South Fayette boys cross country made “Z” sign this season, how program pioneers went to states
At the October 11 Mingo Classic, the South Fayette boys’ team was the take-all winner. This was regardless of classification, as the Lions beat Class AAA teams like Upper St. Clair and Baldwin that day.
The South Fayette runners had a good time. They were hackeysacking and making the “Z” sign – the thumbs-joined hand signal many know as a cheer for the 2012 Pirates.
Head coach Joe Winans wasn’t sure of the nature of the “Z” sign for his team. He had only two guesses about it.
“I can’t say for sure,” Winans said. “One possibility is just that they’re a crazy group of kids. My other hunch is that it’s because of the Zombek twins.”
Evan and Stephen Zombek are, in fact, dependable fixtures in South Fayette’s boys’ cross country varsity squad. They are juniors, and they are the only runners with a last name that starts with “Z” in South Fayette’s varsity seven.
Mingo was a stepping stone for South Fayette. The boys ran as a team yesterday at the PIAA meet, following a third place finish at the WPIAL Class AA Championship race. These big victories may be expected for a long-established cross country program. But Winans explained that South Fayette’s cross country program has only existed for six years.
“One boy (he wasn’t on our varsity team), Pat Martinelli, was with me my very first year of coaching,” said Winans. Winans had been a middle school cross country coach when the South Fayette program began, and Martinelli was in the seventh grade. “This is his senior year, and Mingo was the final race he ran.”
Winans noted that on the girls’ team’s side, Brittany Rees had also entered the cross country program in middle school. Rees ran as a member of South Fayette’s 2011 state qualifying team last year. She is now a senior.
“There’ve been some nice moments,” Winans said about the 2012 season. “What’s been so special on both the boys’ and girls’ side is that they’re never really satisfied… This year, the boys set a level of excellence. Qualifying for states two out of the last three years even with the new [PIAA] classifications – we’ve proven that we’re going to be up [among the top teams.]”
The South Fayette runners had a good time. They were hackeysacking and making the “Z” sign – the thumbs-joined hand signal many know as a cheer for the 2012 Pirates.
Head coach Joe Winans wasn’t sure of the nature of the “Z” sign for his team. He had only two guesses about it.
“I can’t say for sure,” Winans said. “One possibility is just that they’re a crazy group of kids. My other hunch is that it’s because of the Zombek twins.”
Evan and Stephen Zombek are, in fact, dependable fixtures in South Fayette’s boys’ cross country varsity squad. They are juniors, and they are the only runners with a last name that starts with “Z” in South Fayette’s varsity seven.
Mingo was a stepping stone for South Fayette. The boys ran as a team yesterday at the PIAA meet, following a third place finish at the WPIAL Class AA Championship race. These big victories may be expected for a long-established cross country program. But Winans explained that South Fayette’s cross country program has only existed for six years.
“One boy (he wasn’t on our varsity team), Pat Martinelli, was with me my very first year of coaching,” said Winans. Winans had been a middle school cross country coach when the South Fayette program began, and Martinelli was in the seventh grade. “This is his senior year, and Mingo was the final race he ran.”
Winans noted that on the girls’ team’s side, Brittany Rees had also entered the cross country program in middle school. Rees ran as a member of South Fayette’s 2011 state qualifying team last year. She is now a senior.
“There’ve been some nice moments,” Winans said about the 2012 season. “What’s been so special on both the boys’ and girls’ side is that they’re never really satisfied… This year, the boys set a level of excellence. Qualifying for states two out of the last three years even with the new [PIAA] classifications – we’ve proven that we’re going to be up [among the top teams.]”
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