WPIAL Recap Preview

by Jarrett Felix

So I decided, rather than split my time on recaps and previews (or picking one or the other) I might as well just combine them. So I'll be rolling up what happened in the league meets to help tell the story of what to expect at the district meet. It's not a perfect formula, but I'll go with it.

And I'm starting with the WPIAL because, ironically, that is a perfect formula. The WPIAL had their WPIAL qualifying meets this weekend and it's a perfect way to preview the action for district 7's championships. So let's get right to it.

AA
4x800m
Last year's champions, South Side, qualified out of their section, but were just 6th in the South. It appears like they will not be all in on this relay as they had been a year ago. But within their region, state title hopefuls Avonworth got a quality win in 8:22 for the #1 seed time. Right behind them, with a surprising run, was McGuffey who ran 8:23 and defeated a couple top notch programs like Beaver Area, South Park and 2014 state champs Washington (along with the aforementioned South Side).

Personally, I think Avonworth is the strong favorite here, with Beaver being the team most likely to spring an upset. I haven't seen enough to be completely sold on McGuffey despite their excellent qualifying run. I'm curious to see if Winchester Thurston, the 2014 XC State Champs, put any real stock in the 4x8. They qualified third in the north with a time of just 8:45, but they have a lot of talent on the roster and could definitely make a run at a low 8 minute time. They do have a lot tied up in individual events, however, so they may not go down that path.

1600m
Speaking of that Winchester Thurston squad, sophomore Tristan Forsythe has been on a tear since indoors and showed no signs of slowing down at WPIAL quals with a 4:28 2nd place finish in the North. He comes in with the second fastest time behind the heavy, heavy (heavy) favorite Domenic Peretta. Peretta ran 4:27 to win his section and enter the meet as a #1 seed. He will look to top is unreal performance from a year ago that featured runaway golds in both the 1600 and the 800. Big things should be in store considering he has already clocked 1:50 twice as a senior and cruised a 4:14. I don't know how much stock he will put into a fast time in the 16 as he may just run to win, but even a relaxed effort from Dom could be something in the meet record range the way he is running.

Behind Peretta and Forsythe in the North was state XC champion Griffin Mackey of Sewickley Academy. Mackey, who qualified in both the 16 and the 32, ran just the 32 last year (and the 4x8 I believe) and, although he has had considerable success in the 3200 over the past two years, may be trying to increase his chance at grabbing top flight WPIAL and state hardware this spring. At the Baldwin Invitational, the WPIAL showed just how formidable it's 2 mile chops were, including sub 9:20 runs from Zach Skolnekovich and Will Loevner.

From the South region, Beaver Area's Riley Lamison, a state qualifier a year ago, ran a strong 4:30.04 to run away from indoor state qualifier Ben Bumgarner of Waynesburg Central. The two were well clear of their competition, with Ben about 6 second ahead of 3rd place (also from Beaver, Dan Pollack). I like Bumgarner's potential in this race, having already run in the mid 4:20s and raced on the big stage a number of times, including an appearance at the indoor state championship at PSU this winter.

The District's quest to send 8 guys to the state championship will likely hinge on the depth of the North. Jarrett Boyd of Freedom, Gannon Leech of Shady Side and Billy Lott of Ellwood City (4:32, 4:33 and 4:34) are all terrific distance runners with impressive XC credentials. Leech had a massive day at states in XC this year that shows his ability to run clutch. Meanwhile, Boyd has posted some sub 4;30 and sub 2 minute marks, chasing Dom Peretta this season. He's got a terrific combination of strength and speed.

800m
As mentioned, Domenic Peretta is really fast. He cruised to a 1;56 in qualifying, the only runner to dip under 2 minutes. He will likely be aiming for sub 1:50 at WPIALs this year and, considering his times to date, he just might get it. He ran 1:52 there as a sophomore and a 1:51 last season. This year he's clearly a step above his 2015 fitness. So look out.

Behind him, it should be a thrilling race. Robert Reichenbaugh of Freeport and the aforementioned Jarrett Boyd of Freedom were both knocking on the door for 2 flat in qualifying and could certainly finish well under come districts. Boyd will be on the double from the 16 while Reichenbaugh may be doubling back from the 4x8.

In the South, it was Ben Heim of Washington who came away with the gold, running 2 flat to defeat an army of South Side, Avonworth and Beaver runners (those 3 schools combined for the other 7 qualifying spots). Heim, who I believe was a member of Washington's state championship 4x8 a few years back, is now ready to break out as an individual in his junior season. He's hitting his stride at the right time.

