The Philadelphia Textile Scholastic Classic was founded in 1981 by coach Joe Ryan and continued by Coach Fred Rosenfeld of Philadelphia Textile & Science. At it's peak during it's 10 year reign, the race grew to one of the biggest high school cross country races on the east and drew over 60 teams and 700 athletes to Belmont Plateau in late September each year.

With the end of the Philadelphia Textile Classic in 1990 (due to dc of XC at Phila Textile), Coach Ed Ulmer (Archbishop Ryan) vision was to continue the weekend of high quality high school cross country at Belmont Plateau and created the Briarwood Invitational. ("Briarwood" was used to help promote Coach Rosenfeld's Briarwood Running Camp). Coach Ulmer's son, Ed, designed the logo, with the slogan "I Conquered Parachute Hill" for the back of the race T shirts. Briarwood Invitational became one of the biggest high school races on the East Coast drawing over 1,000 athletes from Pa, NY, NJ, Virginia, MD, Ohio, to Belmont Plateau Park. Many of the top runners on the east coast competed each year in mid September in this meet. The HS Belmont Plateau Course record was often set in this meet.

The race was organized by the parents from Archbishop Ryan /Central HS. The race has a Championship Div (top ranked teams), Div 1 and Div 2 divisions as well as freshmen races. Coach Ed Ulmer managed the race until his retirement in 2016. The long tradition of Briarwood continues under the race management of Coach Greg Bilecki of La Salle. Below is a list of the Championship division top teams and individuals over the years. Since the early years of the races saw some of the best times coming from the "smaller race" division, the list includes both division championship teams and individuals. The Briarwood race continues with La Salle HS acting as host school for the meet.

PHILADELPHIA TEXTILE SCHOLASTIC CLASSIC BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP LIST (1981-1990) (BOTH DIV 1 & 2)

YEAR TEAM CHAMPION INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION (TEAM) TIME

1981 CHERRY HILL EAST (DIV 1) BRUCE MILLER (CHERRY HILL EAST) 14:51 (2.9 MILES UNTIL 1988)

HATBORO-HORSHAM (DIV 2) BOB WILL (HATBORO HORSHAM) 15:33

1982 WEST CHEST EAST (DIV 1) JACK SCHNEIDER (ARCHBISHOP RYAN) 15:00

PAUL VI (DIV 2) PAUL METZGER (PAUL VI) 15:21

1983 ARCHBISHOP BONNER (DIV 1) BILL STEWART (CHERRY HILL EAST) 14:49 MEET RECORD

PAUL VI (DIV 2) TOM FARRELL (HOLY CROSS ) 14:56

1984 ARCHBISHOP WOOD (DIV 1) BILL DONOVAN (MONSIGNOR BONNER) 14:57

PAUL VI (DIV 2) TOM METZGER (PAUL VI) 15:07

1985 NO RECORD OF RESULTS FOR THE RACE

1986 HOLY CROSS (DIV 1) ERIC LORENZ (HOLY CROSS) 15:18

SAINT JAMES (DIV 2) PAUL VANDERGRIFT (KENNEDY) 14:50

1987 HOLY CROSS (DIV 1) SHAWN SCHNEIDER (ARCHBISHOP RYAN) 14:51

HIGHLAND REGIONAL (DIV 2) PHIL MELLOTT (OJ ROBERTS) 15:12

1988 WEST SPRINGFIELD (VA.)(DIV 1) BRIAN WOODBURY (WEST SPRINGFIELD) 14:37 MEET RECORD

PAUL VI (DIV 2) JASON DI JOSEPH (PAUL VI) 14:27 MEET RECORD

1989 WEST SPRINGFIELD (DIV 1) ANTHONY STEWART (DELCASTLE) 16:34 (COURSE DISTANCE IS 5,000 METER)

PAUL VI (DIV 2) TIM SHANAHAN (HADDONFIELD) 16:33 NEW MEET RECORD FOR 5,000 M.

