The Emmaus cross country teams opened the season at the PTXC 16 Invitational at Kutztown University.

The Hornet girls team finished eighth overall in the Gold race at the event, led by Mady McCartney’s third-place finish.

The Hornets’ Olivia Fleck (39th), Grace Nosal (44th), Isabella Alwine-Balliro (64th) and Myla Felegy (80th) rounded out the team score. Samantha Reidnauer (81st), Amanda Gulliver (92nd) and Julie Murphy-Peterson (113th) also competed in the race for Emmaus.

The Emmaus boys team finished fifth overall at Kutztown, led by top-20 finishes from Roen Woolf (16th) and David Hearn (18th). Ryan Fach (26th), Zachary Zapppile (41st) and Matthew Sirignano (43rd) were also part of the Hornets’ top five in the boys Gold race. Michael Carwell (46th), Sully Hochbein (61st) and Calvin Schucker (69th) also competed at the meet for Emmaus.

The Emmaus boys team, which reached qualified for states as a team last season for the first time in a couple decades, graduated some of its best runners from the 2024 team. The invitational, which drew some of the top teams in the state, could be an indication that the Hornets have reloaded after last season.

“There is no doubt that we are rebuilding this year,” said EHS head coach Kami Reinhard during the preseason. “But we hold high hopes for a strong and successful season. There are several teams who will be extremely strong this year, so there continues to be that challenge ahead to perform at a higher level to reach the ultimate goal. We are excited to watch who will develop and step into the big shoes that need to be filled in order to remain competitive at the top.”

McCartney and Fach will be the seniors leaders on this team. McCartney comes into the season as the defending league and district champ who is likely to run for her third state medal later this season.

Fach is a four-year member of the team who takes over the leadership role from graduates Conor Fisher and Jared Petre.

While both EHS teams lost three of their top five runners from last year, they both still have the talent to be among the top of the East Penn Conference and District 11.

“The coaches find it refreshing to see a culture shift in the past few years with such high energy and camaraderie,” said Reinhard. “We are focusing on developing each and every one of our athletes to reach their highest potential. There are several boys and girls emerging with a strong drive to help their team be a top EPC and District 11 performing team.

“They are the same key runners who have worked incredibly hard this summer training, while also enjoying time to rest and recover. The goal is to do everything in our power as coaches to keep both our girls and boys team healthy, working together to have incredible high school cross country experiences and success.”