PIAA State Championship — Hershey Parkview Course

 

November 1, 2025 — 58°F, Dew Point 39°F — Ideal Conditions

 

The North Allegheny boys capped their 2025 season with a 12th-place team finish at the PIAA State Championships in Hershey, recording an average time of 17:19 on the rolling Parkview course. Competing against the best in Pennsylvania, the Tigers showed both composure and competitiveness, with several athletes running personal bests on the state course and demonstrating strong second-half racing. Their 270-point team total was only 23 points away from the 7th-place team position, underscoring just how tight the overall standings were in one of the most competitive fields in recent memory.

 

Senior leader Andrew Peigh once again led the Tigers, placing 25th overall in 16:34 to earn his first state medal. Peigh got out hard to establish position among the lead pack and showed great grit through the middle and late stages of the race, holding strong to secure his place among the state’s top finishers. He closed out an outstanding senior season as one of the top runners from Western Pennsylvania.

 

Freshman Gatik Hirwani delivered another outstanding performance, placing 74th overall in 17:10 — a personal best for the Hershey course and the second-fastest freshman in the entire field. After sitting in 89th place at the halfway mark, Hirwani surged in the second half to gain multiple positions over the closing kilometers.

 

Junior Wyatt Case was next across the line, running 17:25 for 109th overall, a personal best for the Hershey course in his first career appearance at the state meet. Case got out well in the opening mile and maintained position through the middle section, contributing another strong scoring performance to close out his season.

 

Freshman Colin Clarkson followed with another dynamite race, finishing 122nd overall in 17:30, also a state-course personal best. Clarkson continued his momentum from WPIALs, maintaining strong, consistent pacing throughout and finishing solidly among the top freshmen in the state.

 

Sophomore Denny Smith (17:55, 170th overall) and sophomore Nathan Hou (18:02, 178th overall) both recorded course personal bests, with Smith and Hou each improving their positions over the second half of the race. Senior Jack Curren (18:20, 199th overall) provided steady support in his final appearance in black and gold, rounding out a complete team effort for the Tigers.

 

Five of North Allegheny’s seven state competitors return next season, and all seven ran their fastest Hershey Parkview course times at this year’s championship — a fitting end to a high-quality 2025 campaign that blended strong senior leadership with a young lineup gaining its first taste of state-level competition.

 

On the girls’ side, freshman Samantha Strelick and junior Gabby Pizon represented North Allegheny as individual qualifiers. Both ran strong, composed races on the state stage, handling the rolling Parkview course with poise and closing well over the final stretch. Strelick moved up from 57th at the halfway mark to finish 43rd overall, placing fourth among all freshmen in her first cross country state championship appearance. Pizon also showed excellent late-race form, advancing from 172nd to 143rd over the second half to cap a solid junior season. Together, the pair’s performances reflected the progress and promise within the program and added a bright finish to another successful year for the North Allegheny girls’ team.

 

Complete results can be found here: https://www.runhigh.com/2025RESULTS/R110125AA.html