Meet the 10 boys runners to watch during the 2026 PIAA cross country season
It’s a loaded group.
Eight Butler County first-team all-stars from the 2025 PIAA cross country season are back. There are state and district medalists, seniors all the way down to sophomores and talent in nearly every corner of the county.
It’s a similar story on the girls side.
That makes for an exciting 2026 season, which hits the starting gun Saturday and ends in November in Hershey at the state championships.
Here are 10 boys runners from Butler County, in alphabetical order, to keep an eye on this fall:
Beck is a two-time PIAA Class 1A qualifier out of District 9. He jumped from 59th as a sophomore to 40th (18:03) last year at Hersheypark’s Parkview Cross Country Course and has finished ninth and 11th, respectively, the last two years at the district meet.
Eicher is the reigning Butler County Boys Runner of the Year, as voted on by local coaches. He finished 15th in the PIAA Class 3A championships in 16:27 and claimed bronze before that at WPIALs. During the spring track season, he claimed WPIAL medals in the 1,600 (bronze, state qualifier) and 3,200 (sixth).
French also made all-county first team last year and is a two-time PIAA qualifier. He finished sixth at states in 2A with a time of 16:47 and silver before that at the WPIAL championships. He also won a TSTCA 2A individual title in 15:31.27.
Kristine’s 16:38 at the 2025 WPIAL 2A championships was good for 14th, a PIAA qualifying spot and a PR. In Hershey at states, he finished 49th in 17:36. He’s a returning Butler County first-teamer and will be expected to lead the Yellowjackets this season.
Lewis could be in for a big season after qualifying for Adidas Nationals in the spring following the high school track season. In Greensboro, N.C., he finished 14th in the 1,600 (4:43.98) and 1-mile (4:45.44) in the freshman division. His PR last year in cross country was 17:19, and he earned all-county second team.
McClune gives the Raiders a veteran presence who hopes to build off last year’s 48th-place finish at the WPIAL 3A championships, where he ran a 16:56.50.
Another returning Tornado senior, Motonis finished 51st at the WPIAL championships a year ago in 16:58.90 and should be part of trio that will help Butler contend for a section title. He’s one of three Butler runners who made the coaches’ all-county team in 2025.
Slear is coming off an impressive debut season in cross country and track — where he was a middle-distance runner who competed in the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June. He finished 59th last year at the WPIAL cross country championships in 17:04.50 and earned all-county first-team accolades. He could take over the mantle for Eicher and Motonis after they graduate.
An all-county first-team pick in 2025, Steineman finished third in 2A at states (16:34) and WPIALs. He finished the track season with the top 3,200 time in the county (9:19.66), claimed silvers in both distance events at WPIALs and took home fifth at states in the 3,200.
Wahl just missed qualifying for the state championships last year, coming in 27th at WPIALs in a time of 16:24.20. It was 2 seconds short of making it to Hershey. He finished 13th before that at the TSTCA championships.
