Looking back, last year it was clear Dustin Wilson was the #1 runner in the state of PA for XC (no offense to the other boys like Quinn, Magaha and Shearn) he was an All-American and dominated the races he decided to run. But this year there is no Dustin Wilson anymore, just a bunch of names that we have to try to piece together with the AAA, AA and now A boys. Among that group of potential independent league stars is Ben Ritz, Sami Aziz, Lyle Wistar, and Sam Ritz.
In XC in 2011 at the Independent League Championships Dustin Wilson demolished the field running 16:34 to 2nd place's 17:23 (Ben Ritz). At the regional meet, Dustin Wilson was the top PA runner and the only individual national qualifier. Sami Aziz was the next best independent runner in his first race after a fall out of the country. Aziz was 59th in the race running 17:19. Sam Ritz, as a freshman, was 78th and Ben Ritz was 118th. Austin Pondel was 24th in 16:37 as a point of reference.
The highlight for the independent league boys in XC was on the fast Lehigh course at the Paul Short meet. Sam Ritz ran 16:11 to finish 9th, beating 3 future XC medalists in the process. In 19th was Sam's older brother Ben who finished in 16:30. Lyle Wistar took 25th in 16:33.
But the real prowess of the independent league boys was on the track. Of course Dustin Wilson highlighted the Independent league results (and Quinn Davis, another graduating Senior had a solid and oft overlooked year himself) but it was the returners who really made noise and established themselves as more than just the guy who was second to Wilson.
At the Henderson Invitational the 3200m was littered with Independent league up and comers. Sami Aziz and Ben Ritz took 2-3 behind Wilson in 9:21 and 9:22 respectively. They beat the likes of Sam Williams and Connor Harriman in the process. Lyle Wistar from GFS also hung tough in the 3200m with a 7th place finish in 9:29 beating guys like Tony Russell, Zach Trama, Kenny Leidal, Brett Kelly, Ross Wilson, Sam Webb, AJ Chaborek, Matt Willig and Steve Yannacone. A slew of guys dispersed among my top 50 this year.
The icing on the cake for Ritz had to be a big 1600m to end the season where he launched himself into the PA elite with a massive PR (roughly 8 seconds by my math) and ran 4:12.76 to beat out Wilson and Hibbs, two of the best 3200m runners of 2012. Wistar added a 4:18 PR and freshman Sam Ritz came through with a 4:22 PR.
Ben Ritz finished the season with a 9:22/4:12/1:54 track resume, begging the question, can this guy become a break out XC star? Aziz who has 9:21/4:18c credentials and an indoor 3k medal has proven himself in XC more so than Ritz and is coming off his own mini break out season. The freshman Sam Ritz, who was perhaps the best XC runner of the bunch in 2011, finished the year with a 1:57/4:22 resume.
Track times don't always translate into XC performances, but I like the potential this group has. Don't sleep on this bunch in 2012.
To see exactly where I ranked these guys feel free to go to the "Abridged Version" link on the side of the page under popular posts.
Dinner with Gags
Event: Join us for a great evening of dinner and drinks with one of the great middle distance coaches in American
History. Dinner and drinks will be at the Market Street Grille in downtown West Chester, PA. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to get pointers from Coach Gags. We will limit this to 50 people so don’t wait to sign up.
Times: 6:00PM-Arrival and cocktails.
6:45PM-Dinner
7:30PM-Coach Gags speaks with Q & A.
Cost: $50.00 by August 5.
$60.00 at the door if there is room.
Dinner: Dinner choices are Baked Chicken, Broiled Salmon or Pasta Primavera. Dinner includes a salad and vegetables. There will also be a dessert table set up. A variety of quality beers will be included.
Registration: The bottom of this form can be mailed with a check to Dinner with Gags, 24 South High Street, West Chester, PA 19382. Checks should be made payable to CCRS.
Bio: Coach Gags' has coached every level of track and field, from high school athletes to Olympic qualifiers. He began coaching at Roselle Catholic in NJ, later became director of Track and Field at Rutgers University, moved onto become head coach and eventually Director of Track and Field at Georgetown University, founder of the Washington DC based Reebok Enclave elite professional track and field team, founder of the Nike Farm Team in Palo Alto, CA and later became the 1st coach in the resurgence of the Oregon Track Club, the most dominant middle distance club in USA Track and Field. At Georgetown Coach Gagliano produced 140 All-America performers, five Olympians, seven individual national champions, and 23 BIG EAST championship teams. Since coaching professionals exclusively, Coach Gags' has trained countless numbers of athletes to USATF Nationals Finals, World Championship teams, World Championship finals, Olympic Teams and Olympic Finals. Coach Gagliano has brought his wealth of talent and knowledge back home to the NY/NJ area where he will undoubtedly continue his tradition of excellence with his newest venture, the NJ*NY Track Club. Most recently, he coached Julie Culley to a win in the 5000 meters at the Olympic Trials.
If you have more questions about the event I'd encourage you to get in touch with West Chester Henderson's Coach Kevin Kelly. He was the one who sent the information to me and knows much more about things than I do. Hope this sparks some interest, by the way you gotta be at least 21 to get involved.
Here's a link with most of the information above and then some other details.
