PIAA CROSS COUNTRY MEET

(By LISA SOKOLOWSKI - TIMES LEADER)

The Hazleton Area girls had claimed the D2 title and had high expectations going into states. The team finished 20th with 467 points at Hershey.

�We did pretty fantastic last week at districts,� said Hazleton coach Lou Gunderman. �(Saturday), I think we looked into the crowd and didn�t run well.�

The top finisher from Hazleton was Amanda Radishofski. The junior�s time of 20:34 left her 123rd in a field of 279. Kristen Rosser (146th) finished in 20:47 and Maria Monks (169th) rounded out the top three with a time of 21:07.

Monks suffered a stress fracture in her lower back, and it hurt every time her right foot hit the ground. The injury sidelined her for five weeks, during which she missed districts. Since Hazleton qualified as a team, she was able to run in the state race.

�I couldn�t have run if they didn�t win,� said Monks, a senior. �I�m very grateful for them.�

Brenae Edwards, a Hazleton junior, chalked the poor performance up to the course.

�It was hard,� said Edwards, whose shins were bothering her over the summer, stifling this season�s performance. �It starts off fast, and you have to get up front. The hills separate the people who can run them and who can�t.