CENTER VALLEY — There are days when winning is only part of the story.

Wednesday was one of them.

For Jim Thorpe’s Logan Gillespie and Weatherly’s Mikayla Pugh, the District 11 Cross Country Championships brought individual titles. For Pugh and her teammates, they also brought something bigger — a trip to states together.

Gillespie, a sophomore, captured the Class 2A title in 18:27.6, while Pugh, a freshman, won the Class 1A crown in 20:36.4, helping Weatherly earn its first girls team berth to states in school history.

“It’s amazing. It feels really good,” Gillespie said after completing a sweep of the Colonial League and District 11 championships.

The victory marked another milestone in a remarkable season for Gillespie, who won the Colonial League title on the same course a week earlier in 18:39.2.

According to Jim Thorpe coach Marie Rosahac, Gillespie is the first runner from the school since Chelsea Mullins in 1998 to win league and district cross country championships in the same season.

Despite her success, Gillespie admitted the pressure of competing in big races hasn’t gone away.

“I’m a very nervous person, but it’s thanks to my friends, family, coaches, they kind of relieve me,” she said. “But without them, I wouldn’t be where I am.”

Gillespie approached Wednesday’s race carefully, resisting the temptation to go out too fast. She came through the first mile slightly slower than she had at leagues, but was nearly 20 seconds ahead of her previous week’s pace by the two-mile mark.

“In the beginning, I try to stay back. I don’t want to burn myself out,” Gillespie said. “But then as soon as I know I don’t have that much left, I know to get out.”

Rosahac has watched Gillespie become a stronger, more confident runner throughout the season, particularly in the way she handles the pressure and manages her races.

“I just think being a sophomore, she’s very mature for her age,” Rosahac said. “And she handles the pressure pretty well.”

Gillespie’s improvement has been remarkable. After not breaking 20 minutes last season, she entered this year hoping to eventually run under 18:30 — a mark she has now surpassed.

Her winning time Wednesday was also the fastest recorded among the three girls classifications, just ahead of the 18:30.1 posted by Liberty’s Elizabeth McClarin in winning the Class 3A race. The two competed in separate races.

Gillespie credits some of her progress to having a training partner among Jim Thorpe’s boys runners who pushes her through difficult workouts.

“I’m a strong believer, if you’re not with people that are pushing you, you’re not gonna get better,” Gillespie said.

That support has been particularly valuable during a season when Gillespie has often found herself running alone during meets.

Gillespie will also have familiar company at states.

Jim Thorpe senior Stacy Bos finished eighth in 20:48.9 to earn an individual berth, continuing her comeback after a difficult junior season.

Rosahac praised Bos for the work she put in over the summer following an illness that affected the end of her previous season.

“She put in the work over the summer, and it showed,” Rosahac said.

For Gillespie, sharing the state championship experience with Bos carries special meaning.

She recalled accompanying Bos on a preview run of the state course when she was in eighth grade. They barely knew each other at the time, but the experience helped bring them together.

“We really bonded, and to get to go with Stacy, it’s gonna be amazing,” Gillespie said.

Weatherly makes history

Pugh’s individual championship was only part of a memorable day for Weatherly.

With a lineup made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores, the Wreckers finished second in Class 1A with 63 points, behind champion Schuylkill Haven’s 45, to secure one of the two team berths to states.

It marked the first time in school history that Weatherly qualified a girls cross country team for the PIAA championships.

“At your first districts race, you don’t really know,” Weatherly coach Ryan Kately said. “Someone from out of nowhere can come up and win this thing, and there’s just so many variables in this race. These girls took it as a challenge, and again, they stepped up. They stepped up all year.”

Pugh led the charge, finishing more than a minute ahead of the field.

The freshman entered the race with a plan. Knowing the wooded portion of the course featured challenging hills, she wanted to conserve energy early before making her move.

“Honestly, my plan was just not to get out too, too fast, because I knew once I got in the woods it was hilly,” Pugh said. “So I was trying to save my energy for that part.”

Once she reached the woods, Pugh began to separate herself from the competition. By the final mile, she was running alone.

“I was really nervous coming into the race, but I’m glad I pulled it off,” she said.

Her winning time was also a personal best, improving on the 21:03 she ran at DeSales earlier in the season.

But Pugh had plenty of motivation beyond an individual championship.