XC Times
I'm a huge proponent of the fact that the actual times people run on courses for cross country mean almost nothing. In my rankings, the info is based mostly off who you beat and by how much you beat them. But I can not deny that seeing someone run a 15 low 5k time has an effect on me. So here are some of the fastest returning marks from the 2011 XC season:
1. Dan Jaskowak 15:24 Red, White and Blue
2. Luke Jones 15:31 Lackawanna
3. Max Norris 15:31 Viking Invitational
4. Dan Savage 15:32 Great American
5. Mac Emery 15:33 Viking Invitational
6. Conner Quinn 15:33 Viking Invitational
7. Tony Russell 15:43 District One
8. Francis Ferruzzi 15:45 District One
9. Chris Pastore 15:48 Great American
10. Curt Jewett 15:48 NTL Coaches
11. Brent Kennedy 15:51 Red, White and Blue
12. Connor Harriman 15:52 District One
13. Ean DiSilvio 15:56 Red, White and Blue
14. Tom Coyle 15:56 PCL Championships
15. Sam Williams 15:57 NTL Coahes
16. Kevin James 15:58 Coaches
17. Brendan Shearn 15:58 Northeast
18. Sam Haugh 15:58 District One
19. Austin Pondel 15:58 Big Red
And those are all the guys milesplit has listed under 16 minutes for 5k. What stands out is most of these times came in September. Meaning those courses are either fast as frick or short. Viking and Red, White and Blue stand out. Lehigh has clearly also produced some very fast times. It is a very fast course and the weather at districts co operated this year. Tom Coyle clearly has the most impressive mark on this list, his 15:56 PR came at the PCL Championships at Belmont. On this list, Emery, Russell, Norris, Ferruzzi, Pastore, James and Haugh all didn't snag medals at the state meet in 2011 despite having such fast PRs. Shearn sits with a 15:58 XC PR but a sub 15 5k PR on the track.
Missing from this list of XC fast times are guys like:
Ryan Smathers, Rico Galassi, Sam Aziz, Jack Macauley, Alec Kunzweiler, Vinny Todaro, Jack Huemmler, and Jeff Groh who are all top ranked guys coming in to the 2012 season.
Sam Haugh didn't even make it onto my rankings for this upcoming season. The same can be said for Kevin James. In Haugh's case it remains slightly uncertain whether Haugh will even be a top 3-5 guy for Henderson by season's end as they just have so much depth and he has to very healthy to compete at a top level and handle the mileage. Its up for debate just how high he will finish on the squad.
The good news is, in early September/late August we should have plenty to talk about as there will be fast times at Viking and Red, White and Blue which should spark some interesting conversation.
On August 31st, the Viking Invitational should include the likes of Conner Quinn, Max Norris, Mac Emery, Connor Harriman, James Zingarini, Ross Wilson, Chris Berry, Christian Kardish, Sam Webb and Joey Logue. Last year the Viking invite featured 7 runners under 16 minutes and 9 runners who ended up being in the top 50 at states including state medalists Hibbs (1st), Quinn (4th), Magaha (5th), Harriman (6th) and Israel (10th).
Across the state in the Red White and Blue Invitational, North Allegheny, Mt. Lebanon, Kiski and Quaker Valley will look to show off their team prowess and drop some fast times early.
Last year Dan Jaskowak had an incredible break out race at this meet, proving he was a legit force and riding the wave of momentum all the way to a near state championship in November. He will look to defend his title in 2012 against the likes of Brent Kennedy, Ean Disilvio, Hunter Johnston, Ethan Martin, Chris Culley, Luke Schott, Ryan and Alex Archer, Ethan Louis, Roy Hadfield, Jon Faye, Scott Seel, Matt Mcgoey, Cordon Luoco, Pat Miller and George Kelly. A lot of talent here in this race of WPIAL stand outs.
Jaskowak and Kennedy were top 10 guys in 2011 at states and Quaker Valley was the AA state championship squad in 2011. This race last year was littered with future medalists and arguably 3 of the top 6 teams in the state. 8 men were under the 16 minute barrier at this race last year.
Just one more thing I figured I'd throw down, here are the top 3200m returning times, names worth considering for this XC season (I started the guys who were not sub 16):
1. Emery 9:11
2. Jaskowak 9:14
3. Shearn 9:15
4. Macauley 9:15*
5. Harriman 9:18
6. Quinn 9:19
7. Galassi 9:19*
8. Aziz 9:21*
9. Ritz 9:22*
10. Berry 9:23*
11. Martin 9:24*
12. Williams 9:24
13. Jones 9:25
14. Groh 9:27*
15. Barchet 9:28*
16. Ferruzzi 9:28
17. Faye 9:28*
18. Corcoran 9:29*
19. Wistar 9:29*
Those are all the gents sub 9:30
1. Dan Jaskowak 15:24 Red, White and Blue
2. Luke Jones 15:31 Lackawanna
3. Max Norris 15:31 Viking Invitational
4. Dan Savage 15:32 Great American
5. Mac Emery 15:33 Viking Invitational
6. Conner Quinn 15:33 Viking Invitational
7. Tony Russell 15:43 District One
8. Francis Ferruzzi 15:45 District One
9. Chris Pastore 15:48 Great American
10. Curt Jewett 15:48 NTL Coaches
11. Brent Kennedy 15:51 Red, White and Blue
12. Connor Harriman 15:52 District One
13. Ean DiSilvio 15:56 Red, White and Blue
14. Tom Coyle 15:56 PCL Championships
15. Sam Williams 15:57 NTL Coahes
16. Kevin James 15:58 Coaches
17. Brendan Shearn 15:58 Northeast
18. Sam Haugh 15:58 District One
19. Austin Pondel 15:58 Big Red
And those are all the guys milesplit has listed under 16 minutes for 5k. What stands out is most of these times came in September. Meaning those courses are either fast as frick or short. Viking and Red, White and Blue stand out. Lehigh has clearly also produced some very fast times. It is a very fast course and the weather at districts co operated this year. Tom Coyle clearly has the most impressive mark on this list, his 15:56 PR came at the PCL Championships at Belmont. On this list, Emery, Russell, Norris, Ferruzzi, Pastore, James and Haugh all didn't snag medals at the state meet in 2011 despite having such fast PRs. Shearn sits with a 15:58 XC PR but a sub 15 5k PR on the track.
