Liberty’s Emily Jobes and Belle Weikert scored a one-two finish in cross country last Tuesday at Pleasant Valley where Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic, and Freedom competed against Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, and Pleasant Valley.

Jobes’ time was 20:25 and Weikert was right behind with a time of 20:35.

“Belle and I worked together at a comfortable tempo pace, so we stayed together for practically all of the race except for at the end,” said Jobes. “My body felt good so I picked it up a little.”

Tuesday was the first EPC cross country meet of the season.

“It was great. We feel strong. We just didn’t know [the course] as well as we thought we did,” said Weikert. “I was in a boot this summer with a stress fracture so I’m excited to be back running.”

In her EPC cross country debut, Becahi freshman Margaret Burke took fourth place with a time of 20:45.

“It was really exciting. I’m always a little bit nervous but once I get started, I’m fine,” Burke said. “I went out pretty fast. I was first for the first little bit and then a couple people passed me. Two weeks ago I ran a little bit faster but it was a flat course.”

The Hurricanes picked up sixth, seventh, and eighth places with Camryn Bortz in 21:53, Madison Drager in 22:00, and Ella Scott in 22:21.

Freedom’s Eliza Fihlman came in ninth in 22:28.

In 12th place was Liberty’s Mikallyn Matacavage in 22:54, in 13th place was Freedom’s Julia Heineman in 22:59, and in 14th place was Becahi’s Marcela Banuelos in 23:01.

From Liberty, Abby Mack was 17th in 23:14 and Madeline Mumma was 18th in 23:21.

In girls’ team results, Freedom lost to Pocono Mountain East, 23-34, beat Pocono Mountain West, 23-32, and lost to Pleasant Valley by just one point, 28-29.

Patriot junior Lauren Charboneau was injured and did not run, which likely made the difference against Pleasant Valley.

Liberty defeated Pocono Mountain East, 18-43, Pocono Mountain West, 15-48, and Pleasant Valley, 18-43.

Bethlehem Catholic lost to Pocono Mountain East, 23-36, beat Pocono Mountain West, 22-35, and beat Pleasant Valley, 25-30.

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The Liberty girls finished third at the DeSales meet Saturday. DeSales will be this year’s site for the EPC and District 11 races.

Emily Jacobs took third overall for the Hurricanes.

GIRLS

Team

1. Emmaus 79, 2. Exeter 97, 3. Liberty 159, 4. Mount St. Joseph Academy 201, 5. Southern Lehigh 223.

Individuals

1. Olivia Haas (Blue Mountain) 18:28.5, 2. Reagan Pender (Northern Lehigh) 19:00.5, 3. Emily Jobes (Liberty) 19:21.0, 4. Meredith Glunz (Villa Joseph Marie) 19:46.1, 5. Kat Kerchner (Exeter) 19:58.7, 6. Maggie Murphy (Mt. St. Joseph Academy) 20:01.1, 7. Brianna Jucewicz (Central Bucks South) 20:01.3, 8. Sara Smith (Exeter) 20:15.7, 9. Hailey Reinhard (Emmaus) 20:18.2, 10. Isabella Lees (Emmaus) 20:20.0.