Top 10 Teams

These are who I believe are the top 10 teams going into next years XC season.

Tonight I will post a list like Etrain did with just the Names and #'s to make it easier to see the lists for both individuals and teams.

Lastly, I talked with the blog owner and he/she will most likely not be doing blogging at all and I'll be taking over the account for the most part. The person will remain anonymous still.

Top 10 Teams 2013 XC Season

1. West Chester Henderon: They have the Returning State Champion, a two time All-American, 4 All-Americans, and they’re the returning state champions in XC. What more could you ask for? Oh wait, about 14 guys with the potential to make varsity. This team has such extreme depth that they would still contend for the title with injuries to Russell and Barchet (Reiny). Obviously I hope this doesn’t happen. These guys could be as good as ’06 Coatesville and if everything goes well they’ll be competing for a national championship. Crossing my fingers here, cause I’d love to see 4 or 5 medalists at the state meet from them and I think it’s possible.

2. North Allegheny: The one team with a chance at stopping Henderson from willing. Let’s look at the past two years—O’Hara was the team to beat these past two years, and both times they ended up losing in a tie breaker. Granted, Henderson looked to be on that level, but after losing 36-92 to Henderson at Briarwood things weren’t looking great for them, yet they pulled it off. When it comes to NA I have 2 questions. 1) Where is Mike Meehan? He was just a sophomore last season and was a second behind McGoey at the PCCI and was the top guy for NA at the PIAA Foundation meet placing 6^th overall. If he is back and the team is anything like their 14 second spread (without Zemet) that they had at the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Invitational, they may just upset Henderson. That leads to my second question) How close will their spread be? All season they were under 20 seconds, but completing that at the state meet is very difficult. They fell apart a bit at the state meet, but still managed to finish 4^th. They’re all a year older now and this experience could help them to that. Last teams to have such small spreads were ’06 Coatesville and ’96 Council Rock. If they want to win they’ll need to do so.

3. Cardinal O’Hara: Going into the past two season’s O’Hara has been one of the top two teams and finished 2^nd on tie breakers. They’re going to have to work really hard and get lucky to finish top 2 again this season, but they do have great pieces despite the loss of 3 in their top 4. Kevin James is one of the best runners in the state and Belfatto is a great #2. Nick Smart was injured during XC last season, but he’s a 1:55 strength guy who could break into the top 50. Christian Donnelly and Drew Pastore traded off spots quite a bit last year and both will need to step up to push O’Hara into the top 2. Overall this is a squad that has 5 solid runners which is more than most teams in the state currently have.

4. Lower Dauphin: This team returns its top 4 and they have a lot of room to grow on last season. Cole Nissley and Jeff Groh are a great 1-2 tandem and their 3-4 guys from last season, Josh Santeusanio and Josh Weidner, both ran solid at the state meet. They seem to be the top team in district 3 right now, and coming out of a strong district like that on top is always helpful. There 6-7 guys are also returning which provides them with a greater depth than most teams. Weidner seemed to take the next step this spring with a 4:30 1600 and Jack Mulligan started to catch up with the group. Groh will have to reprove himself in XC after he asserted himself this spring track season.

5. Council Rock North: I thought Brian Arita was 50^th, sorry about that, and maybe you can rag me for putting these guys in the 5^th position, but hear me out. Ross Wilson is a fantastic front man; Arita and Griswold have both started coming into their own and are in great position to break out next season. Jesse Laitman was 17:13 at districts and he’ll be moving onto the varsity squad. Rob Simmons will be running XC for the first time and he’ll be the biggest question mark on the top 5. He ran fantastic relay splits, but wasn’t great in open races. I think of XC in many ways to a relay squad because you’re running for a top 5 spot on your team and low points. Again, this is a team with a great front runner, a solid 2-3 punch and a 4-5 that should be decent enough to get them out of district 1.Plus they have historically great coaching.

6. Great Valley: Much like 06’ when Coatesville was dominant beyond imagine, the Ches-Mont league was extremely strong. This could be the case again. GV has a shot to prove themselves again as a top squad in PA. Lead by Matt Willig who looks to verify his prowess as an XC force they have a really strong pack behind him. Doran hit 9:03 at the Yale relays but never got close afterwards and Zatlin (9:41 3200) has battled injuries the past two years. Both guys are waiting to break out. Behind that they have two 4:41 1600 guys in Peter Flanagan and Sam Marano. Both will need to prove themselves in XC, but have strong potentials. Kyle Kilroy will also be back for XC, I don’t believe he runs track, and was their 6^th man last season. If this pack can come together being Willig they very well could pass CRN.

7. State College Area: They’ve got a real nice front runner in Cather (4:22/1:55) and there spread 2-5 last season was under 30 seconds. If they can keep this up with their top 6 guys returning you might see SC become a force at the state meet. I don’t know too much about the guys on this team, but they really could be a top 3 team if they keep improving. It all depends on how fast there 2-5 can be at the state meet. They didn’t make it last season which makes it tough to really predict where they will be for XC. Here are some quick stats though: Sam Bollinger 4:33/1:58, Kyle Adams (#2 last year) 1:57, Matt Beyerle 4:48/10:01, Alex Milligan: 4:44/10:07. Most were underclassman, so if they can make the sophomore to junior jump we may see this team climb the list very quickly.

