The Parkland boys cross country team won its second straight District 11 title with last week’s win at the annual district championship meet, held at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.

Parkland edged Southern Lehigh 49-60 to earn this year’s title.

“Things went great,” said Sam Morgan, who finished third overall at districts. “We definitely thought we were going to get a bigger gap between the one and two spot, but things happen. Teams show up. We got the win. That’s all that matters. All the guys ran great.”

The boys team earned a trip to next week’s state meet in Hershey and so did Sydney DelVecchio, who finished 10th in the girls district championship race.

Morgan led the way for the Trojan boys team. The junior ran the race in 16:31.55 and finished just behind Pleasant Valley’s Gabe Sullivan (16:30.33).

“I was trying to [run with Sullivan],” said Morgan. “I wanted to make a move early in the race, but I was like ‘I can’t blow up for my team.’ My end of the race was strong. It could have been close at the end. I wish I could have caught him.”

Behind Morgan was Parkland senior Hailemichael Geiger, who took fourth place in 16:38.49. He was pleased with his individual finish and ecstatic with his team’s effort.

“I’m just very happy to finish that way this year,” said Geiger. “I’m very proud of my team as well as myself.

“This team is one of the best I’ve been with in my last four years. We’re a family. When it comes to work we go out and work. We understand when it’s fun time and when it’s work time. That hardship we go through, we go through it together. It’s about the team.”

Behind Geiger were teammates Riley Williamson (8th), Nicholas Bower (12th) and Steven Kaleycik (22nd) to round out the top five. Also running for Parkland at districts were Jacob Ringer (27th) and Jonathan Snyder (30th).

Parkland looks to improve on last year’s 14th-place finish at states. Last year’s team featured several runners that will run this weekend in Hershey, including Geiger, Morgan, Kaleycik, Bower and Williamson.

“I think we can do as good as anyone wants to do,” said Morgan. “It’s definitely going to be a big race.”

Parkland’s girls team took fourth place overall at districts last week.

DelVecchio led the way to qualify for her second consecutive state championship meet.

“It’s my senior year,” she said. “To get to take another trip to the state meet means a lot to me. I made it last year. I worked really hard all season and this was the ultimate goal all year to get to the state meet.”

DelVecchio ran the district race in 19:58. She didn’t have a time or place in mind, other than finishing high enough to qualify for states, which means being one of the top 10 finisher that are not part of a state-qualifying team.

“I went into it with a mission to run with my heart and see what happened,” said DelVecchio.

She has a mission to run next week with her heart, as well as both shoes. Last year she lost one of her running shoes in the first half mile and ran most of the 3.1-mile course with just one shoe. She finished in 146th place last year.

“I’m just going to run with my heart and see what I can do,” she said. “I have no expectation going into it. I have everything to gain.”

Parkland sophomore Maddie Zaun came within two places of qualifying for states. Emmaus’ Abby Heilenman was the last state-qualifier in 17th place. Zaun finished 19th in 20:31. Rounding out Parkland’s to five were Kiley Krasley (25th), Erin Wood (27th) and Morgan Glenn (40th). Other Trojan girls that ran at districts were Claire Bassler (58th) and Ashley Steele (60th).

Stroudsburg’s Allana Powlette won the girls Class 3A individual district title and led the Mountaineer to the girls team title.

Pleasant Valley’s Seth Slavin won the boys individual gold.