CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS SET MILESTONES
C
FOX CH APE L AR EA SC H OO L NE WS
ox Chapel Area
ross country
coach Tom
Moul really
enjoyed
himself this season, although
it’s not just because the girls’
team advanced to the PIAA
Class AAAA championships
for the first time in school
history and was the WPIAL
team runner-up. He also
had some of the best young
runners in the state and
feels fortunate to mentor so
many young people whom he
describes as “genuinely good
and kind, and a joy to coach.”
Coach Moul says the girls’
team’s success began months
beforehand when he had
the largest-ever preseason
participation. That extra
practice led to a great showing
at the 2016 PIAA Foundation
Invitational that draws all of
Pennsylvania’s top competitors.
The team’s top two runners,
sophomores Sarena Seeger
and Annika Urban, medaled at
that event and established the
momentum for the rest of the
season. The team ended up with
a 7-1 record and along the way, won the Gateway and Mack
Cooper invitationals. There were even several meets where the
team swept the first, second, and sometimes, even third-place
finishes.
At the state meet, Sarena, a repeat qualifier, finished as one
of the top 20 female cross country runners in the state, up 10
spots from her finish last year. Also participating at the PIAA
team meet were juniors Caelan Miller and Megan Stafford, and
sophomores Anna Folkerts and Annika, who
was also a repeat qualifier. Freshmen Grace
Sisson and Brooke Krally completed the state
team. Another freshman, Izzy Doerr, qualified
to run, but was injured, so Grace ran in her
place.
The boys’ team also had some notable success
this season. They won two invitationals – the
same ones that the girls won – making it a
Foxes’ sweep. Also, senior Adam Cook had
the best race of his career at the foundation
invitational. Christian Fitch finished as the
top freshman runner and began a trajectory
that now places him in the top echelon of all
runners in the area. Both Adam and Christian
also qualified to run in the PIAA Class AAAA
championships. Christian was one of only
three WPIAL freshmen to qualify for the
statewide event.
22 Fox Chapel Area