WPIAL chooses alternate site for cross country championships

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, September 21, 2020 | 5:55 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Cross country runners who competed last week in the Red, White and Blue Classic got an early look at the WPIAL championship course.

The WPIAL board agreed Monday to move its championship meet to White Oak Park in White Oak, likely on Oct. 28-29. WPIAL administrators visited the site last week when the Classic was held there Thursday and Friday.

“It’s a very nice setup,” WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said. “The event organizers … did a nice job of creating space for the runners and allowing social distancing. The park itself is nice to be spread out as a team. There are a lot of places to go that you’re not on top of each other.”

However, the course is too small for an entire classification to run at one time, she said, so the races will be broken into separate groups. The WPIAL cross country committee will discuss how runners are divided into those groups and how many heats are needed.

The meet will be held over two days.

“It’s all going to look different than we’re used to,” Scheuneman said. “It’s not going to be one race, one event.”

The meet was originally scheduled at Cal (Pa.), but the university was unable to host.

Changes for golf championship

The WPIAL also switched sites for one of its postseason golf tournaments. South Hills Country Club will host the Class 3A boys individual championship in place of Nemacolin.

The move was made because of course conditions, Scheuneman said.

Separately, the WPIAL board denied a request from Moon to move the Class 3A girls tournament away from Oakmont Country Club. The school had concerns that the course doesn’t offer practice rounds.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.