MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – It was evident from the get-go that the 2012 season would be different for Penn State Harrisburg's cross country program.
A familiar face in Daniel Barlet stepped up from his assistant coaching position and took over the reins for both the men's and women's teams. Gone were the days of borrowing runners from other programs to field a team and in their place were rosters numbering in the double-digits.
Not only was the participation there; so was the talent. Never was this more apparent than at the Lions' home invitational held at Shank Park on Sept. 28. The showing by both the men and ladies comes in at number seven on our list of Penn State Harrisburg's top ten fall sports moments.
The women took to the course first and the performances by sophomore Hannah Jorich (Middletown, Pa. / Middletown) and junior Alisha House (Crownpoint, N.M. / Thoreau) earned them both top ten finishes. Jorich ran the 5K in 26:41, a time good enough for eighth place while House's 26:58 brought her home ninth overall.
Rosanny Reyes (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East) and Haldis Zhang (Nanjing, Tiansu) just missed cracking the top ten and finished back-to-back in the 12th and 13th spots, respectively, while Katryna Stegmeier (Nesquehoning, Pa. / Tamaqua Area) and AnneMarie Prozzillo (Lancaster, Pa. / Conestoga Valley) pushed each other down the home stretch and nearly finished side-by-side in 20th and 21st places.
The all-around effort earned the ladies a third place finish behind team champion Lancaster Bible and the runners-up from Penn State Abington.
The men also turned in one of their best team-efforts of the fall. The Lions were led by newcomer Tyler Fry (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East). The freshman made his debut that afternoon with no practice under his belt and still managed to finish sixth individually thanks to his time of 30:09.
Fry's high school teammate, Kyle Klaboe (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East), had a strong showing of his own, overcoming some nagging injuries and finishing the 8K race in 30:48, a time good enough to earn him a ninth place finish. Freshman Edgar Makimoto (Middleburg, Pa. / Selinsgrove Area) showcased his consistency and was the Lions third top-ten finisher on the day, coming home tenth with a time of 31:08.
Brian Parsons (Hummelstown, Pa. / Hershey) impressively ended his day in his hometown by passing a Penn State Abington runner in the race's final 25 yards to nab 12th place. A couple of Hempfield grads in Jordan Fuhrman (Columbia, Pa. / Hempfield) and Adam Campbell (Columbia, Pa. / Hempfield) recorded 14th and 17th place finishes, respectively.
Brandon Da Camara, Jeremy Booker and Lucas Boerman wrapped up the 19-21 slots while Josh Torres and David Venturo rounded out Penn State Harrisburg's finishers.
Penn State Harrisburg earned a second-place team finish on its home turf. Only Penn State Abington's men topped the Lions.
What a difference a year makes. Barlet and assistant Seth Grove blazed the recruiting trail and added much-needed depth to a roster that was nearly non-existent just a few seasons ago. Both the men's and women's rejuvenated 2012 campaign was the shot in the arm the Blue and White cross country program needed. Expect more good things from the Lions' slew of talented runners this time next year.
Be sure to check back for the number six entry on Penn State Harrisburg's list of the top ten moments of the fall sports season. Oh, and be sure to wear a hat…