8. Tunkhannock: It’s rare a AA team gets on the list, but they had a 34 second spread last year at states and they return their top 4 and their 6^th man Jacob Toczko who was just a freshman and right behind their track stud Alex Nole. This group should continue to improve together and with a 40 second spread of less they should take the AA title quite easily. Hopefully they get into some big XC meets to prove themselves against these AA teams, since they have a solid 5 guys unlike many teams on this list. Toczko is another freshman to look for as he ran 4:51 and 10:35 which are real solid marks for a freshman. If he takes the next step and even leads this group they’ll be golden and maybe a top 5 team in PA.

9. Fox Chapel: Behind WCH they easily have the best 1-2 punch in the state with the Martin twins. Scoring 10 points or so with two guys is always helpful when it comes to team scoring. Behind them are juniors Elias Graca and Aaron Bliss. Both were only 18 flat last season on the Hershey course, but if they can push each other, and with the help of the Martin twins they could both really improve. FC will still need a 5^th man that could come through in Chris Good (10:41 3200), but these 3 still have a long way to go.

10. West Chester East: Cummings, Diestelow, and Dages. This is a wonderful top 3 that will serve WCE quite well. There 4-7 graduated though which is a big hit to this team. I’ve heard rumors about Ryan Orr (jr ) being a solid #4 who was injured in XC and didn’t run track, but they’ll need more than that if they want to make it to states. The biggest thing they have on their side is a lot of competition on a daily basis in the Ches-Mont league. Guys could step out of the woodwork for them.

Teams to Just miss the list: Abington Heights (return 1-5 and missed states by 1 point), North Penn, Pennsbury, William Penn Charter, and Hempfield.

That's all for now Folks!

--ForrestCRN

XC Predictions: Top 50 and MORE

After over 12 hours of research, 7 pages of writing, and 4,500 words here is the long awaited XC Top 50 Predictions!!! I will be putting up the top 10 teams with explanation's out tomorrow or Thursday. I've got some idea's but not everything is locked in yet.

Let me know what you think and tell me how wrong I really am :) And please keep commenting and posting your own top 25's or 50's!

1. Tony Russell, Sr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) – There have only been two repeat AAA champions in the past two decades and both were exceptional runners: Danny Coval and Craig Miller. I think Russell has a 33.3% chance of joining this small group. He’s the strongest of any guy in the field, fantastic coaching, and great work ethic. The state course makes it difficult for guys to repeat and so many things can happen on any given day, but I believe he’s the top XC runner in the state of Pennsylvania. He wasn’t as mind blowing on the track as he is in XC, but 4:12 split for a mile and 9:08 with a good bit of leading in the 3200 is no joke. He’s the Hershey course record holder and defending NXNE Regional champ, it’s tough to bet against this guy.
2. Ross Wilson, Sr Council Rock North (1AAA) – I’m sure I’ll get ragged on for this pick, but Ross Wilson is the most motivated guy in the state right now. Russell, Brehm, Martin all have state titles, and he’s hungry to join that group. I think he’ll end up doing it in the 3200 outdoors, but just falling short in cross. He’s grown his speed running 4:17 for 1600 and has one of the top times in the 3200. Etrain continually said he couldn’t keep running hard, but the man ran 8:29, 9:09, 4:17/9:21 double, 9:14 district win, and 9:12 at the state meet. He’s a tank and comes from a program of great coaching and history. I think he goes to nationals as well placing 5^th at Footlocker.

 3. Zach Brehm, Jr Carlisle (3AAA)—After running the top Mile time in PA as only a sophomore and winning the 800 at states, Brehm looks to continue the trend and be the 3^rd junior in a row to win the AAA XC state title. His 9:18 is a solid mark, but he’s the 5^th returning So, and has to prove himself on the hills. The kid is crazy talented, but I don’t see him taking down the title. I’m sure I’ll regret this decision later on. I think he takes 3^rd at states, but ends up going to nationals in a 8^th place finish at regionals, if he pans out as an XC runner. If not, he could fall as ‘low’ as 15^th at the state meet.

4.  Kevin James, Jr Cardinal O’Hara (12AAA) – Hunger + Redemption = A great combination for high success. Kevin James no longer has hopes at a team title as he did the past two years, but instead will be pushing to win a title of his own individually. Without guys like Savage and Pitone in front of him will and team aspirations, will he have the drive to succeed as he has this past season? I believe he does. James know how to get it done and became the spot light this past season unlike many underclassman who are in the shadows of their senior counterparts. He may have a better shot than Brehm to take the title as a Jr.

 5. Ethan Martin, Sr Fox Chapel (7AAA) – 3200m State Champ and was a double gold winner at WPAIL’s for the 1600 and 3200 over his twin brother and Kennedy. I want to say it’s Colin’s time to shine, but Ethan seems to be a few steps ahead both with speed and strength as he threw down a 28 closing 200 at states. He placed 5^th last year and is the 3^rd returner. Having his brother to train with everyday won’t allow him to slack at all after his recent success, as Colin will be gunning for him. This will keep him sharp and ready for XC, but don’t be too surprised if his brother steps it up.

