Liberty junior Maddie Mumma gave it everything she had in the third mile to move up in the race and clinch a third-place finish at the East Penn Cross Country Championships last Tuesday at DeSales University.

“It was tough, but it was worth it,” Mumma said. “I went into this race, hoping for maybe top-10, and to get third absolutely blows me away.”

Approaching the third mile, Mumma was in fourth place and Freedom sophomore Ava Fihlman was fighting for second.

“It was pretty intense,” said Fihlman. “We also weren’t too close to the finish where I would want to speed up a ton, but I didn’t want to fall back, so it was weird to figure out the pace. I tried to stick with the Nazareth girl and keep the girl in front of her in sight.”

Meanwhile, Mumma was trying to stick with Fihlman.

“The last time I ran this course, I struggled with the last mile,” Mumma said. “Once we turned into the cornfield, there’s a little hill, and I was like, I feel good right now. I just gotta stay tough. I gotta want it more, and I wanted it, so I pushed up to her, passed her, and tried to maintain it.”

Mumma’s time was 20:21.10, and Fihlman finished in fifth place in 20:29.00.

“My time was better than the first time (at DeSales) by 1:30,” said Fihlman. “I think I’ll go out a little less hard at the beginning (at districts). It was a great start, but I think I could’ve paced it a little better.”

Emmaus’s Hailey Reinhard won the girls race with a time of 19:53.30.

The top 12 harriers were awarded EPC medals.

In team results, Liberty’s girls placed sixth with 168, Freedom placed ninth with 271 points, and Bethlehem Catholic placed 12th with 310 points.

Emmaus girls were team champions with 51 points.

GIRLS TOP 12

1. Hailey Reinhard (EM) 19:53.30, 2. Caitlin Voloshin (NZ) 20:13.40, 3. Maddie Mumma (L) 20:21.10, 4. Addison McPeek (E) 20:27.90, 5. Avaline Fihlman (F) 20:29.00, 6. Isabela Lees (EM) 20:29.90, 7. Jessica Price (PK) 20:34.20, 8. Deandra Young (STB) 20:53.80, 9. Ella Bray (PMW) 20:56.10, 10. Payton Campbell (EM) 21:07.80, 11. Erin Vincent (E) 21:11.10, 12. Gracie Trexler (PK) 21:16.70