Shenandoah Valley's Robert Espinal breaks the tape to win the boys' race at the Schuylkill League Cross Country Championships on Wednesday at White Birch Golf Course. Espinal clocked a 16:19. (Photo courtesy of North Schuylkill Athletics)

BARNESVILLE — Robert Espinal wakes up around 4 a.m. every day.

Soon after, the Shenandoah Valley senior heads out for a distance training run. Hours before school even begins, Espinal already has a few miles under his belt.

That dedication paid off Wednesday as Espinal cruised to the boys’ gold on a sunny, breezy, 60-degree day at the Schuylkill League Cross Country Championships. Not only did Espinal win, but he also tied the course record by clocking a 16:19 on the winding, 3.1-mile layout at White Birch Golf Course. Minersville’s Kolin Long set the record by winning last year’s race; Espinal placed second in 16:27.

Espinal is Shenandoah Valley’s first-ever Schuylkill League cross country champion. He also extended the streak to 12 years that a different boy has brought home the gold. Not since Jim Thorpe’s Jonathan Condly went back-to-back in 2013-14 has a Schuylkill League boy won multiple league titles.

“I’m just getting better from last year, and I’m proud,” Espinal said through a translator. “It felt very good going through the whole course being in front.”

Espinal, in his second season as a competitive runner, is just beginning to tap into his potential. He said he would like to run in college.

“My parents motivate me,” Espinal said. “They tell me to always chase my dreams. Everybody’s always there for me.”

Unlike last year’s race, this year’s contest held no drama. Espinal ran to the front almost immediately and stretched his advantage throughout. Tamaqua sophomore Aidan Elston placed second in 17:00, with Nativity junior Shane Meyer taking third in 17:23. Blue Mountain senior Francesco Carr, the 2023 league champion, and junior teammate Brody Moyer went 4-5, both in 17:30.

That grouping keyed Blue Mountain’s first Schuylkill League boys’ cross country team championship since the Eagles went back-to-back in 2018-19. They topped runner-up Tamaqua 45-115.

Blue Mountain’s girls also won the team title, marking the first time in school history that the Eagles have swept the Schuylkill League Cross Country team championships in the same year.

Another tight grouping clinched the victory for Blue Mountain. Sophomore Christopher Phipps (18:06), freshman Russell Hunter (18:12) and junior Grayson Meck (18:16) placed 12th, 13th and 14th, respectively, for the Eagles.

“The boys are strong,” Blue Mountain coach Tom Kanger said. “The boys are having fun. … They’re ready to run, and we’re hoping they make some kind of noise next week.”

Next up is the District 11 Cross Country Championships, set for Oct. 22 at DeSales University. The top two teams and 10 individuals not on those teams in each classification will qualify for the PIAA Championships, to be held Nov. 1 at the Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey.

Schuylkill League Cross Country Championships

At White Birch Golf Course

Course length: 3.1 miles

Wednesday’s results

Varsity boys

78 finishers

Team scores: 1. Blue Mountain (BM) 45, 2. Tamaqua (Tam) 115, 3. Nativity (Nat) 122, 4. Marian (Mar) 138, 5. Mahanoy Area (Mah) 143, 6. Shenandoah Valley (SV) 147, 7. Schuylkill Haven (SH) 173, 8. North Schuylkill (NS) 175, 9. Minersville (Min) 178, 10. Pottsville (Po) 213, 11. Weatherly (Wea) 223, 13. Gillingham Charter (GC) 285

Did not score: Pine Grove (PG), Tri-Valley (TV)

Individual results: 1. Robert Espinal (SV) 16:19, 2. Aidan Elston (Tam) 17:00, 3. Shane Meyer (Nat) 17:23, 4. Francesco Carr (BM) 17:30, 5. Brody Moyer (BM) 17:30, 6. Johnny Burgess (Min) 17:31, 7. Wade Eroh (Mar) 17:50, 8. Memphis Kline (Tam) 17:56, 9. Dru Herber (PG) 17:59, 10. William Davis (Po) 18:02, 11. Wyatt Hylka (Nat) 18:04, 12. Christopher Phipps (BM) 18:06, 13. Russell Hunter (BM) 18:12, 14. Grayson Meck (BM) 18:16, 15. Owen Mentzer (NS) 18:19, 16. Quinnion Tremaglia (BM) 18:19, 17. Alex Best (Wea) 18:28, 18. Jacob Berlanda (Mar) 18:29, 19. Parker Steencken (Tam) 18:31, 20. Colton McClusky (SH) 18:36

JV Boys

17 finishers

Individual results: 1. Joseph Cairnie (BM) 19:11, 2. Rafael Liranzo (BM) 19:38, 3. Evan McDonough (BM) 20:11, 4. Noah Yackenchick (BM) 20:49, 5. Elias Baran (BM) 21:27