NEPA Invitational 2025: Junior High 3200m Showcases Rising Stars

Some of the region’s top junior high teams and runners converged at Bloomsburg University for the NEPA Invitational 2025. A thick layer of fog blanketed the course as athletes walked the 3200-meter route, setting an atmospheric stage for the day’s opening races: the girls’ and boys’ junior high events. Click: Full Photo Gallery

Girls’ Junior High Race

The girls’ race kicked off the invitational, with a lead pack of four runners cutting through the fog early on. Seventh-grader Carly Ross of Shikellamy surged ahead and dominated the field to claim first place in 11:10. Eighth-grader Isabelle Gabrielsen of Danville Area, fresh off a win at the Commissioner Invitational in Scranton, made a late charge but settled for second in 11:30. Local standout Cassie Sheehan, an eighth-grader from Holy Cross, finished sixth in 12:04, edging out Crestwood’s Ashlyn Deivert, who took seventh in 12:05. Holy Cross’s second runner, Ailena Conner, placed 11th in 12:15 in a field of 254 athletes.

In the team competition, Danville Area captured the title with 91 points, holding off Lewisburg Area (111 points) and Central Columbia (113 points). Crestwood led the local teams with a sixth-place finish (190 points), followed by Hazleton Area in 10th (299 points). Holy Cross and Mid Valley placed 12th and 13th, respectively, while Riverside and Wilkes-Barre Area rounded out the local contingent in 21st and 22nd among the 25 teams.

Boys’ Junior High Race

The boys’ race delivered a thrilling duel at the front. Holy Redeemer’s Frank Pacelli, an eighth-grader and two-time invitational champion (Cliff Robbins and Commissioner Invitationals), secured another victory, but he was pressed to the line by Lewisburg Area’s Taylor Gulden-Luthi. Pacelli finished in 10:00, just one second ahead of Gulden-Luthi’s 10:01. Riverside’s Conner Moore ran a strong race, finishing fifth in 10:22 after moving into the top five late.

Local runners filled the leaderboard, with Crestwood’s Johnny Kimek finishing seventh (10:42), Mid Valley’s Ethan Von Voigt ninth (10:43), Crestwood’s Liam Arnold 10th (10:49), and Mid Valley’s Carl Weber 12th (10:56). District 2 runners impressively claimed six of the top 12 spots.

In the team standings, Lewisburg Area dominated, placing four runners in the top 20 for just 69 points. Crestwood finished a strong second with 116 points. Mid Valley edged Riverside for fifth place by a single point, 196 to 197, showing how every spot counted. Holy Redeemer finished eighth (226 points), and Hazleton Area placed 16th (371 points).

Article and photos by: Kevin Borrelli

Make sure to check out the full photo gallery and be sure to like and follow!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Jw43yx3Me/