Kunkel

Seneca Valley's Cam Stauffer and Knoch's Jolene Kunkel have been named Butler County Boys and Girls Runners of the Year, respectively, by Butler County high school cross country coaches.

Stauffer overcame personal obstacles to finish fourth at the WPIALChampionships and 11th at the PIAA meet in Hershey, earning a medal.

His father died the night before the second meet of the season. Unable to run that race after a sleepless night, he still traveled with the team and told them why he couldn't compete.

In Stauffer's first meet back, he placed first against Butler. After winning the Shaler meet as well, he received a 4-inch gash in his foot 400 meters into the race at North Allegheny. Despite the injury, he placed first in that meet, defeating every member of the WPIALchampion Tigers.

After being sidelined a week, Stauffer came back to finish second at the 24-team Central Catholic Invitational.

Kunkel became the first state medalist and the first female to medal at the WPIALChampionship in the 20-year history of Knoch's program.

She finished 22nd at the state meet with a time of 19 minutes, 28 seconds, and 18th at the WPIALmeet in 19:52. Kunkel owns the Knoch school and course record of 19:39.

The first state qualifier for the Knights girls program, Kunkel also won the Central Catholic Invitational, Rocky Grove Invitational and Lakeview Invitational.

The complete county cross country all-star team follows:

<B>Butler CountyCross CountryAll-Star Teams(as selected by county coaches)GIRLSRunner of the Year:</B>Jolene Kunkel, Knoch<B>First TeamSeneca Valley:</B>Megan Powell, Emily Wolfarth, Erin Lopresti<B>Mars: </B>Samantha Brandon<B>Knoch:</B>Alyssa Kunkel, Shannon Evanchec<B>Butler:</B>Ashton Dolan<B>Second TeamSeneca Valley:</B>Joelle Scarnati<B>Mars:</B>Lauren Pecor, Gabri Pierre<B>Butler:</B> Ashley King, Gtretchen Geibel, Trisha Brandt<B>Slippery Rock:</B>Andrea Shaffer<B>Honorable MentionFreeport:</B>Christine Marty<B>Slippery Rock:</B>Rachel Richter<B>Seneca Valley:</B>Lauren McKinney<B>BOYSRunner of the Year:</B>Cam Stauffer, Knoch<B>First TeamSeneca Valley:</B>Chris Cipro, Andrew Razanauskas, Matt Davis, Eric Geddis<B>Slippery Rock:</B>Nate King, Owen Bowser<B>Butler:</B>Ben Porter<B>Second TeamKnoch:</B>Mike Fugate<B>Mars:</B>Justin Stadelmyer<B>Butler:</B>Wayne Daily, Logan Elias, JTFleming<B>Karns City: </B>Chris Harmon, Aaron McGarvey<B>Honorable MentionFreeport:</B>Sergei Dines<B>Mars:</B> Brandon Stadelmyer, Nick Edinger<B>Knoch:</B>Chris Cetnar, Brian Tackett, Owen Venesky<B>Moniteau:</B>Eric Hillard

Stauffer