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NTL CROSS-COUNTRY: TOWANDA LOOKS TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN 2022 (2022-08-26)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Towanda cross-country took a step forward a year ago as they sent three runners to the PIAA Championships. Their boys had two - nearly three - and took fourth at districts, while their girls had one runner - nearly two.


The boys, especially, see themselves as dark horse contenders come districts this October.


“Coming back from last year we only lost one guy, and the entire groups back,” said coach Mike Maurer. “That means we’re looking forward to some big things this year. Hopefully we keep that top pack together, and add up to it.”


That top pack consisted of Eric McGee, Nate Spencer, and Luke Tavani. Spencer and McGee both made states, with Tavani just on the outside.


Not making states is something that Tavani has used to fuel his running this summer.


“I barely missed states so I have a lot more motivation, and work harder,” he said. 


Spencer is also looking ahead to this season.


“What I want to do is try and beat the people who beat me last year,” he explained. “The people who return, and they’ve beat me, I want to be able to beat them.”


It’ll be tough sledding in the NTL Large School Division with CV, Athens, Troy, and now Wyalusing, but they feel that come districts they’ll be in the mix.


“We have enough people this year, that, we can if we really work at it,” McGee remarked.


Maurer is really looking for a few of the younger guys to nail down those fourth and fifth scoring spots.


“Jacob Carr, Jack Tavani, Wyatt Stranger,” he said. “Those guys really need to step up there. If we can get two more guys up there with them that would be a huge step forward for us.”


And the top guys are working to get their times down, anywhere from low 18’s to even into the 17’s.


“I’ve been trying to fix my form,” said Spencer. “Runs where I’m going over difficult terrain, things like that.”


Even then, they feel that this year will be their year.


“Some teams lost some, and even some didn’t,” Tavani said. “I think that we’ve grown enough to where we do have a shot of doing well at districts.”


On the girls’ side the two seniors, Madison Nonnemacher and Zoie Lamphere are working hard to get the team ready for the season.


“I’ve been working on my willpower,” Lamphere said. “You get that a lot, like, when you’re working out, your body just wants to give up, and you have to tell it, ‘no, I’m still going.’”


One of her motivating factors is to be on the top eight on the team.


As for Nonnemacher, she’s hoping to break into the lower 20’s.


“I definitely want to be drinking more water, because that was one of my bigger problems the last three years,” she said. “We just want to do better than last year, and have everyone beat the goals that they have set.”


In the NTL for Large School they have to face off with Troy and Athens, and now, for districts, they’ll be up a class in Class AA. District IV is one of the best in the state in Class AA, so that’ll be a tough test for their top two individuals in Taylor Brennan and Marisa Wise.


“It’s a grinder up there,” Maurer said. “We sat down and we talked about it. I said, ‘we’ve got to do this much more.’ So we know what we have to do.”


Brennan made states a year ago in Class A, and he’s looking to see her get back to that form.


“When you have that type of calibre we’re just looking forward and trying to do the best we can with it,” said Maurer.


And for most of the season last year Wise led the team, and he’s looking for big things from her.


“That’s mostly been my motivation, just trying to get (to states),” said Wise. “That’s something I’ve been trying to do.”


She’s been running all summer - she hit her 200 mile goal.


“I’ve been working on my mindset, because that was part of my problem last year,” said Wise. “Just strengthening my physical and mental.”


ROSTER

BOYS

Eric McGee

Luke Tavani

Jack Tavani

Nate Spencer

Rein Alderfer

Jacob Carr

Wyatt Stranger

Dan Storrs

GIRLS

Madison Nonnemacher

Dixie Brown

Gretchen Brown

Zoie Lamphere

Taylor Brennan

Marisa Wise

Grace Carter

Noelle Rogers


SCHEDULE

Sep. 3 - Towanda at Cliff Robbins Invitational

Sep. 13 - Towanda, CV at Troy, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 16 - Towanda at Lasagna Invitational

Sep. 20 - Wellsboro, NPM at Towanda, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 27 - Athens at Towanda, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 1 - Towanda at NEPA Invitational

Oct. 4 - Towanda, Canton at Sullivan County, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 11 - NEB, Sayre, Towanda at Wyalusing, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 15 - Towanda at NTL Championships

Oct. 27 - Towanda at District IV Championships

Nov. 5 - Towanda at PIAA Championships




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