The start of the varsity girls' race at the Schuylkill League Cross Country Championships on Oct. 15, 2025, at White Birch Golf Course. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

District 11 Cross Country Championships

When: Wednesday

Where: DeSales University, Center Valley

Race times: 1 p.m. — Class A boys; 1:40 p.m. — Class A girls; 2:20 p.m. — Class AA boys; 3 p.m. — Class AA girls; 3:40 p.m. — Class 3A boys; 4:20 p.m. — Class 3A girls

Course length: 3.1 miles (5,000 meters). Grass with hills.

2024 area top finishers (returnees only): Blue Mountain’s Francesco Carr, 5th in Class AA, state qualifier; Shenandoah Valley’s Robert Espinal, 2nd in Class A, state qualifier; Minersville’s Johnny Burgess, 7th in Class A, state qualifier; Nativity’s Nash Stehr, 10th in Class A, state qualifier; Marian’s Wade Eroh, 11th in Class A, state qualifier; Marian’s Achilles Fitzpatrick, 13th in Class A, state qualifier; Shenandoah Valley boys, 1st in Class A, state qualifier; Minersville boys, 2nd in Class A, state qualifier; Mahanoy Area’s Felicia Bro, 2nd in Class A, state qualifier; Tri-Valley’s Anna Cook, 4th in Class A, state qualifier; Marian’s Teaghan Biros, 10th in Class A, state qualifier; Schuylkill Haven’s Lilly Wisner, 18th in Class A, state qualifier; Marian’s Addy Marek, 19th in Class A, state qualifier; Shenandoah Valley girls, 1st in Class A, state qualifier.

Advancement: Top two teams and top 10 individuals not on those teams qualify for the PIAA Championships on Nov. 1 at the Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey.

Notes: District 11 changes the order of races every year. This time, Class A leads off, followed by Class AA and then Class 3A. Last season, Class AA went first. … In each class, the boys will run first, then the girls. … A new race starts every 40 minutes. … Coming off their victories at the Schuylkill League Cross Country Championships, Shenandoah Valley senior Robert Espinal and North Schuylkill’s Genevieve Dando will look to challenge for victories and punch tickets to states. … Espinal is the favorite to win the boys’ Class A race. … Dando will compete in Class AA girls with Saucon Valley’s three-time state champion Virginia Kraus, who is an overwhelming favorite.

Virginia Kraus, Saucon senior 3x state champ