Sorry About That...

By: Garrett Zatlin

Well this is a bit embarrassing.

I should apologize to the readers that expected more content about the NCAA/PA Alumni. I got surprisingly busy with final exams, a rigorous internship, and attempting to get The Stride Report up and running (S/O to Jarrett and the rest of the crew for all of the support). Completely pausing all of my writing for Etrain was not the plan...

But now I'm back and will make an effort to stay involved once again! Here is my plan for the next few weeks..

-Begin the "I Love College" series
-Continue interviews for the "The Commit"
-Discuss some PA Alumni in general
-Anything else that you guys would like

As I attempt to write some of these posts, I'm going to need some help from you guys! I am currently making an Excel spreadsheet for the 2017 graduating class and where they are going to college. Any names you guys may have for this would be incredibly helpful. Here are the names I have so far...

-Nick Dahl (Yale)
-Nick Feffer (Dartmouth)
-Dave Whitfield (Virginia Tech)
-Matt D'Aquila (Middlebury)
-Will Griffin (Virginia Tech)
-Nate Henderson (Syracuse)
-Noah Affolder (Syracuse)
-Ben Bumgarner (Penn State)
-Brandon Hontz (Penn State)
-Ryan Barton (Penn State)
-James Abrahams (Penn State)
-Alex Tomasko (Penn State)
-Nick Wagner (Penn State)
-Zach Lefever (Pittsburgh)
-Zack Skolnekovich (William & Mary)
-Noah Curtin (Temple)
-Liam Galligan (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
-Eric Kersten (Lehigh)
-Griffin Mackey (Dartmouth)
-Connor McMenamin (Bucknell)
-Mark Provenzo (Duquesne)
-Seth Slavin (Lehigh)

Keep an eye out for future posts and updates!

Run on,
Garrett

Weekend Alumni Report / Other Notable Names I've Missed / I Need A Better Title

By: Garrett Zatlin

Ernie Pitone, Senior, Widener
This guy currently has the NCAA #1 time with a HUGE 14:08 5k personal best! That's a school record and a time that could put him in the discussion to be a title contender.

John Lewis, Sophomore, Clemson
I mentioned last week that Lewis would need to break the 1:48 barrier if he wants to be in the discussion for national championship qualifying. Sure enough, he did just that at LSU this past weekend where he ran a killer time of 1:47.95 (NCAA #25) to place third overall.

Sam Ritz, Sophomore, Columbia
This guy is one of the more underrated PA alum at the division one level. He's following the footsteps of experienced miler Rob Napolitano and it's beginning to pay off after running a personal best time of 3:45 this past weekend.

I said it in my last article and I'll say it again...anything can happen in the 1500 at Regionals. If that race gets too tactical, Ritz could easily snag a spot to the Big Dance.

Dom Perretta, Freshman, Penn State
This kid just does not quit! After running a strong PR of 3:46 last weekend, Perretta came back to place 5th in an absolutely LOADED 800 field at the Virginia Challenge. His time (and PR) of 1:47.29 currently puts him at 13th in the nation!

Scott Mason, Junior, Connecticut College
The Lehigh transfer is beginning to find great success at the division three level after running a personal best time of 14:47 two weekends ago. That time currently places him at 36th in the NCAA.

Mason also threw down a personal best time of 9:17 steeplechase this past weekend at Larry Ellis which is an NCAA #12 time.

Jaryd Flank, Senior, Muhlenberg
In just his second race of the season, Flank ticked off a solid time of 9:10 to place himself at NCAA #3 among division three steeplechasers. Keep an eye out for this guy as the season progresses.

Addison Monroe, Junior, Lock Haven
In just two races this season, Monroe has two big personal bests of 14:34 (NCAA #34) and 29:44 (NCAA #13). This guy is at the top of his game and is one of the better long-distance PA alum we have.

Ryan Thompson, Senior, Slippery Rock
Two weekends ago, we saw Ryan Thompson throw down a lethal 3:46 (NCAA #10) at the Bison Outdoor Classic. Thompson stepped up this past indoor season and is showing that he is not some one-season wonder. Hopefully, we'll get to see Thompson and fellow PA alum Caleb Gatchell (NCAA #18 1500) match up before the end of the regular season.

Matt McGoey, Sophomore, Pittsburgh
What a season Matt McGoey is having! It took a year for the Pitt Panther to adjust to collegiate competition, but he has really come into his own with personal best times of 3:47.99 (1500), 14:22 (5k), and 9:05 (3kSt.) this season! He is becoming much more consistent and beginning to really take advantage of his fitness.

Ned Willig, Senior, Michigan
At Mnt. SAC, we saw Ned take the lead and control the pace against a field that was capable of running much faster. Ned finished with a solid 3:45, but left knowing that he could have run faster. At Jesse Owens, he wouldn't have the luxury of an elite 1500 field to push the pace. Willig got the win, but had to settle for yet another 3:45.

Willig is clearly fit and in great shape. He just needs to find the right race to run fast. Until then, I imagine he'll shift his focus to the 800 and attempt to run a fast time in that event.

PA Alumni Recap: 4/13 - 4/15

After a bit of a down week last week there were a ton of PA Alumni in action this weekend. From Ned Willig's 3:45 out in California to Dom Perretta's 3:46 right here in Pennsylvania, we've got all your big results here.*

Rock Fortna – 4:03.45 1500

Fortna continued his outdoor season with a really nice 8 second improvement over his last time out and a season best by 4 seconds. More importantly, he won his heat which bodes well moving forward. He’s showing he has what it takes to compete at the front of and win collegiate races. I’m sure he will continue to improve as he finds himself in some quicker races.

Todd Gunzenhauser – 3:57.03 1500

Gunzenhauser is still running unattached but that hasn’t kept him from running some solid times. 3:57 is a really solid time for someone whose high school PR was 4:18. (3:57 converts to about 4:15). I’m excited to see what he’s able to do the next few years.

Ned Willig – 3:45.65 1500

I’m sure Willig was looking to run a bit faster here, but the race got out pretty slow through the first 3 laps. Ned closed well, and finished as the 3^rd collegiate in the race, but he’ll most likely have to run a little faster to make the regional meet. Overall this was a positive performance, though, and I think he has a lot more to give in the right race.

Ryan Thompson – 1:53.20 800 & 3:46.34 1500

Thompson has been on a tear this year, and he kept it going this weekend running a huge 2 second 1500 PR and just missing his 800 PR on the double. He’s pretty much locked in for the D2 national meet in the 1500 after this performance so keep an eye out for him there.

Jared Luckanitz – 1:53.94 800 & 4:01.64 1500

Luckanitz had a really solid weekend running a 6 second PR in the 1500 and then coming back with a solid 800. His 1500 showed he is significantly stronger than he has been in the past. Hopefully he’s able to use that strength to continue dropping time in the 800 as championship season approaches.

Dominic Stroh – 1:53.98 800 & 3:50.75 1500

Stroh had a breakthrough weekend recording massive PR’s in both the 1500 and 800. He dropped nearly 4 seconds in the 1500 on Friday night and then came back Saturday with a PR in the 800 by just over 3 seconds. This should be a huge confidence boost as he begins to prepare for conference meets, and maybe a national meet if he can drop a couple more seconds in either event.

Jack Felt – 1:54.00 800

Felt just missed breaking into the 1:53’s for the first time but did PR by just under half a second. It’s the first time he has PR’d since 2014 so hopefully it’s a sign that even better things are coming. Felt was very instrumental in saving at least some of Lock Haven’s track program so it’s nice to see him being rewarded with a good final season.

Brook Wilson – 1:54.01 800

Wilson also just missed joining the 1:53 club, but did PR by just over half a second. He’s always peaked well at the end of the year, so hopefully he has a couple more PR’s in him this year.

Khai Samuels – 1:54.23 800

Samuels dropped a whopping 2.4 seconds off his previous season best with a solid 1:54 run this weekend. Like Wilson, Samuels always peaks well. In fact, he has PR’d at every conference meet he’s competed in. Watch out for him in a couple weeks.

Dom Perretta – 3:46.47 1500

Perretta had a huge race this weekend running 3:46 and dominating his heat en route to the PR. I think he can run a lot faster and should be able to qualify for the regional meet in the 1500 as well as the 800. Then he’ll have to decide which to run. I think he has more potential at the 1500 in the long run, but if I had to guess, I think he likes the 800 more. I think we’ll see him stick with that through this season, but 1500 runners beware, Perretta is coming.

Colin Abert – 3:47.24 1500

Abert opened up his outdoor season with a really solid 3:47. It’s good to see him back racing again after a bit of a hiatus. I think he has a lot of potential in this event so hopefully he’s able to keep racing and get back to the form he was in last year when he ran 3:45.

Jeff Van Kooten – 3:49.43 1500

Van Kooten had a really nice race to break 3:50 for the first time this weekend, and PR by just under 4 seconds in the process. He seems to be getting comfortable with college racing which should scare anyone that has to race him. I think he’ll be pretty dangerous by the time his conference meet rolls around.

Jaxson Hoey – 3:50.08 1500

Jaxson had a huge seasonal best running 6 seconds faster than he did at Florida Relays 2 weeks ago. He looks like he’s starting to round into the form he had last year when he was one of the best high school runners in the nation. Hopefully he’s able to keep the momentum going and drop even more time.

Rico Galassi – 14:17 5000

Rico threw down a very solid 5k to take 3^rd in a pretty quick race. He’s starting to get back to the form he was in his freshman year when he ran 14:15. Hopefully he’s able to find another quick race to take a shot at sub 14 before his conference meet rolls around.

