On Friday October 27th at Lehigh University the PIAA Cross Country District Championship was held. At this race schools from around the district gathered to compete in six intense 5 kilometer races. Placing 17th out 379 in the Boys AAA race was Chase Ely with a staggering time of 15:40.60. This impressive time not only qualified the class of 2024 athlete for the State Championship but also shattered the Abington 5 kilometer record previously set by Amir Cubbage in 2019 by over 20 seconds.

Below is an interview following Chase’s State Meet at Hershey.

Q:When and why did you join cross country?

A:I joined in my junior year as a joke to see if I could beat the best runners they had.

Q:How have you felt about your season leading up to this final meet?

A:I’ve felt very confident and proud of my accomplishments.

Q:How were you feeling before the race?

A:I was pretty stressed and nervous about the oatmeal I ate that morning.

Q:How did you feel during the race?

A:I felt good for about 800 meters and by the first mile my legs became numb and I started to hit the wall.

Q:Do you plan to run in college?

A:Yes, I’m currently in the recruiting process looking for a school that’s right for me.

Q:Any final words you’d like to share?

A:Join track and cross country, work hard, have dedication and commitment.