6.  Brent Kennedy, Sr Kiski Area (7AAA) – I don’t know why, but I have no clue what to do with Kennedy. He’s a FL finalist, 15:03 5k on the track, 4:17 mile, and 9:13 3200. He was second to Russell last year and is a very strong runner. I’ve always been fairly up on Kennedy, but for some reason I’ve got my doubts on where to place him and I’ve got an odd feeling he’ll be like Jaskowak and underachieve in XC compared to the year before. He’s as hungry as Wilson I’m sure. I’m truly hoping he proves me wrong, because if a senior is going to take the title from Russell I think he’s got the best shot of doing so.

7. Reiny Barchet, Sr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) – The only XC All-American from PA is ranked 7^th?!?! Am I crazy? Well…  I might be. With such an amazing squad, that could be as good as the Coatesville team from ’06 he’ll have tons of motivation for this season. His list of credentials is as long as his teammate Tony Russell, and if they 1-2 at the state meet I wouldn’t be shocked. He started to burn at the end of outdoor; probably due to the extended seasons, but with some time off he’ll be back for his primary sport: XC. He’s got a big dog to chase, so he doesn’t have the spot light and this could open up an opportunity for him to take the individual state title away from his teammate, mush like Quinn did to Hibbs two years ago.

8. Sam Webb, Jr Pennsbury (1AAA) – How many times can a junior run sub 4:20 for 1600 and 9:14 for 3200, be a multi-state medalist as a sophomore and somehow be 3^rd in his class? Yeah, these guys are ridiculous, but so his Sam Webb. His training partner and mentor, Connor Harriman, is now gone which does bother me a bit, but Webb has his eyes on state gold and he’s got competition on all levels whether its dual meets with Wilson or trying to become the top Jr in PA. He’ll be ready to roll and he’s got a solid group behind him looking for a top 5 XC finish after missing out on making it to states last year.

9.  Jake Brophy, So Central Bucks East (1AAA)—Yes, I know, Jake Brophy, a Sophomore is in my top 10 list. It hasn’t happened since Vince McNally in ’05. Abert was 12^th this past year as the top So, but Brophy was just 5 seconds off medaling last season and is a gutsy runner. The first 3200 he ran at Helman was a 9:43, he went out in 5:00 with Brian Arita and then dropped a 4:43. He then improved that time with a 9:32 finish at districts. Sam Webb ran that and finished 14^th at XC the next season, but Brophy has a bigger XC background. With the solid coaching of Paul Wilson (yes father of Ross Wilson), Brophy will look to begin to make his dents in PA history.

10. Dominic Deluca, Sr Dallas (2AA)—Deluca placed second last year at Foundations to Harriman’s big kick, but was nicked by an injury and placed 11^th at AA states last XC season. He is the top returner in AA, and oh… he silently ran 9:13 for 3200 at the Henderson Distance festival this spring. He will be looking to take on the mantle of the great AA runners from last season, and I think he will step up to do so. Don’t look for something amazing at states, but he’ll be in the mix with these top guys throughout the season at XC meets all over.

11. Colin Martin, Sr Fox Chapel (7AAA) – Being the twin of a state champion is always tough, but he’s almost at his brother’s level. He’ll be looking to prove himself after a breakout spring season. FC has two up and coming juniors and with one more piece they’ll be a force. He’ll be looking to finish top 5 with his brother at the state meet.

12. Colin Abert, Jr Easton (11AAA) – Well how about that, this was his place in last year’s XC state meet as he finished as the top sophomore, and now I’ve got him ranked 4^th in his class. This may be my biggest mistake on this list. Abert went out really hard and Etrain and I both thought he would die, but he ran strong the whole race. He’s really gutsy and added a 4:20 1600 to his credentials this past spring season. He didn’t make much noise in the 3k or 3200 (9:40), but I’d have to imagine he’ll find his way into the top 10 at AAA states.

13. Sam Ritz, Jr Germantown Academy (Independent League) – Sam as under his old brother Ben’s shadow all year until his breakout race at the distance festival where he ran 4:11 for a full mile. He’s also got a 9:22 3200 under his belt. He’ll be in the spot light now, which does scare me a bit, but I think his talent will propel him to be an XC stud. It’ll be tough to show how good he truly is, but I hope he places well at regionals. I doubt he’ll have what it takes to get to nationals though.

14. Matt McGoey, Jr North Allegheny (7AAA) – NA will be gunning for WCH this season and McGoey will be leading the charge. He had a poor race last year at states, but stepped up this spring season with a 9:23 3200. I think he’ll be the one to step up and lead this really tight pack.

15. Aaron Gebhart, Jr New Oxford (3AAA) – It’s easy to be over looked when you’re in a class of 3 Sophomore XC medalist’s and a 4:09 So Miler, but Gebhart has silently improved and placed well in both XC and in spring track. He was 28^th at states in XC (16:33) and ran 9:32 in the 3200. He will need a big jump to keep up with his fellow classmates, but he should still be a force in District 3 and a state medalist in AAA.

