Weekend 1, A Preview

By Jarrett Felix

It’s almost time for the opening weekend of the PA High School XC Season. Although I don’t have any all-time lists at my disposal, I have tried to come up with some of the key story lines going into each of these meets. It’s some classic etrain analysis that I hope you will enjoy ...
 
 Viking Invitational
Obviously this is the big meet in Week 1 (it almost always is), and of course this year it’s especially big because it will feature the defending state champ, Jake Brophy, as he begins what could be an historic season for PA. If he simply cracks the Top 10 at Footlocker this Spring it would be PA’s best finish in a long, long time.

But I’m more interested in the names behind him. If Souderton, Pennridge and CB West all do show up to the invite, we could see an excellent battle between the top suburban one continental runners, including Connor McMenamin, Tucker Desko and Rock Fortna. I think all three of these guys have the potential to be sub 16 by season’s end (Fortna and McMenamin were that level last year) and I think this will be a nice test to see how they stack up. Pennridge has not really had a super star in XC, they have excelled much more on the track so this could be a big step in the right direction if Desko can prove himself week one. Also CB West has a nice pack of guys who could challenge this group (how will Brian Mass run this year?) and maybe even Josh Goetz can jump into the mix, closing the gap on training partner Brophy.

The other compelling story line here is CRN and Hatboro Horsham. Historically, these are two of the best programs not named Henderson in District One and basically every year they have an individual medalist at states (very hard to accomplish). This year, with Arita and Comber graduating, it’s unclear who will be the leader of either team. The smart money says someone will emerge from both teams over the next few months to become medal contenders, but who will it be? Should be fun to see who takes the first steps this weekend.

Gateway
The Gateway Invitational is a fun early season meet out West. I get the impression it’s a pretty difficult course so that’s probably why a grinder like Jake Susalla took the title a year ago. Susalla has suddenly become one of the favorites for the WPIAL title after an excellent Junior campaign, which could be quite a bit of pressure for the runner from Plum. I’ll be watching to see how he responds in his first race.

I also am very excited to watch Baldwin run. Baldwin has a pretty impressive history in the WPIAL and arguably came the closest of any team to knocking North Allegheny of their pedestal during the 2009-2010 seasons (Lebo also came close in 2011). I think they may be on the upswing again behind Casey Conboy, their talented front runner, but only times will tell.

You like that line? Well I thought it was clever …

LVC
St. Joe’s Prep has quietly been an outstanding program, particularly on the track. They often get swallowed up among LaSalle and O’Hara in the PCL, but if they return to this meet they could have a nice moment for themselves. Joe Piscano is really underrated as an XC beast for Prep. He had a strong season last year with quality runs at Pre States and Paul Short in addition to PCLs and Districts (and this meet where he was 2nd behind teammate Isiah Fisher). I’m also holding out hope that 1:54 man Stephen McClellan will run for the XC team and make an impact.

Lions Invite
This isn’t a meet I’m particularly familiar with, but I will be keeping an eye on which small school D11 teams appear to be stepping up. I also want to see what Joe Espinal can do for Wilson. He’s an unreal talent who could become a state medal winner in AA if he can figure out the grass the way he has figured out the track. He will be a senior this year so he should be stronger than ever.

Cliff Robbins
All eyes will be on Dominic Hockenbury at this meet (and rightfully so) to see if he can match his clocking from last year (15:50ish). He won last year’s meet by almost a minute and there doesn’t seem to be a logical challenger to step in and narrow that gap (2nd place was multiple state medalist Nate Morgan from Lakeland). So it should be Hock vs the clock (possibly a theme in 2015, plus it rhymes so even better).

That’s fun, but it’s not as exciting to me as watching a couple potential state title teams battle it out. Northeast Bradford may be back in attendance. They are a powerhouse in the A division and are hungry to get back on the podium this fall. And then there is Dallas, a super young team with a lot of spunk and tremendous upside. They could be the story of the weekend if things break right.

McDowell
This race should be really fun, even if it may not have some of the “star power” on paper. A squad Seneca will take to the trails and start a season that could potential end with district and state titles in their division. The Meyers twins are studs who could make the sophomore to junior jump this fall. I’m interested to see if they have improved their depth behind them to become legit contenders.

We also might get a peak at a fantastic sophomore battle as three of the state’s best frosh last year (Noah Beveridge, Logan Caruso and Christian Babo) all may end up in attendance (also McDowell’s own Zimmerman could be in the mix).

Lock Haven
Admittedly, I don’t know too much about this meet (I think it’s mixed in with a College meet?), but I will be watching is the match up between the small school D6 teams. Eli Urban, teammate of state medalist and sub 4:20 man Brian Hackman, is a sleeper to make noise this year, but he will likely have to deal with Bishop McCourt’s Jacob Shulte, among others.