Matt Kravitz – 14:37 5000

Kravitz was convincingly under 15 minutes in his 5k debut, a promising sign from the true freshman. I think this is the event he’ll shine in as he continues to mature and get stronger.

Xavier Sauvageau – 14:54 5000

The Canisius senior broke 15:00 for the first time en route to a massive 34 second PR. Sauvageau had a really solid indoor season and has clearly kept the momentum going here. His conference meet was won in 14:49 last year, so hopefully he can compete for the win this year.

Ernie Pitone – 3:50.85 1500

Pitone has run 2 races this outdoor season, a 1500 and a 10k, showing some impressive range. While this race was a bit off of Pitone’s 3:46 PR, it should give him a shot at qualifying for the DIII national meet once again.
Jaryd Flank - 9:10.53 3000S
Flank had a solid first steeple of the season running just 6 seconds off his PR. His time is also the top DIII time in the country right now. Anytime your race has barriers there's a readjustment period the first race of the season so for Flank to be right on his PR is very encouraging. Look for him to challenge sub-9 and potentially win a DIII national title later on this year.
Calvin Conrad-Kline - 9:11.45 3000S
Conrad Kline had a breakout race just behind Flank running a 17 second PR and earning a DII provisional qualifying time in the process. He'll need to run a bit quicker to qualify for nationals, but this was a great result for him. 

*Of course, I always miss something, so let me know who should've been included on this list. 

What Could Be

By: Garrett Zatlin

I apologize for my lack of posts as of late! Trying to get the new website started has been a bit more work than I expected. That said, if you haven't heard, I've launched my own website called thestridereport.com. Feel free to check it out!

Now let's talk about our PA alumni.

Every year (season, actually) we start discussing which PA alumni could potentially make nationals at the Division 1 level. I'm going to keep Division's 2 & 3 out of this conversation because they have repeatedly sent such a high number of individuals in the past (and I don't see that trend slowing any time soon). So let's break down who could make it to the Big Dance...

Ned Willig, Michigan, Senior (Graduate Student)
As most of you know, Willig was the sole PA alum to qualify for an individual distance event at nationals this past indoor season after running a strong 3:58 mile PR. Although he struggled at nationals, he is still one of the top middle distance runners in the nation. The Michigan graduate student will actually attempt a 1500 at Mount SAC this upcoming weekend. The field will include names such as Edward Cheserek and Jacob Thompson.

Despite Willig's recent success in the mile, I think it's very possible we see Willig drop down in distance and attempt a fast time in the 800. The half-mile has historically been Willig's best event. He was the Ivy League champion in the event last spring and owns a strong PR of 1:47.

Whatever event he ends up pursuing, Willig should be able to put himself in a position to make NCAA's. It just depends on how tactical or how fast the races get at Regionals.

Domenic Perretta, Penn State, Freshman
He may be a freshman, but this is a guy who has some incredible strength and speed. PR's of 1:48 (800) and 2:23 (1k) along with a 2:55 1200 split make Perretta one of the most underrated underclassmen in the nation.

He's got the talent, but the question now becomes how well can he handle the big stage and how well can he handle tactical races at the collegiate level.

Will he get to Regionals? Almost definitely. Will he make it to NCAA's? Eh...Maybe.

If Perretta is able to show progression (such as winning more races and consistently dropping time), then he could have the most momentum out of anybody in the field at Regionals. At the same time, he has nothing to lose. With three years of eligibility left, you can bet that Perretta will eventually make it.

Alek Sauer, Columbia, Sophomore
The Pennsbury alum is turning into one of the most consistent and underrated mid-distance runners in the nation. Sauer has accomplished more in his three (now four) seasons of track than some have in their entire careers. The Columbia sophomore qualified for the NCAA East Regional final in the 800, has run under 1:50 six times, and became the Ivy League 1k champion this past indoor season.

Sauer is the real deal and is on the rise to be the next great PA alumni. He was able to get to the regional final last year and I believe he can do it again.

Yes, it is true that he will need to improve his overall fitness. Those who are running 1:48 or slower don't have a strong chance of making it out of Regionals (it's possible, but unlikely). However, Sauer just opened his outdoor season with a 1:48.95 at Florida Relays, an excellent time for this early on in the season.

Like Perretta, Sauer needs to drop a little bit more time and grab a few wins. The upside about Sauer is that he's been on the big stage (Regionals) before and has seen some success. That experience will bode well for him come May.

John Lewis, Clemson, Sophomore
John Lewis is another mid-distance PA alum that is catching some attention this year for being part of a formidable Clemson 800 crew. Although Lewis has run an 800 only once this season, it was a time of 1:48.56 which currently has him tied at 19th in the current NCAA standings.

Remember how I mentioned that Alek Sauer had gone under 1:50 six times? Lewis has done it 13 times!!! That is absolutely incredible for Lewis who is just a sophomore and is often relied on for 400's and 4x4's.

This man has shown tremendous consistency and has matured his racing tactics over the past year or two. Just take a look at this past indoor season where he placed 5th at ACC's in one of the conference's fastest half-mile races ever.

There is a lot to like about Lewis, but he has to get around that barrier of 1:48. Once he can do that and consistently drop 1:47's, then I like his chances of making it through to nationals by the end of this spring season.

Sam Ritz, Columbia, Sophomore
Ritz is an absolute monster on the track and is a proven winner who just wants to gut-out fast times. In his very first race of the 2017 outdoor season (and only race so far), Ritz threw down a 3:45 1500 PR at the Florida Relays. He currently ranks 39th in the nation for that event.

But there is so much more to Ritz than a 3:45 1500. PR's of 1:50 (800), 2:24 (1k), and 4:06 (mile) make him a threat in nearly every aspect of racing. He's got plenty of speed and isn't afraid to stick with the best.

Like everyone else I've mentioned, Ritz will need to drop some time, but it seems to be within reason and reach. Keep in mind that we've seen some surprising names make it out of Regionals in the 1500 (especially last year). It's not uncommon to see those Regional races get tactical and left up to a kick. If that's the case, then Ritz could end up in an excellent position to potentially grab a spot to nationals.

Other Sleeper Picks

• Matt Wisner, Duke, Freshman

• Colin Abert, Penn State, Sophomore

• Nick Wolk, Pittsburgh, Freshman

• Nate Sloan, Pittsburgh, Junior, 

• Matt McGoey, Pittsburgh, Sophomore

• Alec Kunzweiler, Duke, Senior

Think I missed any other contenders? Let me know below!

PA Alumni Recap 3/31-4/1

Joe Espinal – 4:05.68 1500
Joe Espinal continued a solid outdoor season with a 4:05 1500 at Muhlenberg. That’s a really good mark for the 800 man who has already run 1:53.50 and 48.77 this year. I don’t think this will be a primary event for him any time soon, but it shows good endurance for the 2016 state champ.

Jeff Kirshenbaum – 9:57.19 3k Steeplechase

The time isn’t overly impressive on its own, but it is worth noting since it was Kirshenbaum’s debut at the event. It’s fair to expect him to drop some pretty significant time as he gets comfortable going over hurdles and water jumps.

Nate Sloan – 1:50.03 800 & 3:52 1500

Wow did Pittsburgh have a great weekend out West. Sloan started his weekend with a very solid 3:52 1500 on Friday which was just off his pr. He followed that up with an outstanding 1:50.03, just missing breaking the 1:50 barrier and PR’ing by over 3 seconds.

Billy Caldwell – 1:56.18 800 & 3:51.53 1500

Billy Caldwell had an awesome 1500 Friday running a big PR of 3:51.13. He came back Saturday as well with a 1:56 800. I think he has a lot of potential in the 1500 so hopefully we’ll see him start to focus on that event this season.

Nick Wolk – 14:19 5k

Nick Wolk. Wow. I don’t know what else to say. This man just continued an incredible freshman season with a crazy fast 14:19 5k. For someone with 4:14 and 9:10 pr’s from high school 5k the last event I would have expected him star in. Shows what I know.

Matt McGoey – 14:22 5k

McGoey continued a stellar weekend for the Pittsburgh boys out in San Francisco with an 11 second 5k PR. While there have been some questions around this program in the past, McGoey has been instrumental in turning them back into a competitive team. This race was just the latest example of that. Look for even more as the season progresses.

Aaron Lauer – 14:39 5k

Aaron Lauer was the only Pitt runner not to PR, but he progressed solidly from indoors running 8 seconds faster than his best indoor time. Look for him to PR and get under 14:30 soon.

Brendan Shearn – 29:36 10k

This man has become a sub-30 machine. Shearn opened up just 8 seconds off his PR over 10k and should qualify for regionals with this time. I think Shearn has a legit shot at Nationals this year with his experience.

Dylan Eddinger – 1:53.83 800

Eddinger opened up just .01 slower than last year at the same meet. That bodes well for his season since he dropped 2 seconds and ran 1:51 by the end of last year.

Jack Magee – 1:55.96 800

Jack Magee also opened up right around where he did last year. He’s had a solid career so far but is still right on the edge of a big breakthrough. Hopefully he’s able to put it all together this season.

Jeff van Kooten – 3:55.10 1500

Jeff Van Kooten opened up just barely faster than last year. I think he’s also on the verge of some big things if everything breaks his way. He’s only going to get better the farther into the season we get.

Cooper Leslie – 3:58.00 1500

The freshman continues to impress running sub-4 over 1500 for the first time. I really like his potential, especially coming from a smaller high school program. I think he’s just going to get better as he faces stiffer competition.

Rico Galassi – 8:21 3k

The 3k is rarely run outdoors, but Galassi excelled given the chance here. He was just off his time indoors this year and showed he’s primed to run some really quick outdoor races.