16. Jeremy Parsons, Sr Maplewood (10A) - Top returning A runner after placing 5^th last season. A was really quite strong last year, but this division lost a lot of great guys, we’ll see if he can step up to prove that A is worthy of recognition once again. In the spring he didn’t run very much, but does have a 9:45 3200 to his name, and it seems he will be a factor again in the A scene. (16:28 @ states). His twin brother Jake had an off-day at states and could very well be a top finisher. Watch out for this duo.

17. Griffin Molino, Jr South Williamsport (4A) – Molino was 8^th in A last season and was overshadowed in District 4 by Williams and Jewett. Now that they have left he’ll be taking the spotlight. He really broke out this spring running 9:26 for 3200 and 4:24 for 1600. I think he’s got a great shot at being the second A state champion in state history.  (16:36 @ states).

18. Cole Nissley, Sr Lower Dauphin (3AAA) – On an LD team of some up and down runners, Cole Nissley has proved to be extremely consistent. He finished 6^th at districts and came back to place 33^rd at the state meet. It’s always tough to complete that back-to-back. He and Groh will be a force in district 3 and they hope to lead LD to a top 5 finish at the state meet.

19. Christian Kardish, Sr Holy Ghost Prep (1AA) – Kardish was out most of last XC season due to an onset on Mono. He recovered quite nicely and in spring going 4:20 for 1600. He was a 4:18 guy as a sophomore and ran well in XC before the mono and I think he’ll be out to prove himself as a senior. HGP has had some very successful runners recently and I think he competes for a AA title.

20. Eric Stratman, Sr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) –Stratman will very likely be there #3 as he has 4:19 1600 and 9:28 3200 to his name. He was there #3 at Ches-Mont’s but 6^th at states, his high positioning gave them the win. But with this teams depth even a guy like him could be fighting to stay on the varsity team.

21. Matt Willig, Sr Great Valley (1AAA) – Hmmm, what to say about Matt Willig… He seems to always step it up at the best times. Right when I start thinking that he’ll be a bust, he does something like place 29^th at the state meet.

22. Jim Belfatto, Sr Cardinal O’Hara (12 AAA) – Belfatto was fairly unheard of until his amazing 9:22 on the track in XC last season before regionals. He went on to run some solid 1600’s and 8’s indoors and outdoors. It seemed that he sacrificed a lot to try and help the O’Hara relays that sadly never panned out. With his focus this season on longer distances, much like Logue, we could very well see him explode. He’s a strength runner which is great for XC and he’ll be looking to help O’Hara back to the state meet.

23. Ben Szuhaj, Jr Penn Charter (Independent League) – Ben ran very well at XC regionals for a sophomore and his 9:00 3k in December really impressed me, but he fell off the map until the Henderson distance festival where he ran 8:51 for 3k. He could be coming into his own and if so he’ll be a real force next season and may be battling with Sam Ritz.

24. Aiden Demko, Jr Hershy (3AAA) – It’s tough coming out of District 3 and running well at the state meet. Todaro was able to do it, but Demko may have lost a lot of deserved credit after placing 12^th at districts and then 85^th at the state meet. He beat Gebhart, but didn’t have a great track season, only running 9:43 for 3200. He’s going to have to step it up to be considered as a top jr, but still has great potential with a good running partner in Will Sponaugle.

25. Mike Meehan, Sr North Allegheny (7AAA) – He was the top guy for NA before getting injured before WPIAL’s last XC season. He didn’t run in winter or spring to my knowledge and it could have been a stress fracture. I think he comes back and helps bring the NA squad close to Henderson at states. If he doesn’t end up coming back they’ll have a tough time doing it.

26. Patrick Reilly, Sr Dallastown (3AAA)- He placed second at Districts last year, but had a bad race at the state meet. He only ran 9:35 for 3200 this spring, but he’s always performed better during XC.

27. Jeff Groh, Lower Dauphin (3AAA) – Groh was the district 3 XC champ two years ago as just a sophomore, but he had major issues in XC last season. He came back well on the track running 4:16 and 9:23. He could very well be in shape to place top 10 at the state meet, especially with a great partner in Nissley. I’m still a bit hesitant to put him any higher, but he could easily move up on this list.

28. Sam Haugh, Jr West Chester Henderson (1AAA)—Here begins the WCH pack. Honestly, I hate having to pick one guy over the other for this team as anyone could step up for them to take a spot 3-7. Haugh got injured before regionals, but was there #4 man at states and Ches-Mont’s for XC. It seems to be his sport and he’ll be looking to gain that back this season.

29. Cordon Louco, Sr North Allegheny (7AAA) – Louco made some major improvements as a junior and he’ll be the big senior leader on this NA squad. He ran 9:29 for 3200 and was very consistent throughout XC and track this past year.

30. Seamus Collins, Jr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) – And now it seems we round out Henderson’s top 5. Collins looked to be a great 1200 with fantastic strength indoors and the start of outdoors until he faded while Moy and Stratman came on the scene. I think he comes up big during XC for them and runs some strong times.

