Top 15 of 2015: PA Alumni Preseason XC Rankings

By: Garrett Zatlin

Yes, ladies and gentlemen I finally did a post related to PA alumni! I know it seemed like it would never happen. Nevertheless, I have done my best to make a top 15 list for PA alumni this season. I can’t promise I will consistently update it this fall. However, I will try to follow these guys (as well as the other alum) as best as I can. So with that, here are the best 15 Pennsylvania alumni going into this cross country season.

Honorable Mentions:

Tom Coyle (Stanford), Brett Kelly (Princeton), Dan Jaskowak (Virginia Tech), Zach Trama (Elizabethtown)

15. Nate Sloan, Sophomore, Pittsburgh (Hampton)

14. Cordon Louco, Sophomore, Pittsburgh (North Allegheny)*
*Edit: Fellow writer Evan Hatton reports that Louco is no longer listed on the Pitt XC roster and has left the team. Rumors suggest that the departure of Coach Jim Lear, who accepted the head coaching position at Duquesne, was the main reason for Louco leaving the squad.

Louco and Sloan were solid last season as freshmen Panthers. Louco and Sloan often battled each other throughout the season with Sloan having the edge in the first half of the season. But come post season, it was Louco who stepped up and surpassed Sloan.

Sloan and Louco came out of the Harry Groves invite placing 32^nd and 49^th respectively. They both became scorers for Pitt that day and did well considering they were freshmen competing in a somewhat deep field. After Louco continued to be a scorer at Notre Dame, he began to stride ahead of Sloan at Pre-Nats and ACC’s. Their season eventually ended at regionals as Louco placed a modest 75^th and Sloan finished 96^th.

What I like about these two is their youth and potential. The rising sophomores of the Pittsburgh class have already done extremely well (especially on the track). Sloan even raced against some of the top guys in the nation this past winter and spring. If the rest of this class can continue to push each other, then watch out for this pair to become more and more relevant on the national scene.

13. Austin Pondel, Junior, Penn State (Corry Area)

What I love about Pondel is that he has no fear. In high school, Corry Area was a AA team for XC. However, Pondel opted to race in the AAA races against the bigger school and the bigger names. He wanted to prove he could win against the best and was not afraid of a challenge. I have been a fan since then.

Pondel is very similar to Quinn in the way their seasons have been. He also gives me some difficulties trying to place him on this list. When you look at Pondel’s 2013 season, it started out 

rough. Pondel placed 191^st at Paul Short and 235^th at Pre-Nats. Not exactly races that could be considered ‘thrilling’. Nevertheless, Pondel made up for it with decent finishes at BIG 10’s (55^th) and regionals (44^th). His 2014 season was similar with unexciting finishes at Notre Dame (176^th) and BIG 10’s (93^rd). His regional meet was about the same as 2013 when he placed 52^nd overall.

Pondel hasn’t exactly been the most thrilling guy to watch. However, I believe that he has a strong core of training partners to work with and has experience he can capitalize on.

12. Connor Quinn, Junior, Penn State (Hatboro Horsham)

Quinn was very difficult to place. He obviously has talent and has motivated teammates to push him. However, with a sub-par cross country season last year, it’s tough to position him.

Quinn’s first cross country started off a bit rocky when he placed 126^th at Paul Short and 151^st at Pre-Nats. It didn’t seem that the former state champ was going to shine in 2013. However, Quinn did his best to make up for his poor performances with a 58^th place finish at BIG 10’s and a surprisingly solid 32^nd place finish at regionals. It seemed like Quinn had found his groove. Quinn continued his solid XC finish from 2013 at Harry Groves where he finished 19^th in a solid field. Unfortunately for Quinn, his season did not get much better. Quinn would go on to place 106^th at Notre Dame and then 262^nd at Pre-Nats. It was there that Quinn ended his season 2014.

With Fischer now gone and a Penn State squad trying to stay relevant, Quinn must get back to the high point in his XC career. He is now an experienced Nittany Lion that just needs to show up on the big stages.

