PIAA girls cross country season preview 2025: Meet Butler County’s Top 9 runners to watch
It’s not often an area is so deep in underclassmen, but that’s exactly what Butler County is this year in cross country.
Butler’s Zari Golojuh, who broke out last year as a freshman to be named the county’s top female runner by its coaches, stands out. But then there’s the entire North Catholic team, which is nearly all underclassmen and poised for a banner year that could end on the podium at Hershey’s Parkview Cross Country Course.
The field is so deep this year, this preseason’s top runners to watch list had to be expanded (same went for the boys). Don’t be surprised if that remains true the next few years while the following runners age and likely get better.
The following are the top girls runners from Butler County schools to watch this season, listed alphabetically:
Damico’s season was cut short by health issues, knocking her out of the Tri-State Championships and WPIAL Class 3A Cross Country Championships. But her top time of 19:12.53 at the Youthtowne Clash proved she could run with the big girls. She finished 30th at districts as a freshman, crossing in 20:01.10. A healthy year, and she could be running in Hershey.
The first member in a series of Trojanettes to grace this list. Dunn and her teammates took home WPIAL Class 2A silver and finished fifth in the state championships. With that core back, there’s hopes of district gold and a PIAA medal. Dunn finished on the WPIAL podium in 18th last year, in 20:15.6. At states, she came in 80th in 21:20.
Golojuh was voted by coaches the top female runner in Butler County as a rookie, an impressive feat. She medaled at the WPIAL Class 3A championships with a time of 19:26.8 to finish 23rd, leading the Tornado to fifth. Then, at states, she finished 67th in 20:15.
Killian’s 20:47 at Hershey’s difficult, hilly course was second on the team last year, placing her 46th in the 2A field. That followed up a 22nd-place finish at WPIALs, where she ran a 20:25.9.
Another impressive rookie a year ago, Kirschner nearly took home a state medal in the PIAA Class 1A field with a time of 20:59 to finish 27th. The county’s top returning runner in District 9, she finished 10th at the district championship in 21:21 flat.
How loaded is this North Catholic team? Possibly enough to win the WPIAL title handily, coach Tim Souders believes. Meeuf makes this list because, despite an injury-plagued junior season, she was the 2023 district champion with a time of 19:01.10, and if she’s at full health, she could threaten for a second gold.
Morris barely edged out Killian at states, placing 45th with a 20:47, as well. That followed up the Trojanettes’ top individual performance at the district meet, where Morris ran a 19:39.5 to finish fourth.
Sell was nearly as strong as Morris in the WPIAL championships, placing seventh with a time of 19:49.6. She struggled a bit more at the state level, running a 21:30 to finish 102nd.
A dual-sport athlete in the fall as a runner and volleyball player, Yeager has made states twice, finishing last year’s 2A meet in 22:01 for 138th. She was 18th at the District 10 Cross Country Championships, where she ran a 20:20.