31. Aaron Benka, Jr Grove City (10AA)- Benka is the next man in line to be a great Grove City runner after recent success stories like Jaskowak and Kildoo. This coaching staff knows how to mold runners and both guys had big breakout seasons as Jr’s and Benka is hoping to do the same. Look for him to be competing for a top 3 spot in AA. (18^th @ AA States in 16:53)

32. Dominic Hockenberry, So Lake-Lehman (2AA)- Very few freshmen break the 17:00 mark at the XC state meet, but he was able to do so. Hopefully this young man continues to improve on his already obvious talent. (22^nd at AA States in 16:56)

33. Chris Kazanjian, Sr Penncrest (1AAA) – Chris shocked a lot of people, even myself, with a huge race at XC states placing 20^th. I was hoping this would be the start of a breakout career for him, but he was quite silent on the track. He’ll be looking to bounce back and prove he’s worthy of medaling again in a very deep AAA field.

34. Joesph Logue, Sr Pennridge (1 AAA) – Logue has never seemed like much of an XC guy, but he showed great speed in the 1500 with a 3:55. As he has grown and now has no relay teams to work with, I believe he’ll be moving up in distance to the 1600. This XC season will be giving him the base and I think he’ll be upping millage. This could be a bust, but Logue is a hard, driving worker and I believe he’ll be successful with this change.

35. Eric Diestelow, Jr West Chester East (1AAA) – Wasn’t totally sure were to put Diestelow on this list. He’s an XC stud for sure, but didn’t have a breakout track season. He’s a year older and most guys’ breakout as juniors. I think he can really blossom this XC season and will be fighting for a medal at the state meet.

36. William Cather, Sr State College (6AAA) – Cather really broke out in the 800 both indoors and outdoors until he was plagued with an injury around his district meet. He had a disappointing finish last XC season, taking only 68^th place in 17:01, but he looks to turn around his luck with a new year.

37. Brandon Bilotta, Sr La Salle (12AAA)- Most of La Salle has graduated, leaving Bilotta and Sophomore Patrick Grant. He ran well indoors and outdoors in the longer distances and seems to be an XC guy. With 9:25 3200 credentials and sub 2 800, he’ll be trying to lead this team back to states in what should be a battle for the District 12 championship.

38. Kyle Francis, Sr Bensalem (1AAA) – As a breakout 800 start with a couple 1:51 splits Francis could very well become an XC star. He has made it to states the past two season and usually surprises at districts on a fast course. I bet he can place top 10 or 15 in district 1, but it’ll be tougher for him to medal at states due to hills. He may prove me wrong, and if he does he’s got top 20 potential. He was 57^th a year ago.

39. Nathan Sloan, Sr Hampton (3AAA) – I really liked what Sloan did this outdoor season as he dropped a 4:19 1600 and a 9:43 3200 on the double from a 4:24 early in the season. He seems to be a strength runner and that will greatly aid him for XC.

40. Brad Wilt, Jr  Biglerville (3A)- Wilt stepped up at states last year in XC for a 12^th place finish in A and he’s looking to continue that success this season. He won D3 AA in the 1600 with a 4:28 effort, along with his got the XC credentials he may have a big breakout season.

41. Chris Cummings, Sr West Chester East (1AAA) – Cummings was a real stud in XC for WCE as he placed 40^th at states. He had a tougher time on the track running 4:35 and 9:35, which is solid, but up to par with his XC times. He’ll be with some great training partners in Dages and Diestelow (whose name I’m hoping to be able to spell by the end of this year!) and I could see him climbing up this list.

42. Kevin Moy, Sr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) – A 4:16/1:55 guy only 42^nd on this list and 6^th on his team? That’s what you get with WCH. Moy may not even be on the top 7, but after a huge breakout this spring he may also be making his way up this list by the end of the season.

43. Billy Caldwell, Sr Downingtown West (1AAA) – Caldwell really impressed me at the end of the track season with his 4:20 mile and 1:55 800. He was 65^th at states last season and he’ll be working off this momentum.

44. Seamus Love, Jr North Allegheny (7AAA) – Love ran a 4:28 mile and 10:36 3200 on the track and he’s in a tight working pack. Look for him to continue improving with the help of his teammates this XC season.

45. Aaron Lauer, Sr Red Land (3AAA) – Lauer was 64^th a year ago in XC and he added a 4:21 1600 to his name this spring season. He’ll be looking to improve into the mid to low 30’s in AAA or even grab himself a medal during XC.

46. Alex Knapp, Jr West Chester Henderson (1AAA) – Yes, I think that Henderson will have all 7 of their guys in the top 50. I have no idea if Knapp will be the one to cap off this group as Gordy Barchet and company look to grab spots of their own on this varsity squad. Knapp was 7^th man a year ago and I thought it was only fair to put him on this list.

47. Brian Arita, Jr Council Rock North (1AAA) – Here comes my CRN bias again, but Arita is ready to explode. He wants to add himself to the list of top juniors in the state. He’s got a lot of work to do, but I think he makes his way onto this list. He’s got multiple 9:59 3200 clocking to his name, but he’s really no track guy. CRN runners are known to break out as juniors and he wants to put his team back in that top 3 spot for XC states.

48. Scott Seel, Jr North Allegheny (7AAA) – Seel was 45^th last year during XC, but only ran the 800 at track invitational’s this spring. This does worry me a bit, which is why he’s ranked as there 5^th guy. Not sure if NA will hold all 5 guys on this list and I may be giving them and WCH too much credit, but I do like the spreads of both teams and if you’ve got a 14 second spread, it’s hard to have 1 on the list without the other 4

49. Chris Kienzle, Sr Kennett (1AAA) – He’ll have a ton of competition coming out of the ches-mont league which is as strong as ever this year. Kienzle has 4:28 and 9:43 to his name and looks to make his way to the state meet out of a tough district one.

