Lions' Digest Fall Issue 02 2020

SPORTS
CROSS COUNTRY HOME MEET AND SENIOR NIGHT LEAVES
TEAM EAGER FOR POSTSEASON
BY ELOISE DAYRAT
On Tuesday, October 13th,
the State High Boys and Girls
Cross Country teams held
their senior night races. Both
teams ran perfect scores with
the boys winning 15-48 and
the girls winning 15-50.
Brady Bigger, a senior and
captain of the team, won the
boys race with a time of 16:07.
“Our team swept one
through five which was good.
It was actually our first win
this year, which is kind of
sad but I was happy with my
own race. My time was okay,”
Bigger said.
Second place was taken
by junior Sean Adams
(16:55), third place by
junior Trent Dinant (17:06),
fourth by senior Bennett
Norton (17:20), and fifth by
sophomore Nick Sloff (17:23).
Multiple runners on both
teams had personal records
(PRs). Rebecca Donaghue,
the girls head coach, was
fully content with the girls’
performance.
“We had a perfect score
... we went one through five.
That’s 15 points. They looked
great. A lot of PRs out there,”
said Rebecca Donaghue, girls
head coach.
Senior and captain of
the girls cross country
team, Jordan Reed, won the
race with a time of 18:59.
Sophomore Marlee Kwasnica
took second place (19:10),
senior Karsyn Kane took
third (19:35), senior Vivian
Scott took fourth (20:38), and
sophomore Amy Devan took
fifth (20:42).
“Everyone did such a good
job so I was very proud of our
team,” Reed said, reflecting on
the team’s performance at the
meet.
Not only did the team’s
performance leave her
feeling accomplished, but her
individual win in the girls’
race made the rest of her
senior night exciting.
“It was definitely super
awesome to be able to get
the win on senior night and
I think our whole team was
able to come together and all
performed really well. It was a
great way to end the past four
years on our home course and
it was just a lot of fun,” Reed
said.
Similarly to Reed, Bigger
expressed his excitement
about senior night.
“It’s probably one of my
favorite parts every year. [The]
time when we congratulate
the seniors. Especially last
year, that was fun. But I was
glad to be able to do that with
my friends and my family,”
Bigger said.
The girls each ran well
individually and are looking
forward to their upcoming
competitions.
“I got a course PR and I
wasn’t far off from my PR and
I felt pretty strong. I had a
good time. I felt good with my
performance today. It makes
me excited for how the team
is going to do in the bigger
meets to come. It makes me
motivated to keep doing well
and keep improving myself
throughout the rest of the
season,” said Kwasnica.
Seconds after crossing the finish line, senior Jordan Reed (left) and sophomore Marlee Kwasnica (right)
wait for the rest of their teammates to complete their race in State College, PA, taken Oct. 13, 2020. (Photo/
Eloise Dayrat)
Dinant spoke on the impact
of the team’s win.
“It was a real big confidence
booster that we could just run
that well and work together
as a team to defeat CD East.
It’s a huge confidence booster
going into Mid Penns next
week and districts [the next].
When we weren’t quite sure
how we were going to do since
we never really got a chance to
run together as a total team. It
went well and I think that it’s
going to provide great things
when we get into postseason,”
Dinant said.
COVID has brought
difficulties, but despite this,
the teams have continued to
carry through.
“Handling COVID, it
hasn’t been easy. Getting used
to running with a mask on
definitely hasn’t been easy
but it’s definitely worth it,
not only to have a season but
also to keep my teammates
safe … I think it’s been a
good adjustment, actually,
even though it may have been
hard,” Dinant said.
However many obstacles
the teams encounter, they
encourage and lift each other
up without giving it a second
thought.
“The girls, you know,
they’re supporting each other
more than ever I’ve noticed ...
We weren’t even sure we were
going to have a season. So
just to have a season and just
to have practices, everyone’s
been super excited and
thankful for that. I think that’s
really helped us as a team. It’s
been really inspiring to watch
too,” Donaghue said.
If both teams can perform like
they did on their senior night,
despite being under such
unprecedented conditions,
State High can expect even
more remarkable races to
come.
VICTORIOUS ON THE HOME FIELD
FROM PAGE 1
The State High Boys’ Soccer team playing Tuesday night. Taken Oct. 13, 2020, in State
College, PA. (Photo/Kimberly Pagett)
While the junior varsity
team lost 0-2, they put up a
great fight throughout the
whole game. Freshman Colin
Murphy talked about how the
game was very competitive
and Cumberland Valley just
got the best of them that
night.
“The game yesterday was
played well by both teams,
they[Cumberland Valley]
put their passes on the
ground and played it to their
teammates’ feet all game.
While we played our game
sending balls through the
defenders and just got unlucky
with our finishes, “ Murphy
said.
Like most of the junior
varsity team, Murphy was
very proud of how they
played until the very end and
how they did not let those
Cumberland Valley’s goals
hurt their playing. He went on
to explain that the team has
had a very competitive season,
and that every game ends with
the same problem: they can’t
get the ball in the back of the
net.
“We get the chance but we
get unlucky when it comes to
scoring,” Murphy said.
Both the varsity and junior
varsity teams had eventful
games. The players battled
hardship and exhibited
determination until the very
end. The boys’ soccer season
is still not over, so be prepared
to watch out for more wins.
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