Hatboro-Horsham’s DiCola is Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year
Hatboro-Horsham’s Lillian DiCola burst onto the cross country scene this past fall and should be one to watch for years to come.
Selected Athlete of the Year for Girls Cross Country, DiCola raced to tremendous postseason success – including a 14th-place finish at states – as only a freshman.
“I was excited with how well I did, especially since Hershey is a tough course,” she said. “The team experience at states was very fun. Having my coaches and teammates there was amazing because they cheered me on and made the experience more enjoyable.”
DiCola crossed the finish line in 19 minutes, 6.6 seconds. It capped off quite an extraordinary experience on the trails.
“Lily had an amazing first season with the Lady Hatters,” said coach Anna Snow. “As a freshman, she has more accomplishments then any other freshman that has come through our program.”
DiCola powered to the Suburban One League American Conference title, the first Hatter to do so since 2004, and went on to place third in District 1-3A.
“Her overall P.R. of 18:07 was just six seconds away from our program’s 5K record,” Snow pointed out. “Lily had an incredible start to her high school career and I have no doubt that she will continue to work hard, accomplish goals and make history.”
DiCola battled through unfavorable conditions at districts to have one of her best races of a storied season.
“I was very happy with my place and time at districts because the day was the coldest that I had run in, and it was also very windy,” she said. “The goal for districts was sub-18 minutes but with the weather being poor, my time was slower. Being third in the district as a freshman is very exciting and I cannot wait for my future cross-country seasons.”
Snow knew she had something special.
“Lily has always been very driven and confident in the work she has put in to prepare herself,” the coach said. “Going into the state meet, I also had so much confidence in her only as a freshman. She is willing to put in the hard work necessary both physically and mentally. She understands the sport as she has already been doing it for a few years and also has an older brother (Brian, Boys XC Athlete of the Year) in the program and a very supportive family. As Lily gets stronger, I can only see her improving and continuing to accomplish so much more.
“She had an amazing day at the District One Championships, placing third overall and first for our team. It was a colder day with higher competition and Lily stayed strong throughout the race and finished very competitively. Her teammate, Emily Simko, finished in fifth and I feel the two of them work together nicely, help motivate each other and are always supportive.”
The best thing is, there should be plenty more to come.
“Overall, Lily has started her high school career with the drive, motivation, dedication, hard work and resilience that every athlete needs,” Snow said. “It sometimes takes years for athletes to build this strength and endurance but Lily is a true natural. She is dedicated to this sport, her training and overall just loves being a part of it.
“She is a true team member as well, always bringing the team up, motivating them and being encouraging. With these characteristics and the many years to come, I can only imagine what all she will accomplish. I’m excited to see what her track seasons will bring.”
DiCola will be a cornerstone of the distance group when spring track rolls around.
“I am proud of my first high school cross country season,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into this season because the last time I had run a cross country race was two years prior. I was excited and surprised with my first race being a win and I took that momentum into the rest of the year.
“This year was a base point for my future years at Hatboro Horsham,” she said. “It got me a time to beat next year and experience on the courses that I will be running in the future. This will set me up for my spring track season as well.”
