It just might have been a preview of the Class AAA boys' race at the WPIAL cross country championships later this month.

Mt. Lebanon's Rad Gunzenhauser and North Allegheny's Ryan Gil battled over the final mile in the A Division race of the Central Catholic Invitational yesterday at Schenley Park with Gunzenhauser edging Gil by a little more than two seconds.

Gunzenhauser held off Gil in the final 200 yards of the 3.1-mile course to finish in 15 minutes, 44 seconds. Gil hit the line at 15:46.

In the girls' A Division race, sisters Margo and Shannon Malone of North Hills ran away from the field and finished one-two. Margo Malone's time was 18:45 with Shannon four seconds behind. Kayla Keddal of Peters Township was next in 19:04.

"My coach told me if I wanted to beat these guys I'd have to make surges after two miles," Gunzenhauser said. "I challenged him in the early oval [with about a half mile to go]."

Gunzenhauser wasn't able to get much separation from Gil when he surged but thought the tactic helped him at the finish.

"I wore down his legs a little," he said of Gil, who normally has a strong kick. "I usually don't win by outkicking people over the final 110 meters, but it worked out this time."

Gil wasn't upset with finishing second. He was 17 seconds behind Gunzenhauser at the Red, White & Blue Classic in early September and 19 seconds back of him at the Carlisle Invitational last weekend.

"I'm where I want to be right now," Gil said. "I feel like I'm reeling him in, so I'm pretty excited."

North Allegheny won the boys' A Division title, beating Baldwin, 80-96. Quaker Valley finished third with 111 points.

North Allegheny also won the girls' A title with 121 points. Bethel Park was next at 143, and North Hills was third at 149.

In the B Division races, Riverview's Eddie Grystar won the boys' title with a time of 17:35. Homer Center's Angel Piccirillo was the girls' winner in 20:00. Beaver won the boys' B title, and Northgate won the girls'.

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