11. Ean DiSilvio, Sophomore, Penn State (Taylor Allerdice)

DiSilvio is proof that there are diamonds in the rough. The ‘diamond’ being the talented individual DiSilvio is, and the ‘rough’ being the teams that make up Pennsylvania’s District 8.

DiSilvio has prospered during his time at Penn State running times like 8:14 for the 3k and 9:07 for the steeplechase. Not unbelievable, but solid nonetheless. DiSilvio’s first year of XC was a good one especially during the post season. After an uneventful 140^th place at Notre Dame, DiSilvio turned on the jets. He finished 66^th at Pre-Nats (PSU’s #3), 49^th at BIG 10’s, and 35^th  (PSU’s #5) at regionals. His post season was actually pretty similar to Quinn’s 2013 season.

DiSilvio obviously has talent. He has done his part and contributed to the team. Now we must wait and see if he will take it to the next level this upcoming season. Someone on the Penn State team must improve and become a consistent scoring threat. That someone could very well be DiSilvio.

10. Logan Steiner, Senior, Allegheny College (North Allegheny)

Logan Steiner never got enough credit. I always felt that the man was constantly overshadowed by the talent his former high school teammate Ryan Gil had. I imagine it was a lot of pressure to live up to that name.

Well now it’s Logan Steiner setting the expectations for his current teammates. Steiner decided to stay close to home and attend the D3 school, Allegheny College. It was there that he would have excellent success. Steiner had multiple top 10 finishes throughout his career and proven himself as one of the top D3 runners in the region. Although his Paul Short performances haven’t been spectacular, Steiner has cruised through the regional course placing 17^th his freshman year, 12^th his sophomore year, and 4^th his junior year. He is primed to win the regional title this year. The only question is if he can replicate his freshman year NCAA race where he placed 36^th overall.

Steiner has gone from living in the shadow of Gil, to now making a name for himself on the D3 scene that is becoming more and more popular each season. Steiner has proven he can show up at regionals. The real question is if he can show up at NCAA’s.

9. Ernie Pitone, Junior, Widener (Cardinal O’Hara)

I remember my a friend of mine in high school (who actually attends VT with me), look at my profile picture on Facebook and say “Looks like you’re beating my cousin Ernie there. Nice job!” or something along those lines. Well that’s probably the last team I was ever leading a race Ernie Pitone was in. The former O’Hara runner has now made a name for himself at Widener and is taking the Mid Atlantic Conference by storm.

Pitone broke out during his sophomore year at Widener and dominated the region. An 8^th place finish at the Paul Short brown race would get Pitone the attention he deserved. He would continue to get noticed by other teams and fans after a fantastic win at the MAC (Mid-Atlantic Conference) championships. After a second place finish at the regional course to Haverford’s Charlie Marquardt, Pitone headed into NCAA’s with his expectations. Unfortunately, Pitone would not live up to those expectations and place 67^th.

Pitone is the top returner and favorite to win the Mideast region as well as becoming a two-time MAC champion. He will have tough competition in Logan Steiner, but if he can replicate what he did last season, there’s no reason to think that all of that and more is possible.

8. Rico Galassi, Junior, Duquesne (Holy Cross)

7. Aaron Wilkinson, Senior, Duquesne (Valley View)

In PA, Rico Galassi is remembered as the guy who outkicked Brenden Shearn in an epic two-mile battle for the AA state title. Now at Duquesne, Rico has put together some solid races and run some great PR’s. Him and Shearn are actually pretty similar in how their collegiate careers are going. While Galassi dominated the AA scene, many forgot about Aaron Wilkinson who was a multi state medalist.

Galassi’s first XC season was last fall where he held his own and complimented teammate Aaron Wilkinson throughout the season. Many knew Galassi had talent after a 14:15 5k earlier that spring. It was just a matter of if he would display that talent. After a tough Harry Groves performance, Galassi stepped up to the plate and placed 25^th in the gold race at Notre Dame. From there, Galassi would go on to finish 7^th at A10’s and 30^th at regionals (Mid-Atlantic). For his first collegiate cross-country season, Galassi didn’t do all that bad.

