This past Saturday, the Garnet Valley Cross Country Team sent seven of its Varsity Girls to the Ben Bloser Invitational at Big Spring High School in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Kayla Byun, Paige Carmichael, Kaitlyn King, Ciara O'Shaughnessy, Juliet Mellinger, and Reena Shah hit the road bright and early at 7 am to make it to the invite. The Varsity race kicked off at noon. Sophomore Kaitlyn King took the top spot out of the seven girls. 400 girls competed in the 5k race; she came in 154th, running a time of 21:43. Freshman Juliet Mellinger was not far behind, running a time of 21:46. The underclassmen are setting the pace!
This course was no ordinary course, though. Big Spring High School is the new 2026 Pennsylvania State Cross Country Championship course. Previously held in Hershey at the Parksview Cross Country Course, the course has taken on a new location in Newville (Cumberland County) after 25 years.
Congratulations to all seven girls who competed over the weekend. Their last regular-season meet is coming up on the 22nd at Rose Tree Park. Good luck, girls!