Enos Yeager
I believe this course is listed as 2.35 miles, which means times will literally mean nothing out there on race day. That’s XC at it’s finest. With the departure of Brehm, D’Angelo and Dyche, Carlisle looks vulnerable within the district 3 rankings after a pair of strong seasons. Matt Wisner, the 800m stand out this past spring, will look to usher in a new era of Carlisle XC and prove he can handle the trails as well as he handles the track. He gets a nice test in XC vet Dan Filler of Gettysburg.

Also keep an eye on Chambersburg. They are a sleeper contender for a state qualifying spot out of D3 and I believe they are the hosts for this meet, which means home field advantage is in play.

McKeesport
I have to brush up on McKeesport Trail Run history, but keep an eye on West Mifflin as a team in this one. I’m interested to see if they can repeat their performance from a year ago.

Cal Invite
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like historically Mt Lebanon has dominated this meet. They handled the course very well last year and appear set up to do it again with another great squad on paper. I’m interested to see how Gunzenhauser handles this difficult lay out considering his biggest successes thus far have been on the track. I am also curious to see how Brandenstein evolves as a sophomore.

But, if memory serves, the WPIAL championships are being moved to this course for the first time in 2015, right? So this has even bigger implications considering Lebo will get to preview the course they hope to use to topple the Tiger Dynasty this season. That also could mean a few more top teams will make the trip to preview the course.

Big Valley
State College and Altoona have had a fun rivalry in recent years, including an epic 2013 District meet. But this year, on paper at least, State College appears to be big time favorites for gold and the only qualifying spot. So how will Altoona rally the troops to start 2015 against their arch rivals? That will be a compelling story line for me at the Big Valley Invitational. You can flip it and also ask yourself, how good is State College? Well, if they throw down a dominate performance this weekend with big runs by their 4x8 guys, we might have an answer.

Altoona has it’s own prestigious history of putting up medal contenders year after year including Wade Endress, Korey Replogle, Dylan Mountain and Brad Foust. Who is next in line? That should be fun to watch for in this one.

In the AA race, you have to look out for Will Kachman. Kachman dominated the AA race last year and he is fresh off his best track season ever with a massive 3200m PR. Kachman was ranked quite high in the top 50 rankings so he will have to back up me up in week one.

Also in the AA race is Lewisburg, a team with sleeper potential in the AA team title race (which is very wide open, might I add).

Hornet Harrier
Again, this is far from my area of expertise, but watch for rising sophomore Tingley to make a name for himself with a nice time in this one.

Northampton Invitational
Similarly to the Lions Invitational, I’m watching to see which District 11 teams come to play at this meet. One of the teams I will be keeping a close eye on is Mahanoy of A D11. I felt like they had a strong season last year and, potentially, could continue to improve this year, assuming they build off that momentum.

Oakbourne
It’s hard to gain too much information from a two mile relay meet in the beginning of September, but it won’t stop me from trying. This meet could potentially feature D1 Champs Conestoga, D1 favorites DT West, D3 Champs Hempfield and the always intriguing West Chester Henderson. That’s a loaded group. Just seeing DT West debut and trying to figure out how their crazy talented group fits together is enough to make a fan tune in, but the real stories here are likely the other teams. We know DT West will be good, but how will Conestoga and Henderson rebuild?

I’m not sure if Hempfield will be back, but if so keep an eye on them. They started very slow in 2014 (injuries?) before bringing the squad together for a killer stretch run at leagues and districts. I’m curious to see how they start the year this time around with a talented crew.

And hey, let’s not sleep on the other Chesmont teams, particularly Unionville who has been on a lot of people’s radar as a potential party crasher in D1. This will be a good chance to prove their depth against some of the other favorites in the district.
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Etrain Team Power Rankings: #15 Virginia Tech Hokies

By: Garrett Zatlin

Reminder of the list so far...
#04 Wisconsin Badgers

15. Virginia Tech Hokies
Flotrack’s #15: Boise State Broncos
Coach: Ben Thomas
Notable Departures: N/A
Notable Additions: Andrew Goldman (transfer), Diego Zarate
Projected Scoring Five: Thomas Curtin (SR), Stuart Robertson (JR), Patrick Joseph (JR), Darren Barlow (SR), Andrew Gaiser (SO)
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You had to know it was coming sooner or later. My Virginia Tech Hokies are the 15th team on my list and for a good reason. VT was able to grab an excellent recruiting class. It’s arguably one of the deepest in the nation. Not only that, but a lot of guys come back healthy this fall. Virginia Tech is going to be very, very good.