1990 COUNCIL ROCK (DIV 1) JOSH D'ANGELO (HAVERFORD) 16:53

BRIARWOOD INVITATIONAL BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION CHAMPIONS LIST

YEAR TEAM CHAMPION INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION (TEAM) TIME

1991 ARCHBISHOP WOOD BRENDAN BENNER (MONSIGNOR BONNER) 16:31# ** FIRST YEAR AS BRIARWOOD

1992 COUNCIL ROCK BRENDAN BENNER (MONSIGNOR BONNER) 16:40

1993 COUNCIL ROCK SHAWN MCELHAUGH (COUNCIL ROCK) 16:43&

1994 PAUL VI JOE DIGIACOMO (PAUL VI) 16:43

1995 COUNCIL ROCK SCOTT TANTINO (NORTH PENN) 15:59.6 (BREAKS CR OF BRENDAN BENNER 16:04)

1996 COUNCIL ROCK CHRIS DUGAN (SOUTHLAND) 15:48.5 (NEW COURSE & MEET RECORD)

1997 NORTH PENN DAN COVAL(COUNCIL ROCK) 15:48.9

1998 CHAMINADE (NY) DAN COVAL (COUNCIL ROCK) 15:59

1999 CHAMINADE (NY) DAN COVAL (COUNCIL ROCK) 15:50

2000 CHAMINADE (NY) DAVID ATKISS (NORTH PENN) 16:11

2001 COUNCIL ROCK MIKE DIDIO (COUNCIL ROCK) 16:11

2002 HUNTERDON CENTRAL JON FOX (HUNTERDON CENTRAL) 16:12

2003 MAINLAND STEVE HALLINAN (CARDINAL O'HARA) 15:42 (MEET RECORD)

2004 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH KEVIN MCDERMOTT (CHAMINADE) 16:32

2005 CARDINAL O'HARA GREG THOMAS (CARDINAL O'HARA) 15:57

2006 HENDERSON CHRIS ALDRICH (HENDERSON) 15:58

2007 HATBORO HORSHAM CHRIS BODARY (BISHOP SHANAHAN) 15:48

2008 W.WINDSOR NORTH JOE ROSA (W. WINDSOR NORTH) 15:33 (MEET & COURSE RECORD)

2009 W. WINDSOR NORTH JOE ROSA (W. WINDSOR NORTH) 15:19 (MEET & COURSE RECORD)

2010 TATNALL TOM TRAINOR (LA SALLE) 16:10

2011 CARDINAL O'HARA DUSTIN WILSON (CHESTNUT HILL) 15:39

2012 CARDINAL O'HARA SHEARN BRENDAN (NORTH SCHUYLKILL) 15:41

2013 CARDINAL O'HARA ROSS WILSON (COUNCIL ROCK NORTH) 15:51

2014 MALVERN PREP JAXSON HOEY (MALVERN PREP) 15:30

2015 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST JAKE BROPHY (CENTRAL BUCKS EAST) 16:07

2016 CARDINAL O'HARA LIAM GALLIGAM (SPRINGFIELD-DELCO) 16:06

#Fastest time of the day came from the Div 2 race by Mark des Garennes (Lansdale Catholic) 16:21

& Fastest time of the day came from the Div 2 race by Russell Coleman (Hatboro Horsham) 16:40

PHILADELPHIA TEXTILE SCHOLASTIC CLASSIC GIRLS CHAMPIONS LIST (DIV 1 & DIV 2) (1981-1990)

YEAR TEAM CHAMPION INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION (TEAM) TIME

1981 HAVERFORD MARGYERUTE HIGGINS (CARDINAL O'HARA) 18:04 (COURSE IS 2.9 MILES)

1982 COUNCIL ROCK WENDY WESTPHAL (HIGHLAND REGIONAL) 17:34

1983 COUNCIL ROCK LORI WATSON (CHERRY HILL EAST) 17:17 MEET RECORD

1984 COUNCIL ROCK SHARON TARASKA (COUNCIL ROCK) 17:43

1985 NO RECORD OF FINISH RESULTS

1986 HAVERFORD (DIV 1) KIM SADDIC (WEST CHESTER HENDERSON) 17:43

SUN VALLEY (DIV 2) MELISSA BENNER (GYNEDD MERCY) 16:55 Breaks Kim Gallagher (Upper Dub) CR 16:58

