Marley Gilboy
Abington Heights cross country
Calli Gilboy
Abington Heights cross country
Elk Lake’s Parker Upright finishes 6th overall with a time of 16:35 in the class 1A PIAA state championships in Hershey on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
West Scranton’s Seamus Wallace finishes first overall with a time of 16:42.7 during the PIAA D2 cross county championships at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Mid Valley’s Jacob Borrelli (405) runs during the 51st annual Cliff Robbins Invitational in Dallas on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Elk Lake’s Trevor Upright finishes 26th overall in the PIAA Class A Boys Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1. CHRIS MANNING / PHOTO
Elk Lake’s Kendyl Weisgold finishes ninth overall with a time of 20:18 in the class 1A PIAA state championships in Hershey on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Delaware Valley’s Grace Holderith finishes 24th overall with a time of 19:34 in the class 3A PIAA state championships in Hershey on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Valley View’s Sadie Loftus, left, and Wallenpaupack’s June Brown run together during the PIAA D2 cross county championships at the Wyoming County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Marley Gilboy
Abington Heights cross country
Marley Gilboy ran on the Abington Heights girls cross country team as a freshman. As she was preparing for her sophomore season, her twin sister Calli — who played soccer — joined the cross country team.
“She was kind of hinting at it during summer workouts,” Marley said. “But I didn’t actually know until after soccer tryouts that she was going to quit. That next week, that Monday, she started cross country practice. It was a little weird at first, but we did run junior high track together.”
For Calli, it made sense. She ran the mile and the two-mile in track.
“Freshman year I chose soccer because I didn’t really know what cross country was,” Calli said. “That summer after freshman year I started running longer distances and I decided running was better for me that soccer. It was a really great decision for me.
“It was helpful having her on the team when I first joined. I knew the girls, but I always knew I would have her to back me up.”
Marley admits there was a little bit of a transition period having her sister on the team.
“Running was always my thing and I was a little better than her at it at that point,” Marley said. “But she pushes me to get better every day and I enjoy it now. I always have someone who I can go out for run that day. It’s kind of convenient.”
Now, the fraternal twins — Marley is older by one minute — are seniors. With the graduation of three-time Times-Tribune All-Region Runner of the Year Anna Pucilowski, the two will look to help continue the Lady Comets’ success when the Lackawanna Cross Country League begins Tuesday. Abington Heights, North Pocono and Valley View open against Scranton Prep and Holy Cross at McDade Park in Scranton. The rest of the league starts Wednesday.
Abington Heights has won 167 straight league meets dating back to Sept. 12, 2017. The Lady Comets won the final 13 meets that season, then posted unbeaten seasons in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and last season. The team did not run in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Abington Heights also has won the last four District 2 Class 3A titles.
The Gilboys have contributed to that success. Last season, both were Lackawanna League Coaches’ first-team all-stars. Marley was named to the Times-Tribune All-Region team.
Also among the returnees for Abington Heights this season are second-team coaches all-stars Morgan Kresge and Julia Healey.
“Athletes like Calli and Marley create the environment and example,” Abington Heights coach Frank Passetti said. “We kept up three freshmen girls this year. To be able to put them under the tutelage of the older girls who know what it takes and know that the long runs are necessary, the morning practices are necessary. The girls want to follow Marley and Calli. That pulls our younger kids along. They buy into the culture of the team and the culture is one of the main impetuses behind our success.”
This season, the Gilboys were voted co-captains. They have provided leadership and organized team-bonding activities such as ice cream socials and a pool-and-pasta party. They have welcomed and encouraged the freshmen, answered any questions they might have and teach them about the program’s winning tradition.
“We definitely make that a priority. Yeah, we have fun, but we’re also here to win and carry on that legacy,” Calli said. “We talk about our goals. Obviously, one of our team goals is to win the league, win districts and keep out streak going. We practice how we run, practice how we play. In that environment, I think everyone gets a sense of having fun, but we will do this.”
A team title in the Class 3A division at the Moravian Academy Lions Invitational in Bethlehem two weeks ago got Abington Heights’ season off to a good start.
“I’m definitely super-excited for the season,” Marley said. “We have some strong underclassmen, three crucial freshmen who are going to help us score some good points this year. During practice I see people working hard, all striving for the same goal to hopefully win districts again.”
While Pucilowski and four-time Times-Tribune All-Region selection Kendel Jones of Elk Lake are among the runners from last season who graduated, there are plenty of solid runners returning who will once again make the Lackawanna League one of the best in the state.
Elk Lake and Riverside boys finished 1-2 in Class 1A boys last season at the PIAA Championships in Hershey. All-Region selection Parker Upright and second-team coaches all-star Trevor Upright are back for the Warriors this season. First-team coaches all-stars Jack Davies and Andrew Connor return for the Vikings.
Seamus Wallace of West Scranton and Jacob Borrelli from Mid Valley, both All-Region selections last season, are back. Wallace is the defending District 2 Class 3A champion and began his season with a win at the Moravian Academy Lions Invitational. Borrelli was a state medalist in Class 2A boys last season and started this year by winning the Cliff Robbins Invitational on Saturday.
Other returning boys coaches all-stars are first-teamer Henry Decker of Lakeland, who was second at Cliff Robbins on Saturday, and second-teamers Cooper Courtright from Valley View, Holy Cross’ Thomas Gavin, Mid Valley’s Reeve Owen, Paxton Pingarelli from Blue Ridge and Chase Predmore of Wallenpaupack.
On the girls side, Elk Lake was fourth in PIAA Class 1A last season. The Lady Warriors return their entire team, led by All-Region selection Kendyl Weisgold and first-team all-stars Madi Kerr and Kylee Pond.
Other returning All-Region girls runners are Grace Holderith from Delaware Valley, a state medalist in Class 3A; Sadie Loftus from Valley View, last year’s District 2 Class 2A champion; and Wallenpaupack’s June Brown.
Susquehanna’s Kiera Burke is a returning first-team coaches all-star. Second-teamers back are Gemma Bistran from Holy Cross, Kaitlyn Kloss of Western Wayne, North Pocono’s Sarah O’Donnell and Evolette Reinard, Bianca Perez of Scranton and Rylin Wech from Lakeland.