The Mount's number one runner, freshman Maggie Murphy, approaches the finish line in second place overall. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

In their cross country home opener last Wednesday, the Mount St. Joseph Academy Magic evened up their league record at 1-1 by defeating Villa Joseph Marie, 24-34.

One of several talented freshmen for the visiting Jems, Meredith Glunz, won the race on the 3.1-mile Mount campus course in 19 minutes and 24.4 seconds, but the Magic placed all of their five scorers within the top eight overall finishers. The Mounties are the defending Athletic Association of Catholic Academies champions.

Mount St. Joe had opened the 2019 AACA dual meet season with a road loss to Nazareth Academy exactly a week before facing Villa Joe. Veteran MSJ coach Kitty McLernand noted that in that meet, one of the Mount's senior captains was unable to finish the race and place.

Nazareth went on to beat Villa Maria (Malvern), the school that finished a close second to the Magic at last year's championships. It appears that a number of teams, including the Mount, could be in the running for the AACA title this time around.

As with Villa Joe, the Magic's top finisher in last week's dual meet was a freshman. Ninth grader Maggie Murphy was the overall runner-up with 19:48, and with a time of 20:10, third place went to MSJ junior Annie Lemelin, the school's premier sprinter during track season.

Senior Lily Dineen answered for the Jems with a fourth-place effort in 21:25, but then the home team seized a significant advantage with back-to-back finishes. Senior Lauren Ehnow was fifth with a time of 21:36, and junior Olivia Millevoi was sixth in 21:55.

Senior captain Lauren Ehnow climbs the final slope on the Mount St. Joseph course. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

Another Villa Joe ninth grader, Katie Labay, snagged seventh place (22:24), then the Mount had freshman Annie Kitching arrive eighth (23:01) to complete its team score. Not far behind in ninth place was senior Hannah Bujnoski (23:17) of the home team, so the Mount now had six runners across the line to Villa Joe's three.

The Jems' number four, senior Chloe Niemczak, rounded out the top 10 in 23:25, but after that, the visitors would then have to wait some time to have a fifth runner lock in their team score. The next eight places overall would belong to the Mount.

In 11th and 12th came senior classmates Maeve Gallagher (23:28) and Bridget Orr (23:33), and just after that, 13th and 14th place went to a pair of juniors – Emily Carr (23:34) Lexie Weeks (23:37). With a time of 23:41, sophomore Mary McGrory grabbed the 15th finishing stick, and Erin Shea Mirabella checked in right at 24 minutes for 16th place.

Once Mount sophomore Lauren Maher (17th; 24:03) and junior Danyele Murtha (18th; 24:15) crossed the line, Villa Joe was able to add up its team score when its number five runner, freshman Olivia Burke, completed the circuit 19th overall in 24:21.

Magic sophomore Carolyn Arnold then capped off the top 20 as she turned in a time of 24:29.

The Mounties will encounter several other league opponents this Wednesday, traveling to Gwynedd Mercy Academy for a tri-meet with the host Monarchs and Merion Mercy.