3200m
The WPIAL 3200 is sure to be one of the history books as the North Section put 7 guys at 9:50 or faster in qualifying including a trio of runners finishing side by side at the front. That group was Griffin Mackey, Will Loevner and Ben Bickerton of Southmoreland. Bickerton was 2nd to Skolnekovich at WPIALs in XC (AA) while Mackey and Loevner's XC skills are well documented (both have placed in the top 5 at states in A). Loevner is going for a third straight state medal in the 3200, but is still chasing his first WPIAL title in the event. Mackey, on the other hand, seems to really be rounding into top form. He's going to be doubling with the 1600 which could get complicated, but his strength has taken big steps forward in recent weeks.

Ready to challenge this trio from the South is Quaker Valley's star junior Zach Skolnekovich. Zach finished 2nd at XC states and has absolutely dominated his class of the WPIAL in XC. However, up until this year, he was relatively unproven on the oval. He's quickly changed that narrative, however, as he defeated Will Loevner at the Baldwin Invitational and clocked 4:23 and 1:58 type marks against Dom Peretta at the MAC championships. He will be tough to beat at WPIALs.

Adding to the tremendous depth of the field are a couple doublers, Tristan Forsythe and Ben Bumgarner. Both are capable of times in the 9:20s if their legs are fresh enough, but it will be difficult to navigate both races. Forsythe's teammate, Ben Littman, will also compete in the District Championships for Winchester Thurston. WT is hoping to qualify 3 for states in the 32 for the second straight year.

AAA
4x800m
I've been trying to figure this one out for a while. Who will be the WPIAL champion in the 4x800? The favorite right now might be a familiar face as the North Allegheny Tigers are looking formidable as always. They won their section, holding a couple recent sub 2 guys like Ehling and Lutz on the roster as well as sub 4:20 miler Jacob Stupak. They ran 8:12 to pull away from teams like Seneca Valley (8:17) and Knoch (8:24) with relative ease after coming in with a 7:58 seed time.

However, it's never clear how all in NA will go on the relay and, admittedly, they've rarely cruised to victory in the event, including last year when Norwin pulled out the W. That Norwin team will be back (they qualified 5th in the Central, running 8:22) and has run 8:04 this season. But it's going to take a big improvement to win gold.

As mentioned, Norwin didn't have smooth sailing in their 4x8 prelim and the Central featured some monster teams. Greensburg Salem is one of personal favorites from the 2016 season. This team has consistently improved each week and has a ton of depth. They won their qualifier in 8:12, entering with an 8:08 seed. They aren't a traditional powerhouse, but they could pull the ultimate upset at WPIALs, especially if they really focus on the event.

Kiski, qualifying 3rd from the Central, is always a team to watch. They have been recent state medalists in the 4x8 and have two sub 2 minute legs on their roster, including prominent miler Eric Kennedy and 1:58 man Nick Gabrielli.

But the day's fastest qualifiers were Chartiers Valley. CV nearly came flying in to pull an upset at WPIALs in XC but came up just a bit short. Now they seem poised to strike once again. Their 8:08 mark in qualifying was better than their 8:11 seed and their most complete race of the season. They defeated perennial powers Mount Lebanon and Baldwin in the process. The question becomes, how much faster can they get from here?

The most interesting element of this race will be watching to see which teams throw out which stars. Mount Lebanon, who has qualifiers in the mile, 8 and 3200, could potentially put together an absolutely loaded line up. However, they've yet to really load up a squad and crack 2 minutes. They may want to save their individuals for an opportunity to crack the top 8 in some deep individual events. What will Mike Kolor do for Seneca Valley? How about 3200 guys like Conboy, Westrick, Nick Wolk and the NA boys? It's going to be very interesting who feels this race is most important to them.

Whichever teams have that "all-in" attitude will likely pull off a surprise finish on race day. If you like sleepers, definitely keep an eye on USC. They have an up and coming star in Bennent Sneath and also qualified 3 individuals in the open 800 in the South.

1600m
Just as with the AA race, the 1600 will feature a big time favorite in Mike Kolor. After his memorable 4:11 run against Jeff VanKooten last spring, Kolor comes back with the fast times to back up his favorite status. He competed well at Penn Relays and showed skill at both under and over distances with state medals in XC and the indoor 800. But things will be anything but easy in this loaded field. It's a field so deep that Kolor and North runner-up Jacob Stupak nearly missed out on the fast heat.

Kolor and Stupak are returning state medalists, but the South region didn't seem to care much as they threw down 5 sub 4:30 marks in qualifying, led by Upper Saint Claire's emerging star Bennentt Sneath. Sneath has been on a roll lately and could continue to drop time at WPIALs. Remember, James Smith from USC was the star of the west not too long ago. Lebo took the 2-3 spots in the south with experienced runners Kalapos and Harris earning 2-3. If they aren't in the 4x8 line up, they should be right in the mix throughout the race.

