etrain's Team Rankings: PIAA AA

PIAA AA
York Suburban (3 AA)

A year ago at the Carlisle Invitational, York Suburban shocked the AAA powerhouses when they ran their way to 2nd overall and top PA team honors. They bested 5 teams that would finish the season in the top 11 at states as well as District Champions Hempfield. Considering York Suburban dominated their way through the rest of the season, including impressive back to back wins on Hershey’s death trap during districts and states, you could make a strong argument this was a top 5 team in the state, regardless of class, in 2014.

So picture a top 5 team in AAA that returns four of their top seven runners. That’s a top 10 team in the state most years and it’s probably a testament to my small school basis that this team is sitting in a subcategory section rather than the Top 10. However, it is worth noting that YS had just one medalist at AA states last year (Brady Wilt who has graduated) and loses Adam Barley and Zach Lofties, both of whom were defining players in Suburban’s best attribute a year ago: excellent depth through six runners. Not many small schools could match that.

This team does return some excellent pieces, however, and a shot at a second straight title isn’t crazy to imagine. Donovan Mears is back after finishing 31st at States. He finished 20th at Carlisle and his early season form was a big reason why York Suburban was turning heads. He could be a legit front-runner to build around. The team also returns rising sophomore Bryce Ohl who was one of the most underrated freshmen in the state last year during cross. Peter Wagner rounds out the big three returners for YS. He and Ohl finished 48th and 49th a year ago at states to clinch the title.

Like any small school, York Suburban will have to prove they can restock their depth and compete with the state’s best through five guys, but they return the experience and talent to once again be in the AA State Title Conversation.

Bishop Shanahan (1 AA)

Last spring Bishop Shanahan turned heads with a jaw dropper 4x800m at Districts to qualify for the State Championships at Shippensburg. Now this team has set its sights on dropping jaws one more time out of the group of death that is becoming District 1 AA. The District sends just one team and five individuals (assuming they haven’t changed things like they did for D12), meaning that only one of the trio of Pottsgrove, BS and HG Prep can claim a state spot, despite the fact that all three are top notch programs. Shanahan is probably the least established historically (Pottsgrove won the state title in 2012, HG Prep qualified for states in AAA in 2011), but, on paper, they seem to have a team on the rise.

The key will be translating their success on the track in the various relays, to the grass. The good news: Lehigh is largely considered a speedsters course. Seamus Fromhartz is one of the big wildcards this season. He was 14th at Districts a year ago in XC, but split a 1:54 for the relay at Districts during track. He has potential to make waves with that talent and speed. Chris Kolimago (18th at Districts) ran 4:28 and added a sub 2 minute relay split, showcasing he too has some upside. These guys will have to make a leap into top 5-7 placers in the district to really take this team to the next level. Rising sophomore Logan Yoquinto is a sleeper pick to make noise in the District as well.

Spencer Breslin should provide proven leadership on the trails. He qualified for states last year in XC after finishing 4th at Districts. He also added a strong 4:33 on the track to back it up. The team also gained Blake Ettien (9:56, 16:31 last year at Coatesville) and he should provide another strong distance presence to compliment the speedsters from the 4x8.

This team appears to be headed in the right direction, but they have to prove their success on the track can be duplicated with the extra variables of the fall.

Pottsgrove (1 AA)

A team that has had no trouble with the extra variables of the fall is Pottsgrove. Since the switch was made from two divisions to three, Pottsgrove has been perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the move. The program went from struggling for air in the District One AAA playoff race to a perennial state-wide powerhouse in AA. They placed 1st in 2012 and 2nd in 2013 before a surprise off day last year slotted them back to 6th.  That being said they still won a third straight District title in dominating fashion and return five of the seven men who helped make it happen. And there is little reason to suspect they won’t make a run at a fourth straight title.

Brendan Wurtz will look to lead the way after finishing 2nd at the District Championships last season (behind his now graduated teammate Derek Lopez) and will be one of the early favorites for the individual district title. Alongside him are two other top 10 returns from last year’s D1 Champs in K’Lif Underwood and Michael Neeson (7th and 9th last year). Joseph Drager (12th) rounds out a crew of four top 15 returners, a set no one can match.

