Marlee Starliper wins PIAA Cross Country Championships Girls’ AA title; Lady Polar Bears place fourth

By Joe Guty

___ M arlee Starliper won the race she had been chasing for a year. The Northern H.S. sophomore phenom ran her own race – which included a 5:14 first mile – to win the PIAA State Cross Country Championship Girls Class AA title last Saturday morning.
___ Improving by over a minute from her time in 2016, Starliper clocked 17:50 on the challenging 5k Parkview course in Hershey, a clear runaway winner among 227 finishers. Perhaps there was some redemption after she placed second in last year’s event behind winner Taryn Parks of Greencastle-Antrim.
___ Starliper finished far ahead of runner-up Maddie McLain, a senior from Eastern York who crossed the finish line in 18:42. Parks, a sophomore, finished in third in 18:50. Parks won last year’s state title in 18:56 and Starliper was the runner up in 19:00.

Marlee Starliper raises her hand in victory as she crosses the finish line becoming the first Northern Cross Country runner to place first in the State Championship in Hershey, Saturday, Nov. 4.

Photo by Curt Werner