Freeport’s Michael Braun took first place with a time of 15:49.3 at the Red, White & Blue Cross Country Classic held Sept. 7 at White Oak Park in White Oak, Pa. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Freeport’s Michael Braun continued an impressive senior season Saturday with a third-place finish in the PIAA Foundation Cross Country Invitational Class 3A boys race.

Braun crossed the finish line in 16 minutes, 29 seconds, sandwiched by four Grove City High runners as Eagles coasted to a 36-point team win at Hershey’s Parkview course, site of the PIAA Cross Country State Championships in November.

Braun was the top Butler County runner in all six races Saturday, leading the Yellowjackets to an eighth-place team finish. Ben Brestensky (18:34, 47th place) and David Kristine (18:35, 48th) also finished Top 50.

In the 3A field, Butler’s boys and girls teams finished ninth, bested by just one WPIAL team in each race: North Allegheny.

The Tornado boys (308 points) saw Logan Rogers finish a team-leading 27th in 17:01. Teammates Brendan Eicher (17:25) and Ethan Thomas (17:38) crossed the finish line 37th and 49th, respectively. The girls (350 points) got top-50 finishes from Makayla McLIster (21:02, 40th) and Zari Golojuh (21:06, 43rd).

Other top local finishes included:

Seneca Valley girls came in 13th (408 points) in 3A, led Paige Damico (20:50, 35th) and Sydney Heltzell (20:59, 38th); and the Raiders boys finished 11th (334 points) in 3A, led by Max Smith (17:15, 32nd).

North Catholic girls finished third (98 points) in 2A, led by Madeline Meeuf (20:16, eighth), Caroline Sell (20:46, 12th) and Anna Morris (21:05, 20th); and the Trojans boys team came in 10th (289 points), with Tyler Carroll (17:01, 11th) leading the squad.

Freeport girls finished 20th in 2A as Grace Kristine came in 52nd (22:44). Karns City girls came in 10th in Class A, led by Miley Mooney’s 24:21 (35th), and KC boys senior Griffin Booher finished 28th in Class A in 18:54.

Cecelia Wolford scored two goals as Butler cruised to a 6-0 win over Knoch on Saturday. Four other Tornado players found the back of the net: Ella Nichols, Lucia Leyland, Malina McElroy and Jordan Ryan.