Missing from this list of XC fast times are guys like:
Ryan Smathers, Rico Galassi, Sam Aziz, Jack Macauley, Alec Kunzweiler, Vinny Todaro, Jack Huemmler, and Jeff Groh who are all top ranked guys coming in to the 2012 season.
Sam Haugh didn't even make it onto my rankings for this upcoming season. The same can be said for Kevin James. In Haugh's case it remains slightly uncertain whether Haugh will even be a top 3-5 guy for Henderson by season's end as they just have so much depth and he has to very healthy to compete at a top level and handle the mileage. Its up for debate just how high he will finish on the squad.
The good news is, in early September/late August we should have plenty to talk about as there will be fast times at Viking and Red, White and Blue which should spark some interesting conversation.
On August 31st, the Viking Invitational should include the likes of Conner Quinn, Max Norris, Mac Emery, Connor Harriman, James Zingarini, Ross Wilson, Chris Berry, Christian Kardish, Sam Webb and Joey Logue. Last year the Viking invite featured 7 runners under 16 minutes and 9 runners who ended up being in the top 50 at states including state medalists Hibbs (1st), Quinn (4th), Magaha (5th), Harriman (6th) and Israel (10th).
Across the state in the Red White and Blue Invitational, North Allegheny, Mt. Lebanon, Kiski and Quaker Valley will look to show off their team prowess and drop some fast times early.
Last year Dan Jaskowak had an incredible break out race at this meet, proving he was a legit force and riding the wave of momentum all the way to a near state championship in November. He will look to defend his title in 2012 against the likes of Brent Kennedy, Ean Disilvio, Hunter Johnston, Ethan Martin, Chris Culley, Luke Schott, Ryan and Alex Archer, Ethan Louis, Roy Hadfield, Jon Faye, Scott Seel, Matt Mcgoey, Cordon Luoco, Pat Miller and George Kelly. A lot of talent here in this race of WPIAL stand outs.
Jaskowak and Kennedy were top 10 guys in 2011 at states and Quaker Valley was the AA state championship squad in 2011. This race last year was littered with future medalists and arguably 3 of the top 6 teams in the state. 8 men were under the 16 minute barrier at this race last year.
Just one more thing I figured I'd throw down, here are the top 3200m returning times, names worth considering for this XC season (I started the guys who were not sub 16):
1. Emery 9:11
2. Jaskowak 9:14
3. Shearn 9:15
4. Macauley 9:15*
5. Harriman 9:18
6. Quinn 9:19
7. Galassi 9:19*
8. Aziz 9:21*
9. Ritz 9:22*
10. Berry 9:23*
11. Martin 9:24*
12. Williams 9:24
13. Jones 9:25
14. Groh 9:27*
15. Barchet 9:28*
16. Ferruzzi 9:28
17. Faye 9:28*
18. Corcoran 9:29*
19. Wistar 9:29*
Those are all the gents sub 9:30
Battle of the Milers: Jack Huemmler or James Zingarini
Zingarini is a solid all around XC runner from Council Rock North, a potential state title contender with perhaps the best top 3 punch in the state. He had a break out year, running his best races when it mattered most at the state championships.
Unfortunately, however, this question all comes down to your interpretation of Mr. Huemmler. Jack had a breakout season of his own which included a 4:12.54 2nd place effort in the 1600m outdoors and a 4:16y indoors for 3rd. He also showed he had 1:54ish 800m ability and doubling back to make states and won the 3200m at the DELCO championships over the O'Hara boys. He clearly has incredible track talent and if the 1600m at Shippensburg played out differently and he didn't have to lead as much of the race as he did, it is possible he may be in Coyle's shoes right now showing off his state gold. Based on his track season, Huemmler is poised to compete for the individual District One title at the fast Lehigh course and battle for a XC state medal.
But unfortunately this fall will not include any 5ks raced on a track. On the trials in 2011 Huemmler did not have the same stand out success that he enjoyed on the track. Early in the season Huemmler was 2nd fiddle to Haven's Jeff Seelaus who turned a lot of heads after his first place finish at the Abington Invitational. Huemmler placed 7th in this race (ironically Zingarini placed 6th in that race, three seconds ahead of Huemmler). The tables turned starting at Paul Short and Huemmler became the leader of the Haven squad, highlighted by a 2nd place finish at DELCOs, a 3rd place finish at Centrals, and a 13th place finish at Districts. But at states, Huemmler couldn't quite master Hershey on his first trip. He finished a disappointing 94th.
At states Zingarini did his best work, finishing right next to Ross Wilson and Chris Trimble taking 36th overall. It highlighted a nice streak of races that included a 25th place finish at Districts in 16:16 and a 4th place finish in the Suburban One National race. On the track he placed 5th at the District One Championships in the 1600m and then 6th at states, running 4:18 both times. He has a resume that suggests he can be a state medalist in 2012.
These two runners are clearly tough to compare. Huemmler boasts a solid XC season that shows potential for improvement with experience and also boasts an incredible, stand out track year. Zingarini, conversely, was the epitome of balance with a very efficient, consistently improving XC season followed by a similar track season that racked him up some state hardware outdoors after a solid indoor campaign. It really all comes down to whether you want to be safe or you believe in taking chances.
