by Phil Lechner
On Saturday, October 24th, the Pagoda Pacers held the 17th annual Berks County middle school cross country “Run Off.” It was held at the very frosty Berks County Fairgrounds. Runners from 15 Berks County schools attended and were treated to a full championship experience.
There was a well-marked 2-mile course, a DJ, the singing of the national anthem (by 2 Wilson students), and a PIAA official starter. The blast from Coach Tim Hetrich’s cannon started each race.
The boys’ race involved 86 7th and 8th graders. The first mile was flat, but the second mile tested their resolve with several challenging hills. In the end, the winner of the race was 8th grader Nolan Houck of Daniel Boone. Overall the top 3 boys’ teams were Exeter, Wyomissing, and Wilson.
The girls’ race went off soon after with 58 participants. The winner of the race (by a large margin) was 8th grader Teagan Fox of Schuylkill Valley. Twin Valley, Wilson, and Exeter were the top three teams.
This year we also had our first 6th grade race (.9 mile), and we had 14 finishers (11 boys and 3 girls).
The race’s success was largely because of a wide variety of people who excelled in their roles. The Pagoda Pacers hosted the race and had over a dozen “professional” volunteers who made every detail look perfect.
Ron Horn and his Pretzel City crew did an outstanding job with the results. Fleet Feet (led by Jason Corby) created and handed out finisher medals to all 7th and 8th grade finishers (a race 1st). Saucony donated swag bags to the 1st 10 male and female finishers, and Redner’s donated bananas for all the runners to enjoy. Lastly, I cannot thank enough the Fairgrounds crew who did a great job keeping the course mowed and the plentiful bathrooms spotless.
The hundreds of parents, runners, coaches, and crew all seemed to have a great time. Hopefully the club will continue to build upon this amazing event.
Thank you.
Phil Lechner
