DALLAS TWP. — Last year, Lake-Lehaman’s Dominic Hockenbury set a course record at the Cliff Robbins Sr. Memorial High School Invitational Cross Country Races Boys Varsity 5K Run with a time a of 15:51.
The then junior’s run shattered the old mark by 22 seconds at Letterkenny Fields.
Saturday, due to the extreme heat, there was no record-breaking performance set by the state champ. Nevertheless, Hockenbury ran to an easy wire-to-wire victory, breaking the tape in 16 minutes and 11 seconds, outrunning second-place finisher, Dunmore senior Matt Murray, by 35 seconds.
“I figured today wouldn’t be a good day for going after another course record,” Hockenbury said. “Last year we had really nice weather — but not today. I’m trying to gear up for the end of the season — states and nationals.
“Today, I just wanted to get out in front early and avoid any mix ups with other runners. I actually shut it down after the first mile. There was really no reason to push it today.”
Hockenbury’s coach, John Sobosinski, said Hockenbury is a hard worker.
“He’s put in the work and has put himself in position to defend his state title,” Sobosinski said.
Hard worker may be an understatement.
After the race, a young kid asked Hockenbury, “How do you do that?”
Hockenbury answered, “I run a lot.”
He runs seven days a week and averages in the upper 80s miles per week.
Hockenbury, who can almost write his own ticket when choosing where he would like to run in college, hasn’t made up his mind yet where he will be going. But, he will be checking out five colleges in the near future: Syracuse, Georgetown, Virginia, Cornell and North Carolina State.
Hockenbury isn’t the only runner who won both last year and this year.
Scranton Prep senior, Erin Feeney, scored her second straight win in the Girls Varsity 5K, crossing the finish line in 18:42. She outraced second-place finisher, Holy Cross sophomore Lexi Walsh, by 1:07.
“I was basically running for time,” said Feeney, who like Hockenbury won in wire-to-wire fashion. “I just kept trying to motivate myself. There were times during the race when I just kept telling myself there is someone right behind me (when there actually wasn’t), just to force myself to run faster.”
Wyoming Area eighth grader Cassidy Orzel won the Junior High Girls 3K in 12:49, outdistancing, second-place finisher, Cameron Marcinkowski, an eighth grader from Holy Redeemer, by 23 seconds.
“I took the lead on the first hill (about 500 meters into the race),” Orzel said. “I like running up hills. Once I took the lead, I just got into a nice rhythm and kept trying to increase it.”
Andrew Healey, an eighth grader from Holy Cross, won the Junior High Boys 3K, in 11:02, out running second-place finisher, Peyton Jones, a freshman from Elk Lake, by 19 seconds.
“I took the lead right after the first hill,” Healey said. “Once I moved in front, I just kept running fast enough to stay in front.”
This year’s race featured 926 runners from 30 schools. That was the largest amount of runners the races drew in six years.
Wyoming Valley Striders 41st annual Cliff Robbins
Sr. Memorial H.S Invitational XC results
Junior High Girls 3K (1.86 miles)
Top 25 medal winners
1. Anna Orzel, 7th grade, Wyoming Area, 12:49
2. Cameron Marcinkowski, 8, Redeemer, 13:12
3. Anna Capaci, 7, Redeemer, 13:17
4. Kate Welby, Fresh, Scranton Prep, 13:19
5. Ariana Stranko, 8, Hazleton, 13:25
6. Hannah Perkins, 8, Montrose, 13:26
7. Maddie Baloga, 8, Dallas, 13:26
8. Meg Borton, 8, Dallas, 13:28
9. Taylor Huyck, 8, Susquehanna, 13:31
10. Missy Leonard, 8, Dallas, 13:31
11. Marina O’Hara, 8, Hazleton, 13:33
12. Aubriana Marranca, 7, Wy. Area, 13:39
13. Alicia Orzechowski, 7, Hanover, 13:45
14. Lucy Doherty, fresh, Scranton Prep, 13:47
15. Caitlin Bly, 8, Hanover, 13:50
16. Destiny Andes, 8, Redeemer, 13:51
17. Sophia Pisarski, 7, Valley View, 13:54
18. April Kupsky, 8, Wy. Seminary, 13:56
19. Emma Chotkowski, 7, Elk Lake, 14:01
20. Katie Balay, 8, Hazleton, 14:02
21. Alex Tomaine, 8, Holy Cross, 14:06
22. Sabrina Campbell, 7, Hazleton, 14:10
23. Claire Dunleavy, fresh, Scranton, 14:11
24. Erica Pica, Fresh, Holy Cross, 14:11
25. Ally Welsch, 8, Valley View, 14:11
Field: 169 finishers.