“I was really motivating myself, especially in the cornfield,” she said. “I was like, ‘Come on, we’re all going to states as freshmen. Like, this is so good.’”

Fellow freshman Mikayla Kuntz finished fourth in 21:58.2, while Emma Moyer, another freshman, placed eighth in 22:46.9. Sophomore Alexia Kehler and freshman Riley Bachert completed the scoring lineup.

A week earlier, Weatherly had defeated Schuylkill Haven in a runoff for the Schuylkill League Division 2 championship. The Hurricanes turned the tables Wednesday, but the Wreckers still achieved their biggest goal.

“Even though we didn’t win, we still made it to states as a team,” Kuntz said. “Just to make it to states as a team was, like, it’s amazing.”

Kuntz understood that the Wreckers couldn’t expect everything to go perfectly in such a competitive race.

“No one’s gonna have a perfect race,” she said. “You can just keep improving every race.”

For Kately, the result was another example of a young group responding when the stakes were high.

“First team in school history, on the girls side, to make states as a team,” he said. “They’re a little angry that they didn’t get first, but nothing to hang their heads about this year.”

The accomplishment was the product of months of preparation.

“We really worked hard this entire fall and summer,” Pugh said. “We started in May all the way now.”

Kately was equally proud of the support his runners showed one another throughout the meet.

“Their support for their teammates and everything, that’s what I want my program to look like,” he said.

And with all five runners returning next season, the Wreckers have reason to believe this is only the beginning.

“It’s so amazing, especially ‘cause we’re such a young team,” Pugh said. “We still have so much time left. Even if we got second, I’m still proud of them.”

Tigers show their grit

Northwestern Lehigh experienced a much narrower margin in the Class 2A team race.

The Tigers placed third with 87 points, just one behind Pen Argyl for the second team berth to states. Notre Dame-Green Pond captured the district title with 84 points, leaving only three points separating the top three teams.

Northwestern coach Chris Stitzel couldn’t have asked for much more from his runners.

“Whatever happens, I’m so proud of you girls,” Stitzel said of his message to the team.

The Tigers will still send two individuals to states.

Rosalia Nestor finished fourth in 20:15.1, while Katie Furman placed 13th in 21:19.3.

Nestor, who also placed fourth at the Colonial League meet, improved her time by more than 15 seconds Wednesday.

She credited part of that improvement to a change in her approach: racing without a watch.

Nestor said she previously became too focused on her mile splits, sometimes allowing a slower-than-expected pace to affect her confidence.

“Taking it off and just running by feel and running with my legs rather than my head allows me to perform at my best and stay in the moment,” Nestor said.

Even with Northwestern narrowly missing a team berth, Nestor was proud of the effort her teammates delivered.

“I’m so proud of our performance today,” she said. “It just goes to show the kind of grit that we have.”

Stitzel, whose team returns much of its lineup next season, hopes the experience will provide motivation.

“I know it’s gonna be heartbreaking for them and me kind of, but we’ll reload for next year,” he said.

Lehighton duo advances

Lehighton’s Grace Cathers and Claudia Pagotto also earned individual trips to states in Class 2A.

Cathers, a freshman, finished seventh in 20:42.8, while Pagotto placed 11th in 21:05.2.

For Cathers, the result reflected a season of steady improvement and the influence of those around her.

“At the beginning of the season, Claudia was faster than me, so I always tried to push for her,” Cathers said.

She also credited her older brother, Joshua, who placed fourth in the boys Class 2A race to qualify for states.

“All my life really I’ve been running after him,” Cathers said.

After struggling to lower her times during eighth grade, Cathers has made significant progress this fall, going from times in the 22-minute range early in the season to consistently running in the 20s.

“I’m glad that I was able to drop times,” she said.

And with her first trip to states ahead, Cathers is looking forward to what comes next.

“I’m very excited because it’s my freshman year, and I’m really hoping for a good future,” she said.

District 11

Cross Country Championships

Class 1A

Team Standings

1.Schuylkill Haven (SH) 45, 2. Weatherly (Wea) 63, 3. Shenandoah Valley (SV) 68, 4. Moravian Academy (MA) 94, 5. Tri-Valley (TV) 106, 6. Nativity BVM (Nat) 129.