1987 CARDINAL O'HARA (DIV 1) JEN KEEFE (BISHOP SHANAHAN) 17:49

PADULA ACADEMY (De) (DIV2) KIM SADDIC (WEST CHESTER HENDERSON) 17:14

1988 HUNTERDON CENTRAL (DIV 1) DANA DIETZ (COUNCIL ROCK) 17:51

OCEAN CITY (DIV 2) MELISSA BENNER (GYNEDD MERCY) 17:28

1989 PENNSYBURY (DIV 1) ALYSIA DIETZ (COUNCIL ROCK) 20:22 (COURSE LENGTHENED TO 5,000M)

GWYNEDD MERCY(DIV 2) FRANCIS LORD (CENTRAL) 19:33 Meet Record

1990 NORTH PENN (DIV 1) TERRY CARROLL (CARDINAL O'HAR) 20:58

BRIARWOOD INVITATIONAL GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION CHAMPIONS LIST

YEAR TEAM CHAMPION INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION (TEAM) TIME

1991 COUNCIL ROCK KRISTIN WILLIAMS (COUNCIL ROCK) 19:53 # (COURSE IS 5,000 METERS)

1992 NORTH PENN KAREN HAUCK (BISHOP SHANAHAN) 20:04

1993 SHAWNEE LIZ MOORE (SHAWNEE) 19:29

1994 HUNTENDON CENTRAL DONNA FIDLER (NORRISTOWN) 18:56* (NEW COURSE AND MEET RECORD)

1995 SHAWNEE AUTUMN FOGG (HUTENDON CENTRAL 19:19

1996 NORTH PENN MEGHAN GANEY (RIDGE) 19:36

1997 SHAWNEE SHEILA KLICK (ARCHBISHOP PRENDERGAST) 19:06

1998 SHAWNEE KATIE NOWAK (COATSVILLE) 19:49

1999 NAZARETH ACADEMY MAUREEN MCCNDLESS (NAZARETH) 19:41

2000 PEARL RIVER (NY) JULIE PUDLIN (BALDWIN) 18:32*(BREAKS SHEILA KLICK (PRENDIE) CR

2001 COUNCIL ROCK JESSICA CICKAY (COUNCIL ROCK) 19:23

2002 NORTH PENN KATIE KELLY (CARDINAL O'HARA) 19:33

2003 HATBORO HORSHAM AMY KELLY (SAINT HUBERT) 18:59

2004 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT KATE VERNON (GWYNEDD MERCY) 19:36

2005 CARDINAL O'HARA BETH KELLY (CARDINAL O'HARA) 19:32

2006 CARDINAL O'HARA AMANDA BASCELLI (ARCHBISHOP CARROLL) 19:55

2007 TATNALL (DE) CELISSA FRICK (STRATH HAVEN) 19:16

2008 HADDONFIELD MEGHAN SMITH (PADUA) 18:52

2009 ARLINGTON (NY) HALEY MCMAHON (ARLINGTON) 19:14

2010 TATNALL (DE) MEGAN VENABLES (HIGHLAND REGIONAL) 17:39* (MEET & COURSE RECORD)

2011 PENNSBURY MEGAN LACY (CHEROKEE) 18:04

2012 LENAPE REGIONAL KARA STEINKE (METHACTON) 18:49

2013 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST ELIZABETH HUUKI (CENTRAL BUCKS EAST) 19:37

2014 CARDINAL O'HARA BRIANA GESS (HADDONFIELD) 18:40

2015 SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER OLIVIA ARIZIN (CARDINAL O'HARA) 19:25

2016 CARDINAL O'HARA ARIANA GARDIZY (NORTH PENN) 19:46

& 1990 The fastest time of the day was run by Mirjam Pietersma (Ocean City) 20:41

# 1991 The fastest time of the day was run by Jessica Avila (Great Valley) 19:50

** BOYS AND GIRLS RACES ARE HELD ON THE BELMONT PLATEAU 5,000 METER CROSS COUNTRY COURSE **

Belmont Plateau Cross Country Hall of Fame

611 Jamestown Street

Philadelphia , Pa 19128

Dave Thomas, Founder and President

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