First Team
Zach Brehm, Jr., Carlisle
Brehm, known more for his exploits on the track, proved himself as quite an effective distance runner this fall. The Thundering Herd junior took 10th at the PIAA Class AAA Championships, finishing in 16:20, and also had runner-up finishes at the Mid-Penn and District 3 meets. With Brehm leading the way, Carlisle won the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division and eventually finished as the No. 6 team in the state.
Cole Nissley, Sr., Lower Dauphin
Nissley showed he could not only compete with some of the state's best, but also win as well. The Falcons' senior earned his trademark victory at the Mid-Penn Championships, bursting past Carlisle's Zach Brehm down the final stretch to steal victory. Nissley led his Keystone Division champion Lower Dauphin squad to a District 3 team championship and ended his career with a 16th-place finish (16:25) at the PIAA Class AAA Championships.
Daniel Green, Jr., James Buchanan
The Rockets' junior highlight of the season came when he blasted off to the District 3-AA title. Green was in a battle with Wyomissing's Kyle Shinn for the first two miles of the race, but pulled away over the last mile to cruise to a 16-second victory. He ended the season with a 16th-place finish (17:01) at the PIAA Class AA Championships.
Mady Clahane, So., Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley's super sophomore was about as close as one can get to being unbeatable this season, tasting defeat only once at the PIAA Class AAA Championships. Clahane ran away for the Mid-Penn title and also comfortably won the District 3 championship. The Eagles' hammer finished her season with a third-place finish at states, clocking in at 18:12. She was defeated by a Penn State recruit, Tessa Barrett, and the defending state champion, Courtney Smith. The good news for Clahane and the bad news for the rest of the state is both Barrett and Smith will be graduating, leaving the door wide open for CV's distance ace to potentially run the table during her final two years of cross country.
Miranda Salvo, Jr., Palmyra
When fellow junior leader Maria Tukis went down with injury this season, it was up to Salvo to carry the torch for Palmyra. Salvo did a superb job as the Cougars' top runner this year, winning the District 3-AA title that last year's champion, Tukis, was unable to defend. Salvo routed the district field by 25 seconds, dedicated the win to Tukis and then ended the year with a sixth-place finish at states, clocking in at 19:30.
Kelsei Bixler, Fr., Palmyra
Bixler turned in a monster performance at the PIAA Class AA Championships to earn herself a spot on this all-star team. The youngest member of this year's squad finished sixth at the Mid-Penn meet and 12th at the Distrct 3 Championships before completely outdoing herself with a fifth-place finish in 19:26 at states. Bixler is set to return next season for a Palmyra group that is also bringing back star runners Miranda Salvo and Maria Tukis. It's not unreasonable to say this Panthers team will be in contention to win a team state title, just like they did in 2012.
Ella Breidenstine, So., Lower Dauphin
With Cumberland Valley sophomore Mady Clahane stealing all of the headlines, Lower Dauphin's Breidenstine was able to fly under the radar as one of the state's more respected underclassmen runners. The Falcons' ace turned in solid efforts this postseason, taking third at the District 3-AAA meet and following that up with a 15th-place finish in 19:09 at states.
Courtney Group, Sr., Chambersburg
Group was Chambersburg's No. 1 runner this year and an essential piece to the Trojans' championship performance in the Commonwealth Division. Group finished second at Mid-Penns and took fourth at the District 3-AAA Championships in 19:19 to lead her Trojans to a district team championship by just one point. Group finished 90th at the state meet, but otherwise had a dominant season that rivaled nearly every female runner in the Mid-Penn.
Natalie Holder, Sr., Chambersburg
Holder was Chambersburg's No. 2 runner nearly all season, but she performed like a champ in the biggest race of the year, outdueling teammate Courtney Group to turn in a 24th-place finish in 19:26 at the PIAA Class AAA Championships. With Holder and Group leading the way, the Trojans won the District 3 team title by one point over Wilson and ended the season as the No. 10 team in the state.
Caroline Schemel, Jr., Greencastle-Antrim
Count this Blue Devils' junior among the runners in contention for a district and state title next season. Schemel was solid for Greencastle-Antrim in the postseason, posting a runner-up finish at the District 3-AA meet before following that performance up with a seventh-place finish in 19:36 at states.
Leanne Weaver, So., Boiling Springs
The Boiling Springs sophomore proved herself among her Mid-Penn and District 3 peers before finishing strong at the PIAA Class AA Championships. Weaver took 13th at states with a time of 19:40. With the finish, Weaver established herself as the third best AA sophomore in the state.
2nd team
Will Cather, Sr. State College
Zach Seiger, So., Red Land
Jon Goodson, Sr., Boiling Springs
Cooper Leslie, So., Camp Hill
Mitch Coakley, Sr. Central Dauphin
Courtney Group, Sr., Chambersburg
Emma Cousins, Sr., State College
Abby Martin, Jr., Mechanicsburg
Emily Dethlefs, Sr., Trinity
Zoe Matherne, Sr., Camp Hill
Greta Lindsley, Sr., Penn Manor
* The PennLive high school cross country all-stars were selected based on placement and time at the PIAA Championships.