PJ Murray – 8:35 3k

PJ Murray also had a good 3k at the Colonial Relays. His 8:35 is a 9 second PR from his indoor time this year. He’s also primed for some big outdoor races as he’s only getting better right now.

Paul Power – 8:42 3k

Paul Power didn’t run many races indoors but he took advantage of the opportunity to race here also running 9 seconds faster than he did indoors. He showed a lot of potential last year as a redshirt so hopefully he’s able to keep getting faster.

Todd Gunzenhauser – 8:33 3k

Todd ran unattached which makes he think he’s going to redshirt this season, but 8:33 is a really solid time so maybe that will change. That’s a really good mark for a true freshman so keep an eye on him the next couple years.

Christian Kazanjian – 14:32 5k

The 5k at Colonial Relays saw some really solid results from the PA boys led by Kazanjian in 14:32, which was an impressive 15 second PR. That’s a great spot to start his outdoor season and hopefully there’s more to come.

Addison Monroe – 14:34 5k

Monroe was just behind Kazanjian running just faster than he did indoors. I really like guys who progress consistently from indoors into outdoors, and I think Monroe is going to run something pretty quick by the time all is said and done.

Calvin Conrad-Kline – 14:44 5k

Conrad-Kline had one of the most impressive races of the weekend dropping a casual 33 seconds off his 5k PR. That’s a huge jump and shows he’s much more fit than he was last year.

Harrison Schettler - 14:46 5k

Schettler was almost as impressive as Conrad-Kline dropping 24 seconds off his 5k PR. Both of these guys have clearly made huge strides since last year. Hopefully they can keep the momentum rolling.

Dan Savage - 9:15 3k Steeplechase

Dan Savage opened up with a really solid 9:15 steeplechase, just 2 seconds off his PR. Any time your race has hurdles an opener can be pretty rough. To be that close to his PR is a great sign. As he gets comfortable going over barriers again look for him to drop some significant time.


Alek Sauer - 1:48.95 800 
Sauer got his outdoor season off to a great start at Florida relays with the second sub 1:49 performance of his career. He's starting off faster than he did last year when he qualified for NCAA Regionals, so he's set up for a big season. The East Region 800 is absolutely loaded, but I think Sauer is right on the edge of being able to compete with the top guys.

Domenic Peretta - 1:49.51 800 
While this was not as fast as Peretta ran to open his outdoor season a week ago, it was another sub-1:50 mark to add to an outstanding freshman resume.  Being able to consistently run at a high level is extremely important when you get to Regional and Conference meets, so I really like what Peretta is doing right now.

Elias Graca - 1:51.63 800 
Graca continued to progress from a solid indoor season running about half a second faster than last week and getting closer to his PR in the process. Last year Graca ran his fastest race of the year at Florida Relays but had trouble improving after that. Hopefully he's able to time things a little better this year and set himself up well for a big conference meet.

Jeff Wiseman - 1:52.64 800 
Wiseman has showed some really good speed in the shorter events over the last few seasons, especially indoors where he was second at HEPS in the 500. This was a solid opener for him, but I think there's even more there if he chooses to focus on the 800. My gut says he will be running more 400's than 800's though.

Sam Ritz - 3:45.63 1500 
Wow! This was a huge breakthrough for Ritz who broke 3:50 for the first time in a big way. He's coming off a very solid indoor season where he ran 4:06, but this is on a whole different level. This won't quite get him to the Regional meet, but given this was his opener I think he has a legitimate shot at qualifying for that meet.

Jaxson Hoey - 3:56.42 1500 
While it's not quite the 3:50 Jaxson ran at USATF Juniors last year, it's a big improvement over his indoor season and shows he's headed in the right direction. He's at a great program so I think the key is just going to be staying healthy for the next couple months and continuing to progress. If he can do that he should be in a good spot moving forward, even if he doesn't PR this season. The key to a good college career is staying healthy, so just racing is a good sign for Jaxson. Getting a solid result in is even better.

*Thanks to the commenter who pointed out that I missed Florida Relays results. Let me know if there are any other results I missed.

Full Speed Ahead podcast

By: The Etrain Crew

The gang is back at it discussing some PA action!

FULL SPEED AHEAD PODCAST

Let's See How This Goes...

By: Garrett Zatlin

Our PA Alumni deserve more attention.

Not just the guys in D1, but D2, D3, and NAIA as well. Heck, even college club runners deserve some love (looking at you Evan Hatton).

I've been with Etrain for over two years now and it has been an outstanding experience. I never thought when I first joined that we would have a professional runner like Craig Lutz reach out and help promote the blog. I never thought that a random prediction article would make the front page of LetsRun. I never thought we would have national champions follow us on Twitter. All of this just from having fun and writing a few articles.

But sometimes, I have to be honest with myself. Our audience is heavily Pennsylvania based and the most read posts in the NCAA section are typically the ones discussing PA alumni. Our readers care more about how Ned Willig is doing compared to how some Oklahoma State guy got 6th at nationals when he was projected to get 2nd.

And quite frankly, I don't blame them! Our alumni are simply more relevant. These are guys we grew up watching, competed against, and read about in Etrain's articles.

After thinking about this for nearly two months, I've decided that I will be shifting the focus of my writing for the blog towards our PA alumni. There are so many guys that I simply don't know. They deserve to get more attention. How did I not know that SRU's Ryan Thompson ran 4:05 this season? How would I have known that All-American Jaryd Flank was a PA alum if Jarrett and Fox didn't point it out to me? The list goes on.

But that's not it...

We still have a solid amount of readers from outside of the state. Readers from Boston, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and so on come to Etrain for content about NCAA distance running. Completely eliminating that focus and only benefitting the PA readers would be a bit unfair to those people in those cities.

And that's why I thought it may be a good time to experiment.

I have decided to launch my own website! It's a site that will have pretty much the same content you see here along with a few other new things that I wanted to try out. I've always wanted to start a project like this and I think now may be the best opportunity. So here it is! Expect the site to launch next week...

thestridereport.com

PA Alumni At Nationals

By: Garrett Zatlin

Division 1

• Ned Willig (Michigan)
• Michigan's Ned Willig was the only D1 athlete to qualify for an individual distance event after running a 3:58 mile PR at Boston. Unfortunately, Willig drew a tough preliminary heat which included three Oregon Ducks, a 3:56 miler, and plenty of other talent. Willig was in a great spot early on in the race, but just like many other top-tier names, he wasn't prepared for the quickening pace established by Oregon. Willig eventually finished last in his heat with a time of 4:05. He may not have made the final, but this is arguably the best track season of his collegiate career so far.

• Dan Jaskowak (Virginia Tech)
• As one commenter pointed out, Jaskowak was never really a mid-distance guy in high school. He often thrived in races like the 3200 or 5k. However, this Virginia Tech program has really helped Jaskowak develop his leg-speed. The senior was able to split a 2:53 at ACC's in the DMR lead-off leg and was later able to get VT to the front at NCAA's where he split ~2:55. On top of that, Jaskowak was able to run a 2:22 1k earlier in the season! This guy has some really solid range.

Division 2

• Caleb Gatchell (Hillsdale)
• The Hillsdale senior was already an All-American in the 1500 after placing 7th at outdoor NCAA's last spring. In 2017, Gatchell returned to the big stage with the only difference being that he would run 100 meters further on an indoor track. After matching his 4:06 mile PR in the prelims, Gatchell took advantage of his raw speed to split a 2:59 last 1200 and place 6th at nationals to become an All-American for the second time in his career. That 4:06 was also paired with an 8:21 3k PR from earlier in the season.

• Ethan Gatchell (Cedarville)
• The younger Gatchell brother didn't flinch on the big stage when he got the baton for Cedarville's DMR. As just a sophomore, Gatchell dropped a huge 1:52 high to get his team in a great position. Their relay would eventually finish 8th to clinch the final All-American spot.

• Ryan Thompson (Slippery Rock)
• I'll be 100% honest, I haven't heard much about Ryan Thompson and I'm not sure why. The man is absolutely killing it! The Slippery Rock High School graduate stayed close to home and attended SRU which may have given him an edge when trying to adjust to his new collegiate-level of training. As a senior, Thompson was able to drop some incredible times. He ran a 4:05 mile PR in early February which was fast enough to qualify him for nationals. He also ran an 8:27 3k PR as well. Unfortunately, Thompson didn't advance to the mile final at NCAA's. Still, this has been one heck of a season for Thompson and he is one person that will definitely be on my radar for this upcoming spring season.
• S/O to the commenter for pointing out my miss.

Division 3

• Ernie Pitone (Widener)
• It was a tough race for Pitone ended up as the first man out of the finals despite running 4:15 in the prelims. That would be a heartbreaking finish for most seniors, but Pitone made up for that with an excellent 3k performance where he ran 8:21 and placed 6th overall. After this weekend, Pitone can now boast that he is a five-time All-American throughout his collegiate career (if we include all three seasons).

• Jon Perlman (Middlebury)
• It was an excellent season for Jon Perlman. As just a sophomore, Perlman was able to get a 4:12 mile PR and qualify for nationals at the Tufts Final Qualifier meet. Unfortunately, Perlman's youth caught up to him and he failed to make the final after running a 4:17 in the prelims. Despite not advancing, this was huge experience for the young guy who will likely return back to the championships later on in his career.