Pottsgrove ran its own quick 4x8 of 8:05 last year, but unlike Shanahan they graduate their star leg (Sean O’Brien). It’s clear that Pottsgrove knows how to use their speed: they had an amazing showing at Lehigh last year. However, if the team wants to get back on the podium, they will need a strong revenge race from Wurtz and Underwood who struggled a bit on the Hershey hills a year ago.

Dallas (2 AA)

Keep an eye on Dallas. District 2 has been fantastic in AA (I went more in depth on this point during my Top 50) and Dallas seems poised to move into the top spot in this loaded district with a youthful squad. A year ago they got by the defending state champs, Tunkhannock, with a squad of one senior, one junior, one sophomore and four freshmen. And they backed it up at states finishing 8th overall behind a very impressive 40th place finish by frosh Jack Zardecki. This team is super young, but on the rise and has produced some of the districts best distance runners (Dom Deluca, the Romes) so this is a squad to pay close attention to this fall.

Beaver Area (7 AA)

Here’s my favorite sleeper squad on the AA scene. Last year, Beaver Area finished just seventh at the district championships, but they return a young group of improving runners: six of their top seven are back including three rising sophs and two rising juniors. At the head of it all is Senior Riley Lamison who qualified for states individually in XC and track finishing 17th at grass WPIALs before running 4:31 in the 1600m. He also helped lead the team to an impressive 8:05 4x800m at the state championships, an excellent time and fantastic confidence booster headed into cross.

Among the group of returners is Sean Rendar (10:51 3200m as a freshman), Luke and Jake Pittner (both under 10:50 on the track) and Dan Pollack. If they can continue to make strides under Lamison’s leadership, this team will turn heads by season’s end.

Knoch (7 AA)

Knoch had a killer top four last year and they utilized that well at the state championships, finishing 4th place overall as a team. They lose their #1 man from states (Preston Carlsson who finished 33rd), but they will have their 1-2-3 from WPIALs all back in the line-up looking to improve on last year’s top 15 marks: Max Freyermuth (10th), Brandon Grumski (11th), and John Ejzak (13th). Their 5-6 men from Districts are also back, but for Knoch to retain their title they will likely need to tighten the spread between 3 and 4.

A defending WPIAL champ with 5 varsity members returning his hard to ignore in the state standings.

Quaker Valley (7 AA)

Quaker Valley is likely the biggest name program roaming the AA WPIAL, but they were surprisingly left home from the state meet in 2014 despite having the District Champion, ET #41 Zach Skolnekovich. After their 6th place finish, the 2011 AA State Champs will be hungry to return to their old stomping grounds in Hershey. They return 4 of 6 from last year’s team, but lacked the depth through five guys it took a year ago to advance. Hoping to improve on that depth, the team will lean on Fletcher Hubsch (21st last year at WPIALs) and Jake Smiley (10:55 for 3200m on the track, 17:30s at Sharpsville).

It’s been quiet at QV since the graduation of stars like LJ Westwood and Nat Fox, but with the expected continued rise of reigning district champ Zach Skolnekovich, this team may be poised to return to elite status.

Lewisburg (4 AA)

Mifflinburg (4 AA)

District 4 AA (there is no AAA in XC I believe) was another quietly loaded district that sent just one team to states (a very strong Mt Caramel squad who graduates some key contributors). This year Lewisburg returns seven of their top seven after earning team silvers last year, including a top three that is made up entirely of rising juniors. The big name at the front is Anthony Bach (6th at Districts, 4:39/10:03 on the track) but Jack Spaulding and Nicholas Alico are also top 12 returners for Lewisburg.

Mifflinburg also returns their entire top seven from last year’s 4th place finish and have one of the early favorites for the district title in Quincy Amabile (4:27/9:36 on the track last year). He was third at districts in XC and was 27th at the state meet. We will see if he can be the senior leadership this team needs to excel. Last year’s top seven included four freshman who will look to make a jump this season.