The PIAA Cross Country Championships will take place this Saturday on the Parkview Course in Hershey near the Giant Center.

Palmerton’s Connor Hibell enters the weekend coming off a District 11 Class 2A title a week ago, and a Colonial League meet victory the week before.

The sophomore went 6-0 during the regular season in league meets, and is poised to improve on his 80th-place finish at states a year ago.

Both the Tamaqua boys and girls teams qualified in Class 2A after runner-up finishes at districts last week.

Junior Levi Kunkel, making his third consecutive trip to states, paced the Blue Raiders with a third-place finish, while Anthony Marchetti placed ninth for a squad that won the Schuylkill League Division 1 title during the season, while Jesse Gormley was 15th.

The unbeaten Division 1 and Schuylkill League meet champion Tamaqua girls had their top seven place in the top 36 at districts, led by Bailey Pliska’s 15th-place finish, followed by Lila Stegemerten and Madelyn Schaefer in 18th and 19th, respectively.

The Marian boys also qualified as a team after a second-place finish in Class 1A at districts. Albin Petschauer was a runner-up at districts, while Alex Porambo placed fifth for the Colts.

Lehighton and Northwestern each will have a pair of runners at states.

Elijah Pagotto qualified after placing fifth at districts in Class 2A, while teammate Owen Serfass placed 14th.

Sophia Cornell placed seventh at districts in Class 2A for the Tigers, and Haley DuBois advanced with a ninth-place finish.

Also competing in the Class 2A girls race will be Palmerton’s Emma Rex, who was 12th at districts, and Jim Thorpe’s Aubrey Bonner, who placed 13th.

Weatherly’s Carlos Otero qualified for states with a 14th-place finish in the Class 1A boys race at districts.

Below are the start times for the six races set to take place Saturday. Awards will take place behind the starting line immediately after the start of the subsequent race.

Meet results, including places, times, and re-ranked team results will be available on the PIAA website at www.piaa.org, on the Runner’s High website at www.runhigh.com, and on the PennTrackXC website at www.penntrackxc.com.

Championship Schedule

Saturday, Nov. 4

1A Girls - 9:30 a.m.

2A Girls - 10:15 a.m.

3A Girls - 11:00 a.m.

1A Boys - 11:45 a.m.

2A Boys - 12:30 p.m.

3A Boys - 1:15 p.m.