BETHLEHEM — Johnathan Condly wobbled slightly, veering to his right, staggering less than 20 feet before the finish.
Climbing the final hill at Thursday’s District 11 Class AA Cross Country Championships, the Jim Thorpe senior had nothing left to give.
He had left almost every atom of energy on the Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course trying to hold off Salisbury senior Kyle Gonoude, the defending champion.
Condly led for most of the race, with Gonoude in close pursuit.
When it came time for the final kick, Gonoude had more in reserve and won his second straight title in 16:32.
Condly, though, still had work to do.
He lurched forward, sometimes bending at the waist, his legs giving way beneath him. Nearly falling twice before the finish, Condly willed himself to stay on his feet. He made it across the finish line in 16:43 and into the arms of support staff who helped him to the medical tent.
Jim Thorpe teammate Dylan Bucior placed third in 17:13, helping the Olympians finish second in the team race with 90 points. Allentown Central Catholic won with 87, but both teams qualified for the PIAA Cross Country Championships, set for Nov. 1 at Hershey’s Parkview Cross Country Course.
The strong headwind and lung- and bone-chilling temperatures exacted a heavy toll on some runners. Medical staff covered a few in a thin aluminum foil-like material in an attempt to raise their body temperature. At least one runner was taken away on a stretcher by ambulance to a nearby medical facility.
Condly was one of the lucky ones. After receiving treatment and recovering for 45 minutes, he recovered enough to talk about the race.
“I really tried to stay out front the whole race,’’ said Condly, deep disappointment causing his voice to break. “My goal was: Don’t let Kyle in front of me. I was just pushing the whole race. I couldn’t keep it at the end. He passed me.
“I tried my hardest. ... as hard as I could go,’’ he added. “That’s what I did, so I couldn’t have done anything else.’’
Later, at the awards ceremony, Condly joined his teammates on stage as the Olympians received their second-place honors. Afterward, Condly stood wearing two silver medals.
Bucior’s bronze-medal effort lifted Jim Thorpe as the top two teams qualified for states as a group. Joining the team at midseason at the urging of other cross country runners, Bucior placed second at leagues and third at districts.
“It felt great. I didn’t know how to react,’’ Bucior said. “I crossed the (finish) line and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I got third!’ ’’
Rounding out the Olympians’ top five were Jake Saxon (16th in 17:59), Ben Saxon (26th in 18:15) and Chris Valdez (43rd in 18:34). Jian Gentile placed 57th in 18:52; Nathan Fields took 97th in 20:38.
Individually, Lehighton’s Michael Blacketter (17:52) earned the 10th and final at-large berth to states.
Despite losing three of its top five runners from 2013 to graduation, Jim Thorpe qualified for states as a team for the second straight season.
“It’s impressive. It’s just a great bunch of kids who work so hard,’’ Olympians coach Drew Benyo said. “It wasn’t what we expected. We didn’t know where the numbers were going to come from, where the people were going to come from, but they did.
“They worked very, very hard,’’ he added. “We had some new kids in we never saw before that did very well for us. They’re an amazing bunch of kids.’’
Class A boys
Led by Sam Brennan’s third-place finish, three Schuylkill Leaguers qualified for states.
Brennan, a Schuylkill Haven senior, ran 18:07 to earn a return trip to Hershey.
“It wasn’t where I thought I’d be, but it was still one of my best races ever,’’ Brennan said. “I achieved my goals.’’
His time, a personal record on this course, was 40 seconds faster than last year’s district time.
Moravian Academy’s Sam Li won the race in 17:42, with Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg’s Mike Sheptuk placing second in 17:45.
NDES captured the team title with 40 points, followed by Moravian Academy (59) and Mahanoy Area (99). Minersville’s two-year reign as team champions ended as the Miners placed sixth.
A pair of Mahanoy Area runners — senior Adam Bahrey and sophomore Matt Derr — also qualified for states. Bahrey finished fifth in 18:21; Derr placed eighth in 18:42. Bahrey was also a state qualifier last season.
Bahrey and Brennan traded the top spot early before Li took over near the 1.5-mile mark.
“At the first mile, I got passed by Adam (Bahrey) from Mahanoy,’’ Brennan said. “We just kept passing each other. It was a good race. He was one of my top competitors here. I really appreciate him pushing me.’’
Now it’s on to states.
“One more week,’’ Brennan said. “I’m pretty happy with the whole season and the whole team. I really am. We really pushed ourselves.’’
Class AAA boys
Easton senior Colin Abert won his third straight district championship, clocking a 15:43.
No Schuylkill League runners competed in this classification.