However, the true leader of this Duquesne XC team is Aaron Wilkinson who goes into his senior year with three seasons experience under his belt. He has stayed healthy throughout his time at Duquesne and has been able to consistently improve on his races year in and year out. His freshman season (2012) was tough with his best race being a 51^st place at A10’s. Wilkinson went into 2013 looking to improve (which he accomplished). Still, it wasn’t overly impressive with his best finish coming at A10’s where he placed 39^th. It wasn’t until 2014 when Wilkinson put together a 22^nd place finish in the gold race at Notre Dame. He would eventually follow that up with an outstanding 5^th place finish at A10’s. Unfortunately, his only off race of the season came at regionals where he placed 59^th.

The Duke Duo (that’s an awesome nickname) has worked very well together. Just like every other guy on this list, they’ll need to step up to the next level if they want to be competitive on the national level.

6. Ross Wilson, Sophomore, Penn (Council Rock North)

5. Brenden Shearn, Junior, Penn (North Schuylkill)

I am big fan of Wilson and Shearn this year. Both made an impact last season for an improving Penn distance squad and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. With Coach Dolan at the helm and a group of experienced leaders, it’s tough not to like the Quakers this year.

Wilson was solid last season placing 18^th at the Main Line Invite, 59^th at the Princeton Invite, 49^th at Heps, and 63^rd at regionals. Although his performances didn’t blow anyone away, he did establish that he could be a potential threat with enough experience under his belt. It also didn’t hurt that he ran 8:59 steeple and 14:23 5k.

Shearn has shown the past couple of seasons that he can be a contender in a growing Ivy League conference. After placing 35^th at Heps and 27^th at regionals in 2013, Shearn continued to show his talent in 2014. He placed 6^th in the Main Line Invite, 19^th at Princeton, and 29^th at Heps. His regional performance wasn’t as great in 2013 (placed 33^rd in 2014) but showed throughout last year could be a major x-factor on a very underrated Penn team.

I believe that Penn could win Heps this year. It wont be an easy task to accomplish with teams like Cornell improving and Princeton/Harvard staying strong. Shearn or Wilson need to take their talent to the next level if they want to contend for the title. If they BOTH step up their game then watch out for Penn to do more than just win Heps…

4. Wade Endress, Senior, Penn State (Altoona)

The thing I remember about Endress in high school was how intense he was. The guy was such a tough competitor and ferociously attacked each race no matter who was in it. The guy had (and still has) guts.

Wade has started to establish himself as a miler at Penn State with PR’s like a 3:45 (1500) and 4:02 (Mile). His longer distance PR’s are also pretty solid with an 8:08 (3k) and 14:19 (5k). He has a legitimate shot at making NCAA’s winter and spring. Aside from his track times, his XC performances have been pretty solid as well. His first year of collegiate XC (2013) was pretty lack-luster. However, this past fall was something different. Endress stepped up at Harry Groves placing 10^th. After uneventful races at Notre Dame and Pre-Nats  (78^th and 91^st respectively), he came into the post season ready to make some noise. His 19^th place at BIG 10’s impressed his teammates, but what garnered attention from those around the region was his 17^th place finish at regionals (Mid-Atlantic).

Endress has the ability to become an x-factor in the Mid-Atlantic region. He has great strength and talent and will be the convincing number two man for the Nittany Lions. I’ll be interested to see if he have a big race at Pre-Nats or Notre Dame.

3. Ryan Gil, Senior, Georgetown (North Allegheny)

It’s a bit ironic placing Gil here after saying that Steiner was out of Gil’s shadow. Although it has taken Gil some time to find his niche on a loaded Georgetown team, he has proven to still be one of the best PA alum in the nation after qualifying for NCAA’s this past spring!

Gil has had two very short XC seasons during his time as a Hoya. Gil’s first XC season was pretty uneventful with his best race coming at Mid-Atlantics where he placed 29^th. The following season he stepped it up by placing 15^th at BIG East’s and 19^th at regionals. Unfortunately, his nationals result was pretty poor with a 140^th place finish. While most would say Gil doesn’t merit a top 3 PA alum spot, I would have to disagree. What I like about Gil is that he is experienced and can now say that he ran at nationals. It’s also important to note that his outdoor season showed his leadership when he ran an 8:42 steeplechase PR (steeplechasers have turned out to become excellent racers).

