Strong Contingent Represents TRA at National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships
12/17/15
ALBUQUERQUE – On Saturday, December 12th, nearly two- dozen youth athletes participated in the 2015 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Albuquerque, NM. 2,918 athletes entered the competition with 2,742 actually taking the course at Balloon Fiesta Park. All participants had to advance through a competitive Junior Olympic series for a chance to run against the nation’s best distance athletes. The weekend of activities included an opening ceremonies and pasta dinner on Friday evening with awards presented 1 hour after each contested race. The new awards format proved to be better attended and allowed for people to return home sooner.
In total, 21 Three Rivers athletes participated from 5 different teams and in 8 different age divisions. Teams included: A-K Track & Field, Get Fit Families, Pacers Track Club, Penn Hills Eagles, and Stallions Track Club – there were also two unattached athletes in the group. 13-14 Boy, Christopher Thimons had the strongest performance of the group placing 41st of 345 runners. This race was the largest of all 12 age divisions. 8 & Under Girl, Lenna Birchard, crossed the finish line 78th out of 197 runners capping an amazing season. She placed 1st at the Association Championships and is the 2015 Youth Cross Country Challenge Champion for her age division.
This group also included 7 National Championships veterans who participated at the 2014 event in Myrtle Beach, SC. Among them was 9-10 Girl, Gabrielle Williams of Penn Hill Eagles. She too is a 2015 Youth Cross Country Challenge Champion. Others included, Kendall Williams, Alexandra Gongas, Tara Lucot, Gianna Rotelli, Matteo Rotelli, and Zachary Leachman.
TRA 2015 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships participants:
| Place | Name | Age Division | Team | Time |
| 78 | Birchard, Lenna | 8 & Under Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 9:39.51 |
| 179 | Coulter, Chloe | 8 & Under Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 11:33.98 |
| 173 | Rotelli, Enzo | 8 & Under Boys | Get Fit Families | 10:12.69 |
| 104 | Williams, Gabrielle | 9-10 Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 13:52.34 |
| 143 | Williams, Kendall | 9-10 Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 14:15.93 |
| 153 | Birchard, Sydney | 9-10 Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 14:18.85 |
| 162 | Varley, Ingrid | 9-10 Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 14:23.42 |
| 199 | Gongas, Alexandra | 9-10 Girls | Get Fit Families | 14:50.22 |
| 252 | Simmons, Carina | 9-10 Girls | Unattached | 15:51.19 |
| 94 | Diggins, Cameron | 9-10 Boys | Stallions Track Club | 12:55.13 |
| 152 | Rotelli, Matteo | 9-10 Boys | Get Fit Families | 13:25.08 |
| 144 | Lucot, Tara | 11-12 Girls | Get Fit Families | 13:05.98 |
| 146 | Hicks, Alaina | 11-12 Girls | Get Fit Families | 13:07.65 |
| 237 | Rotelli, Gianna | 11-12 Girls | Get Fit Families | 14:05.83 |
| 277 | Sellati, Madelyn | 11-12 Girls | Pacers Track Club | 15:26.61 |
| 41 | Thimons, Christopher | 13-14 Boys | AK Track & Field | 14:41.07 |
| 93 | Leachman, Zachary | 13-14 Boys | Get Fit Families | 15:05.79 |
| 178 | Owrey, Luke | 13-14 Boys | Unattached | 15:43.95 |
| 100 | Moorehead, Jenna | 15-16 Girls | Get Fit Families | 27:09.29 |
| 102 | Tomman, Taylor | 15-16 Girls | Penn Hills Eagles | 28:07.74 |
| 77 | Malcolm, Robert | 17-18 Men | AK Track & Field | 22:17.49 |
Congratulations to all these athletes on a great 2015 Cross Country Season!
Complete race results can be found here.
Competition videos and awards ceremony can be found here.