WPIAL Boys’ Cross Country Individual Champions
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) has crowned team champions in boys’ cross country since 1935. The 2022 season marks the WPIAL’s 88th year of competition in the sport, and saw Butler’s Drew Griffith (3A), Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak (2A), and Eden Christian Academy’s Sean Aiken (1A) claiming gold at the WPIAL Cross Country Championships.
22 different student-athletes have won multiple WPIAL boys’ cross country individual titles, with Quaker Valley’s Zach Skolnekovich (2014-16) currently serving as the only three-time champion. The other 21 student-athletes to win gold two times are: Ryan Pajak (Ringgold), Sean Aiken (Eden Christian Academy), CJ Singleton (Butler), Adam Hessler (Freedom Area), Domenic Peretta (Beaver Falls), Scott Van Kooten (Central Catholic), Dan Erny (Brentwood), Shawn Cavanaugh (Mt. Lebanon), Scott Munroe (South Park), Michael Stanford (Pine-Richland), Carlos Gibbs (Waynesburg Central), Jay Novak (Richland), Eric Carter (Penn Hills), Fran Berry (West Mifflin South), Jon Burton (Beaver), Gary Hoffstetter (North Allegheny), Randy Deemer (Riverside), Jerry Richey (North Allegheny), Joe Thomas (Uniontown), Dick Plummer (Mt. Lebanon), and Mario Palmer (Canonsburg).
A full list of individual champions by year and classification can be found below.
To view the list of team champions, please click here: LINK
| Year | 3A | 2A | 1A |
| 2020 | Drew Griffith (Butler) | Ryan Pajak (Ringgold) | Sean Aiken (Eden Christian Acad.) |
| 2021 | CJ Singleton (Butler) | Ryan Pajak (Ringgold) | Sean Aiken (Eden Christian Acad.) |
| 2020 | CJ Singleton (Butler) | Mike Formica (Knoch) | Patrick Malone (Win. Thurston) |
| 2019 | Patrick Anderson (Mt. Lebanon) | Will Lamb (Beaver) | Adam Hessler (Freedom Area) |
| 2018 | Daniel McGoey (North Allegheny) | Mark Brown (Greensburg Salem) | Adam Hessler (Freedom Area) |
| 2017 | Noah Beveridge (Butler) | Sam Snodgrass (South Fayette) | Tristan Forsythe (Win. Thurston) |
| 2016 | Mark Provenzo (Franklin Regional) | Zach Skolnekovich (Quaker Valley) | Ben Littmann (Win. Thurston) |
| 2015 | Nick Wolk (Peters Township) | Zach Skolnekovich (Quaker Valley) | Domenic Peretta (Beaver Falls) |
| 2014 | Matt McGoey (North Allegheny) | Zach Skolnekovich (Quaker Valley) | Domenic Peretta (Beaver Falls) |
| 2013 | Colin Martin (Fox Chapel) | Nate Edenfield (Uniontown) | Carter Smith (Eden Christian Acad.) |
| 2012 | Brent Kennedy (Kiski Area) | Tyler Rigby (South Park) | Ryan Archer (Vincentian Acad.) |
| 2011 | Logan Steiner (North Allegheny) | Roy Hatfield (Quaker Valley) | |
| 2010 | Zach Hebda (North Hills) | L.J. Westwood (Quaker Valley) | |
| 2009 | Ryan Gil (North Allegheny) | Evan Miller (Laurel) | |
| 2008 | Matt Gregory (Canon-McMillian) | Omar Hyjek (Quaker Valley) | |
| 2007 | David Adley (Baldwin) | Jonathan McElwain (Riverside) | |
| 2006 | Scott Van Kooten (Central Catholic) | Lucas Zarzeczny (Avonworth) | |
| 2005 | Scott Van Kooten (Central Catholic) | Jake Walker (Ellwood City) | |
| 2004 | Ken King (Connellsville) | Jeff Weiss (McGuffey) | |
| 2003 | James O’Toole (Mt. Lebanon) | Zach Thomas (Quaker Valley) | |
| 2002 | Sam Bair (Shaler) | Dan Erny (Brentwood) | |
| 2001 | Dan Mazzocco (Baldwin) | Dan Erny (Brentwood) | |
| 2000 | Shawn Cavanaugh (Mt. Lebanon) | Jeremy Snodgrass (Greensburg C.C.) | |
| 1999 | Shawn Cavanaugh (Mt. Lebanon) | Scott Munroe (South Park) | |
| 1998 | Greg Costello (Mt. Lebanon) | Scott Munroe (South Park) | |
| 1997 | Tim Lentz (Derry) | Sam Shea (Brentwood) | |
| 1996 | Dickie Hildebrand (North Allegheny) | Michael Stanford (Pine-Richland) | |
