Salesianum Invitational 2005

Wissahickon\'s Boys and Girls teams each captured 2nd place awards in the Varsity A Races on the difficult Brandywine Creek State Park course at the annual Salesianum Invitational.

The West Springfield boys and junior Mike Spooner continue to look stronger each week of racing as the Spartans and their star runner took home first place honors for the second consecutive weekend at the Salesianum Invitational held at Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware. Spooner, who won the red invitational division race last weekend at Great American in 15:53, posted the third fastest clocking all-time at the Brandywine Creek 5K course with a winning time of 16:22. Only two runners have ran faster and Spooner finds himself in an elite class behind the two fastest in Alan Webb (2000) and Sharif Karie (1999). Meanwhile, three other teammates of Spooner\'s finished in the top 15 to secure the team victory with senior Chris Benton (10th, 17:20), junior Alex Martis (13th, 17:32) and junior Leo Walker (15th, 17:38). West Springfield\'s fifth man, sophomore Loring Ross, ran injured, but still managed a 34th place effort of 18:21. The next race up for Coach Kelbaugh\'s squad is at the Glory Days Invitational where they may get a crack at the state\'s top two programs in Thomas Jefferson and Brentsville.

Katherine Ward is no longer an emerging star in PA. She proved the point with a big win over a talented field at the Steel City Invitational. A field that included defending champ Sarah Morrison of Chambersburg. Ward went 19:20, Morris 19:25, and Kate Ross 19:37, Chambersburg won the girls team, with 67, O;Hara 94, Council Rock North 174. Boyertown\'s Jason Weller ran 15:49, with Conestoga Valley Vince McNally at 15:56, and Greg Thomas, O\'Hara 16:10. Coatesville won for the 2nd week in a row. getting78, with O\'Hara at 122 and Parkland at 166. Natalie Bower is rocking western PA cross country this season, and she has company. Two teammates joined her in the top five at the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Invitational to lead Latrobe to a 41-72 win over North Allegheny.(Cover photo by Karen Ward of Boys Steel City champ, Jason Weller, Boyertown.)