50. Jacob Connors, Jr Wilson (3AAA) – Connors is only an XC guy, but was able to run 17:03 at states for a 71^st place finish. If he can have a breakout season he’ll be in great shape for a medal run.

People to just miss the List in no particular order:

·         Trevor Blackwell, Jr New Castle (3AAA)

·         Jared Luckanitz, Jr Governor Mifflin (3AAA)

·         Jeffery Wiseman, Sr Council Rock South (1AAA)

·         Dylan Butera, Sr Strath Haven D1 AAA

·         Joe Sullivan, Sr Mrg Bonner (12AA)

·         Christian Donnelly, Sr Cardinal O’Hara (12AAA)

·         Alexander Balla, Sr Quakertown (1AAA)

·         Doran and Zatlin of Great Valley (1AAA)

Other A contenders:

·  Greg Wagner, Sr Jenkintown (1A) - Won District 1 A in 16:29 over Tom Seykora.

·    New Hope-Solebury returns there whole squad. (5 sr’s, a jr and so)

·   Gary Olson, Jr North East (10A) – Olson looks to step out of Smathers’ light this season after beating him at districts in XC last year. Smathers had a big Jr year, let’s see if he can do the same.

Other AA contenders:

·  Kyle Gonoude, Jr Salisbury (11AA) – Placed 16^th @ AA States in 16:52

·   Bo Dinger, Jr Punxsutawney (9AA)-  Placed 19^th @ AA States in 16:53

·   Kyle Shinn, Jr Wyomissing Area (3AA) – Placed 25^th @ AA States in 17:00. He’s the top returner in District 3 AA.

·   William Kachman, So Bedford High (5AA) – Placed 30^th @ AA States in 17:07. He also placed 4^th in the district 6 championships combined race. Also has another sophomore training partner in Zane Baker.

Potential Breakout Sophomores

·Jake Susalla, So Plum (7AAA)- Was 16^th at WPIAL’s last XC season as a freshman and ran 17:25 at states.

·  Kyle Ortiz, So Archbishop Wood (12AA) – Placed 5^th last season at districts. ABW has had some solid guys in the past.

·  Joeseph Pisacano, So St Joes Prep (12AAA)- Placed 15^th last season at districts.

·  Matt Murry, So Dunmore (2AA) – Ran 17:11 at XC states

·  Levi Upham, So Northeast Bradford (4A) – He’s got big shoes to fill now that Jewett and Williams are gone, but they are good mentors and I think he will be successful in the future.

·  Patrick Grant, So La Salle (12AAA) – Ran 4:31 for 1600 along with some solid 1200 legs indoors. They’ve got a great program and he’s got the potential to break out this season.

·  Dan Quigley, So Freedom (11AAA) – Was 5^th at districts and will be chasing Abert this season. He’s on a young Freedom team, who are returning 5 of their top 6. Look to see them back at states and possibly a top 10 finish in AAA.

· Stephen Baime, So North Allegheny (7AAA) – If Mike Meehan doesn’t return he’ll be needed to step up as will Chang (Sr) and McClure (Sr). Baime may be able to do major damage if he pans out well.
-- Thanks to a poster I learned about Rob Morro, So Cardinal O'Hara (12AAA) -- Totally over looked this kid as O'Hara had so many pieces last season. He dropped a 4:25 1500 and 9:56 for 3200. It's rare that freshman break 10 flat and usually means good things to come. He could be huge for O'Hara.

That's all for Now Folks!

--ForrestCRN

And We're Back!!!

I have just returned from my trip to Spain and Morocco and I must say that it was an unreal experience. I've learned a lot and for all of you high schooler's if you have the ability to study abroad or take a Gap Year/Wuff, I would highly recommend it. But you don't need to hear about my trip... I think we all have one thing on our minds

XC PREDICTIONS

I'm currently formulating a list and writing up explanations for my picks. I will be doing a top 50 list much like Etrain did: A combination of runners for all 3 Divisions along with the Independent League runners along with a top 10 teams list. It will include Name, Grade School (District-Class). There are a lot of fantastic runners returning to the PA scene and I'm quite excited to get the ball rolling on this blog. I saw that you guys started posting a bit with next years predictions on the previous thread. I would love it if we could use this post as a prediction area until I get my post up. It should be within the next week. I've got about 75 runners on a list and explanations for some of them. Just need to finish the explanations and do the order (which is the toughest part). I've got an essay to write for my class trip, but honestly it's secondary to this blog right now.

As for Nationals, I'm sorry I didn't finish that post. If you guys would like me to go back an finish that I will. I saw the results and it seemed as though PA didn't do as hot as we were capable of. Congrats to Wellington Zaza though on the national championship! I've heard he's a great kid and seems to be a really hard worker, so well deserved.

I will be keeping you guys updating and I will be responding to posts as well.

I hope all of your summers are going well along with the start of training for XC season.

That's all for now Folks!