Last season, the Hokies were working out the kinks. Their top guys were working around some health issues and the large recruiting class was getting sorted out. New faces would emerge and step up in a time of adjustment. The first meet of the year would actually be hosted at VT for their alumni invite. The meet gathered some attention and teams like FSU and UNC joined the field. The race was a mess with some teams going hard from the gun while others laid back. FSU took the top three spots while UNC put in a couple top guys of their own. VT took it easy and held back any real effort. FSU would win while VT settled for an unimportant 5th place. The first true effort would come at the Greater Louisville Classic. It was there that the Hokies recognized just how crucial having a strong ace was. Wisonsin, Louisville, and Missouri all put two guys in front of VT’s #1 (Stuart Robertson: 14th place). Their 5th man fell back to 56th place and the Hokies settled for 4th overall losing to Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Missouri. It wasn’t the greatest performance ever, but it was still early with plenty of time to improve. Another two weeks past and the Hokies found themselves going to New Jersey to race at Princeton. The race wouldn’t be an easy one with Villanova and loads of Ivy League teams attending. This time however, Stuart Robertson would step up to be that front-man and place second overall behind only Tommy Awad. The pack running for the Hokies improved although it wasn’t nearly as tight as Villanova’s who took spots seven through eleven. VT took the runner-up position and went back to Blacksburg. Second place at Princeton was nice, but the competition there would be nothing like they would experience at ACC’s. Another two weeks passed and the Hokies took a drive an hour down the road to Charlottesville, home of rival UVA. The meet would include a loaded field with multiple nationally ranked teams. The ACC was getting a reputation as the deepest conference in the NCAA and the Hokies were part of it. Of course, that reputation showed more than ever. Syracuse put all seven of their men in before VT's number one, Stuart Robertson, while FSU surged their way through the field with three guys in the top 20. Even team favorite UVA couldn’t handle the mass waves of talents and they dropped to 4th place. Virginia Tech fell to 6th and the team went home frustrated. They knew they had the talent to contend, but the pack wasn’t as close and the gaps were too big. That would have to change at regionals. The Southeast regional finally arrived in Louisville, Kentucky with talented teams crowding Tom Sawyer Park. Although Syracuse and FSU would be going to different regionals, the competition wouldn’t be any easier than ACC’s with teams like Furman and Eastern Kentucky being brought into the mix. Everything was on the line for the Hokies who were looking to find a bit of a hope and sneak in to an ‘at large’ bid spot. Unfortunately, they replicated their ACC performance almost exactly. Robertson was 17th but the rest of the pack was simply too spread out. The fourth and fifth men were 42nd and 43rd, which hurt the scoring for Hokies and put them 50 points behind 4th place (the last spot that got a bid). The Hokies finished 6th for the second week in a row and went back home happy to have their brutal fall season behind them.


This, however, is the fall season that the VT team has been talking about for a while. The team grabbed one of the best and deepest recruiting classes in the nation including 4:09 miler Diego Zarate. Throw in a transfer from UVA and this squad has a lot of young potential. I’m hesitant to put Zarate or any other young guys in the scoring mix right now considering the experience the other guys have. That said, don’t count any of them out of potentially being scorers. The biggest return however, has to be Thomas Curtin who destroyed the track this past winter and spring with All-American finishes in the 5k as well as two ACC titles. The man was fourth during his sophomore year of XC. Could we see an individual title from him this fall? An ACC title in XC last year could’ve dropped the scoring by 41 points and nearly tied them with Virginia. That’s a huge jump. A title at regionals would mean a 42 point jump and only 8 points away from that ‘at large’ bid. You can see where I’m going with this. Curtin’s return to this team is going to be monumental. All the other Hokies need to do is keep their pack running tighter, and this team is going to NCAA's. I’m also looking for big things from Vincent Ciattei who spent most of his time injured last year. He was a 4:09 miler in high school and has a 14:41 5k. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be extremely dangerous. Throw in Andrew Gaiser who has a 14:33 PR and then you have some talented depth. Out of everyone here though, Robertson has to be my favorite. He was stepped into a position of being a leader and now knows what it takes. I also like that he can still improve a lot. Last year was his first year being a top talent and I imagine that he’ll continue to improve now that he has experience in the post season. The rest of the team is incredibly deep and healthy. This could be VT’s year to not only make NCAA’s, but really mix it up as well.
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Etrain Team Power Rankings: #16 Penn Quakers

By: Garrett Zatlin

Reminder of the list so far...
#04 Wisconsin Badgers

16. Penn Quakers
Flotrack’s #16: UCLA Bruins
Coach: Steve Dolan
Notable Departures: Connor Paez, John Trueman
Notable Additions: Luke Petela
Projected Scoring Five: Tommy Awad (SR) [ET#18], Brenden Shearn (JR), Nick Tuck (JR), Ross Wilson (SO), Lyle Wistar (JR)
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There are two types of people reading this. The first one is from Pennsylvania and is happy to see all of the PA alumni here. The other reader is a serious fan of the sport and is shaking his (or her) head right now…But the best part about all of this is that Sean Collins will most likely make fun of Fox for having Penn higher than Cornell. Anyways, the Ivy League is wide open this year with the always-dominant Princeton Tigers graduating a nice chunk of their squad. The Penn Quakers are right in line to take that title and be competitive beyond their conference.


