their spread was 1:08. Individually, Amy Kelly goes sub-19:00 again, this time by a second, to take the individual crown the year after her older sister accomplished the same feat. Full Team and Partial Individual Results. / Photo Page / Complete Individual Results (Frosh-JV-Varsity)

If these guys get their shirts tucked in before the race, they could win it all in 2002.

Who they are, and why they could be the Cedar Cliff of 2000. In Features.

Angie Saterstad nearly goes down at States, but perseveres, thanks to some help from a friend. In Features.

November 9, 2001 - Julia Pudlin may be out for Northeast Regional Foot Lockers, but she's in this sport for life. PennTrackXC talked with Julia late this week about her senior XC season lost, and her plans in Features.

November 8, 2001 - Philadelphia Public League Area Championships @ Belmont Plateau - Sophomore Mike Syrnick of Central High, set a Philly Public League record of 16:26 for Belmont Plateau, bettering the 1999 mark of Walter Harley of Simon Gratz. Central took both the Northwest boys' and girls' titles. Reisel Berger of Central had the fastest girls' time of the day, a 20:38. In the North, William Penn girls easily took the title behind Madonna Patterson's 20:49. Masterman won the boys' race, And in the West Area, Overbrook took the boys' title, and University City, the girls'. Partial results.

November 7, 2001 - Mid-Atlantic Prep League Championships @ Blair School - Mercersburg Academy boys took 4th at the Mid-Atlantic Prep League meet behind the 10th place finish of Ross Weller in 16:50. Independent Schools' champ Maureen Glah of Mercersburg, was second in the individual race just four seconds off the course record pace of Lawrenceville's Shannon Watson. Partial results.

November 6, 2001 - Article # 6 in our series on training is now online, entitled: 7 Steps for Effective Strength Training. Read about the series and catch up on the first five articles here.

November 5, 2001 - Philadelphia Catholic League - Girls' Northern Division Championshps @ Belmont Plateau - Amy Kelly continued to lead St. Hubert's in her older sister's absence, running a strong 19:04, and joined by teammate Kate Mehaffey to one-two the meet and lead their team to a 30-47 win over Archbishop Wood. Partial results.

November 5, 2001 - Philadelphia Catholic League - Girls' Southern Division Championships @ Belmont Plateau - Led by Danielle Schopf in 20:00 at Divison Champs, the Cardinal O'Hara girls are the favorites for the PCL championships after dominating the season, and the Divisions with a 22 point win over Archbishop Prendergast. O'Hara went 1-3-4-6-10. Prendie's Nocole O'Dea was seven seconds back of Schopf. Partial results.

November 2, 2001 - Friends' Schools League Championships @ Friends' Central - Friends' Central, led by Ian Ramsey-North in 17;17.2, won the Friends' Schools League Championships at Friends' Central over Westtown. Friends' Central took four of the top ten spots. In the girls' race, Westtown nipped George School by four points behind Katie McKinstry's 20:23.2, with three in the top six. Partial results.

November 2, 2001 - Based on results prior to the District One race, Council Rock girls moved up to US#11 in the just-released November 12 issue of The Harrier, while the Cedar Cliff boys dropped a spot to US#18. Cardinal O'Hara's boys have moved into the picture with a ranking of #10 in the Northeast. In other Northeast rankings, Rock's girls remain #2, while the North Penn girls drop a spot to Northeast #8. Individually, Council Rock #1 Jessica Cickay is ranked in the Top 25 individual runners in the US. SEE NEW TOP TEN US AND TOP FIVE REGIONALLY ON DYESTAT. Top 25 US and Top 10 Regionally are only available in the print version. (Click here to subscribe to The Harrier) On a personal note: That's my nephew, Breton (not Eric) Bonnette on the cover of the Nov. 12 Harrier. He's the #3 guy for US#4 Haddonfield.

Deadline for registering for the Footlocker Northeast Regionals scheduled for Sat. Nov. 24 in NYC, is NOVEMBER 9th! Registration info HERE . Any PA athlete (grades 9-10-11-12) may compete in these races. There are no qualifying times. Read last year's article by DyestatPA on why everyone is eligible.

November 1, 2001 - Inter-Ac League Girls' Championships @ Episcopal Academy - Devon Campus - Regular season champs Notre Dame took three of the top six spots and made it official with their first league title, edging last year's team champion, Baldwin School by just four points. But Baldwin's Brighton Schlumpf took the individual title on a lean over Shipley's Elisa Payne. Notre Dame's Colleen McCauley was third. Partial Results.