The only tough part about all of this is the Georgetown sanctions that are now in play. Georgetown cancelled SEVEN meets for their XC team meaning that one of those meets is most likely BIG Easts and regionals. There is a heavy chance we will not see Georgetown run on the grass next season. Throw in the resignation of Coach Henner and the Gtown squad is in a tricky situation.

2. Dominic Deluca, Sophomore, Cornell (Dallas)

The rising sophomore and former AA XC state champ has been on fire recently in the Ivy league. What I like about Deluca is hit guts. He reminded me of Craig Lutz when he pushed the pace at Henderson and outdoor states. He is a grinder who expects the best out himself and you can’t help but be a fan of a guy like that.

To put Deluca here is bold considering he just a rising sophomore who only has one year of experience at the collegiate level. Still, his performances last fall were excellent many didn’t expect him to do as well as he did. Deluca did very well for a freshman at big meets like Beantown and Pre-Nats. Deluca finished 48^th at Beantown and 52^nd at Pre-Nats. Both were deep and loaded fields. A freshman placing that well was pretty impressive. However, it was his Heps race that really captured everyone’s attention. Deluca displayed his strength and tactical ability when he beat out Kevin Dooney (Etrain rank #26) for 4^th place. He beat out every sophomore and freshman in the field. The next closest freshman placed 20^th and was 30 seconds behind. Deluca followed up his impressive race at Heps by finishing 19^th at regionals (Northeast).

From what I got reading his interview, Dominic Deluca has his head on straight. He seems determined, focused, and dedicated to his running. It’s tough to think that’ll he ever regress in his training. While his youth is still something to watch, I expect Deluca to crack the top 10 at regionals and make the trip to NCAA’s.

1. Glen Burkhardt, Senior, Penn State (Unionville)

The final name to complete the top 15 is Unionville alum, Glen Burkhardt. Now for those of you who don’t know, I went to Great Valley high school and Unionville has always been our biggest rival. In a tight duel meet during my freshman year, I stepped into the two mile trying to secure points for my team. At that point, I didn’t know we had already secured the win. Burkhardt did. I will always remember cutting off the eventual state champion not once, not twice…but EIGHT times. It was some crazy attempt to slow him down enough to give my captain a shot at the win (long story, but it worked even though Glen was just trying to pace his buddy to a PR). He wasn’t exactly pleased after that race (rightfully so) but he was a good sport about it.

Matt Fischer (now graduated from PSU), was also from Unionville AND was a 2-mile state champ before Burkhardt captured the title. The pair teamed up at Penn State to create one of the best duo’s in the Mid-Atlantic region. But with Fischer now gone, Burkhardt will no longer be able to rely on his long-time teammate for support. Glen will have to lead a Penn State team looking to stay relevant through a conference and region improving each year. Yet, if anyone is going to accomplish that task, Burkhardt seems to be the guy to do that. The rising senior had an outstanding season last fall when he finished 4^th at Harry Groves, 35^th at Notre Dame, 36^th at Pre-Nats, 11^th at BIG 10’s and 12^th at regionals. It was an exceptional display of consistently throughout his season. He showed up at every meet and was arguably one of the most consistent guys in the NCAA. Watch out for him to make the Etrain Top 50 list at one point or another later this year…

The only downfall about Burkhardt is that he couldn’t make it to Terre Haute last year despite placing 12^th at Mid-Atlantic’s. When he enters regionals as the 8^th best returner, look for Burkhardt to make up for his shortcoming last fall and qualify for nationals. He was able to qualify for NCAA’s this past spring but unfortunately did not record a time. If Burkhardt can get top 10 finishes at BIG 10’s and regionals look for him to make a splash at nationals.

So which PA alumni are you most looking forward to? Tell me where I went wrong and where you think they should go below!

Run on,

Garrett