Butler's CJ Singleton and Drew Griffith had recently placed first and second, respectively, at the WPIAL Class 3A Boys Cross Country championship meet.

It was where both runners had aspired to finish, but the ensuing state meet in Hershey offered a whole new challenge to Griffith, a sophomore.

While Singleton, who competed at states three previous times, was not shy about his goal of claiming a PIAA title, Griffith was more modest about his prospects.

“I didn't think about us going 1-2 at the state meet,” Griffith admitted. “I knew there would be some really, really good competition out there.”

But when both runners had finished the PIAA event, held Nov. 6, they found themselves in a familiar position.

Singleton closed his high school cross country career by winning the state crown with a time of 15 minutes, 52.9 seconds. Coming in 5.2 seconds behind him was Griffith.

Dating back to 1976, no school had ever produced the state champion and runner-up in the Class 3A boys race.

“The fact that CJ and I were capable of accomplishing something like that, it's incredible to think about,” said Griffith.

The duo's performance has been voted as the Butler Eagle's Sports Story of the Year.

Singleton placed sixth at states as a junior.

“I wanted to win and it was pretty disappointing,” he said. “I immediately set a goal of winning my senior year and had to wait a full year to get another shot at it.

“Physical talent can take you only so far. At some point, it comes down to how much you want to succeed.”

Singleton thrived last fall under that self-imposed pressure.

“It helped him focus,” said Butler coach Rick Davanzati. “He put in the work and had faith in himself to reach that goal.”

Griffith was eager to contribute after slowed by injuries as a freshman.

“The passion for running has always been there for me, but it really took off my freshman year,” Griffith said. “Being injured, I couldn't run in most of our races. It was very frustrating.”

But by last summer, Griffith was healthy and made a quick impression with Singleton.

“He was one of the only guys consistently putting in the work and a lot of it came on his own,” he said.

At the California Invitational, which was held in September and included many of the top runners from the WPIAL, Singleton came in first and Griffith was third.

“I was able to stay with CJ for most of the race and that gave me a huge confidence boost,” Griffith said.

“That's when we realized this young man is for real,” Davanzati said of Griffith. “I remember seeing him run as a seventh-grader, he was so smooth and efficient. I could tell the potential was there.”

Butler competes in the WPIAL's Division 1-Section 3 with the likes of North Allegheny, Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland — three very strong programs. North Allegheny has won the last two boys team state championships.

According to results from the PIAA meet, the WPIAL is the strongest district in the state. Four of the top eight runners this year attend WPIAL schools.

That's the level of competition the Golden Tornado face on a regular basis.

“In the WPIAL, we're running against some of the best teams in the state,” Davanzati said. “That helps our kids. It forces them to run their best.”

Singleton is headed to Notre Dame, where he will compete in both cross country and track for the Fighting Irish. He believes next year's Butler team already has its leader.

“I think Drew has what it takes to sustain success, 100 percent,” he said. “He's one of the hardest workers I know. He's also a swimmer and is putting in the work there.”