I personally do believe in taking chances. I see plenty of potential with Huemmler and he boasts a 4:12 PR. Magaha proved that guys with that kind of talent can turn things around and put it together on the trials in the end. He was arguably the best runner in PA in 2011 for XC and I certainly didn't see that coming based on his past XC results.
This may apply: Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Unfortunately, however, this question all comes down to your interpretation of Mr. Huemmler. Jack had a breakout season of his own which included a 4:12.54 2nd place effort in the 1600m outdoors and a 4:16y indoors for 3rd. He also showed he had 1:54ish 800m ability and doubling back to make states and won the 3200m at the DELCO championships over the O'Hara boys. He clearly has incredible track talent and if the 1600m at Shippensburg played out differently and he didn't have to lead as much of the race as he did, it is possible he may be in Coyle's shoes right now showing off his state gold. Based on his track season, Huemmler is poised to compete for the individual District One title at the fast Lehigh course and battle for a XC state medal.
But unfortunately this fall will not include any 5ks raced on a track. On the trials in 2011 Huemmler did not have the same stand out success that he enjoyed on the track. Early in the season Huemmler was 2nd fiddle to Haven's Jeff Seelaus who turned a lot of heads after his first place finish at the Abington Invitational. Huemmler placed 7th in this race (ironically Zingarini placed 6th in that race, three seconds ahead of Huemmler). The tables turned starting at Paul Short and Huemmler became the leader of the Haven squad, highlighted by a 2nd place finish at DELCOs, a 3rd place finish at Centrals, and a 13th place finish at Districts. But at states, Huemmler couldn't quite master Hershey on his first trip. He finished a disappointing 94th.
At states Zingarini did his best work, finishing right next to Ross Wilson and Chris Trimble taking 36th overall. It highlighted a nice streak of races that included a 25th place finish at Districts in 16:16 and a 4th place finish in the Suburban One National race. On the track he placed 5th at the District One Championships in the 1600m and then 6th at states, running 4:18 both times. He has a resume that suggests he can be a state medalist in 2012.
These two runners are clearly tough to compare. Huemmler boasts a solid XC season that shows potential for improvement with experience and also boasts an incredible, stand out track year. Zingarini, conversely, was the epitome of balance with a very efficient, consistently improving XC season followed by a similar track season that racked him up some state hardware outdoors after a solid indoor campaign. It really all comes down to whether you want to be safe or you believe in taking chances.
I personally do believe in taking chances. I see plenty of potential with Huemmler and he boasts a 4:12 PR. Magaha proved that guys with that kind of talent can turn things around and put it together on the trials in the end. He was arguably the best runner in PA in 2011 for XC and I certainly didn't see that coming based on his past XC results.
This may apply: Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
etrain Stock Exchange
So boys I'm ready to try and get back into consistent posting having finished taking my test this past weekend. I'm still working during the day and running at night but I will have some gaps to fill and I'm hoping that will be with posting.
I came up with this idea while I was watching Dark Knight Rises:
The etrain Stock Exchange
Basically how this works is kind of like the stock exchange. You want to make money. You can buy any runner currently on the top 50 for 51-x dollars where x is the ranking of the individual at this time. Anyone not on the list you can buy for 50 cents. Then as I move people around on the rankings from week to week you can buy or sell other people. You buy and sell based on those same 51-x values for the newest rankings. At the end of the season you will get 61-x where x is the end of season ranking for your runner as payment for your investment. Person with the most money wins.
Note: this is imaginary, not really money.
I'm going to make a facebook group to help answer questions and keep track of everyone's money/acquisitions. If you are interested let me know.
train out
I came up with this idea while I was watching Dark Knight Rises:
The etrain Stock Exchange
Basically how this works is kind of like the stock exchange. You want to make money. You can buy any runner currently on the top 50 for 51-x dollars where x is the ranking of the individual at this time. Anyone not on the list you can buy for 50 cents. Then as I move people around on the rankings from week to week you can buy or sell other people. You buy and sell based on those same 51-x values for the newest rankings. At the end of the season you will get 61-x where x is the end of season ranking for your runner as payment for your investment. Person with the most money wins.
Note: this is imaginary, not really money.
I'm going to make a facebook group to help answer questions and keep track of everyone's money/acquisitions. If you are interested let me know.
train out
PCL Boys: Tom Coyle or Dan Savage
Yeah I'm going out of order here, sorry kids, take it up with my lawyer, I got save the good stuff for later.
Tom Coyle has quickly become the AAA favorite to win the state title in XC. He was arguably a tactical error away from winning in 2011 and now he boasts state gold in the 1600m and 4:11 and 1:51 PRs. He also bested Savage on the track in Savage's best events, the 3000m and the 3200m. In fact, Coyle's only head to head loss to Savage all year came at the state meet in XC.
But Savage ran his best race when it mattered most. He took a "smarter" race strategy and had a great day on a very tough Hershey course. He is built for the state's course and Coyle, in theory, is better suited for flatter, faster courses.
I know people tend to jump on to bandwagon's pretty quickly after track seasons, sometimes overhyping solid seasons and putting too big of expectations onto the XC season, but Coyle was a top runner at the state meet in his first state level competitive year. He gains experience of the big race, experience of winning, and experience of running with and for a team with guys like Magee and Stone trying to help the squad get to states. That's a powerful piece of motivation. Just ask Dan Savage, who ran his heart out for his O'Hara team each and every race last year, and will do so again this season as they make another title push.
I think Savage ran an outstanding race at states last year, definitely his best race of the season. That has to give him confidence. But Coyle beat him twice in a row at Belmont Plateau, a pretty tough course in its own right. He made a tactical error that I doubt he will make again. In a kicker's race, it's Coyle's to lose.