| 1995 | Justin Gaydas (Norwin) | Chris Dugan (Southmoreland) | |
| 1994 | Dan Ford (Penn Hills) | Michael Stanford (Pine-Richland) | |
| 1993 | Brandon Busteed (North Allegheny) | Mike Phillips (New Brighton) | |
| 1992 | Darin Mellinger (Butler) | Marty Hanlon (Brentwood) | |
| 1991 | Jon Evans (Indiana) | Matt Clarkson (Greensburg C.C.) | |
| 1990 | Marcel Casadei (Central Catholic) | Derek Seiling (Hampton) | |
| 1989 | Brian McCullough (Butler) | Carlos Gibbs (Waynesburg Cent.) | |
| 1988 | Carlos Gibbs (Waynesburg Cent.) | Joe Yahner (Greensburg C.C.) | |
| 1987 | Jason Bodnar (Laurel Highlands) | Eric Downer (Wilkinsburg) | |
| 1986 | Scott Humphrey (Indiana) | Jim Hamilton (West Allegheny) | |
| 1985 | Chris Rauber (Central Catholic) | Jay Novak (Richland) | |
| 1984 | Steve Brown (North Hills) | Jay Novak (Richland) | |
| 1983 | Eric Carter (Penn Hills) | Fran Berry (West Mifflin South) | |
| 1982 | Eric Carter (Penn Hills) | Fran Berry (West Mifflin South) | |
| 1981 | Tom Tobin (North Hills) | Jon Burton (Beaver) | |
| 1980 | Doug Sauers (North Allegheny) | Jon Burton (Beaver) | |
| 1979 | Dallas Roper (Fox Chapel) | Jim Hardt (Mars) | |
| 1978 | Mike Flynn (North Hills) | Bill Lennox (Slippery Rock) | |
| 1977 | Dennis Rice (North Allegheny) | Ed Phipps (Slippery Rock) | |
| 1976 | Larry Mangan (South Hills Catholic) | Bill Selby (New Brighton) | |
| 1975 | Gary Hoffstetter (North Allegheny) | Dave Spears (Mohawk) | |
| 1974 | Gary Hoffstetter (North Allegheny) | Todd Hamilton (Neshannock) | |
| 1973 | Dan Lentz (Thomas Jefferson) | James Morgan (Avalon) | |
| 1972 | Melvin Boyd (Ringgold) | Larry Rahall (Bellevue) | |
| 1971 | George Hendrickson (N. Allegheny) | Les Brown (Monaca) | |
| 1970 | Dave Carter (Penn Hills) | Tom Freed (Riverside) | |
| 1969 | Doug Bacon (Penn Hills) | Jack Cameron (Neshannock) | |
| 1968 | Herb Gibson (McKeesport) | Randy Deemer (Riverside) | |
| 1967 | Mark Larson (Bethel Park) | Randy Deemer (Riverside) | |
| 1966 | Jerry Richey (North Allegheny) | Charles Kobuby (Riverside) | |
| 1965 | Jerry Richey (North Allegheny) | Wilbur Edwards (Coraopolis) | |
| 1964 | Craig Steam (Churchill) | Jeff Smith (Ligonier) | |
| 1963 | Denny Boyle (North Allegheny) | Russell Clide (Riverside) | |
| 1962 | Tom Giordano (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1961 | Howard Hammonds (Butler) | ||
| 1960 | William Brown (North Allegheny) | ||
| 1959 | Joe Thomas (Uniontown) | ||
| 1958 | Joe Thomas (Uniontown) | ||
| 1957 | Ron Engle (Canonsburg) | ||
| 1956 | Paul Sanders (New Castle) | ||
| 1955 | Ron Rush (Shaler) | ||
| 1954 | Dale Fauser (Ambridge) | ||
| 1953 | Marcel Denson (Aliquippa) | ||
| 1952 | Richard Sampson (New Castle) | ||
| 1951 | Bob Cherry (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1950 | Bob Gross (Ambridge) | ||
| 1949 | Ted Przybyszewski (Ambridge) | ||
| 1948 | Tom Sargenson (Ambridge) | ||
| 1947 | Richard Rytel (Ambridge) | ||
| 1946 | Dick Plummer (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1945 | Dick Plummer (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1944 | Brad Richardson (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1943 | Thomas D. Leathers (Mt. Lebanon) | ||
| 1942 | Robert Williams (Freedom Area) | ||
| 1941 | Earl Baughman (Georges Township) | ||
| 1940 | Frank Siler (Freedom Area) | ||
| 1939 | Mario Palmer (Canonsburg) | ||
| 1938 | Mario Palmer (Canonsburg) | ||
| 1937 | Warren Roseborough (Brentwood) | ||
| 1936 | Ed Roberts (Brentwood) | ||
| 1935 | Joe Lewandowski (Canonsburg) |
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