That 4x8 could also potentially affected someone like Micah Colson of Chartiers Valley who had an absolutely killer qualifying run of 4:28 this past week. Sophomore and top XC medalist Sam Snodgrass also cracked 4:30 in qualifying.

When you add in 4 additional sub 4:30 guys from the Central (would have been 5 had Isaiah Bailey not scratched) and you have yourself a loaded field. Eric Kennedy leads that Central heat with his 4:2 qualifying run. He was a state qualifier a year ago as a sophomore for Kiski and could make a run at a sub 4:20 time in the right race.

I'll be interested to see how they split these heats as Butler's Noah Beveridge, who finished 5th in the loaded Baldwin mile at 4:24.49, is on the bubble for the fast heat. I believe he is tied for #12 on the time listing. Hopefully we see him in with the fast heat, otherwise he will need a big run, likely alone, to ensure a spot in Shippensburg.

800m
It looks like Mike Kolor will tentatively attempt the 1600-800 double at WPIALs (and then perhaps states). But it could be a very busy weekend for Kolor if he is also in on the 4x8 and 4x4 relays for Seneca Valley. That opens the door for a potential surprise upset. Michael Bove of Fox Chapel should have fresh legs and is fresh off a big breakthrough of 1:53 at Baldwin. He made his first splash on the big stage last year at this meet when he dropped a 1:55 to qualify for states. Now, back on the familiar landscape, he could spring for gold. However, he will likely have to contend for gold with Penn Hills star Isaiah Bailey, who scratched the 1600 to focus on this race. He ran 1:56 indoors for 800 and comes from a rich program of 800 stars, including recent state champ Will Bailey.

Keep an eye on out of nowhere performer Xaiver Stephens, who really impressed with a 1:57.85 in qualifying, finishing second to Bailey in the Central. Also be sure to watch for South regional champion Bryce Brandenstein of Mount Lebanon. The sophomore hasn't gotten a lot of chatter as guys like Todd Gunzenhauser and the strong mile core have grabbed the spotlight, but Brandenstein has quietly carved out a nice mid distance resume. He ran 2 flat for the win last week.

(Gotta say, Lebo qualified a lot of guys across the board. They had a strong meet on the distance side. Shout out to the Hattons).

Baldwin's Kevin Taylor, who ran 1:58 this year, didn't end up getting out of qualifying. So that likely means we will see him on the 4x8 at WPIALs, potentially unleashing a monster relay split and getting some redemption on race day.

3200m
This should be the race of the day and possible the race of the week. If you're looking for a bold headline for district week look no further than this: District 7 is better than District 1 in the 3200. Maybe they don't have quite the absurd depth, but if you score this thing XC dual meet scoring I think D7 could get the win. That's a rare statement. But hey, Nick Wolk and Todd Gunzenhauser both skipped the 1600 to focus on the 32 and come in with times in the low 9 teens. Wolk is having an absolutely monster year that included a 4:16 full mile-9:12 double PR, double gold. Todd has consistently impressed in the 3200 and has also shown big speed improvements with a 1:56 split and a 4:20 open 1600.

And don't forget the North Allegheny pipeline of talent. The latest addition to the all-time list is Marc Migliozzi who went from buried on the depth chart in 2015 to potential WPIAL champion in 2016. He finished just behind Wolk at districts in XC and at Baldwin in the 3200. He dropped a big PR his last race out, dropping all the way to 9:13, and is still getting better. Plus his teammate, Sam Blechman, is also no slouch. The 26th place finisher from XC states ran 9:32 at Baldwin (a big PR in his own right) and has the potential to maybe chase a low 9:20s mark on race day. The duo placed 1-2 at North qualifiers, running side by side in 9:53.

But you can't overlook the depth here. Jake Susalla of Plum, Casey Conboy of Baldwin and Joseph Westrick of Chartiers Valley are having unbelievable seasons. They clocked 9:19, 9:19 and 9:20 already this season, which most years would slot them easily in the top 4 auto qualifers. But this year they are amazingly only bubble contenders. If you slot them behind Wolk, Migz and Gunz, that means only one of them can get an auto qualifying spot.

And, if you didn't notice, a few guys ran very well in their qualifying sections. Mark Provenzo looks like a name on the rise after his sub 4:30-9:40 double at quals (but could potentially be tripling at districts). Don't forget Provenzo was 3rd at WPIALs for XC. And Aaron Pfeil of South Fayette, who climbed all the way into the top 10 in AA XC at states, just dropped a monster 9:42 at the South qualifier.

This event is going to be thrilling to watch and may feature a blanket finish for the final qualifying spots. Between the AA and AAA fields, we could see the fastest combined 3200 in any district and the WPIAL could place itself up there with the fastest district championships ever. Yes, ever. Don't sleep on the west.