by Blake Behney
Districts are right around the corner, and District 3 is loaded with guys who have had breakout seasons. These are some guys who, in my opinion, have made the leap from good to great this season. Let me know if I missed anyone in the comments below.
Joe Cullen - Junior, Wyomissing (AA)
As just a junior, Cullen has already demonstrated his acumen on the oval. A 1:54 4x8 split in the state finals to go along with a 4:26 full mile and multiple low 50s splits in the 4x4 would be exceptional for anyone, but Cullen did it as just a sophomore this past spring. Previously, his XC credentials were inferior to his track times, but this season he’s flipped the script and tore up on the trails. His coming out party was PTXC, where he won the blue race and defeated a very game opponent in Red Land’s Nate Romberger. Then at Foundation, Cullen took it a step further, outkicking last year’s AA 8th place medalist Aaron Pfeil, a Top 50 member who’s having an exceptional season in his own right. Last week he won the Berks County league meet in 16:39. Right now, Cullen looks like the favorite for the District 3 AA title and a surefire state medalist with definite top 10 potential. With speed that’s arguably the best in AA right now, watch for Cullen to use his devastating kick early and often this postseason.
Alex Tomasko - Senior, Mechanicsburg (AAA)
While teammate Morgan Cupp has grabbed the headlines in the past, Tomasko has really stepped up this season and established himself as a state medal contender on a Mechanicsburg team that could make some noise at states (if they qualify, D3 is loaded). He’s always been talented, but this past spring is when he really broke out, running 4:21 and 9:35 as a junior. I thought that would translate to the trails, but I never thought he’d run 15:37 at Paul Short or place 5th at Mid Penns (ahead of his teammate Cupp). Also, he added a another sub-16 mark at Carlisle, running 15:51. He’s proved me wrong all season, so now I’m officially hopping on the Tomasko train.
Ian Gabig - Senior, Camp Hill (A)
After serving as the #3 man on CH’s state championship team last year and finishing painfully close to a state medal (he was 26th), Gabig is back with a vengeance this fall. This spring was the beginning of his breakout when he displayed his mid-distance chops as a member of CH’s 4x8 and 4x4, which both medaled at states. His 1:58 and 52 low splits were crucial to the Lion’s grabbing some hardware. Additionally, he ran the 1200 leg on their DMR at New Balance Nationals. This fall, he didn’t wait long to make his presence known, finishing 3rd at Big Valley opening weekend with a 36 second PR of 16:21. He also won the AA/A race at Big Spring and, although he got out a bit too fast, held on and placed 6th in the A race at Foundation. Additionally, he was the top PA finisher at Gettysburg with another sub-16:30 mark. Despite not running at Mid Penns, Gabig looks primed for a district title and top 10 finish at states.
Andrew Sullivan - Junior, Hershey (AAA)
Given Mike Morris’ struggles, the pressure was on for someone else to step up and keep the Trojans competitive. Enter Andrew Sullivan. After not running XC at all in high school, Sullivan offered us a glimpse of his potential during track, running 4:21 and 9:35. He didn’t have an exceptional showing at PTXC which left some doubt in my mind about whether he was ready for the trails, but responded in a big way by dropping a 15:54 at Carlisle and finishing in the top 20 overall. He also added an 8th place finish at Mid Penns last week, proving that his Carlisle race was no fluke. Given his rapid rate of improvement, Sullivan grabbing a medal at states would not surprise me at all.
Jared Giannascoli - Junior, Lower Dauphin (AAA)
It’s not often that your #3 is a 15:50s guy, but that’s the situation for Giannascoli. LD looks poised to make an impact at the state level this November and the junior is a huge reason why. After a spring season that saw him have several clutch runs as the anchor of the Falcons’ state-qualifying 4x8, Giannascoli has taken it up another notch this fall. He was already an exceptional talent, especially as just a sophomore last year, but a 15:52 at Carlisle signaled his transition to the district’s elite. A 16:20 at Big Spring proved to me that he’s poised for a top 10 finish at districts and potential medal run at states. Plus, Lower Dauphin is outstanding at peaking for this time of year, which swings even more in the junior’s favor.
Isaac Kole - Senior, Carlisle (AAA)
Giannascoli is among the best #3 runners in the state. However, I’m ready to give the title of best #3 to Isaac Kole for now. Kole and the Affolders complete a triumvirate that is unmatched across PA, and the much of the Thundering Herd’s state title chances rest on Kole. He was an above average guy last cross season but stepped it up on the oval and displayed range from 1:57 to 9:35. And it seems the arrival of the Affolders has lit a fire under him because he’s been absolutely crushing it this fall. His run a PTXC was quite good, but a 15:50 at Carlisle put everyone on notice. At Mid Penns, he ran what I consider to be the best race of his life, putting a bow on a 1-2-4 finish for Carlisle with a 16 flat at Big Spring, which is a hell of a time considering that 2 years ago, that would’ve been a course record. Personally, I don’t foresee a scenario where Kole misses out on a medal at states. He’s been extremely consistent so far and I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t continue. Plus, he’s always got those two no-names ahead of him to chase.
Just missed the cut: Chad Long - Junior, Bermudian Springs (AA), Nate Romberger, Senior, Red Land (AAA), Nick Norton - Senior, Hempfield (AAA), Christian Groff - Junior, Hempfield (AAA), Colton Cassel - Senior, Lower Dauphin (AAA)
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