By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Penny Luan isn’t leaving anything up to chance in her final season of cross country with the West Windsor-Plainsboro South girls team.
The Pirates senior has taken a renewed approach to her running this year.
”A lot of it, I realized this year was the mental attitude,” Luan said. “In the 4×8 (last spring), I got pulled out towards the end of the season, so starting off this year I don’t want to regret anything. When I went to practice, my mentality was to do everything so I wouldn’t regret it.”
The practice paid off as Luan finished 20th at the Central Jersey Group IV meet at Thompson Park on Saturday, the fifth finisher for the Pirates who claimed their first sectional crown.
”It’s exciting,” said Luan, the lone senior in the Pirates’ top seven. “I think it shows just how far we’ve come. Just from my three years of being there, how far we’ve gone, it’s really cool.”
Deirdre Casey ran 18:44 for second place overall, Christina Rancan was just behind in third in 18:53, Edlyn Gulama took 10th in 19:24 and freshman Alexandra Hesterberg was 14th in 19:40. Ali Bacher was 36th and Alexandra Murray was 62nd. The Pirates’ 49 points bested defending champion Hillsborough’s 88 and third-place Freehold Township’s 89.
”I couldn’t be more proud of what the girls accomplished,” said Pirates girls coach Josh Siegel. “This is the first time in the girls program history that we’ve won a sectional title. We’re moving in the right direction. This is what we trained for.”
West Windsor-Plainsboro North was ninth overall, led by Manolya Altan’s 22nd place finish. Montgomery was 12th with freshman Autumn Winch leading the way in 37th. Only the top five teams in each section advance to the state group meet that will be held Saturday at Holmdel Park.
Princeton High School moved on to the Group III state meet when it took third in CJ III. Lou Miahle ran 19:21 for sixth, Mary Sutton was 10th and Julie Bond 11th, Paige Metzheiser placed 15th and Emm Eikelberner was 24th to round out the top five. PHS’ 66 points trailed only Middletown South’s 56 and Middletown North’s 63.
WW-P South had the top time of anyone at Thompson Park on Saturday. It bodes well as they look to go after their first group title.
”It all comes down to the fact that they raced as a team,” Siegel said. “They are working as such a tight unit and pushing each other to be the best. It doesn’t matter the total results. As long as they’re running together as a team, they can accomplish anything.”
Luan says that this year’s training has been harder than ever before, and the Pirates won’t start backing off until this week. They have already seen the benefits of their work.
”It’s cool to see all the effort we’ve put into it actually showing up as a tangible result,” Luan said, adding, “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I thought we were well prepared. I honestly don’t think our team has been better.”
The top Pirates led the way when they put their first three in the top 10 for a great start to the race.
”They got out so well,” Siegel said. “The fact they’re pushing each other helps them be the best they can be. I couldn’t ask them for any more than they gave me. They really put it all out on the line.”
The Pirates’ fourth finisher, Hesterberg, may be in her first year of high school running, but she hasn’t performed like it.
”She’s really come along this entire season,” Siegel said. “The first couple meets, she was running towards the back of the pack. She has really been our saving grace coming through. She’s really realized her potential. It’s tough to be racing at such a level as a freshman to be at the top five. To run as our No. 4 girl, she’s fantastic.”
Luan has been a veteran presence for the team, and she has done so by trying to work as hard as she can to improve herself.
”This time last year, Penny was in our top five, but she’s a completely different athlete,” Siegel said. “She’s re-devoted herself to the team. She’s been a great leader. Through her example, the girls have followed through. They’re doing everything they can to be the best team they can be.”
Said Luan: “It’s really amazing. I feel like our team is one really big family.”
Like Luan, the Pirates are leaving nothing to chance. They are pushing each other through workouts and to new accomplishments. As exciting as the sectional is, the Pirates aren’t content.
”On the way back, (Coach Kurt) Wayton told us not to get too cocky,” Luan said. “He said, we still have work to do. It’s encouraging to know all the effort we put in isn’t for nothing.”
