Mercersburg hosted five other teams for the Mercersburg Boys' Cross Country Invitational October 12 and finished second to Mount Saint Joseph by just one point.

Mercersburg scorers: 

1^st – Ryan DuPlessis ’25 – 17:15.2

3^rd – Joseph Cechini ’28 – 17:23.7

12^th – Winston Watkins ’25 – 18:40.8

13^th – Ahman Habib ’26 – 18:49.1

15^th – Will Wallace ’27 – 18:53.0

Head coach David Grady summed up the event by saying "This was a very close team race. Although Mercersburg runners were first and third Mount Saint Joseph placed four of their runners in the top ten, and their fifth runner just edged out our fifth runner. Georgetown Prep also placed three runners in the top ten, but they were not as strong at #4 and #5. It was really nice to have a competitive team race, where passing a runner in the later stages of the race can make a difference in the scoring.  It was good for our team to have this type of race experience in preparation for the MAPL Championships where it is often a close team competition decided by a few points."

"Ryan Du Plessis pulled away from the other runners in the 3^rd mile to win the individual title in his best time this season on our home course," coach Grady added. "Ryan ran a very smart race, letting other runners take the lead in the early stages but positioning himself near the front. Then in the third mile, he took the lead, looking quite strong as he distanced himself from the other runners. Joey Cechini continues to impress, as he is only a ninth grader. He was running with the lead pack, including teammate Ryan Du Plessis, throughout the early part of the race. Then, he moved to the front and took the lead, passing the second mile marker out in front.  It was wonderful to see Joey have the confidence to go into the third mile in the lead, ahead of a group of very competitive runners."

The Storm has a couple of weeks to train and prepare for the PAISAA Cross Country Championship on Saturday, October 26 and will then host the MAPL Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 2.