Greensburg Central Catholic graduate Adam Smith and Kiski Area graduate Kara Shirley led the Saint Vincent College men's and women's cross country teams to fine finishes at the Presidents' Athletic Conference cross country championships.

Smith, a sophomore, won the men's championship with a time of 27:33. Smith came on the scene as a top four runner in every race last year. He holds the freshman record for the 8-kilometer run at 26:33 and the school record in the 5K at 15:00. Smith also qualified for the 2006 NAIA national track championships in the 10,000 and 5,000.

Shirley, a senior, finished second in the women's championships with a time of 24:29. A senior, she is coming off a junior season in which she was named NAIA Academic All-American, as well as second-team All-American Mideast Conference.

She ran a personal best 19:17 last year, earning her 13th place at the American Mideast Conference championships. She is also a member of the Bearcats swimming team.

Saint Vincent would have finished first in the men's team standings, and second in the women's standings, but the school cannot be included in conference championship scoring this year due to its provisional status in NCAA Division III.

Penn Hills grad makes Patriotic gesture

Lehigh University's Kaitlin Grimm, a Penn Hills High School graduate, was named the Patriot League Outstanding Rookie of the Year in women's cross country.

Grimm placed 25th in the Patriot League championships, posting a time of 25:07.2 in the 8-kilometer race.