I have a ton of respect for Savage and I think he will have a great season and another top 5 finish at the state meet in an extremely competitive field. He will put in the mileage and he will work hard. But Coyle has all the momentum right now, he has all the confidence, all the speed, all the doubling strength and all the top level experience.
The only advantage I see Savage having is the fact that he probably doesn't have a target on his back in any locker room besides O'Hara's (because teammates are always chasing the guy in front of them). Coyle, on the other hand, is a household name (or as much of a household name as possible) and every single competitive runner will pick him out of a race and give everything to beat him. He has some pressure of expectation.
All the same I think Coyle is ready to handle it and right now he is the favorite for the AAA state title.
Tom Coyle has quickly become the AAA favorite to win the state title in XC. He was arguably a tactical error away from winning in 2011 and now he boasts state gold in the 1600m and 4:11 and 1:51 PRs. He also bested Savage on the track in Savage's best events, the 3000m and the 3200m. In fact, Coyle's only head to head loss to Savage all year came at the state meet in XC.
But Savage ran his best race when it mattered most. He took a "smarter" race strategy and had a great day on a very tough Hershey course. He is built for the state's course and Coyle, in theory, is better suited for flatter, faster courses.
I know people tend to jump on to bandwagon's pretty quickly after track seasons, sometimes overhyping solid seasons and putting too big of expectations onto the XC season, but Coyle was a top runner at the state meet in his first state level competitive year. He gains experience of the big race, experience of winning, and experience of running with and for a team with guys like Magee and Stone trying to help the squad get to states. That's a powerful piece of motivation. Just ask Dan Savage, who ran his heart out for his O'Hara team each and every race last year, and will do so again this season as they make another title push.
I think Savage ran an outstanding race at states last year, definitely his best race of the season. That has to give him confidence. But Coyle beat him twice in a row at Belmont Plateau, a pretty tough course in its own right. He made a tactical error that I doubt he will make again. In a kicker's race, it's Coyle's to lose.
I have a ton of respect for Savage and I think he will have a great season and another top 5 finish at the state meet in an extremely competitive field. He will put in the mileage and he will work hard. But Coyle has all the momentum right now, he has all the confidence, all the speed, all the doubling strength and all the top level experience.
The only advantage I see Savage having is the fact that he probably doesn't have a target on his back in any locker room besides O'Hara's (because teammates are always chasing the guy in front of them). Coyle, on the other hand, is a household name (or as much of a household name as possible) and every single competitive runner will pick him out of a race and give everything to beat him. He has some pressure of expectation.
All the same I think Coyle is ready to handle it and right now he is the favorite for the AAA state title.
Battle of the Norths: North Penn or North Allegheny?
Well folks, life in Willow Grove Pennsylvania has not been as carefree as I would like it to be, but I'll try to squeeze a post in here while I have a little bit of time. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day most of the time. I tend to make big plans and have big ideas, but I can't always make them come to fruition. Those who have been following me know that pretty well. I was visiting with my girlfriend this past weekend and no offense to any of you out there reading this, but there is no way in the world I was going to waste any portion of the few moments I have this month with her to post on this blog. This weekend coming up I have my first actuary test and I have been studying that like crazy (think the amount I study the Top 50 and triple it) and this week I will be cutting myself off from the world. Working, studying and running. If I need a study break, I may end up blogging ... or eating.
But I digress ... I doubt most of you read my blog because you like hearing my life story.
On to the first question on my list of 11 (get cuz it's like etrain11 ... I know I'm clever as frick), who will be better North Penn or North Allegheny?
It is interesting to consider these two as pair not simply because they both start with the word "North" but because they are connected in so many other ways that are actually relevant to cross country. For starters, North Penn and North Allegheny have combined to 4 out of the last 5 state championships (although admittedly 3 of those have been North Penn) and NA added in a second place finish and a trip to nationals in that time period. The teams have racked up a boat load of medalists over these years (and a state champion for each side) and established themselves as the powerhouses of their respective districts and a favorite to make the state meet and compete for a top spot regardless of who is returning on their roster.
But perhaps the greatest similarity as that both squads are in a "rebuilding" phase in this coming XC season. I use the word rebuilding here very loosely because these schools do not really rebuild, they reload. North Penn won back to back state championships and then had back to back runner up finishes at districts after seemingly loosing everyone that mattered out front. Then they won the state championship again.
North Allegheny some how manages to win the WPIAL every year. Gil goes down, Baldwin is killing it, they still win. They lose the bulk of their squad that took the team to Nationals, they find some JV studs, get Logan Steiner from Meadville and then finish higher at states then they did the previous season. Then they won the state championship.
Both teams do the seemingly unthinkable on a regular basis. They are well coached, train hard, and have a lot of kids to pick from in their massively sized schools. Sorry if that offends anybody, but c'mon we are all at least thinking it.
So based on all my praise of how awesome these teams are, I bet you could tell that I think both squads will be back at states and, if everything goes well health wise, I think both teams will finish the year in the top 5 as a team at the state meet. I know my rankings don't say that, but rankings are based more on what the data shows me than my gut.
But ultimately, one team has to be better than the other, there are no ties in cross country (even though we came pretty darn close ....) and my money is on North Allegheny to beat out the state champs in 2012.
And I will tell you why.
But first a look at history.
The last team to repeat as state champions was .... North Penn! They returned an ironic 5 of their top 7 guys and lost 2 of their top 3 runners, but still managed to repeat as state champions. Sounds extremely familiar to this years group of guys doesn't it?
