Raisa Kochmaruk took off from Box 2 at the EPC Cross Country Championships and never looked back, literally, taking first place in 18:52 last Tuesday at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.

“It went how I wanted it to go. I was envisioning it,” Kochmaruk said.

Kochmaruk had more time to envision than she would have liked, however.

“Being on the line for so long, your mind starts to wander,” she said.

Still, Kochmaruk maintained the lead for the entire race.

“I kind of used what other people were yelling [on the sidelines]. I can’t look behind me,” said Kochmaruk.

It was Easton’s Diana Hammerstone, who finished second in 19:06, and Emmaus’s Katie Baucher, who placed fifth in 19:22, who created the most concern, but seeing Liberty coach Mark Will-Weber throughout the race was helpful to Kochmaruk.

“I wanted to be in the lead and open up in the last mile,” she said. “My coach gave me that strategy, and it worked.”

The top 12 finishers received medals, and that included Bethlehem Catholic’s Kassi Yocco, who had an 11th place finish in 20:03.

“I just wanted to stay with the first pack the whole way. I still wanted to be better, place-wise, but I’m looking forward to next week because that’s the big picture for me,” Yocco said.

Next week is the District XI Cross Country Championships at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.

Yocco’s teammate, Rowan Pepe, just missed a medal by one place, coming in 13th in 20:06, and Lauren Bunke placed 24th in 20:39, also for the Hawks.

Delaney Davis placed 38th in 21:42, Grace Haas was 39th in 21:44, Alicia Valladares came in 45th in 22:00, and Greta Stuckey placed 47th in 22:12, all for the Hurricanes.

Ally Young came in 42nd in 21:55, and Olivia Salerno was 49th in 22:19, both for the Patriots.

In team results, Liberty was sixth, Bethlehem Catholic was ninth, and Freedom was 10th. Easton was the overall winner, and Stroudsburg was second.