It was a goal the Parkland boys cross country team had set back in the summer. The Trojan harriers knew they had the talent to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.

Following an unbeaten regular season at 17-0, Parkland accomplished that feat by capturing the EPC Cross Country Championship Meet team title last Tuesday at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Club. Four Trojan boys finished in the top 10 runners to edge Easton by nine points in the team standings.

Dan Kyvelos was the Trojans’ top finisher in fourth place in a time of 16:49.92, followed by Sam Morgan (6th), Steven Kaleycik (8th) and Matthew Bianco (10th). Hailemichael Geiger placed 14th as the final Trojan to count toward the team totals.

“It’s what we’ve worked for,” Kyvelos said. “During the summer and over the regular season, that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to win as a team in the regular season and in leagues and districts.”

Kyvelos jumped out with the front of the pack and remained with eventual champion Kevin Lapsansky of Easton for much of the first mile. But it was at that point that Kyvelos knew he had to alter his approach for the remainder of the course.

“Normally I like to hang back a little bit and then catch up,” Kyvelos said. “That’s what Kevin [Lapsanky] from Easton does, so I was hanging on his shoulder. We crossed the first mile at 4:54, and I was like, ‘No, this is too fast.’ So I stepped back a little bit and waited for my move because I knew that wasn’t going to work out.”

Lapsansky crossed the finish line in 16:09.52, nearly 13 seconds faster than the next competitor. Pleasant Valley’s Seth Slavin came in second at 16:22.42, followed by Freedom’s William Alpaugh in third.

Despite jumping six places from his finish last year, Kyvelos believes there is still plenty left in the tank. He’s hoping to improve in this week’s district meet, which will be held on Thursday back at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Club.

“I felt a little bit slower, to be honest,” Kyvelos said. “So at districts I’m going to try and pick it up. But I still did pretty good overall, so I’ll take it.

“I’m still hungry. I wasn’t satisfied with what I did. I want to try and get in the top three definitely [at districts]. I feel like I was being held back by my legs today, so I have to stretch more and get back out there.”

Nicholas Bower (19th), Riley Williamson (21st), Jacob Ringer (28th), Tyler Gaspar (29th) and Jonathan Ceh (49th) rounded out the Parkland boys’ finishers.

Sydney DelVecchio paced the Parkland girls with a ninth-place finish, running a 19:55.38 in a field of 133 competitors. The girl harriers came in fifth place as a team with 147 points after winning the team title last year. The Easton girls claimed the title with three finishers in the top 10.

Mikayla Stoudt finished in 22nd place as the second Parkland girl to cross the finish line, followed by Erin Wood (41st), Haley Havighurst (43rd), Sarah Clapham (44th), Morgan Glenn (48th), Kiley Krasley (59th) and Caroline Davis (62nd).