Joe Ionta had received a Gatorade shower before, but never after a cross country meet.

He got one two weeks ago when his Plum High School boys' team edged Fox Chapel, 25-30, at Boyce Park in Monroeville and won the Section 4-AAA title in the process. Plum finished the section season with an 8-0 record.

"It's our first section title," said Ionta, who has been coaching track and cross country at Plum for 33 years. "Back in the early 1970s Plum had some pretty good teams with outstanding runners and went unbeaten. But they didn't have sections back then.

"So, this is the first time we've won it since they've gone to sections."

While Ionta did not discount the fact that Fox Chapel might nip the Mustangs, he did go to the meet that also included Kiski Area prepared. He took along some extra clothes just in case his happened to get wet.

Plum's success this season didn't just happen. The Mustangs have been building toward a section crown the past couple of years. Last season, Plum was edged by Gateway for the section title.

It could have happened again this year with Fox Chapel as the spoiler. Ionta is quick to point out that five points is a close margin in cross country.

"Had one of their runners exchanged place with one of ours that's a two point swing. That happens twice and you're down to one point," he said. "But our guys knew what they had to do."

That's because Plum is loaded with experience. Ionta said of his first 10 runners, nine are seniors and many have been with the program since they were sophomores.

The Mustangs have also run well at invitationals. They were fourth at the Red, White & Blue Classic at Schenley Park and third at the Gateway Invitational in early September. Earlier this month, they won the boys' title at the Grove City Invitational.

Today, the Mustangs will compete at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association championships at Coopers' Lake Campground. The meet is a warm-up and a preview of the WPIAL championships on the same 3.1-mile course a week from today.

In Rich Addison, Denny Lydon and Bryce Rupp the Mustangs have solid runners. They were within 30 seconds of each other at the Grove City Invitational with Addison second, Lydon sixth and Rupp ninth. Ionta would like to get his next two runners to close the gap on that trio.

If that happens, Plum has a chance for another first this season ... advancing its team to the PIAA championships in Hershey.

"We've taken individuals in the past but never a team," Ionta said. "Of course, we've never won a section title before and you'd better be able to do that if you want to have a chance to go to states."

The top four Class AAA teams at the WPIAL championships advance to the PIAA meet. Baldwin and North Allegheny appear to be the front-runners for the team title with Plum in a group that includes Mt. Lebanon, Canon-McMillan, North Hills, Fox Chapel and Hempfield that will battle for the other two spots.

Ionta knows it won't be easy, but believes his team has a chance to finish in the top four.

"We were ninth last season and we just hope to move up," he said. "If we can get our spread [between the first and fifth finishers] down to a minute and if we can get our No. 1 guy to finish in the top 15, we have a chance."

Matt Betts has come on lately as the Mustangs No. 4 man, while Garrett Blauch and Josh Szurley have taken turns as the fifth and sixth runners.

Ionta said the Tri-State Track Coaches championships today should give Plum a good idea of where it stands. While teams probably won't push the pace like they will at the WPIAL championships, they will still run hard enough to give coaches an idea of what they are up against.

"We'll run it hard but we'll also run it smart," Ionta said. "If you have a runner who isn't feeling good, for what ever reason, you don't want him pushing it in this race."

Regardless of what happens a week from now, Plum will have a section plaque for the trophy case. And there will be a nice banquet down the road.

"We used to have the banquet at the end of the season in my basement," Ionta said. "Now, we go to the Churchill Valley Country Club. Things have changed a little."

In Plum's case, for the better.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.