Junior High Boys 3K (1.86 miles)
Top 25 medal winners
1. Andrew Healey, fresh, Holy Cross, 11:02
2. Peyton Jones, fresh, Elk Lake, 11:21
3. Joey Mandarano, 8, Dunmore, 11:27
4. Nick Gershev, fresh, Scranton Prep, 11:28
5. Tony Molinaro, 8, Pittston, 11:33
6. Noah Chup, 8, Lakeland, 11:42
7. Matt Korty, 7, Forest City, 11:45
8. Zachary Keiner, 7, Hazleton, 11:51
9. Nick Liuzzo, fresh, Lakeland, 11:52
10. Devin Bennett, fresh, Elk Lake, 12:02
11. Josh Christionson, 8, Scranton, 12:06
12. Liam Osburn, fresh, Lakeland, 12:09
13. Vinnie Matthews, fresh, Hanover, 12:09
14. Alex Mykulyn, 8, Solomon, 12:14
15. Luke Osburn, fresh, 12:15
16. Sam Nocito, 8, Dallas, 12:19
17. Dylan Crawford, 8, Susquehanna, 12:20
18. Ryan Lello, fresh, Holy Cross, 12:22
19. Paris Alunni, 8, Dunmore, 12:26
20. Ian Wilbur, 8, NE Bradford, 12:26
21. Robert Walker, fresh, Valley View, 12:28
22. John Festa, 8, Delaware Valley, 12:31
23. Devin Miller, 8, NE Bradford, 12:34
24. Brandon Fleschut, 8, Dallas, 12:35
25. Nick Pikul, 8, Redeemer, 12:41
Field: 181 finishers.
Girls Varsity 5K (3.1 miles)
Top 25 medal winners
1. Erin Feeney, sr, Scranton Prep, 18:42
2. Lexi Walsh, soph, Holy Cross, 19:49
3. Tara Johnson, sr, Pittston, 19:59
4. Mackenzie Greenfield, sr, Holy Cross, 20:03
5. Justine Johns, jr, Elk Lake, 20:10
6. Jen Forty, jr, Forest City, 20:18
7. Rebecca Balara, soph, Dallas, 20:35
8. Jade Fry, soph, Lake-Lehman, 20:39
9. Kate Reilly, sr, Scranton Prep, 20:40
10. Lyndsey Williams, soph, Redeemer, 20:52
11. Keri Jones, jr, Elk Lake, 20:56
12. Mary Everdale, jr, Hazleton, 20:58
13. Abby Guziewicz, jr, Holy Cross, 21:01
14. Vanessa Paolella, jr, Delaware Valley, 21:12
15. Anna Brier, soph, Scranton Prep, 21:12
16. Riley Oremus, jr, Dallas, 21:15
17. Bailey Loyack, fresh, Pittston, 21:27
18. Kari Moyer, soph, NE Bradford, 21:29
19. Katie Bennett, sr, Elk Lake, 21:30
20. Olivia Vasey, soph, Lake-Lehman, 21:35
21. Arianna Boccardi, jr, Pittston, 21:36
22. Julia Hutsko, sr, Lake-Lehman, 21:37
23. Sam Dyer, sr, Berwick, 21:37
24. Paige Kupsky, sr, Wy. Seminary, 21:37
25. Adiya Golden, fresh, Scranton Prep, 21:39
Field: 189 finishers.
Boys Varsity 5K (3.1 miles)
Top 25 medal winners
1. Dom Hockenbury, sr, Lake-Lehman, 16:11
2. Matt Murray, sr, Dunmore, 16:46
3. Jack Zardecki, soph, Dallas, 17:11
4. Frank Cunningham, soph, Hazleton, 17:24
5. Conor Duffy, sr, Valley View, 17:24
6. Aaron Hoda, jr, Redeemer, 17:30
7. Jason Culp, jr, Dallas, 17:33
8. Owen Brewer, jr, Montrose, 17:34
9. Hunter Bedell, sr, Elk Lake, 17:35
10. Chris Sabol, sr, Lake-Lehman, 17:36
11. Zack Mead, jr, Montrose, 17:39
12. Franco Balbuena, sr, Coughlin, 17:45
13. Adam Borton, soph, Dallas, 17:46
14. Brandon Curley, soph, Montrose, 17:46
15. Ty Fisher, jr, Berwick, 17:47
16. Andrew Lopez, sr, Scranton, 17:54
17. Zachary Loomis, sr, Valley View, 17:54
18. Josh Wyandt, soph, Dallas, 17:55
19. Jacob Kobusky, soph, Valley West, 17:55
20. Clay Kismal, soph, Crestwood, 18:00
21. Ryan Balogh, sr, Hazleton, 18:01
22. Matt Houser, sr, Hazleton, 18:03
23. Mason Kimbell, jr, Berwick, 18:09
24. Beau Blass, sr, Berwick, 18:09
25.Pat Cosgrove, sr, Scranton Prep, 18:01
Field: 284 finishers.
Official starter: Vince P. Wojnar. Timing and results: Runner’s High (www.runhigh.com). Back up timer: Jon Wojnar. Race directors: Don Grose and Vince A. Wojnar.
Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 13: Wilkes-Barre Triathlon (swim, bike, run) starting at Harveys Lake at 7:30 a.m. and finishing at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Lehman Twp. Info: 570-270-4793.
Saturday, Sept. 13: Scranton Race for the Cure 5K run/walk starting on Wyoming Ave., one block over from Courthouse Square at 8:30 a.m. And finishing at the square. Info: Dolly Woody, 570-696-6072.