• Jaryd Flank (Muhlenberg)
• What a story Jaryd Flank has been! A little known PA high schooler has now become one of the best distance runners in division three. Flank first attacked the DMR with a strong anchor leg that got his Muhlenberg teammates All-American honors with a 7th place finish. Unfortunately, I don't know the relay split, but it seems like it only gave Flank more confidence. The Muhlenberg senior dueled with Pitone and settled for 8th in the 3000 (8:23) to gain his second All-American performance of the weekend.

• Anthony Calatoni (Muhlenberg)
• As the 800 leg of the Muhlenberg DMR, Calatoni stepped up to the plate and laid down a solid 1:53 split to keep Muhlenberg in the All-American conversation. He's only a junior and should be able to make plenty of noise this outdoor season as well as next year.

• Noah Falasco (RPI)
• How did I miss a national champion?! Granted, it was in the DMR so it was easy to overlook. Still, this is a big deal regardless of what event we're talking about. One of the commenters was nice enough to point out that Falasco was on RPI's winning relay and was able to get a solid split 1:56 to keep RPI at the front. The best part? Falasco is just a true freshman.

• Mason Hepner (Dickinson)
• The Dickinson senior had a huge breakout season with three substantial PR's that included a 1:55, 4:12, and 8:39. That 4:12 mile PR was good enough for Hepner to qualify for D3 nationals. Hepner was the last man to make it out of the preliminaries and into a very underrated mile final. Although Hepner finished last in that final, he still got a PR (by .1 seconds).

If there was anyone I missed be sure to let me know! 

The Alumni Report

By: Garrett Zatlin

The regular season is done and NCAA's are quickly approaching (they start this weekend)! I thought this would be a good time to recap how some of our alumni have done...

Syracuse
-Kevin James
-Dominic Hockenbury
-Griffin Molino

Overall, this Syracuse trio had a pretty decent winter as they thrived in the longer races like the 3000 and 5000. James finished this winter with three collegiate PR's which included 4:15, 8:13, and 14:35. He ran those 3k and 5k PR's in his final two races of the season.

Molino also earned collegiate PR's of 8:28 and 15:02 this winter.

Yet, it was redshirt freshman Dominic Hockenbury getting some attention after he ran 14:41 and 8:26. With three years of eligibility still left, expect big things from this kid in the future.

It's going to take some time, but don't be surprised to see one of these guys at nationals in the next two years.

Penn State
-Dominic Perretta
-Colin Abert
-Billy McDevitt
-Jaxson Hoey
-Brad Rivera

It seems like there has been a complete overhaul of this Penn State program in the past year. Almost all of their top talent are underclassmen.

Let's start with Billy McDevitt who had a quiet, but respectable season after running PR's of 1:50 and 4:09! It's taken some time, but the past two years of training are paying off for him.

Meanwhile, we saw Colin Abert put together another nice season with times of 4:07 and 8:10. Neither of those times were PR's, but they weren't far off either. Look for Abert to better his times this outdoor season. He is due for a personal best.

Let's shift our focus to the freshmen duo of Jaxson Hoey and Dominic Perretta. Hoey struggled early on and was eventually shut down for the rest of the winter. He finished with times of 1:58 and 4:25, but this isn't unusual for freshman entering a intensive program like Penn State. Like plenty of other PA alumni, we'll have to give him some time to adjust.

Perretta, on the other hand, needed no adjustment time at all as he was an absolute animal this season! The Nittany Lion freshman ran times of 1:48.17 (NCAA #21), 2:23 (1k), and 4:17. He also split 2:55 on the 1200 leg of his DMR. Willig may be the one going to nationals, but Perretta might be the PA Alumni Winter MVP...

Lastly, I think we have to give some recognition and thanks to former state champion Brad Rivera who had a respectable four years at Penn State. He set up countless fast races as a pace rabbit and provided excellent leadership and experience on a team that had only one other senior on their mid-distance/long distance squads.

Pittsburgh
-Nate Sloan
-Nick Wolk
-Matt McGoey
-Billy Caldwell
-James Hare
-Sebastian Curtin
-Aaron Lauer
-Chris Pastore
-Alex Archer

Let's start by talking about Nate Sloan who has been the leader of his class. The redshirt sophomore earned PR's of 4:08 and 1:53 this season. He struggled at ACC's, but you can't take away his talent. 4:08 with two years of eligibility left? Sounds like an exciting future.

Others in that junior class also include Caldwell, Hare, and Lauer. It was a slow start for Caldwell, but he finished the season with a nice PR of 4:11. Conversely, James Hare took advantage of his early season fitness and earned PR's of 2:30 (1k) and 4:19. Aaron Lauer may not have PR'd, but he did run times of 8:20 and 14:47.

Unfortunately, the older guys like Pastore and Archer struggled a bit this winter with neither individual coming all that close to their PR's.

But the future is still very bright for the Panthers with guys like Matt McGoey, Nick Wolk, and Sebastian Curtin. In his second year with the team, Curtin has seen some outstanding improvement in his 3k with a PR of 8:17.

McGoey is another sophomore that has broken out as of late. It took him some time to adjust in his first year of collegiate racing, but the North Allegheny alumni threw down PR's of 8:21 and 4:06 this winter. That 4:06 came at ACC's where he was able to qualify for the finals (where he eventually ran 4:09).

But the addition of Nick Wolk is what really catapulted this program to a new level. As a true freshman, Wolk registered PR's of 4:14 and 8:15.

The Panthers remind me a lot of the Sixers. They've had their fair-share of struggles in the past, but now they have new leadership, a young squad to build off of, and budding super-stars that could give them the push they need to enter the next level.

Lehigh
-Matt Kravitz
-Clay Stabolepszy
-Ryan Paradise
-David Fletcher
-Ryan Grace
-Joe Espinal
-James Chappell
-Patrick Reilly
-Brian Arita
-Jeff Kirshenbaum

I suppose the best place to begin would be with the mid-distance crew which has produced some surprises. Clay Stabolepszy and Ryan Paradise led the 800 crew this year as they were able to throw down times of 1:55 and 1:56 respectively. Surprisingly, top-tier recruits like Joe Espinal (1:51 HS PR) and David Fletcher (1:53 HS PR) struggled a bit in the 800 as Fletcher ran 1:58 and Espinal never broke 2:00.

James Chappell and Ryan Grace finished indoor track with season bests of 2:02.

However, the longer distance guys saw a bit more success. As a true freshman, Matt Kravitz looked like Superman as he earned PR's of 2:31 (1k), 4:08, and 8:25. He was complimented by Patrick Reilly who earned a HUGE 5k PR of 14:26 at the Patriot League Championships.

In addition to Kravitz and Reilly, true freshman Jeff Kirshenbaum also found his groove as he now owns a PR of 14:47.

Brian Arita finished the season with a 3k PR of 8:46. However, he failed to match his 5k PR of 14:53 after running a season best of 15:22.

Duquesne
-Rico Galassi
-Jeff Van Kooten
-Hunter Wharry
-Chris Kazanjian
-Michael Bove
-Jake Heinauer
-Cordon Louco

Rico Galassi has been the leader of this team for a few years now and he continues to drop his PR's. He didn't run the 5000 this season, but he did earn a 3000 PR of 8:21. Behind Galassi was sophomore Jeff Van Kooten who ran a PR of 8:30.

But the real name to watch seems to be redshirt sophomore Chris Kazanjian who threw down solid times of 8:38 and 14:54 this season. Close behind Kazanjian was Hunter Wharry who ran PR's of 8:35 and 15:01. Also joining the distance crew was former Pitt Panther Cordon Louco who ended up running 15:25 in his first indoor season with the Dukes.

Michael Bove led the team in the mid-distance events with a season best of 1:55 in the 800.

Bucknell
-Jacob Stupak
-Kyle Adams
-Sean Conway

I may have missed a name or two on this squad, but that's only because this is a team that boasts incredible depth. Kyle Adams is one of the top middle distance runners on the team and has been for the past few seasons. This past winter, the junior was able to run a 1k PR of 2:31 and run a season best of 1:55 (his indoor PR is 1:54). Overall, he was incredibly consistent.

Although the team is filled with experienced juniors and seniors, guys like Stupak and Conway have had big impacts on the team as freshmen. Stupak ran a very nice 4:17 to compliment his 8:41. Conway focused more on the middle distances as he recorded times of 51.3 and 1:56.

Penn
-Ross Wilson
-Brenden Shearn
-Lyle Wistar
-Jeff Wiseman
-Elias Graca

Despite Sam Webb not running this season (lets assume he was redshirted), there was still plenty of other performers on Penn's mid and long distance squads.

Brenden Shearn may not have run PR's this season, but he still posted respectable times of 8:32 and 14:23. Ross Wilson, on the other hand, was able to PR after running excellent times of 4:09 and 8:14. He also registered a 14:36 5k (13 seconds off of his overall PR).

We didn't get to see much of Lyle Wistar. He only ran one event (the 3000) where he had a season best of 8:35.

In the mid-distances, Wiseman and Graca led the way for Penn. Both athletes ran 1:52 while Graca also added on a 2:29 1k.

Columbia
-Sam Ritz
-Alek Sauer

They might be the best duo of PA alumni out there. This season we saw Ritz and Sauer tear up the mid-distance events. These two both recorded very fast 1k times of 2:24. In the mile, Sauer ran 4:13 while Ritz ran a killer 4:06 at the Armory. Both are life time bests.

Duke
-Alec Kunzweiler
-Kyle Francis
-Matt Wisner

Duke's mid-distance programs have treated our PA alumni well. As Wisner entered ACC's, he never lost an 800 to someone in his conference. Although he had an off day at ACC's, he still finished the season with PR's of 1:50 and 2:26. Not bad for the rookie.

Kyle Francis ended his season with a season best of 1:52.