Last year, the Penn Quakers entered the season pretty underrated. Historically they hadn’t been great during XC. However, the addition of new individuals and solid recruiting was putting the program on the rise. The team started off their season at the Big 5 Invite where colleges around the Philadelphia area gathered to make their season debuts. Penn would sweep the event with ease. The next stop would be the Main Line Invite. Although some teams weren’t fully stacked, the field was brimming with top individual talent like Ryan Mahalsky  (Lehigh), Patrick Tiernan (Villanova), Charlie Marquardt (Haverford), and of course Penn’s Tom Awad. No team scores were recorded, but Penn placed five in the top eleven. The first true test of the season would come at Notre Dame and what a test it was…Awad had an excellent race finishing 4th overall. However, Shearn was the next closest scorer at 63rd. The rest of the scorers became much too spread out and the team was crushed by a time-spread of 1:20. Penn placed 15th overall. While it wasn’t the best performance ever, it’s important to note that Connor Paez and John Trueman had very off days and were the sixth and seventh men. The sub-standard race was set aside, and the Quakers went back to work focused on November. The Princeton XC Invite would be the next stop on the list. Top D1 talents like Virginia Tech and Villanova were entered as well as most of the Ivy League. It would be very interesting to see if Penn could rebound from Notre Dame. Yet, one thing was for sure: Tommy Awad wasn’t going to slow down. The man continued to establish himself as the lead Quaker by taking the meet title over some very underrated individuals. Awad, however, was not the only good thing about Penn. The Quakers rallied together and got themselves a third place finish behind two very solid teams in Villanova and Virginia Tech. Even more interesting was that they placed third without Connor Paez. The depth was finally starting to come together, but would it be enough for the Ivy League championships? The Quakers took a ride back to Princeton to compete against their rivals. Penn entered the race ready and confident having done so well the week before. In this case, however, lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. Awad still got his Heps title. The Quakers did not. Princeton’s depth came together and put on an outstanding 30-point performance. Cornell surprised many with their runner-up finish mainly due to their new front man that no one had expected (Dominic Deluca). Penn fell back to third and returned to Philadelphia with a very unsatisfying bronze. Now it was Mid-Atlantic’s. The regional race would be very deep and filled with familiar competition. Awad was being predicted for the individual title, while many suggested that Princeton could be a contender after their impressive Heps showing. Throw in squads like Penn State and Georgetown, and Penn was an afterthought. As the race unfolded, it was clear why those teams were being talked about. 16 of the top 20 places belonged to either Nova, Georgetown, Penn State, or Princeton. Penn simply couldn’t match that depth. Awad grabbed third while Paez was 20 spots behind. Shearn and Tuck did an excellent job of placing in the top 40, but their freshman fifth (Ross Wilson) didn’t have the experience to keep up. Penn would finish 6th overall, 8 points behind Navy.

It’s clear that Penn has some work to do. I won’t argue that. What I will argue, is that it may have taken a year for some of these guys to really settle in. What I really like about this team is not what happened last fall, but rather last spring. I believe that if you can run a good steeplechase, you can be competitive in XC. Penn should hope that’s true considering they have two solid steeplechasers of their own. Nick Tuck ran a very impressive 8:46 steeplechase this past spring and was in the talks to make nationals. Ross Wilson also had a very solid steeplechase time of 8:59, which is outstanding for a freshman when you consider they probably had never done one before. When you look at 5k times, they are also very solid (Awad- 13:33, Shearn-14:16, Wilson-14:23, Tuck-14:23). Except for Tuck’s 5k, all of those times were hit last spring. That is some excellent improvement and can make a for a very dangerous scoring group during cross. I put Wistar as my 5th man mainly because he is very consistent and has some experience in the big races. The Quakers will also have a very solid group of rising sophomores to pick from. Watch out for Pat Halley and Thomas Connelly as they could have an impact and contribute to Penn’s depth.


Yes, I understand how far-fetched this sounds. A team that couldn’t even get top five at regionals is the 16th best team in the nation. Is it a gut-instinct pick? Yeah. But I truly believe in this team. They have the potential, the coach, the leader, the experience, and the times to have something big. Penn may not hold the 16th spot all season, BUT they will win Heps and place top three at regionals this year IF they can stay healthy. You can take that to the bank.
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