Fox Chapel Area’s Ethan Vaughan put everything on the line on the WPIAL Class 3A championship course, with his sheer grit pushing him to claim the individual gold medal with a time of 15:26.50. But, strange as it might sound, Ethan says things didn’t exactly go as planned. He bolted out of the start and continued that pace through the first two miles. But that demanding pace he set early on made the final mile brutal.
“I started to feel it (fatigue) in the second mile, but I knew that was the pace I’d set and there was no going back,” says the senior. “After that, the rest of the race was painful. I don’t know how I did it, but I did, and I’m really happy. I really wanted it.”
His win at WPIALs was resounding. No other runner was in sight when he crossed the finish line. The second-place medalist, Andrew Peigh of North Allegheny, finished 11:10 seconds behind him.
“Every time I see Ethan run, I am impressed with how effortless he makes it look,” says coach Tom Moul. “There is a smoothness and calmness about him, and he knows himself so well. He told me after the race, ‘I heard you yelling that I looked smooth near the end, and I thought I must have fooled you.’”
Ethan has been in top form all season long. From the opener, the Gateway Invitational, he made winning look easy. He won at Gateway, at Kiski (he broke his own course record he set last season), and the Tri-State Track Coaches Association invitationals. He also finished first at the section championship. His first-place finish at WPIALs has now placed him among the most elite cross country runners in the WPIAL.
Ethan’s win at WPIALs qualifies him for the state championship meet, his third trip to PIAAs. He went with the team when he was a freshman and the team placed third, and he also qualified as an individual runner as a sophomore. A lingering injury kept him from competing for much of last year.
Ethan is only the third male in Fox Chapel Area history to win the WPIAL cross country title. Colin Martin won it in 2013, and Dallas Roper was the champion in 1979.
Team on Hand
Senior teammate David Black also had a momentous day. He finished fourth with a time of 15:48.50, and was never passed throughout the race.
“This was definitely the best race of my cross country career,” says David, who also competes along with Ethan in track. “Everybody was so competitive, so it was really rewarding to get fourth place.”
When Ethan and David compete at the PIAA Class 3A cross country championship on November 2 in Hershey, they will have a contingent of teammates alongside them, including the entire boys squad. They won their sixth consecutive section title earlier this season and placed third at WPIALs. Members of the boys team who will join Ethan and David are seniors Nicky Clump and Doug Lisotto; junior Michael Costello; and sophomores Nolan Gwin, Nolan Horne, and Harrison Parker.
Additionally, sophomore Cecelia Ressler and freshman Ella Shevchuk will represent the girls team at states. Cecilia’s goal was to make states early in her career, and Ella is just beginning her journey.
“CeCi has had quite a remarkable season. Finishing in the top 10 at WPIALs (she was 9th), is a big deal,” says coach Moul. “I’m looking forward to seeing what she and David, both of whom medaled at the Foundation meet, will do on that same course at states.”
Looking Ahead
Coach Moul says not much will change as they prepare for states.
“Our training isn’t going to differ from what we’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks,” he says. “They all are as fit as they need to be. They’ve all run the state course before, and that experience will make a huge difference.”