Alec Kunzweiler may have only run 4:13, but a lot of his races this winter were devoted to relays.

Villanova
-Casey Comber
-Andrew Marston
-Paul Power

This Wildcat trio can not be slowed down. Casey Comber was an animal after recording times of 4:07 and 8:15 to compliment Andrew Marston's 4:12 and 8:15. Let's also keep in mind that Marston had an absolutely incredible 5000 at Big East's where he gave Erik Peterson a run for his money by placing second in a time of 14:17.

Paul Power rounded out this group with times of 4:19 and 8:51.

Others
There are simply too many individuals to cover them all. However, you can check out their TFRRS profiles that I have linked below. Let me know if I missed anyone!

-Dan Jaskowak
-Alex Milligan
-Cooper Leslie
-Liam O'Connell
-Andrew Stone
-John Lewis
-Ned Willig (running at NCAA's this weekend in the mile)
-Carrick "Rock" Fortna
-Joseph Maguire
-Mike Kolor
-Ben Szuhaj
-Scott Mason
-Jack Carmody
-Chris Sanders
-Luke Myers
-Bryce England
-Jake Brophy
-Xavier Sauvegeau
-Dominic DeLuca

Notable D2 & D3 Performers
Ernie Pitone (Widener) has had himself a heck of a season. The former O'Hara runner had two PR's this season with times of 4:11 and 8:17. Pitone will be contesting both events at NCAA's this upcoming weekend. Pitone could very well become All-American after running the 3000/mile/5000 triple at his conference meet and winning all three meets.

In addition to Pitone, Muhlenberg's Jaryd Flank will also be entered in the 3000 with an excellent seed time of 8:20. Flank will also run on Muhlenberg's DMR.

However, it's at D2 nationals where we could see Hillsdale's Caleb Gatchell make another run at becoming All-American in the mile. Gatchell is entered with an outstanding PR of 4:06 which is pair with some great 800 speed. If things get tactical, we could see Gatchell as an All-American once again...or maybe even better.

In the DMR, we'll actually get to see Caleb's little brother, Ethan Gatchell, on Cedarville's relay. Hillsdale was actually one of the team that could've bumped Cedarville out of NCAA's. Could you imagine how fun that dinner conversation would've been for the Gatchell family?

Finally, Middlebury's Jon Perlman was a name I missed when initially looking over the heat sheets (shoutout to the commenter that pointed this out). After running a 4:12 at Tufts Last Chance Meet, Perlman will contest the mile with Pitone at NCAA's.

PA Alumni XC Storylines

By: Garrett Zatlin

It's regionals week in the NCAA (D1)! As we head into the most pivotal weekend of national qualifying, I thought it would be a good time to stop and reflect and review how some of our alumni have done so far this season. Let's take a look...

***Thank you to the commenters for providing the proper edits***

Shearn Establishes Himself as Top PA Alumni
The Penn senior is having a heck of a final season at Penn as he has begun to compete at a very high level. Shearn finished an excellent 46th place against a loaded field at the Wisconsin Invite. He later came back to place 6th at Heps and help lead Penn to their first Ivy League title since 1973.

If Penn were to not make it out of the Mid-Atlantic region for some reason, Shearn would still have a very good and legitimate shot at making the national championship. He's shown consistency and improvement throughout all his races this season and we could see him towards the front of the pack this weekend.

Kevin James Earns Spot in Syracuse's Top 7
The futures for many of our PA Alumni is bright and Kevin James may be the focal point. The redshirt freshman is having quite the impact for the defending national champions. He was 18th at Panorama Farms and then 21st at ACC's. He may not be a scorer for 'Cuse this season, but his results are very exciting. As long as there isn't a monumental breakdown at regionals, we should be seeing James running for the Orangemen at the national championship this season.

North Allegheny Alumni Are Alive and Well
I'm a big believer in the idea that team culture can determine whether a program thrives or dies. Some programs lose that culture over time while others never let it falter. For the longest time, North Allegheny has found the formula to consistently be one of the best teams in state. Now, they're beginning to show that dominance outside of the high school scene.

After initially running for Pitt and then running on his own, it looks like Cordon Louco has found a home at Duquesne where he has teamed up with former high school teammate Hunter Wharry. Louco has quickly adjusted to the program as evident by his 8th place finish at A10's.

Just a few miles down the road, you can find NA alum Matt McGoey earning spots as scorers for an up-and-coming Pittsburgh program. McGoey is showing signs of improvement in his 2nd year of competition as he was 70th at Penn State and then 81st at ACC's.

Marc Migliozzi has also put in a few races during his first season at Akron. The freshman placed 17th at the Tommy Evans Invite and then 43rd at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. He's still adjusting, but the future looks bright for Marc at Akron.

Penn State Renewing Their Identity
Just a couple of years ago, we were used to seeing the PSU cross country team consist of PA alum like Wade Endress, Connor Quinn, Austin Pondel, Ean DiSilvio, and a few others. Now, the program has taken a fresher approach with a lot of younger guys getting chances to compete in big-times races.

Colin Abert is having a great season and seems to be one of the co-leaders of the team along with Tim McGowan. The other guys behind him include Jaxson Hoey, Will Loevner, and Billy McDevitt (all of which are true freshmen or red-shirt freshmen). The team is still very young and has a lot of work to do, but we'll be lucky enough to see them develop to top-tier competition over the next few years.

Pittsburgh Showing Potential
Things haven't always been easy for Pitt. They've had guys leave, get injured, become ill, and (most recently) incur a coaching switch. But now it seems like Pitt is doing all the right things. The homegrown Pennsylvania talent that they typically recruit are showing promising results.

Aaron Lauer is looking like a true front-runner and seems to be getting help from freshman standout Nick Wolk. Other guys like Mike Runco and Ryan Hughes (from Virginia) are also showing signs of improvement and bring some experience to a team that is still very young.

I'm not going to pretend like things are perfect for the Panthers. There is still a lot of work to do in terms of development. The depth is lacking and they are still behind most other major D1 programs. However, the signs are positive. At Penn State National they were able to convincingly beat Duquesne, a team that has historically walked all over them. At ACC's they finished 9th as a team, their best team finish since they entered the conference in 2012.

Is Pittsburgh a team of the future? That's for you decide.

Comber, Marston Leading the Way for 'Nova
With Patrick Tiernan not running until BIG East's, we got to see Andrew Marston and Casey Comber lead the Wildcats through some of the biggest meets in the nation. Not only have they led the way, but they've actually done quite well!

Just look at a few of their results this season...

2016 XC	Chile Pepper Festival	Penn State National	BIG East's
Marston	7th	13th	7th
Comber	26th	22nd	10th

Marston has taken the initiative of being a low-stick while Comber is also making great improvements of his own. We also have to keep in mind that this is their first year of varsity competition after being redshirted in 2015.

When Patrick Tiernan leaves next year, there shouldn't be too much to worry about with guys like these leading the charge.

Rico Galassi: Sleeper to Make Nationals?
It's easy to talk about what Brenden Shearn has done at Penn and all of the first-time accomplishments he has helped that team with. But his high school rival Rico Galassi is putting together some accomplishments of his own this season and they are just as impressive.

Galassi has had only one race this season where he's finished outside of the top 10. He was 5th at Dolan Duals, 3rd in the Notre Dame Gold race, 16th at Penn State National, and then the A10 champion just a few weekends ago.

With consistently solid finishes, Galassi could be in a position to take a spot at nationals. He's in a weak Mid-Atlantic region and most teams that won't qualify for nationals don't necessarily have the low-sticks that Rico Galassi can be.

It'll still be tough to pull off, but look out for Rico to grab an individual spot to NCAA's this year.

PA Alumni Report - October

So much for this being a weekly update. Sorry it’s been so long guys. I really did intend to do this every week. Then I blinked and missed 3 weeks. Anyway, it’s been a pretty great month for PA Alumni so far, and with conference meets right around the corner it’s only going to get better.

Chile Pepper Classic – 10/1/2016

The month of October got off to a pretty hot start when Villanova traveled down to Arkansas for the Chile Pepper Classic. They were led by a huge performance from Andrew Marston who finished 7^th in 23:50. Is that course crazy fast? Yes. Vincent Kiprop scared sub 23 running 23:03 to win the race. But even so, this was a phenomenal performance from Marston. He's developing into a legitimate All-Region and potentially All-American contender if he keeps progressing like he has so far. Behind Marston was the second half of the fastest room at Villanova as Casey Comber finished 26^th in 24:23. Comber has been incredibly consistent this year and is set up perfectly to have a great end to his season.

Paul Short Gold Race – 10/1/2016

Brendan Shearn and the PA gang showed up in a big way here to defend home turf. Shearn led the charge running 24:00 to finish as Penn’s 2^nd man and 17^th overall. He’s been a force for Penn this year teaming up with Nick Tuck to form a potent 1-2 punch that can compete with anyone in the Ivy League. Behind Shearn, Ernie Pitone led the Widener team finishing 24^th in 24:08. Pitone has been a D3 All-American in each of the last 3 seasons (xc, indoor track, outdoor track) and will be looking to improve on his 15^th place finish at nationals last year. I think he has a legitimate shot at a top 5 spot, if not better, based on how he’s looked so far this year. Right behind Pitone, Dom DeLuca ran 24:09 to lead the Cornell charge. He had a tough first few meets this year so it’s good to see him getting back on track. Jake Brophy rounded out the PA Alumni in the top 50 finishing 49^th in 24:24. He’s adjusted to the college scene really well so far which is great to see. He’s on track to follow the Marston, Comber, and James model of following up good freshmen campaigns with huge sophomore years, so he'll definitely be one to keep an eye on moving forward.

