A win in last week's dual meet has Upper Perkiomen's boys cross-country team in position to win a division championship. Roman Macedo and John Kuzmission led the team to a 25-30 victory over Phoenixville on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Upper Perkiomen's cross country team starts fast in its meet with  Phoenixville on Sept. 27

            Macedo (17:16) finished in second place and Kuzmission (17:27) third. Kaden Dennis (18:28) posted a fifth-place finish for the host Indians, who moved into a first-place tie with the Phantoms and Upper Merion atop the Frontier Division standings.

            Ben Sensinger (18:32) finished seventh and William Godshall (18:48) ended up in eighth place for the Tribe. The division title will be determined at the conference championship meet on Oct. 19 in Heebner Park in Worcester, according to head coach Todd Niemann.

            Macedo and Kuzmission led the Tribe boys to a 13th-place finish out of 38 teams in their race at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University. Both finished in the top 100.

            Macedo, a junior, ended up in 34th place during the race at Lehigh University with a time of 17:27.80. Kuzmission (17:43.40) finished 45th.  "Both those guys continue to impress," Niemann said.

            Dennis (18:42.20) finished in 104th place. Sensinger (18:49.80) ended up seven places behind during the race on Saturday, Sept. 30.

            Freshmen Gavin Dunn (19:11.80) and William Godshall (19:13.10) finished 131st and 132nd, respectively.  "The boys ran very well," the coach said.

             Abigail Rowland and Maren Landis led Upper Perkiomen's girls cross-country team to a ninth-place finish out of 38 teams at the invitational. Rowland, a sophomore, finished the 3.1-mile course – that will also host the District One Championships on Oct. 27 – in 33rd place with a time of 20: 57.7.

            Landis, a junior, ended up in 41st place with a time of 21:11.30. Lauren Donahue, a senior, finished in 76th place (22:12.20). Amy Rohl (85th place, 22:26.10) and Maggie Milkowich (98th place, 22:45.60) each ended up in the top 100.

            "Abby struggled a little during the middle of the race," Niemann said of Rowland, who fell short of her goal to finish in the top 25. "But I was proud of the way she finished."

            Against Phoenixville, Rowland and Landis were the top two overall finishers. However, the visiting Phantoms took the next five places to post a 25-30 victory in the Pioneer Athletic Conference match on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

            Rowland finished first in 19:44 and Landis ended up 25 seconds behind.

            "It was a pretty exciting race," Niemann said. "We pushed Phoenixville. The team ran a little conservative. It really had to work to get the win."

            Rohl (21:08) finished in eighth place followed by Donahue (21:21) and Kaela Heckman (21:58).

            According to the coach, Rohl has made significant strides this season. He said her recent consistency has been a surprise. Niemann also praised the recent efforts of Donahue.

            "Lauren has been great," the coach said.