Fox Chapel cross country teams in position to add to championship tradition

By: George Guido
Saturday, September 25, 2021 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Fox Chapel is off to another good start in cross country as the Foxes plan to continue their outstanding success from years gone by.

The boys and girls performed well at the recent Gateway Invitational and at the Red, White and Blue Invitational at White Oak on Sept. 11.

The Kiski Area Invitational at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township was called off Sept. 17 due to a coroner’s investigation of a suicide on the grounds.

The Foxes, however, plan to return to Northmoreland on Oct. 6.

“We have our section decided all in one day, and that will be on October 6,” said ninth-year Fox Chapel coach Tom Moul. “Our senior, Jack Lorance, and sophomore Laura Carter were the top individual finishers at Gateway and the team finished in the top 10 at Red, White and Blue.”

Expected to compete are section foes Armstrong, Gateway, Kiski Area, Plum, Penn Hills, Woodland Hills and the boys-girls combo of Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic. The traditional dual meets will not take place.

The Oct. 6 winners move on to the WPIAL finals at Cal (Pa.) on Oct. 28.

Fox Chapel has won seven section boys titles since 2003; the girls have won six. The girls also won the PIAA title in 2017.

“I think consistency has been a big part of it,” Moul said of the program’s success. “My assistant, Justin Patterson, and I have been together since 2012, and the kids understand the expectations and the amount of work needed.”

There are 25 boys competing on the team. Moul said he is disappointed that the girls roster has fallen to 15.

“The lower numbers have been there the last couple of years, and I’m not sure why,” he said.

Moul is happy with the work put in by senior runners Owen Carter, Ethan Napolitan, Jordan Gwin and Alex Staud, and on the girls side, seniors Gabby Kline and Riley McIntyre.

“Our boys are a group of seniors with outstanding leadership and work ethic, and the same goes for the girls,” Moul said.

Coming up will be the Hershey Foundation Invitational varsity meet on the Parkview Course.

Said Moul: “That’s where the state championships will be. It gives the kids a chance to run the course in case they get back there, and it will be an overnight stay.”

The junior varsity will compete in Baldwin’s Bald Eagle Invitational.

The course at Cal (Pa.) will be a solid test for everyone.

“There’s a real steep drop of about a half-mile, then you have a steep climb soon after,” Moul said. “So it’s a difficult course.”

Moul and Patterson also coach Fox Chapel’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams.

Tags: Fox Chapel