Nazareth Area High School boys cross country team captures first Lehigh Valley Conference regular season title

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Kevin Boylan, Eric Johnson and Kyle O'Connor led a three-runner assault at Nazareth Area High School's No. 3, 4 and 5 positions this afternoon, enabling the Blue Eagles to walk off with their first Lehigh Valley Conference boys regular season cross country championship.

Boylan, who was held out of Nazareth's last two meets due to a respiratory illness, finished fifth; Johnson was right behind him in sixth and O'Connor was the Blue Eagles' fifth man in 10th place as Nazareth defeated Easton 26-31 to finish the LVC regular season at 11-0.

The confrontation, held at Bicentennial Park in East Allen Township, was also a matchup of the top two ranked boys cross country teams in the region, Nazareth holding down the No. 1 spot and Easton at No. 2. This afternoon's battle is the first of at least three showdowns between the two programs with the others being the LVC Championships next Tuesday at Bethlehem Golf Club and on Oct. 28 in the District 11 Class AAA Championships.

"I kind of knew that the race was coming down to somebody like me," said O'Connor, a junior who wasn't even in his team's top seven at the start of the season. "I shaved off my beard last night and that might have been a good sign. It was getting itchy. Plus, the ladies didn't like it."

Easton's Bernard England claimed the top spot by covering the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 25 seconds followed by Luke Munyan of Nazareth (16:29). Easton's Tyler Caul was third with Nazareth's Stephen Ruch fourth.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/nazareth_area_high_school_boys_1.html