Brown Race

Jaryd Flank finished 4^th overall in 24:47 as he looks to repeat his trip to xc nationals last year and hopefully redeem himself with an All-American finish. I think he should realistically be looking for a top 20-25 finish there. Behind Flank the Shippensburg duo of Kieran Sutton and Alex Balla finished 14^th and 23^rd respectively to lead the top 25 ranked Red Raiders. Sutton’s been working his way back from injury so this was a good step for him as he looks to earn his first career xc All-American honor. Balla has been running well consistently so far this season and will be a crucial piece for Shippensburg if they want to have a top 10 showing at nationals.  

Wisconsin (Nuttycombe) Invite – 10/14/2016

Brendan Shearn backed up his impressive Paul Short showing with a 46^th place finish in 24:33 on a very tough Wisconsin course to lead the Penn men. Over the past two years Shearn has always run best when the lights are brightest, and he showed that once again here. He’ll be ready to go at Heps and regionals. In the open race Kevin James and Griff Molino impressed for Syracuse yet again. I was actually surprised not to see Kevin James in the big race after his impressive start to the season. We’ll see if his 25:02 was enough to work his way back into the top 7 for conference and regionals. Behind James, Molino had probably his best race of the season running 25:10. He’s been very impressive this year as a true freshman adjusting to another 3k of racing and I’m sure big things will continue coming from him.

Penn State National Open – 10/14/2016 (8.4k)

Once again PA showed up and showed out to defend home turf. Colin Abert led the charge finishing 12^th overall, just ahead of Andrew Marston. Penn State's course is tough and a bit longer than 8k, so you have to look at who Abert beat to get an idea of just how well he ran. We’ve already talked about how well Marston is running this year, but Abert also beat some guy named Craig Engels who was 4^th in both the 1500 and 800 at the trials this summer. Marston also ran quite well finishing 13^th in a solid field and backing up his scorching run at the Chile Pepper Festival. Not too far behind Marston was Rico Galassi who finished 16^th. He’s been flying under the radar but this race showed he probably shouldn’t be any more. Behind Galassi was the finish of the day as 3 PA alumni crossed the line within .3 seconds of each other. Jaskowak got the better of Lauer and Comber as they finished in that order in 21^st, 22^nd, and 23^rd. Comber and Jaskowak continued strong seasons and Lauer had quite possibly the best race of his college career. He’s part of a young group at Pitt that has started to really turn that program around. Another member of that young group is Nick Wolk, who finished in 34^th. He’s done a good job this year adjusting to the college scene and is going to be a key part of the Pitt resurgence moving forward. Finally Aaron Gebhart finished in 39^th for Charlotte as their second runner. He’s had a good year after not running xc last year due to an injury I believe. Hopefully he’s able to keep progressing. He always had his best stuff at the end of the year in High School so I'm sure the best is yet to come for him.

As always, let me know what I missed and what I can do better.

Alumni Report Week 4

By: Caleb Gatchell

Week 4 saw a few big invites but a lot less PA Alums in action, so unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot to recap. However, the guys that did run were very impressive rolling with some of the best runners in the country.

Roy Griak

We’ll start off with Colin Abert who had a really solid performance. 25:52 for 41^st place might not sound like the most impressive of days, but when you look at the guys around him and the winning time, it stands out a bit more. Colin was only 45 seconds off of 1^st place, but what’s more impressive is the list of guys he beat including Steeplechase All-American Dylan Blankenbaker and Cross Country All-American Dylan Lafond. Behind Abert we saw Aaron Lauer finish 71^st, Ned Willig in 78^th, and Jake Brophy in 82^nd. While none of them had a particularly great race, they all had solid results considering the difficulty of the course and the muddy conditions. It will be interesting to see how Brophy in particular progresses this year as he starts to figure out the college races.

Panorama Farms Invite

This was undoubtedly the most impressive PA showing of the weekend as we saw 3 alums place top 40 in a very competitive field. Kevin James led the way with an 18^th place finish in 24:29, which is flying. He also played an important role for the defending national champions finishing as their 5^th man after Colin Bennie dropped out during the race. I was pretty high on James last week, and this week didn’t do anything to change that. I think he’s going to be a key part of the Orange title defense and he’s showing that he is up to the challenge. Not too far behind James was his teammate Griffin Molino. ‘Cuse has to be excited about his early progress as he is already under 25 minutes with his 24:56 performance. He’s still on the edge of being a top 7 runner, but whether he finishes the year as a varsity runner or not, this has to be considered a successful freshman campaign. Finally, Aaron Gebhart finished 35^th in 25:07. After redshirting last year this is his first really big cross country race, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. I’ve known this kid since he was a sophomore in high school and he’s always had a knack for stepping up at the biggest moments. That obviously hasn’t changed. I think he has the potential to have a really nice year and potentially be top 40 in his region by the time all’s said and done.

Lock Haven

Interestingly enough the most notable PA Alumni result here didn’t come from an attached runner. Eric Stratman, who has been running for the Pitt Club XC team, had a really solid day finishing 10^th in 26:03. I’m not sure why he’s not on the school team anymore, but he’s obviously training pretty well on his own and deserves a bit of recognition. Behind him we saw a couple of Lock Haven freshmen get some more experience in. Sam Signor finished 17^th in 26:28 which was another step forward for him. I still think he can break into Lock Haven’s top 7 by the end of the year. Not too far behind him another freshman Jacob Toczko also had a top 20 finish coming in at 26:30. While not outstanding, these are two solid results when you consider Signor and Toczko are freshmen. I think they’re figuring out the college race and should be set up well for success in the future.

As always, let me know what I missed!

PA Alumni Report Week 3

By: Caleb Gatchell

It may not feel like it just yet, but fall has officially arrived, and with it the first three weeks of the college cross country season. While most teams are still working their way into shape or only racing ‘B’ squads there have been some notable PA Alumni performances. I’ll give a breakdown of the first three weeks here, and then look for this to become a weekly issue as the season starts to pick up steam. There’s a lot to be excited about as one of the most talented senior classes in state history last year begin their college careers. There have also been a few guys slowly but surely establishing themselves on the college scene who have the potential to be major players in their division this year. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.

Dolan Duals @ Lock Haven 6k – 9/2/2016

This may have been a pretty small meet, but it featured plenty of PA alums getting their racing shoes back on. Colin Abert led the way with an impressive 2^nd place finish in 18:11, which is cooking for a 6k. He was followed closely by Bobby Hill who finished 4^th in 18:18. Abert is coming off a very impressive freshmen track campaign, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him in the Nittany Lions top 5 this year. Hill, on the other hand, hasn’t had a stellar college career up to this point only boasting a 25:22 8k pr. However, he was 1:40 faster than he was last year at this meet which as a great sign. Keep an eye on him for a breakout season that could see him competing for a top 7 spot in the postseason.

Behind the two Nittany Lions the boys from Lock Haven put up an impressive showing in their own right. Addison Monroe led the charge with a 5^th place finish in 18:24, and was followed by Jacob Fetterman and Sean Weidner who finished 7^th and 8^th respectively in times of 18:31 and 18:32. Monroe has developed into a force in D2 over the last couple years and he certainly got his season off to a good start here. Fetterman and Weidner also look very good early, and will be key pieces if Lock Haven wants to qualify for another D2 national meet.

Other notable runners here included Jaxson Hoey, Sam Signor, Billy McDevitt, and Domenic Peretta all starting their freshman campaigns in 10^th, 11^th, 14^th, and 15^th respectively (McDevitt is a RS Freshman). Even at a small meet like this, a top 15 finish is impressive so all 4 should be pretty happy with how their season’s started. I’m not going to jump on any bandwagons just yet though. College cross country is a long season and the next 2k makes a world of difference. But, these guys are on the right track and could certainly be impact performers come late October when the running starts to really count.

Harry Lang Invitational (6.4k) – 9/3/2016

Two of the alumni I’m most excited to watch this year are Griffin Molino and Domenic Hockenbury, and they showed just why here going 1-2. Times aren’t really something to consider over odd distances like this, especially during cross country when place trumps time. However, finishing 1-2 is a great early sign. I love seeing guys win races. It builds confidence like nothing else and gives them an extra boost when they get into the big time races. I think these guys could end up having huge seasons, although it’s unlikely we’ll see them suit up for the defending national champions. Hockenbury trained like a college runner in high school so he’s ready for the college scene and I think it’s going to show. Molino, on the other hand, is someone I get the impression was relatively lightly trained in high school. If he can stay healthy that could translate to improving in leaps and bounds over the next year. This is a great start for both of them and make sure you remember their names. These guys are going to be special.

Big 5 Cross Country Invitational (6k) – 9/9/2016

This meet most notably saw Penn and ‘Nova open their seasons led by a few impressive PA Alums. Brendan Shearn got his senior campaign off to a nice start by finishing second to his teammate, Nick Tuck. Behind him we saw the redshirt freshmen duo of Andrew Marston and Casey Comber pick up right where they left off last year finishing 4^th and 7^th respectively. I just finished talking about Molino and Hockenbury, and I like these guys almost just as much. They laid the blueprint for what a great redshirt campaign looks like last year as they tore up every meet ‘Nova sent them to. Now they get to suit up and I think they’re ready to contribute when it really matters. It’s a solid start for all three guys, but I think they’re training with an eye towards regionals in November. Watch out for them then.

