2023 Mercury Girls Cross Country Team-By-Team Preview
Boyertown
Head coach: Ed Baghdasarian, sixth season
Last year’s record: 2-3
Athletes to watch: Evangelina Montanye, Soph.; Elizabeth Biehl, Jr.; Chloe Engler, Soph.; Azlyn Ramus, Jr.; Miley Pascal, Jr.; Gabriela Martin, Sr.; Tamara Engler, Sr.; Taylor Albanese, Fr.; Alexa Maraldo, Fr.; Sofia Maraldo, Jr.
Outlook: Evangelina Montanye was a PIAA qualifier last season and will be the low stick for the Bears with five to six runners finishing within seconds of one another behind her. Tamara Engler is also a three-year letter winner.
“Lots of new faces and a good core of senior leaders. Our girls team is looking to improve each meet and hopefully place much higher at district championships,” Baghdasarian said. “We have a great core of girls running and racing together, and working to improve each meet.”
Daniel Boone
Head coach: Doug Snyder, fourth season
Last year’s record: 3-4 Berks I, 8-7.
Athletes to watch: Natalee Kryman, Sr.; Dani Ferrara, Sr.; Amanda Spotts, Sr.; Emrie Watts, Jr.; AnnaBeth Glass, Jr.; Maya Davis, Soph.; Julia Leady, Fr.
Outlook: The Blazers enter with some of the top runners in the Berks Conference. Natalee Kryman is an All-Division I District 3 qualifier who took 10th in the Berks Conference run. Emrie Watts is a Division I honorable mention and District 3 qualifier who placed 29th in the Berks Conference run. Freshman Julia Leady placed first in the Berks Junior High run last year.
“We’re a competitive team expecting a winning season,” Snyder said.
Methacton
Head coach: Steve Mahan, 41st season
Last year’s record: 3-2
Athletes to watch: Molly Keegan, Sr.; Molly Thomas, Sr.; Annabelle Caldwell, Jr.; Elizabeth Steiner, Jr.; Juliana Trigone, Jr.; Melina Karagiannopoulos, Soph.; Sara Zwierzchowski, Soph.; Ashley Hermus, Fr.
Outlook: The Warriors went 6-3 overall last year and fifth in the PAC Championship meet, but their biggest outing came at the Ivyland 5K with a first-place team finish. With three runners lost to graduation, co-captains Molly Keegan and Molly Thomas – both four-year letter winners in cross country – spearhead the pack for Methacton.
“The team had great attendance during the summer portion of the program which should help to prevent injuries going forward,” Mahan said. “The team appears to be very close knit which should aid them as they go through the long and tiring part of the cross country season.”
Norristown
Head coach: Neil Schafer, second season (coached from 1993-2000)
Last year’s record: 0-5
Athletes to watch: Avah Savage, Jr.; Lila Day, Sr.
Outlook: Norristown’s program is in a revival after fielding just one varsity runner last season. Jared Butler and Michelle Ewing will be first-year assistant coaches for the Eagles.
“We are happy to have a scoring team and will look for individual successes,” Schafer said.
Owen J. Roberts
Head coach: Tim Marcoe, sixth season
Last year’s record: 5-0, PAC Champion, District 1-3A champion, PIAA-3A fifth-place
Athletes to watch: Ava Taylor, Sr.; Brianna Cargo, Sr.; Dani Nemeth, Sr.; Jane Kratz, Jr.; Khya D’Angelo, Jr.; Amelie Blatz, Soph.; Nora Horton, Soph.; Halle Kish, Fr.; Julia Karounos, Fr.; Ellie Thompson, Fr.
Outlook: The Wildcats graduated four-time Mercury girls cross country runner of the year Claire Zubey, who is now running at Penn State. Nevertheless, the Wildcats are still the team to beat in the PAC being a state-caliber squad with returning All-Area first team selections Ava Taylor and Jane Kratz heading a team with past success in the season’s biggest races.
“We are a pretty deep team with the addition of some strong ninth-graders that will fill the void of last year’s senior class,” Marcoe said. “We had a good summer of training, we just need to continue to develop and stay healthy throughout the course of the season.”
