By BUDDY HURLOCK
Staff reporter
10/06/2002

CENTREVILLE -- The Padua Academy cross country team admits its secret: Stay back at the start of the race, and choose a point to pick up the pace.

At the Salesianum Invitational on Saturday, Padua won the girls Varsity B race in just that fashion.

One-third of the way into the 3.1-mile course, the Pandas were running behind Brandywine.

But Padua ended up with five runners in the top 15, led by freshman Samantha Lichtner, who finished third in 21 minutes, 37 seconds.

Brandywine's Jessica Leitsch won in 21:09. Jackie Reifschneider of Alexis I. du Pont was second in 21:23.

The Pandas won by 50 points, scoring 46. Upper Merion (Pa.) was second at 96. Brandywine put four among the top 22 but finished third and scored 100.

Padua's finish was 3-7-10-11-15. Following Lichtner were sophomore Jessica Walsh (22:18), junior Sarah Morton (22:34), freshman Kary Kate McCaffrey (22:39) and sophomore Janet Cleary (22:53).

Its other two runners were also in the top 30 - freshman Jess Bogia (23:41) was 24th and sophomore Sarah McCartan (24:10) was 29th.

"We push each other through," Walsh said. "If someone is behind, we try to pull them up with us so we are all together at the mile marker. And we were pretty bunched; all of our runners were in the top 20 [at one mile]."

It was Lichtner's first high school race on the hilly course.

"I ran a few times here [with Holy Angels]. I knew I'd have a lot of strength on the hills. That's where I'm really strong. I just had to fight a lot in the last straightaway," Lichtner said.

Padua has raced most of the year without junior Beth Meany, a third-team All-State selection last year. Meany has mononucleosis and could miss the rest of the season.

Also in the top 20 were two runners from Brandywine: Anna Brousell, fourth in 21:55, and Ali Sanchez, 14th in 22:45. Seaford's Caitlin McGroerty (22:07) was sixth and Cape Henlopen's Amy Mallamo (23:24) was 20th.

Episcopal (Pa.) won the girls C race with 53 points. Archmere was a surprising second (108), with Ursuline third (117). Katie McKinstry of Westtown (Pa.) won in 20:53. The Auks' Kasey Hacker (22:42) took fifth. Ursuline's Julie Taylor (23:02) placed seventh.

North Penn (Pa.) won the girls A race, barely beating Hatboro-Horsham (Pa.) 57-59. St. Mark's was sixth for the best Delaware finish. Hatboro-Horsham's Janine Ricci won in 20:11, the best girls time. Middletown's Jen Feister (22:48) was 24th for the highest Delaware finish.

Reach Buddy Hurlock at 324-2807 or bhurlock@delawareonline.com.