PIAA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: ATHENS' VOUGH PLEASE WITH FIRST TRIP TO STATES; FINISHES 72ND IN CLASS 3A RACE (4 PHOTOS) (2025-11-01)

Valley Sports Report
HERSHEY — Athens sophomore Alissa Vough ran to a top 75-finish at the PIAA, Class AA Girls’ Cross-country Championships here Saturday on the Hershey Parkview 5K course.

Heading into the race, Vough didn't have a place or time in mind as a goal, she just wanted to "run a strong race, and compete."

After the race, she was pleased with her performance.

"I had a great race and stayed consistent the entire time," she said. "I moved up throughout the entire race and just tried to pass as many people as I could."

Vough (21:20) finished 72nd overall after coming through the 1-mile mark in 80th. She moved up as high as 69th with 1,000 meters to go, before falling three spots back.

"Going into the meet, we talked to Alissa about running a smart race,"said Athens coach Scott Riley. "If you look at where she stood at the 1-mile, 2-mile and finish, she ran a very constant race and moved up throughout the race. 

"I think what she did for her first time on the PIAA course was a great showing and shows how bright her future looks in the upcoming years," added Riley.

“Today was a great way for Alissa to finish a tremendous season," said Athens coach Mike Bronson. "She has worked hard all season and I am really happy for her.”

Vough said it was definitely a learning experience.

"It was an amazing opportunity for me," she said. "It gave me the experience of a very competitive meet and, hopefully. I can use what I learned for the next few years."

"There are many things I would have done differently, including using the downhills more and getting out quicker so you don’t get boxed in. 

"The course itself was challenging with the amount of hills, especially the hill right before the finish as you don’t have time to recover from it," Vough added.

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IN PHOTOS: Athens sophomore Alissa Vough.



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