Individual Results

1.Mikayla Pugh (Wea) 20:36.4, 2. Ava Bosack (Min) 21:42.1, 3. Allie Bright (SH) 21:48.2, 4. Mikayla Kuntz (Wea) 21:58.2, 5. Skylar Husser (BC) 22:13.6, 6. Anna Cook (TV) 22:24.8, 7. Catherine Marinchak (Nat) 22:21.3, 8. Emma Moyer (Wea) 22:46.9, 9. Ayla Essler-Kiryaman (SH) 22:54.3, 10. Alexis Mayberry (SH) 22:58.2.

Other locals in the top-50

20.Anna Keer (MC) 24:53.8, 21. Alexis Kehler (Wea) 24:55.1, 29. Sofie DeAngelo (MC) 25:30.8, 41. Leah Grabosky (MC) 29:35.0, 47. Riley Bachert (Wea) 34:21.5, 49. Shawn Hildebrand (MC) 36:05.2.

Class 2A

Team Standings

1.Notre Dame GP (NDGP) 84, 2. Pen Argyl (PA) 86, 3. Northwestern Lehigh (NW) 87, 4. Wilson Area (Wil) 97, 5. Blue Mountain (BM) 110, 6. Jim Thorpe (JT) 128, 7. Saucon Valley (SV) 183, 8. Lehighton (Leh) 185, 9. Tamaqua (Tam) 193, 10. Northern Lehigh (NL) 264, 11. Lehigh Valley Academy (LVA) 279, 12. Catasauqua (Cat) 344.

Individual Results

1.Logan Gillespie (JT) 18:27.6, 2. Juliana Bonham (Wil) 18:58.8, 3. Genevieve Dando (NS) 19:44.1, 4. Roslia Nestor (NW) 20:15.1, 5. Vanessa Frasnelli (BM) 20:23.0, 6. Beatrice Kelly (NDGP) 20:39.8, 7. Grace Cathers (Leh) 20:42.8, 8. Stacy Bos (JT) 20:48.9, 9. Avery Krome (PA) 20:53.8, 10. Alivia Rieland (NDGP) 20:58.6.

Other locals in top-50

11. Claudia Pagotto (Leh) 21:05.2, 13. Katie Furman (NW) 21:19.3, 17. Lillian Scanlon (NW) 21:31.6, 22. Shaylee Gormley (Tam) 21:39.9, 23. Emily Kistler (NW) 21:40.9, 28. Kayleigh Halenar (JT) 21:55.8, 31. Peyton O’Brien (Tam) 21:59.9, 33. Emily Gad (NL) 22:12.4, 35. Alice Saltzer (NW) 22:27.2, 36. Anna Hawk (Leh) 22:28.0, 37. Olivia Holland (JT) 22:32.3, 39. Aubry Jones (Tam) 22:37.5, 42. Sophia Cornmesser (Palm) 22:51.2, 47. Alaina Shurr (NW) 23:09.2, 48. Chelsea Brown (Palm) 23:09.3.

Class 3A

Team Standings

1. Southern Lehigh (SL) 63, 2. Liberty (Lib) 72, 3. Emmaus (Em) 74, 4. Parkland (Park) 76, 5. Easton (East) 122, 6. Nazareth (Naz) 163, 7. Stroudsburg (Str) 185, 8. Whitehall (Wh) 291, 9. East Stroudsburg South (ESS) 299, 10. Pleasant Valley (PV) 299, 11. Freedom (Free) 300, 12. Bangor (Ban) 338, 13. Pocono Mountain East (PME) 342, 14. Northampton (North) 351.

Individual Results

1. Elizabeth McClarin (Lib) 18:30.1, 2. Harshita Keerthi (Park) 19:34.3, 3. Cali Sobrinski (Lib) 19:36.5, 4. Katie Drabouski (Lib) 19:39.4, 5. Caelee Lenhart (SL) 19:49.3, 6. Taylor Vidumsky (Free) 19:59.7, 7. Grace Nosal (Em) 20:03.8, 8. Lyla Knoble (East) 20:09.3, 9. Vivian Clark (East) 20:12.6, 10. Samantha Reidnauer (Em) 20:25.5.

Other locals in the top-50

40. Rebekah McLeod (PV) 22:21.9.

NOTE: The top two teams in each classification and the top 10 individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the PIAA Cross Country Championships, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at Big Spring School District in Newville.