Freedom senior, Will Alpaugh, left whatever concerns he had behind him two weeks ago at the EPC Cross Country Championships and earned his way to the upcoming PIAA State Cross Country Championships with a third place finish at the District XI Class AAA meet last Thursday at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.

“I was more excited this week. I just wanted to see what I could do. I was more nervous last week,” said Alpaugh.

Easton’s Kevin Lapsansky won the race in 16:16.20, and Pleasant Valley’s Seth Slavin came in second with a time of 16:19.84.

Alpaugh said, “I went out with Kevin and was going to try and stay behind, but the first mile-and-a-half, I stayed with him. It was just Kevin and I, back and forth to see who could stay on the inside. The wind got to me, and then Kevin and Seth got ahead.”

Alpaugh’s time was 16:47.38.

“I felt pretty good about it. I was fine getting third. I knew the times would be slower, but I was a little worried at the end because Daniel [Kyvelos from Parkland] caught up to me at the last stretch, but I knew he wouldn’t last because he closed that gap so fast,” said Alpaugh.

In fact, Kyvelos finished ten seconds behind Alpaugh.

Liberty senior, Jonah George, also earned a spot at the state meet, finishing the district race in 13th place with a time of 17:38.19.

“It was my fastest race of the year,” said George. “For the first mile, [teammate] Brendan [Reilly] was ahead, and he helped push me to get ahead.”

Reilly placed 27th in 18:06.09.

Reilly said, “Today felt tough. I would’ve liked to make states, but after the first mile, I just didn’t feel as fast.”

As George approached the final incline to the finish, he could hear people yelling, states is up there.

“Then, I was the guy they were yelling, states is up there, to,” he said. “It was probably the best race I ever had, and I have Brendan to thank. He pushed me in the beginning of the race.”

Also in the top 50 of the Class AAA race, Freedom’s Isaac Gross was 23rd in 17:51.85, Liberty’s Pedro Larotta was 30th in 18:12.58, and Freedom’s Josh Noel was 36th in 18:32.58.

In team scores, the Patriots finished in seventh place out of 15 teams, and the Hurricanes finished in eighth place.

In the Class AA race, top finishers for Bethlehem Catholic were Bryce Orloski, who came in 33rd with a time of 18:44.33, and Andy Haldeman, who came in 50th in 19:17.30.

As a team, Becahi placed 11th out of 16.