Kittatinny boys, girls win respective divisions

For the first time in decades, both the boys and girls Kittatinny Regional High School Cross Country Teams won their respective league titles with the girls winning the Freedom Division and the boys winning the Colonial Division.

Coach Guy Gordon has been at the helm of both teams as coach for the past 15 years.

“I’m really proud of the effort the kids have put in this year,” he said. “Winning a league title is special and hopefully something they will always remember. The bond on this years team is second to none and they totally support each other. The parents have been just as amazing and you can sense the pride they take in the efforts the kids give each race.”

Gordon credits the hard work the kids put in over the summer.

“Cross country success in the fall is predicated by the training you do over the summer,” Gordon said. “We had the team meeting three days per week for workouts, and they were running on their own the other days. What was most impressive was that they continued training even when away on vacations.”

Going into the post season, the girls’ record is 13-0 and the boys’ is 11-2.

Senior Co-Captain Tyler Hennion has led the boys squad along with senior Co-Captain Thomas Balbo.

The team has also gotten together for group breakfasts and pasta dinners the night before meets.

“Our pack has been the reason we have been winning,” Hennion said. “Our goal is for the pack to get faster.”

On the girls’ side, Senior Co-Captain Molly Riva qualified for the prestigious Meet of Champions as a freshman. COVID threw a monkey wrench in things, but she has qualified for Groups three years in a row and would like the Cougars to qualify as a team for Groups this year.

“Our mindset is that we want to be comfortable with being uncomfortable in races,” she said.