--ForrestCRN

New Balance Results

Hey guys, so Spain is crazy fun and really busy, but I've got some free time tomorrow to do more on these races (it's 4:30 AM here).. But just some quick results for the time being

5000m
Brendan Shearn steps up big and is the only PA guy to run sub 15 in a 14:55 effort. I thought Russell would be a big or bust and turned to be a bust, he probably wasn't on pace for a fast time after the first mile or so and Coach K told him to turn it off. He ran 15:50. Unless he is injured, I expect a really fast split from him in the mile. Really solid races out of Kennedy and Todaro in the slow heat, running 15:03.32 and 15:03.47 respectively for 22nd and 23rd, while Galassi was 15:12. This is a real nice race out of Kennedy and just behind where Shearn was at last year as a Jr.

Mile EE
It seemed as though some of the Henderson guys were running out of steam at the end of the year such as Stratman and Collins, much like O'Hara's guys, and it showed in these races.
Moy- 4:23.84
Stratman - 4:25.45
Collins - 4:35.92

I hope they can bounce back for the 4x1 Mile, because they really have the potential to win the national title. I'll be interested to see if Barchet races with that squad.

Boys Junior Mile
Eric Kennedy placed 4th in 4:51.89. Slightly upset that he was in this race, because I had information that I was planning on revealing in a later post. He ran 4:38 for 1600 this spring, so he's a real stud. That's faster than Webb and James were running (about 4:44), just for some perspective.

That's all for now Folks

--ForrestCRN

NBN Preview

News and Info

Jeff Wiseman of CRS is racing the 800 this weekend in the Caribbean meet. I really hope he does well; he is also in the 18 man final at NBoN. Not sure if they have heats for that. Either way, he’s got a lot of potential and he has had misfortune in his past two races. I think at NB he can run in the 1:50’s if they go out hard enough. He’s really gusty and I think that’ll pay off in the next few weeks.

Open 1 Mile: Ben and Sam Ritz are the PA guys here, I wish Brehm was going, but it makes sense for him to take some time off. Sam had a huge race at Henderson’s Distance Festival, but I think Ben will really step it up. He did indoors, running 4:12 for a full mile and I believe he goes sub 4:10. I’m not sure if Sam can repeat his success, but I hope he proves me wrong. I have him at 4:14.

2 Mile: Really interesting choice here by Barchet. He’s also in the 4x1 Mile relay for Henderson. Barchet from what I’ve heard didn’t feel great the past few weeks, but I hope his luck changes and I’m really pulling for him to step it up. He’s done that the past two national meets, and I think he does it again, but I do not believe he has what it takes to get All-American in this race. But then again I didn’t think he’d be top 50 at XC Nat’s and he was 21^st. I think he’s 10^th in 9:05. Shearn will be at Nat’s again looking for some redemption after getting beat out by Galassi in the last 100, Shearn has been the best 3200 runner for PA this year (Norris was the beat 3k guy) and I think he’s ready to roll. I’m going bold here and saying 8:58.98 for Shearn with All-American honors. (Remember that it’s two full miles not 3200).

5000m: Wow, this is stacked for PA and I’m really excited about it. Galassi, Shearn, Russell, Todaro, Kennedy, and Williams. Not sure how to predict this because we haven’t seen these guys race since XC, but we got 4 XC state champs, a runner-up, and a total stud in Sam Williams (I think he was 3^rd or 4^th, but I can’t remember and don’t have much time to write this up). Russell was unreal in XC, but his 3200/3k finishes have really worried me and I think he may have been pushing too much towards the mile and speed stuff this winter and spring, but at the same time he was so dominant I can’t count him out. I think two of these guys will get All-American, and it could be any of them. This will also be all of their first races.

Russell - 14:45

Todaro – 14:52

Shearn – 14: 54

Galassi – 15:02.1

Kennedy – 15:02.3

Williams – 15:18

I believe they all have the ability to break 15, but it’s tough for all of them to have a good day. I really hope this goes well for PA, because we’ve got a lot of potential here for some big races. And I think some of these guys could go even faster. I hope Russell pulls off like 14:35.

2000m Steeple Chase: Well Alec Coburn is moving up, we saw him race this earlier in the season and do quite well on his own running 6:09 if I can recall correctly (let me know how off I am on that!). But this should be a good race. I don’t know much about the field or how good his time really was, but what I do know is that Coburn is a boss. I think he can win this race as 5:55 won it last year and sub 6:10 was top 6. If he’s with the leaders or close to them with 400 to go I bet his 800 strength kicks in and he wins it.  Sam Williams will also be in the race and he’ll be coming off a tough 5k. These are two brutal distances races to run in a weekend and I don’t know if he’ll be able to double that well, but then again his double at states was phenomenal.  I think he gets the last All-American spot in a time of 6:13.

