After persistent training and competition over the last four months, both the Point Park men’s and women’s cross country teams have accomplished things never before seen in the history of the University.
The men and women of the cross country teams dominated conference championships on Nov. 7 and carried home the first place trophies for each team. This crucial meet, consisting of 11 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams all running against each other for a championship title, was the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) Conference Championship at Rio Grande, Oh.
The teams have now qualified to compete in Nationals, an exclusive cross country meet. Coach Parsley knew the team had a chance this year, especially with the incoming freshmen and returning national qualifiers from last year. He said they had their best race at the Conference Championship and worked hard all season to achieve first place for the men and women teams.
“All along our goal has been to win conferences,” Parsley said Saturday. Parsley is the head coach of the PPU cross country team and is assisted by coaches Julia Kubica and Kali George.
The teams started training in the early days of August and continued throughout the season, six days a week. The 16 runners for the men and the 14 runners for the women practiced with effort, whether it was running around the city of Pittsburgh, speeding down the paths of Schenley Park, or swimming in the pool of Keystone Oaks High School.
Not only did they accomplish first place in both men’s and women’s races, but both teams also won many individual awards.
“We won pretty much every award you could have won,” Parsley said.
Parsley, who has been a cross country coach for 18 years and is in his first year as head coach at Point Park, won “Coach of the Year” for the men’s and women’s teams.
Sophomore cinema production major Katie Guarnaccia is a returning to the National Championoship meet for the second straight year. She described her experience with the coach.
“Coach Parsley really wants the best for us and really strives for a good experience and keeps your personal interests,’ Guarnaccia said.
Guarnaccia was the KIAC champion, finishing first out of all the runners in the women’s 5,000 meter race. She finished with a time of 18:57 and was announced Runner of the Year. She said she personally had some ups and downs, which is typical with any sport but this season had “overall impressive races.”
Just like Guarnaccia, freshman civil engineering major Brian Moore became the KIAC champ for the men’s races when he finished the 8,000 meter race with a time of 26.32. Not only did Moore finish first out of all the participants in the race, but he also won the awards for Runner of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Along with the awards are the runners that made the first and second all-conference team, which are the top seven and next seven runners that finished the race. For the men, Brian Moore and Gary Olson qualified for first team all-conference and Sean Hilverding, Christopher Hunt and Connor Wright all qualified for second all-conference team.
For the women, Katie Guarnaccia qualified for first team all-conference and Emily Maxwell, Madison Przicina and Ashley Czerniewski-Hagan qualified for second team all-conference.
The individual awards were not the only reason why the team qualified for Nationals. It was also the value of teamwork which showed support and encouragement.
Christopher Hunt, sophomore acting major and history minor, pointed out that he and the others had “great relationships with the incoming freshman.”
“We are such a young team, and we are going to keep doing better,” Hunt said.
Hunt also said he is proud of the team and how well they get along, which could have been a factor as to why they reached their goals at the championship by coming in first place. Guarnaccia also said that the team gets along great and has a fun time since they are a good group.
“I never been on a team that has done as good as this team has this year,” Moore said. “I’m very excited for nationals and hope to break the school record there, I’m also happy that my team made it as well so we can support each other.”
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championships are Nov. 21 at Charlotte, N.C.
“Winning Conference was well deserved,” said Kelsey Wilkins, sophomore screenwriting and acting major. “We worked hard this entire year and went in knowing we had a good chance.”