Harry Groves Invitational (8.4k) – 9/10/2016

Once again we saw an odd distance in an early season race, so we’ll ignore the times for the most part. This meet saw a lot of really good PA Alumni performances, led by Kevin James of Syracuse, who finished 6^th. That’s a great start for him. Most importantly he was the Orange 4^th man, and I believe they only sat their top 2. That means he’s in position to be a top 7 runner for the defending national champions if he keeps this up. Behind James, Dom Deluca also had a nice race finishing as Cornell’s top runner and 10^th overall. I think he can be one of the best individuals in the Ivy League this year so it will be fun to see how far he goes. Behind DeLuca, Griffin Molino (14^th), Pat Reilly (20^th), Brian Arita (26^th), Bobby Hill (27^th), and Matt Kravitz (30^th) all turned in top 30 finishes in an incredibly deep field. For Molino and Hill this is their second solid result on the year and shows some good momentum. Reilly and Arita got their campaigns off to a solid start, but certainly are more focused on races in late October and November so look for them to keep improving. Kravitz was impressive as a freshman in his first full length college race, and is definitely worth keeping an eye on. If he can keep things going well he could be a top 7 guy by the end of the year.

Main Line Invitational (4 Miles) – 9/16/2016

Remember how I said Comber and Marston were coming off a great redshirt year and could be big time this year? Yeah, well, they showed it again here by going 1-2 in 19:21 and 19:38 respectively. I’ve already talked about them so I won’t say much more, but these guys are for real. Behind them Lyle Wistar finished 3^rd in 19:44. That’s a 16 second improvement over last year so he’s definitely starting off on the right foot. PA put 4 more alums in the top 20 with Ross Wilson, Sam Webb, Rob Morro, and Paul Power placing 10^th, 12^th, 17^th, and 20^th respectively. I think Wilson and Webb have huge upside, but tend more towards the track so it’ll be interesting to see how their seasons progress. Morro had a solid performance, especially for a freshman, but is probably still a year or two away from contributing. Finally, Power was really underrated last year when he ran well consistently, but was also consistently in Comber and Marston’s shadow. A year later, not much has changed, as all 3 continue to run well. I’m not sure we’ll see Power top 7 this year, but he’s really talented and could still have a big year.

Other Notable Performers

Dan Jaskowak – Virginia Tech: Jaskowak is off to another solid start after finishing 4^th at his home meet in a quick 24:53. He beat some proven stars in Pat Joseph and Neil Gourley in doing so too. Jaskowak has felt like he’s on the cusp of something great the last couple years, and I think he’s going to really break out this year. Keep an eye on him as meets start to get more and more important.

Vinny Todaro – High Point: Once again Todaro starts the year off as High Point’s low stick with a solid top 40 finish at the Battle in Beantown by coming in 38^th. He’s been not only consistent, but consistently underrated over the last 2 years. Keep an eye on the former District 3 standout this year to potentially mix it up for a top 30 finish at Regionals.

Jake Brophy – Navy: Quite possibly the best cross country runner we’ve produced in the last decade began his collegiate career with a controlled looking 25:42 8^th place finish at the Navy Invitational. Based on results it looks like Navy just had their top guys tempo the race, still sweeping the top 8 spots. Brophy always peaked really well in high school, and I expect that won’t change in college. Keep an eye on him to keep getting better and better as the season progresses.

I’m sure I missed a few guys, so be sure to comment and let me know who else is tearing up the courses out there.

Top 15 PA Alumni: 2016 XC Preseason

By: Garrett Zatlin

Every year, a talented slew of seniors that we've been watching for years, graduate and move on to the collegiate scene. Of course, we can't just forget these guys. We have some strong talent throughout the three divisions that deserve some recognition. Let's take a look at the top 15 PA alumni as we enter this season.

For the record, I probably missed some notable PA alumni out there so if you noticed someone I might have missed, give me a name below!

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Honorable Mention (no order):
- Daniel Jaskowak, Rs. Junior, Virginia Tech
- Paul Power, Rs. Freshman, Villanova
- Ryan Archer, Senior, Carnegie Mellon
- Billy Caldwell, Junior, Pittsburgh
- Cordon Louco, Junior, Unattached
- Calvin Conrad-Kline, Junior, Shippensburg
- Addison Monroe, Junior, Lock Haven
- Dominic Stroh, Sophomore, Shippensburg
- Cole Nissley, Junior, Shippensburg

It was nearly impossible to rank spots 9 through 15 and then leave a guy off the rankings. They were all super close and deserving of making the list. Unfortunately, I had to make a decision and cut off the list at 15.

Guys like Stroh and Power have a lot of upside as they are quickly maturing and are in historically strong programs. They showed a lot of promise last season and I expect them to build on that this season. I will also be watching Cordon Louco who did not run with a collegiate team last year, but still competed at a high level running unattached.

If I could put the whole Shippensburg squad on here, I would. They've got a legendary coach who knows how to bring out the best in his athletes and we saw that last season (where they were 5th at NCAA's).

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15. Alex Balla, Junior, Shippensburg (D2)
Balla is most likely another under-recruited talent that Steve Spence was lucky enough to recruit and train. The rising junior has been a crucial part of a very good Shippensburg team and could get even better in 2016.

After some modest finishes in his first two meets, Balla had his first breakout race at Paul Short where he placed an exciting 4th overall in the D2/D3 division. He would take down established names like Allegheny College's Logan Steiner and Haverford's Jimmy Gorman. After placing 14th at the Mark Cooper Invite, Balla went on to place 4th at PSAC's and 5th at regionals (Atlantic). Unlike most first timers, Balla thrived at nationals and placed 52nd overall in his appearance at the big dance...all as a sophomore.

He'll need to be a touch more consistent, but there is no question that Balla will be very good in 2016. He should be able to contend for an All-American spot and help lead his team back to nationals. There will be plenty of upside for Balla as he enters his junior year.

14. Patrick Reilly, Junior, Lehigh (D1)
I am a big Patrick Reilly fan. He's been incredibly important for a Lehigh team that was looking for another leader since Tyler Mueller graduated in 2014. He's not at Mueller's level yet, but he is certainly a strong leader.

Reilly started last season with a pair of small local meets (one of which he won). He didn't have to travel far for his first major meet (Paul Short). There, Reilly finished a respectable 24th overall in the D1 division. He improved on that finish by placing 15th in a deep field at the Princeton Invite. Reilly then followed that up with a 14th place finish at conferences (Patriot league). Reilly would end his season with a 36th place finish at regionals (Mid-Atlantic).

Reilly is definitely maturing very quickly. He's done well at some big-time meets and has put down some solid PR's on the track as well (14:32 5k). His progression paired with his experience should make him a strong individual in 2016.  

13. Will McDermott, Senior, Widener (D3)
Will McDermott has really blossomed at Widener since he entered the program in 2013. The rising senior got some big-meet experience in 2014 when the Widener squad was able to qualify for nationals. McDermott struggled in that race, but it would set him up for an awesome 2015 season.

The highlight of McDermott's 2015 season was his runner-up finish at the MAC championships which was then followed by his impressive 8th place finish at Mideast regionals. It was an excellent race that would qualify the Widener Lion individually. At NCAA's, he would place 80th overall, 106 spots better than his 2014 appearance.

We only saw McDermott at one regular season race last fall, but his post-season was something else. McDermott was even able to translate some of that success to the track where he PR'd in the 5k with a time of 14:27. He also qualified for nationals indoors and outdoors. It's clear that the base he's developed is starting to come together. With another year of training with teammate Ernie Pitone, expect McDermott to continue making noise on the national team.

12. Ean DiSilvio, Rs. Senior, Penn State (D1)
Although the Penn State squad returns some strong runners, they are still pretty young and will rely on DiSilvio's experience and leadership to guide the team. Although he hasn't always been the most consistent, the rising senior will be looking to improve on his already notable performances.

DiSilvio opened up his 2015 season with a win at the Dolan Duals and then a 7th place finish at Spiked Shoe (one spot behind Etrain Top 50 ranked runner, Joel Hubbard). But when it came to the big-fields, DiSilvio had some difficulty adjusting. He did fine at Louisville (56th overall), but struggled at Wisconsin where he was 203rd. After placing 43rd at BIG 10's, DiSilvio had a great rebound race at regionals where he finished 18th overall in a very underrated Mid-Atlantic field.

Like I said above, he'll need to be much more consistent this fall, but we've seen a couple glimpses of what he's truly capable of (like his 14:17 5k). He also owns a PR of 8:58 in the steeplechase and I'm hoping that he can solidify my theory that steeplechasers make the best XC runners.  

11. Jaryd Flank, Senior, Muhlenberg (D3)
In high school, Flank was a little-known distance runner from the district 11 high school, Wilson. It wasn't until college that we saw him breakout and have tremendous success.

All throughout 2015, Flank was at the very top of the results in every race he ran in. Throughout the regular season, conferences, and regionals, Flank never placed outside the top 5 in any race. He was consistent throughout 2015 and really seemed to peak at Centennial's and regionals (Mideast) where he placed 3rd and 2nd respectively. He had a bit of an off day at NCAA's where he was 90th overall, but that should not be the sole indicator of this guy's talent level.

Don't let the rank of 11th fool you. Flank is one of the top runners in division 3 and he proved that to us last season. I also love how excellent of a steeplechaser he is. He holds an outstanding PR of 9:04 and is also his conference champ in the event. I've always found steeplechasers to do incredibly well during cross country and it seems like the correlation is strong again. Don't be surprised if Flank is an All-American by the time November comes.

10. Sam Ritz, Sophomore, Columbia (D1)
In high school, many saw Sam Ritz as a mid-distance oriented runner. However, Ritz quickly proved during his freshman season that he could be valuable on more than just the track .