4x1Mile Relay: First off, I’m shocked not to see the O’Hara boys in this race. They did seem to begin burning out at the end of the season, but still they’re a team of studs that were 3^rd indoors in this event. The big guns from the south and Cali will be at this meet and they weren’t there indoor, so competition will be fierce. Henderson has a shot of winning, but then again they’ll have Russell on the double (I believe the 3200 is the next day, correct me if I’m wrong). 4:12(Russell), 4:18(Moy), 4:22(Barchet), and 4:20(Stratman) is what I have Henderson at. 17:12 would get them the meet record by 5 seconds, and I think to win this race they’ll need to break that record. I do see them winning, but watch out for Chantilly. Sean McGorty won Penn Relays in 4:04 and he will be gunning for Russell. They have another 4:12 guy. Hummelstown is another PA squad, I don’t know much about Santeusanio and Weidner, hopefully I’ll have time to do some research later, but it looks as though they’re preparing for next year since they all return (it could be the making of a really solid XC team). I think they’ll break 18 flat, but nothing crazy.

I’m in total disbelief that there are no PA teams right now in the 4x8 and DMR. I guess La Salle bagged nationals which I’m frankly shocked at. They may not have been planning to go from the start, but I was really excited at their possibilities for both relays especially as COA DMR champs.  Best of luck to all those guys at college though.

EE800 – Christian Hunter has really come through with this move up in distance and has been quite successful with a string of 1:56’s. I think he pops off a 1:55 low to end his high school career.

I’m off to go clubbing, I’ll finish this post later on J

Have a great weekend everyone!

That’s all for now Folks

--ForrestCRN

Distance Festival Recap

Mixed 800 –

Really solid race out of Garton and a nice way to end his season on what looked to be a PR. Gatchell ran a nice race for second as did Hoyt for 4th. Stratman dropped a PR and I would guess he’ll be on a 4x800, but his 4:19 1600 earlier this season has got me to believe he’ll be in the 4x1Mile as well. This could also make him there 800 leg in the DMR. They have so many pieces that are interchangeable, should be interesting to see what they do.

Mixed Mile-

Seems like a lot of guys didn’t have their best days, but it is always tough to run a PR almost a month after a lot of these guys were peaking (leagues or districts). Keeping that in mind Billy Caldwell runs a fantastic time in the Mile. He’s a junior and split about 1:55 at states in the 4x8. He’ll be a big force next season. Ryan Grace’s time encouraged me as well. He was injured throughout XC and most of winter, but has come on strong at the end of this season. He’ll be leading a young NP team next season. It will be interesting to see how they rebuild, they always do! As for Reiny he’s had 3 rough races in a row and it’s been a long season for him and after getting All-American in XC and NBIN, it seems he’s slowing down. I hope he can bounce back for one last bang in the 4x 1 Mile relay. I have faith he will.

Elite 800- Wow! Stone, apparently solo’d the whole second last lap for a 1:51.64. Maybe we’ll see a 1:50 split by him at Nationals? Really great race by him, I didn’t see something that fast out of him, but it’s really good news for their 4x8. Nothing too surprising from the rest of the guys.

As for Wiseman, sorry for the speculation; I should have left the DNF up and said I didn’t know what happened. I have reports from a very good source that Wiseman is fine and ready to rock and roll in the Caribbean. He leaves on Wednesday. I really hope he gets good weather, because he’s got 1:50 potential in the open 8.

Just a little Nationals preview La Salle 4x800 Based on yesterday’s results:

Bilotta- 1:59.45

Stone – 1:51.64

Magee – 1:56.75

Coyle – 1:52.00

Final - 7:39:84 – I do believe they can break 7:40 and I hope they do. Also, I think Coyle can run 1:50 in good competition on that anchor leg (and this isn’t the order, just the way I put it together).

From calculations I have found you multiply by (.994) to convert a Mile to 1600m

Putting Brehm at 4:07:58 -- Magaha ran 4:07.32 as a Jr (4:16 as a SO, but he won districts easily from what I remember watching. Not sure what happened at states, I believe he was sick and ran 5 flat in finals. I think he had around 4:13 potential as a Sophomore. Paul Vandergrift ran 4:14.50 to win  AA States. He ran went on to run 4:09.22 as a JR for some perspective).

That being said… Goodness Gracious… this sophomore class has really stepped it up recently and it makes me quite excited for the future of PA running.

Brehm winning the Mile in 4:09.27 (splits apparently 61, 2:05high, 3:09), but sophomore Sam Ritz was not to be outdone running 4:11.73 for second place, beating out his older brother Ben. Ben Ritz seems to peak really well for nationals, so I’m not too worried about him. I think he will go 4:10 for a full mile. Tony drops his open PR just slightly to 4:14.52 (it was 4:14.20 for 1600) and he got Coyle. There was a lot of blogging speculation on who would be better after a fast pace and the two were very equal (.09 apart). I truly think Jack Huemmler would have fared just as well in this race so in the end all 3 were extremely close. Brent Kennedy didn’t run a lot of 1600’s this season and his 4:17 is pretty solid going forward. Kevin James also had a really great race for a sophomore running 4:15.

Just to put these 3 SO’s in perspective, according to Milesplit they are ranked 1, 2, and 5 in the nation for 1600m (if you convert) and not to forget Sam Webb who is ranked 39^th, which is also very impressive. And Colin Abert is 52^nd. DANG (I’ll be discussing this class more in a later post).

All in all it was a fast meet with some nice PR’s for a lot of runners. Just wanted to thank Coach Kelly again for setting up this meet.

That’s all for now Folks

--ForrestCRN