Lang perfect and Pacer Track Club dominates in 2016 Youth Cross Country Challenge
11/22/16
PITTSBURGH – Jenna Lang put up a perfect score for the 2016 Youth Cross Country Challenge. She won each of the 7 races for the 9-10 girls age division and played an integral role team scoring for the Pacers. Lang was one of the 212 TRA youth members who participated in the Challenge which began in late September and ended with the TRA Cross Country Championships on Sunday, November 13th .
The Youth Cross Country Challenge is in its second year and saw over a 16% increase in participation from its inaugural season. The program is helping the Association meet its goal to improve the cross country program and introduce more youth athletes to the benefits of long distance running. 18 athletes took advantage of this opportunity and ran in all 6 developmental meets.
After 8 weeks of competing, the 2016 Youth Cross Country Challenge Individual Age Group Champions are:
| Name | Club Name | Age Group | Total Points |
| Amina Robinson | Penn Hills Eagles | 8 & Under Girls | 1424 |
| Franklin Lythogoe | Pacers | 8 & Under Boys | 1347 |
| Jenna Lang | Pacers | 9-10 Girls | 1550 |
| Renz Weinman | Pacers | 9-10 Boys | 1529 |
| Lydia Rhodes | Pacers | 11-12 Girls | 1406 |
| Jermaine Taylor | Penn Hills Eagles | 11-12 Boys | 1096 |
| Emily Carter | Pacers | 13-14 Girl | 1477 |
| Holden Eagle | River City | 13-14 Boys | 971 |
| Jenna Moorehead | Get Fit Families | 15-16 Girls | 910 |
| Duncan Lambie | Mountain Top | 15-16 Boys | 600 |
| Haden Boutiller | Mountain Top | 17-18 Men | 600 |
The Pacer Track Club earned a first place club finish and dominated the team and club scoring for the entire season. They earned 7935 points which is more than double their 2015 score that was good for 2nd place. The Pacers had over 60 different athletes participate in the challenge for the 8 weeks of competition. The deep roster produced high participation/club points and guaranteed scoring teams in most of the age divisions.
2016 Top 3 Teams:
| Place | Club Name | Total Points |
| 1 | Pacer Track Club | 7935 |
| 2 | Penn Hills Eagles | 4985 |
| 3 | Get Fit Families | 3045 |
Each of the age group winners will receive a championship t-shirt, medal and spike bag. Top 3 teams will receive spike bags for all participating athletes and a team plaque.
A breakdown on prizes can be found here:
TRA would like to congratulate all the Individual Age Group Championships, Team Award winners and Challenge participants. A special thank you to all the coaches, club administrators and officials who made the 2nd year of the Youth Cross Country Challenge a Success.
Prizes will begin shipping the first week of December.