Sports
Perfect
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| Andy Matsko/Times•Shamrock PhotoNorth Schuylkill’s Diane Lindenmuth finished first among the girls in her meet with Pottsville and Marian Wednesday afternoon. |
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — As a North Schuylkill freshman, Megan Wood ran on a two-win team.
BY BOB LIPSKY
TIMES•SHAMROCK WRITER
NS girls complete XC regular season undefeated at 11-0FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — As a North Schuylkill freshman, Megan Wood ran on a two-win team.
As a sophomore, a foot injury cut her season short.
As a junior, tonsillitis ended her season in early September.
Healthy again, Wood is enjoying every moment of her senior year. She added another fond memory Wednesday afternoon, placing seventh to clinch the Spartans’ 16-43 victory over Pottsville and 16-41 triumph over Marian.
“The joke is that I made it this far in the season — finally,’’ Wood said with a laugh.
The sweep completed a second straight undefeated regular season for North Schuylkill (11-0, 6-0 D-I) and clinched the Schuylkill League Division I championship.
“I’m cold, but I’m happy,’’ North Schuylkill coach George Kriesher said after receiving a water-cooler shower from his team.
Madison Monaco’s fifth-place effort enabled Marian to defeat Pottsville 25-34 in the other portion of the tri-meet.
On the boys’ side, Adam Goodman’s victory in 19 minutes, 5 seconds propelled the Crimson Tide to a pair of victories, 19-42 over North Schuylkill and 22-34 over Marian.
North Schuylkill’s Shawn Zak (19:23) took second. Michael Legath (20:03) led Marian with a fifth as the Colts downed the Spartans 20-35.
The focus of Wednesday’s meet, though, was the girls’ matchup between North Schuylkill and Division II champion Marian (10-1, 6-0 D-II).
As division champions, the Spartans and Fillies have another meeting Oct. 8 in the first Schuylkill League Team Championships at Tuscarora State Park.
The girls will run at 3 p.m., with Division I champion Blue Mountain taking on Division II winner Marian in the boys’ race at 4 p.m.
In this meeting with Marian, North Schuylkill made a statement by sweeping the top four places. Freshman Diane Lindenmuth won the race in 21:08, followed by freshman Caitlyn Deeter in 21:20. Junior Jordan Zelechoski (21:45) placed third, and sophomore Shelby Weikel (22:41) finished fourth.
When Wood, the only senior on the roster, crossed the finish line seventh in 23:34, the Spartans had their second straight division championship.
“We had a lot of competition with Tamaqua and Blue Mountain. It was a challenge for us,’’ Wood said.
“Last year we won it (in Division III), but we wanted to come back in a new division and get that title in that division, too.’’
In her career, Wood has seen the rise of North Schuylkill girls’ cross country.
The Spartans went 2-9 in her freshman year, improved to 6-5 in 2006, went 10-0 last fall and are 11-0 in 2008.
Coaches and runners alike point to the offseason training that built the foundation for their cross country success.
“I love coming to practice,’’ Wood said. “Everybody is great. All of the girls get along so well, joke around with each other. It’s fun.
“(Coach Kriesher) works so hard for us, and in turn we have to work so hard for him.’’
With Wood the only graduating senior, it seems like North Schuylkill cross country will be a factor in the Schuylkill League for the foreseeable future.
“I think it’s the offseason training that we do,’’ Kriesher said. “That’s the bottom line ... putting the miles in. There’s nothing that makes up for that.
“The girls have been with me for so long, we get used to each other,’’ he added. “They know what I want, and I know what they can do. ... They want to win. They’re all competitors.’’
Meet Summary
As a sophomore, a foot injury cut her season short.
As a junior, tonsillitis ended her season in early September.
Healthy again, Wood is enjoying every moment of her senior year. She added another fond memory Wednesday afternoon, placing seventh to clinch the Spartans’ 16-43 victory over Pottsville and 16-41 triumph over Marian.
“The joke is that I made it this far in the season — finally,’’ Wood said with a laugh.
The sweep completed a second straight undefeated regular season for North Schuylkill (11-0, 6-0 D-I) and clinched the Schuylkill League Division I championship.
“I’m cold, but I’m happy,’’ North Schuylkill coach George Kriesher said after receiving a water-cooler shower from his team.
Madison Monaco’s fifth-place effort enabled Marian to defeat Pottsville 25-34 in the other portion of the tri-meet.
On the boys’ side, Adam Goodman’s victory in 19 minutes, 5 seconds propelled the Crimson Tide to a pair of victories, 19-42 over North Schuylkill and 22-34 over Marian.
North Schuylkill’s Shawn Zak (19:23) took second. Michael Legath (20:03) led Marian with a fifth as the Colts downed the Spartans 20-35.
The focus of Wednesday’s meet, though, was the girls’ matchup between North Schuylkill and Division II champion Marian (10-1, 6-0 D-II).
As division champions, the Spartans and Fillies have another meeting Oct. 8 in the first Schuylkill League Team Championships at Tuscarora State Park.
The girls will run at 3 p.m., with Division I champion Blue Mountain taking on Division II winner Marian in the boys’ race at 4 p.m.
In this meeting with Marian, North Schuylkill made a statement by sweeping the top four places. Freshman Diane Lindenmuth won the race in 21:08, followed by freshman Caitlyn Deeter in 21:20. Junior Jordan Zelechoski (21:45) placed third, and sophomore Shelby Weikel (22:41) finished fourth.
When Wood, the only senior on the roster, crossed the finish line seventh in 23:34, the Spartans had their second straight division championship.
“We had a lot of competition with Tamaqua and Blue Mountain. It was a challenge for us,’’ Wood said.
“Last year we won it (in Division III), but we wanted to come back in a new division and get that title in that division, too.’’
In her career, Wood has seen the rise of North Schuylkill girls’ cross country.
The Spartans went 2-9 in her freshman year, improved to 6-5 in 2006, went 10-0 last fall and are 11-0 in 2008.
Coaches and runners alike point to the offseason training that built the foundation for their cross country success.
“I love coming to practice,’’ Wood said. “Everybody is great. All of the girls get along so well, joke around with each other. It’s fun.
“(Coach Kriesher) works so hard for us, and in turn we have to work so hard for him.’’
With Wood the only graduating senior, it seems like North Schuylkill cross country will be a factor in the Schuylkill League for the foreseeable future.
“I think it’s the offseason training that we do,’’ Kriesher said. “That’s the bottom line ... putting the miles in. There’s nothing that makes up for that.
“The girls have been with me for so long, we get used to each other,’’ he added. “They know what I want, and I know what they can do. ... They want to win. They’re all competitors.’’
Meet Summary
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