Ritz got experience at major invites like the Princeton Inter-Regional (placed 27th) and the Wisconsin Invite (placed 87th). For just a freshman, those are some impressive finishes and should set him up for a breakout season in 2016 as his base continues to develop. Yet, what really excited me was his 26th place finish at Heps, which earned the Lions the Heps team title over Penn. His 39th place finish at regionals wrapped up what was a very respectable season for Ritz.

Ritz never really had a bad race last season despite being in some loaded fields as just a freshman. As I said above, if his base continues to develop, we could see Ritz as one of Columbia's top three runners in 2016.

9. Jeremy Parsons, Junior, Slippery Rock (D2)
Parsons probably doesn't get enough love when I talk about our alumni. He's proven to be a very real-threat to his opponents in the Atlantic region. Now, Parsons will enter the 2016 season with very of his opponents not knowing his name.

As just a freshman (2014), Parsons showed a lot of potential with some top-10 finishes at a couple local meets. However, it wouldn't be until 2015 when Parsons broke out. He got a pair of wins and a couple more top-10 finishes to prep him for his post-season efforts. After placing 6th at PSAC's, Parsons replicated his finish at regionals (Atlantic) and placed 6th once again. SRU's top runner just continued to impress us at nationals where he was 24th overall and earned All-American honors without any past experience of running on the big stage.

If Parsons was able to do all of that as just a sophomore (with no experience at nationals), then I'll be very excited to see what he can do this fall. He could even compete for a conference and/or regional title.

8. Aaron Gebhart, Rs. Freshman, UNC-Charlotte (D1)
The UNC-Charlotte team has picked up some very solid recruits from PA. First it was Gebhart and most recently it was Mount Lebanon's Todd Gunzenhauser. For the past year, Gebhart has been one of, if not the, best distance runner on UNCC's team. The only catch? He's never run cross country.

I should clarify and say that Gebhart only raced one cross country race last fall (unattached) where he finished 14th overall at UNCC's home invite. It may be tough to rank this guy ahead of an All-American like Parsons or a top-tier talent like Ritz, but this past track season was a great indicator of what we could see from Gebhart this fall. As a freshman, Gebhart was an animal as he threw down outstanding PR's of 14:27 (5k) and 9:10 (steeplechase). If he could do that in first year of college, imagine what he could do during XC when he's another year older and full of experience?

Yes, it is a bit of a gamble, but I truly believe that Gebhart is good enough to be a top 30-finisher in a loaded Southeast region. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

7. Andrew Marston, Rs. Freshman, Villanova (D1)
6. Casey Comber, Rs. Freshman, Villanova (D1)
When you hear that someone is going to be redshirted, you don't expect them to be racing too often. However, we saw these two (and Power) race nearly every other weekend and do extremely well.

When the season first started, we saw the two redshirts take the top two spots at the Big 5 Invite. A week later at the Main Line Invite, the duo would face a stacked Penn, Villanova, LaSalle, and Haverford squad. That, however, didn't phase them as they placed 3rd (Comber) and 5th (Marston) overall. It wasn't a fluke either. The duo went to Lehigh's Paul Short race where they finished 6th and 8th overall in the open race. The freshman duo would end their XC season with another 1-2 finish at the Haverford Invite and beat out guys like Will McDermott. Comber and Marston were (and are) for real.

Everyone knew that the Villanova recruits would be good, but no one expected them to be this good, this early. It's also important to note that Paul Power wasn't too far behind these guys during most of those races. But what we've seen from Comber and Marston is incredibly exciting, especially when you remember that Comber threw down an 8:18 (3k) during indoors.

The sky is the limit for these two, so why are they ranked 6th and 7th? Admittedly, they didn't always face top-tier competition. Although they did very well in the open races, I'll be curious to see how well they adjust to the invitational races when the pressure is on for them to be scorers. If last season was any indictor, then it seems like they will do more just ok.

5. Kieran Sutton, Senior, Shippensburg (D2)
Last year, Sutton did an outstanding job of leading a young Shippensburg squad to nationals where they were 5th place as a team. Individually, Sutton began his establishing himself as a runner to watch. Whatever him and coach Steve Spence are doing, it's working.

Like Parsons, we saw some very encouraging results from Sutton during his 2014 cross country season. He got some top finishes and even got the experience of racing at nationals. The experience made life for Sutton easier once the 2015 season came around. Sutton was ready to make himself relevant on the national scene as he had top five finishes in the first three meets of his season. He struggled a bit at the Mark Cooper Invite (16th), but quickly refocused his attention to the post-season where he was 5th at PSAC's and then 2nd at regionals (Atlantic). It was a clutch race for Sutton who went on to run a very respectable 46th place at nationals.

It seems like last fall was just the start of what would end up being a breakout year for Sutton on the track. As a junior, we saw Sutton lay down big PR's of 14:04 (5k) and 29:14 (10k) after grabbing All-American honors in the 3k during indoors. There is no doubt that we saw Sutton enter his prime this past spring and hopefully we see him extend his fitness into the fall. He should be contending for the win in nearly all of his races this season.

4. Ross Wilson, Junior, Penn (D1)
Ross Wilson left the high school scene as one of the most talented athletes in PA's most recent era of distance running. That talent didn't end once he got to college.

Ross Wilson is primed for a breakout year. We saw some decent performances during his freshman year in 2014, but he never ran anything that jumped off the page. In 2015, we slowly but surely saw some great improvement from Wilson. After a rough finish at Notre Dame, Wilson started getting into a rhythm when he placed 26th at the Princeton Invite, 21st at Heps, and then 23rd at regionals (Mid-Atlantic). Wilson was the crucial final scorer at regionals which put Penn through to nationals. Wilson did struggle at nationals, but to get experience on such a big stage is a huge advantage as he enters the 2016 season.

The pressure will be on Wilson to take it to the next level in 2016 if he wants to give Penn any chance of returning to nationals. But like Patrick Reilly, if Wilson continues to improve at the rate's been going, then his already excellent experience should give him an edge at big meets like Notre Dame and nationals.

3. Ernie Pitone, Senior, Widener (D3)
Currently one of the most successful PA alum in the nation, Pitone has shown that he can be one of the best runners in division 3 distance running. Big PR's this past spring and a talented training partner in McDermott makes Pitone a dangerous opponent as we enter XC season.

We got an idea of just how good Pitone was going to be when he was just a sophomore. It was during 2014 when Pitone grabbed his conference title and then placed 2nd at regionals. In 2015, Pitone defended his conference title while earning bronze at the regional meet. He would later travel to nationals where he showed that he could compete on the big stage and placed 15th overall to earn All-American.

Now, Pitone will charge into 2016 with some flashy track PR's of 3:46 (1500) and 14:17 (5k) to add to his All-American status. With a target now on his back, Pitone will have to fend off some up-and-coming talent behind him. But Pitone is the 9th best returner from NCAA's for a reason. With the experience on his side, expect Pitone to be just as impressive in 2016.


2. Colin Abert, Sophomore, Penn State (D1)
For the past couple of years, PA alumni have struggled to gain relevance on the national scene. However, the younger PA alumni that are now entering their sophomore and junior years have proved that they can be very competitive against some of the best names in the nation. Right now, Colin Abert is leading that talented group of young PA alumni.

As a freshman, we saw Abert immediately make an impact on a hurting Penn State team that was missing their leader Glen Burkhardt. We first saw Abert make his debut at the Dolan Duals and Spiked Shoe Invite where he placed 3rd and 12th respectively. Yet, once the big-meets started rolling in, Abert's youth and inexperience caught up to him. He was 62nd at the Greater Louisville Classic and 179th at Wisconsin. But in the post-season, things were different. Abert placed 31st at BIG 10's and 26th at regionals (Mid-Atlantic).

Honestly, his XC performances really aren't worthy of the second spot on this list. But when you consider his track times, you have to reconsider. I don't typically like to make track times the focal point of my XC rankings, but I've already broken that rule a couple times in this article. For Abert, I'm breaking the rule again.

Abert was an absolute animal during the past winter and spring track seasons. He ran times of 3:45 (1500), 4:03 (mile), 8:08 (3k), and 14:10 (5k). For me, it seems pretty clear that Abert just needed some time for his base mileage to catch up with him.

Abert is incredibly fit and with a year of experience under his belt along with some confidence from track, I expect Abert to be one of the best runners in the Mid-Atlantic region and qualify for nationals.

1. Brenden Shearn, Senior, Penn (D1)
For the past few years, we've watched Shearn slowly but surely adjust to the level of competition the NCAA offers. It wasn't immediate, but Shearn reminded us just how good he was throughout 2015.

Shearn and his teammates began last year at the Main Line and Notre Dame Invites. There, Shearn placed 8th and 49th respectively. As the season progressed, we started seeing Shearn approach his peak of the fall season. Shearn placed 8th at the Princeton Invite and later came back to grab a pair of 12th place finishes at Heps and regionals (Mid-Atlantic). It was an outstanding trio of races which eventually led to Penn getting their first nationals appearance in over 40 years. Shearn would end his first race at nationals by placing 165th overall.

12th place at regionals would have been the second individual to miss out on a qualifying bid to nationals (Conner Quinn was 11th and the first man out). Shearn is incredibly talented as told by his 14:13 (5k) and 29:28 (10k) PR's. In 2016, he will be the 7th best returner in the Mid-Atlantic region which means, in theory, he should be able to grab a qualifying spot to nationals. If he can make another jump like he did in 2015, then Shearn could maybe, just maybe, be the very first D1 All-American PA alum since Dan Lowry in 2011.