Liberty senior Emily Jobes knows that once it gets to districts, it’s anyone’s game, but last Wednesday at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, it was her game, and she was crowned District XI Class 3A cross country champion for the second time in two years.

“There was a little pressure, but I had to put that aside,” Jobes said.

The meet was divided into two heats with Jobes running in the second. Runners from Emmaus, the overall team champion, ran in the first heat. Consequently, Jobes was running alone for most of the race.

“It was mentally challenging,” Jobes said, adding that it was the hardest course she had ever run.

“The terrain, the hills, and the 400 meter downhill at the end of the first loop...Rocks helped with the uphill, but the downhill was like mud speed bumps. After the second loop, you run into the finish,” she said.

Jobes’ time was 20:46.90, four seconds ahead of second place finisher Ashleigh McNellis of Emmaus.

“The coaches got around pretty well and tried to give as many splits as they could,” said Jobes. “I was able to settle in before the second loop.”

Freedom senior Lauren Charboneau placed 11th with a time of 22:08.32.

Ella Scott and Madison Drager placed 21st and 22nd with times of 22:36.50 and 22:37.40, respectively, both for the Hurricanes.

Also competing for Liberty were Madeline Mumma, Mikailyn Matacavage, and Anahi Ramos, and for Freedom were Aubrey Yeager, Eliza Fihlman, and Julia Heinemann.

After some recovery from the district meet, Jobes will have one more solid workout before tapering for the PIAA State Cross Country Championships scheduled for Nov. 7 and 8 in Hershey.

“It’s really exciting, especially because Cole (Frank) and I both get to go again,” she said. “I want to go in and leave everything out there.”

Top Ten Girls Class

3A Medal Winners

1. Emily Jobes (Liberty) 20:46.90; 2. Ashleigh McNellis (Emmaus) 20:50.99; 3. Lauren Meinhold (Southern Lehigh) 21.31.30; 4. Hailey Reinhard (Emmaus) 21:34.05; 5. Kera Reinhard (Emmaus) 21:40.43; 6. Maura Lenhart (Southern Lehigh) 21:44.70; 7. Ciara Conboy (Stroudsburg) 21:46.40; 8. Elena Wegner (Parkland) 21:46.83; 9. Brooke Labenberg (Parkland) 21:47.69); 10. Ava Bendetti (Parkland) 21:51.77.