So this is the part where everybody checks to make sure that I said North Allegheny not North Penn. Don't worry boys, I know where I am going with this. What was the difference between the team that repeated as state champs and the squad we are looking at in 2012?
Sam Bernitt.
North Penn pulled a guy from seemingly no where onto their XC squad and turned him into the 10th place finisher at the state championships, running just behind Brad Miles who ironically finish 10th the previous season. That was the difference. Logically, I can't assume North Penn is going to do that again (although let's face it, it could happen) and thus I do not believe North Penn can recapture their magic and make another run to the state title.
Let us go back now, to my favorite school subject (actually it's Math, but it sounds cooler if I phrase it like this) History.
In 2007 North Allegheny finished a hard fought 3rd at the state championships after a WPIAL title. The squad graduated 4 members of their top 7 guys including their two front runners who were state medalists. Their top returner was a freshman who was relatively unproven on the big stage. Sound familiar?
Well in 2008 North Allegheny dropped the hammer on PA XC and qualified for the NXN championships and finished 12th at the meet. They were probably the 2nd best team that PA has seen while I have been following the sport (Coatesville's squad is #1, arguments can be made for the North Penn squads and O'Hara this year).
So we know North Allegheny can take nothing and turn it into a lot more than something with guys already in the system. And I see a lot of guys in their system that they can turn into studs. At WPIALs this past year Luoco and Seel were 9th and 10th! They were the two spots behind Alex Moran and ahead of Tim Appman and Lawtin Tellin who finished in the top 30 at states (Appman was 20th). Mike Meehan was 19th at WPIALs just one spot behind Chris Culley who was 17th at states (still kinda surprised about that jump for Culley so not my most convincing piece of evidence admittedly).
North Allegheny made those guys factors at the WPIAL meet and they beat Mt. Lebanon who up until that point had dominated NA (look at the Tri State results from just a week earlier) and had only barely lost to O'Hara at pre states. And then they beat Lebo again at states and were only 12 points away from being tied for the title as well. If Luoco was the spot behind Moran at states like he was at WPIALs NA would have beaten North Penn by roughly 31 points. Now I know that is kind of a bold statement to make since Luoco's best race was at WPIALs and that may have been Moran's worst, but the point is the difference between North Penn and North Allegheny wasn't all that massive last year and the result easily could have been flip flopped if NA had their best weekend just a week later.
Now that being said, there are reasons to suspect North Penn will do better than NA. For the reasons I stated above I think NA will be better, I think history suggests that they will be incredibly strong again this year and probably will keep the WPIAL title.
But for all of you trying to win a debate against me and are supporting North Penn, here are the points you should use to foil my arguments above:
-North Penn peaked at the right time last year. Their guys ran their best races at the state course, where state's is run.
-North Allegheny is still young and lacks a serious front runner. North Penn has Macauley, a potential top 5 finisher at states, and a host of solid Juniors and Seniors with states experience on the roster.
-North Allegheny has been close to winning titles before, but North Penn has won 3 state titles in the last 5 years.
-Pat Morgan
-Have you seen North Penn's uniforms? They are way prettier.
I think the evidence for NA outweighs the evidence for NP, but feel free to debate on boys. I know you guys are master debaters.
But I digress ... I doubt most of you read my blog because you like hearing my life story.
On to the first question on my list of 11 (get cuz it's like etrain11 ... I know I'm clever as frick), who will be better North Penn or North Allegheny?
It is interesting to consider these two as pair not simply because they both start with the word "North" but because they are connected in so many other ways that are actually relevant to cross country. For starters, North Penn and North Allegheny have combined to 4 out of the last 5 state championships (although admittedly 3 of those have been North Penn) and NA added in a second place finish and a trip to nationals in that time period. The teams have racked up a boat load of medalists over these years (and a state champion for each side) and established themselves as the powerhouses of their respective districts and a favorite to make the state meet and compete for a top spot regardless of who is returning on their roster.
But perhaps the greatest similarity as that both squads are in a "rebuilding" phase in this coming XC season. I use the word rebuilding here very loosely because these schools do not really rebuild, they reload. North Penn won back to back state championships and then had back to back runner up finishes at districts after seemingly loosing everyone that mattered out front. Then they won the state championship again.
North Allegheny some how manages to win the WPIAL every year. Gil goes down, Baldwin is killing it, they still win. They lose the bulk of their squad that took the team to Nationals, they find some JV studs, get Logan Steiner from Meadville and then finish higher at states then they did the previous season. Then they won the state championship.
Both teams do the seemingly unthinkable on a regular basis. They are well coached, train hard, and have a lot of kids to pick from in their massively sized schools. Sorry if that offends anybody, but c'mon we are all at least thinking it.
So based on all my praise of how awesome these teams are, I bet you could tell that I think both squads will be back at states and, if everything goes well health wise, I think both teams will finish the year in the top 5 as a team at the state meet. I know my rankings don't say that, but rankings are based more on what the data shows me than my gut.
But ultimately, one team has to be better than the other, there are no ties in cross country (even though we came pretty darn close ....) and my money is on North Allegheny to beat out the state champs in 2012.
And I will tell you why.
But first a look at history.
The last team to repeat as state champions was .... North Penn! They returned an ironic 5 of their top 7 guys and lost 2 of their top 3 runners, but still managed to repeat as state champions. Sounds extremely familiar to this years group of guys doesn't it?
So this is the part where everybody checks to make sure that I said North Allegheny not North Penn. Don't worry boys, I know where I am going with this. What was the difference between the team that repeated as state champs and the squad we are looking at in 2012?
Sam Bernitt.
