Freedom High School runners, Shaina Palmer and Olivia Salerno, had no choice but to have a fast start in the Class AAA PIAA State Girls Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Parkview Golf Course in Hershey, Pa.

Box 2, as it is called at the starting line, is the farthest from where the Patriots needed to go to stay on course.

"It worked out okay. We had to angle around tents and bear to the right. We pretty much went out fast and tried to get a spot," Palmer said.

Freedom coach, Bob Thear, made it Palmer and Salerno's goal to finish the race in the top 100.

Palmer placed 87th in 20:27, and Salerno placed 99th in 20:34 out of a field of 218.

"There was pretty much always a decent amount of girls around you. Olivia and I kept going back and forth, but we were in the exact same spot at the two mile," Palmer said.

In fact, Palmer pointed out that there were so many people in the finish that, although she and Salerno were only seven seconds apart, there were 12 people between them.

"My time and place were pretty much the same as last year. I was pretty happy with it," said Palmer.

Experience on the infamous Poop-Out Hill also helped.

"I knew that everybody was going to be feeling it, so you have to keep going. At least you know the finish is right after," Palmer said.

In the Class AA race, Bethlehem Catholic sophomore, Kassi Yocco, finished the course in 21:24.