Waynesburg University

By: Riley Holsinger

For The Yellow Jacket

The three inevitable things in life: death, taxes and the Waynesburg women’s cross country team winning the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championship.

For the sixth consecutive season, the women’s team has hoisted the PAC championship trophy. This year, it was a nail biter as they placed just one point ahead of Franciscan.

“Even until right before I heard the results, I thought we were in second place,” head coach Chris Hardie said. “I’m really proud of the girls for working really hard for this.”

Speaking of second place, Aubrey Wingeart finished as the runner-up in her second race of the season in a Waynesburg uniform. Gloria Reed continued on her stellar season by rounding out the top five finishers. Both Wingeart and Reed were named first-team all-conference after the race concluded.

One of the tightest races to the finish line was featured in this year’s conference championship setting.

“Today was as tight of a championship as we ever had and they were able to prevail,” PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko said.

With a margin for error so slim, it took an entire team effort to stave off Franciscan’s hopes of an upset for the PAC crown.

“[Having the entire team contribute] is always a great way to do it,” Hardie said. “That is the formula for success, at least in the six years that we’ve won.”

The top seven for Waynesburg finished in the top half of the competition. Four Yellow Jackets runners were featured in the top 15 finishers, including Wingeart and Reed, as well as Joula Anderson and Gabrielle Reifsnyder.

“We’ve had to utilize some depth along the way,” Hardie said. “We aren’t quite as deep as we were in the past but that entire top ten stepped up and placed as well as displaced some people. It took a total team effort.”

Reifsnyder had one of the more impressive runs of the day finishing in tenth. Reifsnyder was named second-team all-conference.

Anderson was the 15th women’s competitor to cross the finish line. Monica Kolencik rounded out the scorers, finishing 22nd.

“[Winning the PAC] is really special,” Hardie said. “All 19 girls had to invest this year in each other and in workouts. It makes me feel really good that they were able to pull it out today.”

“Really kudos to them,” Onderko said. “They’ve certainly earned every bit of success that they’re received.”

Despite all of the challenges this year, Reed was proud of her team’s performance.

“I’m so super proud of them,” Reed said. “[Our team] comes to practice every day and they’re putting in their best efforts, they’re working super hard, so it’s always a good time seeing everyone doing so well.”

Even Onderko is impressed with the dynasty primarily due to the culture of the program.

“The culture that the program has built over the years has just been filled with success. Certainly, the majority of the credit of that has to go to coach Hardie and the work he has done there,” Onderko said.

Hardie was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the team to the promise land.

Despite not having one senior and only one junior score for the team, the youthful men’s cross country team finished fifth out of 10 teams in attendance.

“I’m really proud of them,” Hardie said. “They’re a young team. This entire top five comes back next year.”

Sophomore Andrew Kasper and freshman Nolan Curran were some of the bright spots for the men’s team.

Kasper ran his way into the second-team all-conference spot with a 12th place finish. Curran finished 20th and was named an all-conference honorable mention.

“This group has a really bright future,” Hardie said. “This is just something from them to build on.”

Joining Curran as an honorable mention, junior Jac Cokley finished 16th out of 99 runners.

Both teams will move on to prepare for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on Nov. 13 to try and qualify for nationals.