North Penn pulled a guy from seemingly no where onto their XC squad and turned him into the 10th place finisher at the state championships, running just behind Brad Miles who ironically finish 10th the previous season. That was the difference. Logically, I can't assume North Penn is going to do that again (although let's face it, it could happen) and thus I do not believe North Penn can recapture their magic and make another run to the state title.
Let us go back now, to my favorite school subject (actually it's Math, but it sounds cooler if I phrase it like this) History.
In 2007 North Allegheny finished a hard fought 3rd at the state championships after a WPIAL title. The squad graduated 4 members of their top 7 guys including their two front runners who were state medalists. Their top returner was a freshman who was relatively unproven on the big stage. Sound familiar?
Well in 2008 North Allegheny dropped the hammer on PA XC and qualified for the NXN championships and finished 12th at the meet. They were probably the 2nd best team that PA has seen while I have been following the sport (Coatesville's squad is #1, arguments can be made for the North Penn squads and O'Hara this year).
So we know North Allegheny can take nothing and turn it into a lot more than something with guys already in the system. And I see a lot of guys in their system that they can turn into studs. At WPIALs this past year Luoco and Seel were 9th and 10th! They were the two spots behind Alex Moran and ahead of Tim Appman and Lawtin Tellin who finished in the top 30 at states (Appman was 20th). Mike Meehan was 19th at WPIALs just one spot behind Chris Culley who was 17th at states (still kinda surprised about that jump for Culley so not my most convincing piece of evidence admittedly).
North Allegheny made those guys factors at the WPIAL meet and they beat Mt. Lebanon who up until that point had dominated NA (look at the Tri State results from just a week earlier) and had only barely lost to O'Hara at pre states. And then they beat Lebo again at states and were only 12 points away from being tied for the title as well. If Luoco was the spot behind Moran at states like he was at WPIALs NA would have beaten North Penn by roughly 31 points. Now I know that is kind of a bold statement to make since Luoco's best race was at WPIALs and that may have been Moran's worst, but the point is the difference between North Penn and North Allegheny wasn't all that massive last year and the result easily could have been flip flopped if NA had their best weekend just a week later.
Now that being said, there are reasons to suspect North Penn will do better than NA. For the reasons I stated above I think NA will be better, I think history suggests that they will be incredibly strong again this year and probably will keep the WPIAL title.
But for all of you trying to win a debate against me and are supporting North Penn, here are the points you should use to foil my arguments above:
-North Penn peaked at the right time last year. Their guys ran their best races at the state course, where state's is run.
-North Allegheny is still young and lacks a serious front runner. North Penn has Macauley, a potential top 5 finisher at states, and a host of solid Juniors and Seniors with states experience on the roster.
-North Allegheny has been close to winning titles before, but North Penn has won 3 state titles in the last 5 years.
-Pat Morgan
-Have you seen North Penn's uniforms? They are way prettier.
I think the evidence for NA outweighs the evidence for NP, but feel free to debate on boys. I know you guys are master debaters.
Pop Quiz
So I'm looking to get some opinions on some questions and then I will give you my own opinion after I hear yours, here's what I got ... Who will place higher in XC 2012 at states....
1. Battle of the Norths: North Penn or North Allegheny?
2. Battle of the Defending Champs: Brendan Shearn or Conner Quinn?
3. Battle of the PCL Boys: Tom Coyle or Dan Savage?
4. Battle of the Milers: Jack Huemmler or James Zingarini?
5. The Big Question: West Chester Henderson or O'Hara?
6. Battle of the Henderson Boys: Tony Russell or Reiny Barchet?
7. Battle of the Youngsters: Ethan Martin or Caleb Wakeley?
8. Battle of the Walking Wounded: Max Norris or Jeff Groh?
9. Battle of the Northeast Bradford Boys: Sam Williams or Curt Jewett?
10. Battle of the 3200m Stars: Mac Emery or Jack Macauley or Connor Harriman?
11. Battle for the State Championship: Shearn or Jaskowak, Quinn or Coyle, Williams or Galassi or Jones or Smathers ..... Or Other!
Note Question 11 is the only Question where the answer other is applicable
1. Battle of the Norths: North Penn or North Allegheny?
2. Battle of the Defending Champs: Brendan Shearn or Conner Quinn?
3. Battle of the PCL Boys: Tom Coyle or Dan Savage?
4. Battle of the Milers: Jack Huemmler or James Zingarini?
5. The Big Question: West Chester Henderson or O'Hara?
6. Battle of the Henderson Boys: Tony Russell or Reiny Barchet?
7. Battle of the Youngsters: Ethan Martin or Caleb Wakeley?
8. Battle of the Walking Wounded: Max Norris or Jeff Groh?
9. Battle of the Northeast Bradford Boys: Sam Williams or Curt Jewett?
10. Battle of the 3200m Stars: Mac Emery or Jack Macauley or Connor Harriman?
11. Battle for the State Championship: Shearn or Jaskowak, Quinn or Coyle, Williams or Galassi or Jones or Smathers ..... Or Other!
Note Question 11 is the only Question where the answer other is applicable
XC Talk: Kiski Area
Key Returners: Brent Kennedy (Jr), Tyler Snider (Sr), Patrick Miller (Jr), Justin Stascak (Sr)
Key Losses: Richard Lednak
Notable Track Performances: Kennedy 1:56/4:19/9:31, Miller 1:56/4:31, Snider 9:44
The Kiski boys were one of the new up and coming studs in the WPIAL and took the final spot in a very tough D7 Championships in brutal conditions. They then followed it up at the state meet with a solid 9th place finish as a team led by a big time 7th place finish by Brent Kennedy who was just a sophomore. Kennedy was one of the most consistent runners of the year and he was clutch all XC season into the track seasons where he anchored his DMR relay to a medal and then helped their 4x8 medal outdoors. He then stole a medal in the open 1600m in one of the toughest doubles to pull of in Shippensburg. He could do no wrong with success at every distance. All of this as just a sophomore.
