Meet the 13 runners, 2 teams who qualified for 2026 PIAA Cross Country Championships from Butler County
The PIAA Cross Country Championships are moving to a new site this year: Big Spring High School in Cumberland County.
The stakes are no less serious, though, with six team and six individual championships to crown Saturday. The girls races, beginning with Class 1A, start at 9:30 a.m., with the boys races, also starting with 1A, starting at 11:45 a.m.
Here are the 13 runners and two teams from Butler County to qualify for states and how they got there:
Alexis Kirschner, sr., Moniteau: Kirschner put up a 21:15.8 at the District 8/9/10 subregional to finish 12th. She qualified for states last year.
North Catholic team: The Trojanettes won the WPIAL title Thursday for the third time in four years and qualified for states as a team. Nora Narwold, a freshman, led the team with a time of 19:46.3 to finish fifth, and Caroline Sell finished sixth in 19:52.1. Sell finished 41st at states a year ago as part of a team effort that ended in fifth place.
Aubrey Spencer, sr., Knoch: Spencer ran 21:04.4 in WPIALs to finish 25th.
Sophia Gearhart, fr., Slippery Rock: Gearhart, one of three Butler County freshmen to qualify for states, ran a 19:24 to finish ninth in the District 8/9/10 subregional.
Hailey Long, sr., Mars: Long was a WPIAL gold medal contender and finished third in 17:43.7. She has been the top girls runner in the county all year after finishing 14th at states a year ago.
Norah Sondej, fr., Mars: Long’s young teammate finished 12th in 19:01.2 at WPIALs.
Peyton Beck, sr., Moniteau: Beck finished fifth in the District 8/9/10 subregional Saturday in 17:08.3, the top local time at the meet. He finished 40th at the state championships in 2025.
Noah Weiland, sr., Karns City: Weiland was not far behind Beck, finishing eighth in 17:27.1 to make states.
John Hart, jr., Freeport: Hart, a Harvest Baptist transfer before this season, finished ninth in WPIALs in 16:46.8.
David Kristine, jr., Freeport: Kristine beat his teammate by six seconds in 16:40.2 to finish eighth at WPIALs. He finished 49th last year at states.
Carter French, sr., Knoch: French finished sixth in WPIALs in 16:36.5, the second best time among Butler County runners in the field. He finished sixth at states last year.
North Catholic team: The Trojans finished second in the WPIAL last week, led by Jack Steineman, who finished second in 15:35.3. Steineman, like the rest of the field, is perpetually chasing Quaker Valley standout Jonah Montagnese. Steineman finished third at states last year, and the Trojans finished 11th.
Brendan Eicher, sr., Butler: Eicher is making his third trip to states after crossing the finish line at WPIALs in 16:13.7 to place 11th. He finished 15th at states last year.
Evan Lewis, so., Mars: Lewis clinched one of the final qualifying spots from the WPIAL with his 16:33.1, good for 23rd.
Ian Wahl, sr., Seneca Valley: Wahl finished 21st in 16:31.8 at WPIALs, second in Butler County.
