Preseason State Team Rankings: Class AAA

By Blake Behney

I apologize for the delay in the rankings, I just got to school and was quite busy with getting settled. But now I present what you've all been waiting for: the AAA rankings.

5. LaSalle College

Every team on this list is gonna have great depth. Other than CRN (we’ll get to them in a bit), LaSalle probably has the best depth out of the teams on this list. So why are they only #5? Well, they seemingly don’t have a big time front runner like some other teams. Nevertheless, they had 7 guys under 17 last year at states and should do the same thing this time around. The only question left is if anyone will make a quantum leap and become a surefire state medalist? As of now, Evan Addison and Stephen Paul look to do just that, especially after having exemplary track seasons last spring.

4. Downingtown West

No team on this list was hit harder by departures from last season than West. Losing both Hoeys, Sappey, and Ryherd makes West’s chances look somewhat bleak on paper. However, they’ve got a terrific coach and always seem to have guys, Chase Semanyk this past spring for example, who make giant leaps in fitness in relatively surprising fashion. This is more of a gut pick, but I have faith that Top 50 members Ryan Barton and Jake O’Neill lead West to strong performances throughout the fall.

3. North Allegheny

The same argument for West’s ranking can also be applied to North Allegheny, except NA’s recent track record is superior. The past 3 seasons have seen them place in the top 3 at states despite losing their top runner from the season before (generally they’ve lost more than just their #1; as many 3 top guys have graduated on average). NA has proven time after time that, even if they get hit hard by graduation, they’re still going to remain among the state’s elite. They truly only have one question mark entering the fall: which team member is going to make the huge fitness jump and be this year’s Marc Migliozzi?

2. Council Rock North  

After last season’s state meet all it took was a glance at the results to see who the team to beat was for next season. CRN placed 5th, but returns their entire top 6 for this year and are led by Top 50 members Bryan Keller and Ryan Campbell. Although the transfer of the Affolders to Carlisle complicated things, they still have all of the pieces to win a state championship: stud frontrunners, a tight spread, and championship experience. If the season goes smoothly, then expect to see North battling for state gold this November at Parkview.

1. Carlisle

I’m not going to drone on about the Affolder’s times or how they stack up against the rest of state because I’ve already done that. What I am going to do is talk about the other guys that are responsible for making the Herd’s state title dreams come to fruition. Noah has to be considered the favorite for individual state gold at this point with Sam right behind him. In my mind these two are both top 5 locks barring disaster. What makes this team so interesting are Isaac Kole, Jack Wisner, and Max Fiorentino. Kole is one of the most underrated guys in the state (his exclusion from the Top 50 proves that) and has run sub-2 in the 800, sub-4:30 in the 1600, and sub-9:40 in the 3200. His cross credentials aren’t as strong because this spring was his breakout season. Jack Wisner was the top freshman in AAA last season at states and, like Kole, only improved throughout the winter and spring, running 1:57 and 4:30. Given his pedigree and another summer of training, there’s no telling what this kid could do on the grass this fall. And finally, Fiorentino ran 17:26 at states last season and performed well on the track as part of Carlisle’s 4x8 that qualified for NBN. A stress reaction caused him to miss the early part of summer training but he is healthy now. This Carlisle team has a lot to prove, but if they perform up to the level that they’re capable of, which Coach Boardman’s teams almost always do, then they’ll be on top of the podium quite a bit this fall.

Watch List: Spring Ford (young team that barely missed qualifying for States out of District 1 last season. Return 6 of their top 7 and are led by 3 rising juniors.) Cardinal O’Hara (consistent program that performs well time after time. Lost Rob Morro to graduation but return the rest of their top 5 from last season.) Central Bucks West (graduated Iatarola and Fortna but are one of the deepest teams in the state. Not sure if they can replace that firepower up front but should perform well nonetheless.)