Girls Cross Country: Cieslak shows off her winning strategy again as Haverford lifts title

UPPER PROVIDENCE — Olivia Cieslak has developed a highly successful strategy for cross country. She goes out conservative in the first mile, and then takes over the race.

That approach has worked out quite well for the Haverford sophomore, who is four-for-four in races this season.

Cieslak’s latest victory was a nearly eight-second triumph over teammate Camryn McGeehan in the girls varsity race at the 58th Delaware County championships Saturday afternoon at Rose Tree Park.

Cieslak cruised to victory in 18:42.20 to become the first Haverford runner to win the title since Tess Meehan in 2012.

“I knew there were going to be a lot of people on me,” Cieslak said. “So I kind of just stayed back and went for it in the last two miles.”

That approach has helped her to win the Brown race at the Paul Short Invitational last week in a personal-best time of 17:42.70. She also won the Unionville Two-Mile Bash and the only Central League dual meet in which she competed.

“I think my finish is better than actual pacing,” Cieslak said. “So I kind of let other people take the lead and then take over.”

Radnor’s Zoe Margolis (19:40.19) placed third. Loralei Golembiewski of Upper Darby was fourth (19:44.41) and defending champ Therese Trainer of Notre Dame claimed fifth (19:02.14). Garnet Valley’s Avery Lustgarten, Upper Darby’s Gabriella Fralin, Strath Haven’s Chloe Browne, Mary Rossano of Notre Dame and Springfield’s Lexi Patterson rounded out the top 10 places.

The course at Rose Tree was a good test for Cieslak’s left calf, which she said she strained earlier in the season but has recovered.

“I was feeling it on the second uphill,” Cieslak said. “That’s where I really felt it in my legs but I knew was I could do and pushed through it.”

The 1-2 finish by Cieslak and McGeehan, who covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:50.78 enabled the Fords to claim their second team title since 2019 with 42 points, well ahead of runnerup Notre Dame’s 98. Seniors Kelly Murray (11th) and Olivia Thompson (13th) and freshman Ryan Danakis (15th) rounded out the scorers for the Fords.

“We’ve were going for this,” Cieslak said. “We want to qualify for states (as a team). Our team looks good this year.”

“To win Delcos means so much,” added McGeehan, who earned All-Delco honors in cross country as a freshman last season. “I just love this team. It’s such a great community of girls and boys and I wouldn’t be able to run as well as I do without them. I’m just happy we got to experience this as a team.”

McGeehan’s strategy was the exact opposite of Cielak’s.

“I definitely wanted to work with Liv during this race,” McGeehan said. “I knew that me, Liv and Notre Dame’s Therese were all going to be a pack. My first two miles are stronger than my last, so I really tried to stay with Liv for those first two miles and use the downhills to keep up in this race.”