NTL CROSS-COUNTRY: LARSON LEADS TOWANDA TO NTL TEAM TITLE, BOYS TAKE 2ND (2024-10-12)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
ROME — It was a good day for Towanda cross-country as they took home one team title on the girls’ side, and a second place for the boys at the NTL Coaches’ Invitational Saturday.

Izzy Larson led the Lady Knights (52 points) to first place, besting second place NEB (63) by 11 points.

Larson (20:01.4) took third overall on a mixed day for the sophomore.

“I was happy with my time, but I didn’t feel really great,” she said. 

She tried sticking with Athens’ Sara Bronson (19:45.4), who took second.

“It was my goal,” Larson remarked. “I was hoping to be a little closer, but I have another race with her still.”

The Knights had two other top 10 finishers in Mary-Kate Eberlin (21:19.8) in seventh, and Kenzie Brown (21:52) taking ninth.

Rounding out the top five were Hannah Petty (23:38.8) in 21st, and Leila Cobb (24:06.1) taking 22nd.

Four of the top five from the NTLs Larson will see in the District IV, Class AA race in two weeks.

“It gives you a good idea as to what you’ll be seeing at districts,” she said. “It just helps you to have a goal set in mind.”

As team they’re hoping for a top five finish, if not higher, in two weeks.

“I’m super excited about how our team did,” said Larson. “We’re a very strong and put together team, and, whatever happens, we all are happy with our outcomes. I know it’s pretty tough down there between Danville and Lewisburg, but we’re just going to try to get as close as we can to those big teams.”

For the boys the Black Knights had four in the top 15 as they scored 68 points, behind only winners NEB (49).

Leading the way was freshman Boom Thompson (17:34.1) in seventh.

“My calves are kind of burning,” Thompson said after the race. “At the midway point, going up that hill in the wooded area I knew I had to stay with Frank Harper from Troy, he was going to set the pace for me.”

Thompson has been coming on strong the second half of the season as he gets used to running the full 5K.

“It definitely feels like an accomplishment,” he said. “We have three other really great guys on our team, they all work hard in practice. It’s definitely a change from the mile-and-a-half but those weekend long runs with Jacob Carr and Jack Tavani have definitely helped me.”

Fellow freshman Hagen Jones (17:49.4) took 11th, while Carr (18:07.8) and Tavani (18:15.5) were 14th and 15th. Wyatt Stranger (18:51.9) rounded out the top five in 24th.

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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