Quaker Valley runners look to capture 4th straight WPIAL title

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, September 11, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Depth will determine whether the Quaker Valley girls cross country team earns the WPIAL Class AA title for the fourth year in a row.

Quakers coach Dave Noyes said seniors Lucie Kubinski and Audrey Durbin and sophomore Annie Wicker may be the strongest threesome in the state, but the rest of the lineup is up in the air.

“If we are to compete for WPIAL and PIAA (titles), we have to develop a strong fourth and fifth runner,” Noyes said. “We have a host of girls working hard to do that.”

Seniors Allison Lenhardt and Emma Moul are leading candidates to fill those two spots.

“Both of us are really close in time and constantly pushing each other,” Lenhardt said.

Wicker said the Quakers are motivated to win the PIAA crown after placing second last season.

“It definitely won't come easily since losing two of our top five girls, but after coming so close last year, I think that's definitely a goal we are all after,” she said.

Kubinski, the Quakers top returning runner after placing fourth individually in the WPIAL championship meet, believes a repeat of the WPIAL title is within reach.

“We have a lot of returning runners (and) a very dedicated, hardworking team,” she said.

Prospects are not as rosy for the Quakers boys team, the WPIAL runner-up last season.

The Quakers have a huge hole to fill with the loss of Zach Skolnekovich.

Skolnekovich, a three-time WPIAL individual champion and two-time PIAA runner-up, is a freshman on the William & Mary men's team.

“This is a new year with different runners and goals,” said Noyes, who also guides the boys. “You appreciate the great years you had with someone like Zach and move forward.”

Sophomore Daniel Ford and seniors Ryan Weicht and Henry Guild return. Noyes said the rest of the team is young and inexperienced.

Weicht said Skolnekovich will be hard to replace.

“We won't reach the times he was able to hit, (but) we will replicate his hard work and spirit to keep the team in a good position,” he said.

Ford said the main goal is to make it back to states. The Quakers came in fifth at the 2016 PIAA championship.

Both teams kicked off the season Saturday at the Red, White and Blue Classic meet at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park.

Ford finished 10th for the boys, who were ninth in the Class A/AA meet. Wicker took third, and Kubinski was sixth in the Class AAA meet for the QV girls.

The Sewickley Academy boys team is without three starters from a squad that finished third at the 2016 WPIAL Class A meet.

Among the losses was Griffin Mackey, the 2015 PIAA individual champion. Mackey competes for Dartmouth.

“Our boys team will have a very different feel this season,” Panthers coach Derek Chimner said. “While our goals and expectations are not the same as years past, we still have a solid group of young runners being led by some of our veterans.”

Senior Sam Casale, junior Henry Meakem, freshman Matthew Meakem (Henry's brother), sophomore Will Stevenson, senior Brian Weir and senior Austin Duffield compete for the Panthers, the WPIAL champions in 2014 and ‘15 and PIAA runner-up in ‘15.

Casale, a captain, is encouraged by the freshmen.

“Losing Griffin Mackey definitely has presented obstacles,” Casale said. “However, I have faith that this team will make the best of what is a tough situation.”

Chimner said the girls team, which he also coaches, has only four members he hopes improve as the season goes along.

The boys and girls lost to Shady Side Academy — the boys by one point — Sept. 6 and were at the Red, White and Blue Classic Saturday. Meakem finished 31st and the boys were 21st.

Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy