Penn Hills cross country hoping for more runners to join promising group

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, August 8, 2021 | 10:01 AM

Lee Zelkowitz hopes when all the kids return to Penn Hills High School this fall, it will help raise participation.

The Indians cross country coach and his athletes need help trying to fill out their roster. Penn Hills is hoping to have enough runners to have a successful season.

“We’re really fighting to put the girls and boys’ team together,” Zelkowitz said. “I have five guys and only four girls. It’s a struggle with the pandemic and with numbers (at the school) going down, it’s hard to get people out. I’m excited about the kids we have.”

On the boys’ side, the Indians will have returning experience at the top. Junior Austin Stuchul was Penn Hills’ top finisher at the WPIAL Class AAA championships last season, placing 140th and finishing with a time of 19 minutes, 15 seconds.

Over the summer, Stuchul went to a cross country camp at Shippensburg to help with his training. Following a strong spring, Zelkowitz believes that will give him room to continue cutting his time down.

“He had a good track season and he brought his 3,200 meter time down,” Zelkowitz said.

“He’s been working hard all summer. I’m hoping we have an indoor track season for him. I’m looking for big things.”

Sophomore Sawyer Kinney, who finished two spots behind Stuchul at WPIALs, will also be returning.

On the girls’ side, Zelkowitz expects big improvement from Larissa Lockridge, who had a strong spring season as a member of a 1,600-meter relay that qualified for WPIALs.

Having tasted success has shown in her approach to cross country.

“She looks like a different runner,” Zelkowitz said. “The experience she had in track and having success lit a spark under her. I saw a whole different runner this year.”

Without having a large group to train together, Zelkowitz is looking to focus on splits and how runners improve their times on different courses.

There will be several spots throughout the season where Penn Hills will race on the same course.

“We’re looking for steady improvement,” Zelkowitz said. “There are a few courses we visit more than once, and it will be a good comparison to see how times go down.”

While seeing runners shave precious seconds — or minutes, in some cases — off their times is the long-term goal, Zelkowitz is hoping to see the program go.

From conversations he had with other coaches around the district, Penn Hills isn’t the only school in this situation.

“We’ve had a couple kids from the wrestling team come out,” Zelkowitz said. “That will help. I’ve talked with other coaches, and Gateway is in the same boat as us. Numbers are really down from years past.”

Tags: Penn Hills