SHENANDOAH – There was a lot on the line in Schuylkill League cross country meet for a pair of area teams on Wednesday.

Tamaqua, who was chasing a Division I boys championship, and the Marian girls who were looking to lay claim to a Division II title.

For Tamaqua, it will get that chance for a league championship. Unfortunately, the Fillies couldn’t get by host Shenandoah Valley, and the loss gives Schuylkill Haven girls the championship, the team they were tied with going into Wednesday’s meet.

The Tamaqua and Blue Mountain boys (11-1) will go head-to-head at next week’s Schuylkill League Championships, splitting their regular season contests, to decide the Division I champion. Ditto for Marian, which earned a season split with Schuylkill Haven (11-1). The league championship takes place at White Birch Golf Course in Barnesville next Wednesday.

In the end, the Blue Raiders boys beat-back the host club, Shenandoah Valley 22-38, Marian 16-47 and overwhelmed Pottsville 19-41. The Fillies came up short against Division II foe Shenandoah Valley 24-33, scored a 23-35 decision over Pottsville and suffered a 18-39 setback to Tamaqua.

Shenandoah Valley junior Robert Espinol stayed undefeated in Division II competition. Espinol won the boys race with a time of 17:43, with Tamaqua’s one-two standout senior punch of Anthony Marchetti (18:13) and Levi Kunkel (18:28) raced to the finish in second and third.

But the Blue Raiders also got key finishes from Adam Schock (19:00), Aiden Elston (19:11) and Brady Boyce (19:53) to secure valuable points. Schock finished fifth, Elston seventh and Boyce 11th.

“I thought we ran a great race,” said Tamaqua coach Megan Frantz. “This is a very tough course with two hills, so we ran very well in packs. The Shenandoah (Valley) boy (Espinol) is very impressive… no doubt he was the (pace setter), and is one of the best runners in the Schuylkill League. He gave our kids a great challenge.”

Frantz, in her first year leading the Tamaqua program to a stellar regular season, is anxious to meet up with Blue Mountain, coached by Tamaqua’s former coach Tom Kanger.

“They beat us on their course, after we beat them the first time we met.” Frantz explained. “It’s going to be a great race, especially since we are both going for the league championships as well as the division championship.”

“I was excited about the meet, since it’s our last meet before leagues,” said Kunkel, who has qualified for the state championships in his first three seasons, and now looks to make it fourth in a row. “This (win) was very important… we want to go in strong (against Blue Mountain) and we need to run very well, they’re a very good team and its going to be a very big challenge.”

The pace was the big key, according to Kunkel’s teammate Marchetti, on this demanding course.

“Of course we wanted to stay with the Shenandoah runner (Espinol),” Marchetti pointed out. “We wanted to come up strong, this being our last meet of the (regular) season. I’m excited and I think we can do it (beat Blue Mountain).”

Tony Pytko, the Shenandoah Valley coach, had plenty of high praise for both Tamaqua and Marian.

“They’re both great teams, our kids ran well against (Tamaqua boys) but they run so well in packs,” he said. “The Marian girls can really make it tough. They’ve got some really strong runners.”

The Tamaqua girls took the top three spots, led by Ava Jones (22:23), Madelyn Schaeffer (24:24) and Samantha Plasha (24:40), while Shenandoah Valley placed fourth with Brianna Gulden (24:51), then came Marian’s Anna Keer (24:52). Marian’s Teaghen Biros (25:24) finished ninth, Addison Fritz (25:57) crossed the line 12th. Ava Fritz (26:38) at 17th and Olivia Serfass (27:15, 19th).

“Our girls did great, they worked as a team,” Dominque Ramer assistant Marian coach, filling in for head coach Kristen Fritz, said. “They may be running individually, but they’re working as a team.”

ALSO IN THE RUN ... For the Panther Valley boys’, Abraham Cabrera finished eighth with a time of 19:15, while Adam Gardiner (20:35) competed and finished 17th overall. Marian’s Wade Eroh was ninth with a time of 19:23, while Achilles Fitzpatrick finished 14th (20:07).

BOYS

Shenandoah Valley 22, Marian 35

Pottsville 26, Marian 31

Tamaqua 16, Marian 47

Tamaqua 22, Shenandoah Valley 38

Tamaqua 19, Pottsville 41

(individual results -

top-three plus other locals in top-15)

1. Robert Espinol (SV) 17:43, 2. Anthony Marchetti (T) 18:13, 3. Levi Kunkel (T) 18:28, 5. Adam Schoch (T) 19:00, 7. Aiden Elston (T) 19:11, 8. Abraham Cabrera (PV) 19:15, 9. Wade Eroh (M) 19:23), 11. Brody Boyce (T) 19:53, 12. Parker Steecken (T) 20:02, 14. Achilles Fitzpatrick (M) 20:07.

GIRLS

Shenandoah Valley 24, Marian 33

Marian 23, Pottsville 35

Tamaqua 18, Marian 39

Tamaqua 20, Shenandoah Valley 35

Tamaqua 23, Pottsville 33

(individual results -

top-three plus other locals in top-15)

1. Ava Jones (T) 23:23, 2. Madelyn Schaeffer (T) 24:24, 3. Samantha Plasha (T) 24:40, 5. Anna Keer (M) 24:52, 8. Kiely Kunkel (T) 25:09, 9. Teaghan Biros (M) 25:24, 11. Bailey Pliska (T) 25:43, 12. Addison Fritz (M) 25:57.