Perkiomen Valley
Head coach: Ryan Sullivan, 22nd season
Last year’s record: 4-1, PAC third-place
Athletes to watch: Sienna Miller, Sr.; Allie Hurd, Sr.; Kaylie Chomo, Sr.; Emerson Whetstone, Jr.; Allie Matasich, Jr.; Nywira Brown, Jr.; Claire Mages, Soph.; Ilana Finklestein, Fr.
Outlook: The Vikings have four runners to replace this season. The program saw productive summer training led by Sienna Miller and Allie Matasich. Miller, Matasich and Emerson Whetstone are all very experienced leaders among this year’s Perkiomen Valley squad, who are among a competitive league that featured three teams within the top six in the state last year.
Phoenixville
Head coach: Eric Sprenkle, sixth season
Last year’s record: 5-0, PAC runner-up, District 1-3A runner-up, PIAA-3A third-place
Athletes to watch: Liza Barbash, Sr.; Anna Carruthers, Sr.; Zoe Cimo, Jr.; Caitlin O’Meacham, Sr.; Kenzie Padilla, Sr.; Josie Reed, Sr.
Outlook: The Phantoms have laid a fortified foundation with an undefeated PAC dual meet record, league and district runner-up marks and a third-place team finish in states. This year’s group of seniors have both the experience and postseason veterency to help steer the program through another deep campaign this fall.
“Our targets are to compete at a high level at the conference, district and hopefully state level as we have done in the past few seasons,” Sprenkle said. “The senior class will be instrumental in guiding this year’s team and passing on their leadership skills to the younger classes.”
Pope John Paul II
Head coach: Lisa Cagliola, fifth season
Last year’s record: 3-2
Athletes to watch: Mary Kate Zollers, Soph.
Outlook: “We are looking to improve on last season with a stronger finish at the PAC Championships and districts,” Cagliola said.
Pottsgrove
Head coach: Torry Dugan, second season
Last year’s record: 1-4
Athletes to watch: N/A
Outlook: N/A
Pottstown
Head coach: Lawrence Harvey
Last year’s record: N/A
Athletes to watch: N/A
Outlook: Legendary coach Lawrence Harvey returns to lead Pottstown’s program once more.
Spring-Ford
Head coach: Larry Rechtin, second season
Last year’s record: 1-4, PAC fourth-place
Athletes to watch: Caley Kuestner, Sr.; Sarah Trimble, Sr.; Ava Hensley, Jr.; Mya Mekosh, Jr.;
Ashley Coleman, Jr.; Sofia Williams, Jr.; Nadia Karalius, Soph.; Addisyn Feldmann, Fr.; Rilee Feldmann, Fr.; Victoria Chu, Fr.
Outlook: The Rams are a very young team this season and will rely on first and second-year runners to make a big jump. With Perkiomen Valley, Owen J. Roberts and Phoenixville all placing within the top six in the PIAA meet in ‘22, Spring-Ford is looking to join the party with a roster of 31 runners. But first come the opportunities to earn a positive league dual meet record and higher finish in the District 1 Championships.
“I sense a renewed energy in this year’s team,” Rechtin said. “These girls are anxious to turn around Spring-Ford girls’ cross country and make it into a winning program. We have the numbers, now we need to do the work.”
Upper Merion
Head coach: Kriston Jae Bethel, seventh year
Last year’s record: N/A
Athletes to watch: Amelia Desilets, Soph.
Outlook: Amelia Desilets is coming off a strong freshman campaign after becoming the Vikings’ top finisher, 19th in the PAC Championships last year.
Upper Perkiomen
Head coach: Todd Niemann, 21st season
Last year’s record: 4-1, District 1-2A third-place
Athletes to watch: Nadia Frydlewicz, Sr.; Maggie Milkowich, Sr.; Lauren Donahue, Sr.; Maren Landis, Jr.; Ashlee Shafer, Jr.; Abigail Rowland, Soph.; Amy Rohl, Soph.; Reagan Miles, Fr.
Outlook: Upper Perkiomen boasts a bevy of experienced upperclassmen leadership this season, many returning from a third-place team finish in the District 1-2A Championships.
“We are looking forward to the start of the season. We had a great commitment over the summer with training and the girls are looking to repeat and surpass the successes of last year,” Niemann said.
