Varsity Stars Shine at NEPA Invitational 2025 in Bloomsburg

By: Kevin Borrelli | Sportzwire | September 28, 2025 | Photo courtesy Kevin Borrelli

As the morning fog lifted at Bloomsburg University, the NEPA Invitational 2025 showcased thrilling performances in the Varsity Girls and Boys races, with top runners and teams from across the region vying for supremacy. Click here: Full Photo Gallery

Girls’ Varsity Race

Senior Clair Dufrene of Warrior Run seized control early and never looked back, cruising to victory in 18:26, more than a minute ahead of Towanda freshman Maris Cobb, who claimed second. Hazleton Area led the local charge, placing four runners in the top 24: juniors Ava Hinkle (13th, 20:52) and Kaylee Casagrande (14th, 20:56), along with sophomores Zoe Pollock (23rd, 21:38) and Ainslie Laib (24th, 21:39). Holy Cross junior Gemma Bistran broke up Hazleton’s pack, finishing 20th in 21:23.

In the team standings, Danville Area edged Towanda 54–66, with the two programs combining for 12 of the top 30 finishers. Hazleton Area secured third with 114 points, while Scranton Prep impressed in fourth (222 points) with the meet’s tightest pack spread, just 60 seconds from their first to fifth runner. Holy Cross (9th, 249 points), Mid Valley (12th, 299 points), and Hanover Area (15th, 350 points) rounded out the local representatives in the 20-team field.

Boys’ Varsity Race

The boys’ race was dominated by Northwestern senior Michael Fritz, the Cliff Robbins Invitational winner, who pulled away early and finished in 15:54. Riverside senior Mikey Schimelfenig ran a tactical race, surging late to edge Bellefonte Area sophomore Jonathan Gasper in a thrilling sprint for second, clocking 16:22 to Gasper’s 16:25.

Riverside sophomore Jack Davies cracked the top 10 with a 7th-place finish (16:47), while Holy Cross junior Thomas Gavin broke 17 minutes for 11th (16:54). District 2 athletes packed the leaderboard, including Riverside sophomore Andrew Conner (15th, 17:01), Hazleton Area sophomore Gavin Adams (16th, 17:03), Hazleton Area junior Christian Matos-Mendez (19th, 17:06), and Riverside senior Michael Connor (21st, 17:14), giving the district seven of the top 21 finishers.

Commissioner Invitational champions Riverside added another trophy, claiming the team title with 69 points and topping Danville Area’s 119. Hazleton Area earned fourth (231 points), with Scranton Prep in seventh (279 points). Other local finishes included Holy Cross in 16th (380 points), Hanover Area in 25th (607 points), Mid Valley in 28th (821 points), and Wyoming Area in 29th (865 points).

Article and photos by: Kevin Borrelli

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