Lednak, however, is a valuable piece to the team's success and he is gone. He was always a solid two miler and big part of the team's success at WPIALs. Yet he is the only big piece missing from the states squad of 2011. 5 of the team's top 6 from Hershey are returning this season including two guys making the sophomore to junior jump which usually brings big results. Pat Miller, the team's 4th man from states in 2011, ran a 1:56 split on the state's 4x8 squad. Tyler Snider ran a 9:44 last spring which makes him a solid 3rd man for this squad. Then after those 3 things are a little more dicey. Justin Stascak, the team's 5th man in 2011 at Hershey, ran his fastest time of the season at Hershey which is impressive, but it was only an 18:18. Tyler Lookabough is the other returner for this squad, but he was 31 seconds behind Stascak and 2:33 behind Kennedy, which would make for quite the huge spread on this squad.
Kennedy is an outstanding front runner and has potential to compete for the state championship as an individual and is the favorite in an always tough WPIAL, but this Kiski team has to deal with North Allegheny who is always good and has very solid returners, 3 of their top 7. And North Allegheny has dominated the WPIALs in the last decade and that makes it tough for Kiski to get respect and to get a top 5 finish at states. Look at Lebo, they were very, very good all season but NA still bested them at crunch time.
Kiski has a great leader, a solid top 3, but some big question marks after that. The surer they can get those 4-5 legs, the better this team will do as the season hits crunch time.
Project Top 5 By Season's End
Kennedy (ET #6), Miller, Snider, Stascak, Lookabough
Key Losses: Richard Lednak
Notable Track Performances: Kennedy 1:56/4:19/9:31, Miller 1:56/4:31, Snider 9:44
The Kiski boys were one of the new up and coming studs in the WPIAL and took the final spot in a very tough D7 Championships in brutal conditions. They then followed it up at the state meet with a solid 9th place finish as a team led by a big time 7th place finish by Brent Kennedy who was just a sophomore. Kennedy was one of the most consistent runners of the year and he was clutch all XC season into the track seasons where he anchored his DMR relay to a medal and then helped their 4x8 medal outdoors. He then stole a medal in the open 1600m in one of the toughest doubles to pull of in Shippensburg. He could do no wrong with success at every distance. All of this as just a sophomore.
Lednak, however, is a valuable piece to the team's success and he is gone. He was always a solid two miler and big part of the team's success at WPIALs. Yet he is the only big piece missing from the states squad of 2011. 5 of the team's top 6 from Hershey are returning this season including two guys making the sophomore to junior jump which usually brings big results. Pat Miller, the team's 4th man from states in 2011, ran a 1:56 split on the state's 4x8 squad. Tyler Snider ran a 9:44 last spring which makes him a solid 3rd man for this squad. Then after those 3 things are a little more dicey. Justin Stascak, the team's 5th man in 2011 at Hershey, ran his fastest time of the season at Hershey which is impressive, but it was only an 18:18. Tyler Lookabough is the other returner for this squad, but he was 31 seconds behind Stascak and 2:33 behind Kennedy, which would make for quite the huge spread on this squad.
Kennedy is an outstanding front runner and has potential to compete for the state championship as an individual and is the favorite in an always tough WPIAL, but this Kiski team has to deal with North Allegheny who is always good and has very solid returners, 3 of their top 7. And North Allegheny has dominated the WPIALs in the last decade and that makes it tough for Kiski to get respect and to get a top 5 finish at states. Look at Lebo, they were very, very good all season but NA still bested them at crunch time.
Kiski has a great leader, a solid top 3, but some big question marks after that. The surer they can get those 4-5 legs, the better this team will do as the season hits crunch time.
Project Top 5 By Season's End
Kennedy (ET #6), Miller, Snider, Stascak, Lookabough
XC Talk: Cumberland Valley
Key Returners: Alec Kunzweiler (Sr), Alex Coburn (Sr), Scott St. Peter (Sr), Ryan Kidd (Sr), Brandon Dunham (Jr)
Key Losses: Abdallah Soliman
Notable Track Performances: Kyle Rhode (Jr)- 4:34, Coburn- 4:22/9:49, Kunzweiler- 4:25/1:53, 7:43.81 4x800m with 3 returners (Kunzweiler, Coburn, St. Peter)
Cumberland Valley has consistently been a D3 powerhouse, but in 2011 the team wasn't quite sure what pieces it had to play with. But Coburn reemerged from injury problems and Alec Kunzweiler began his climb from solid 800m runner to all around stud in both XC and track. The squad ran solid throughout the season but peaked at the right moment, finishing 3rd at Distrits and then 11th at states (the top D3 team). Kunzweiler finished 14th overall at the state meet, the only D3 medalist in the field.
Outdoors Cumberland Valley's 4x800m squad turned heads throughout the season, culminating in a fantastic finish at the state meet. St. Peter ran solid splits all season around the 2 minute mark, Coburn built a house in the 1:56s and then Kunzweiler powered through a 1:51 anchor carry. All these boys are going to toe the line in XC again this season with new found confidence and state gold already around their necks.
Cumberland Valley is a tough team for me to read. They came on strong at the end of last XC season, hitting their best at the end of the season. Then they followed the fall up with a great spring. Obviously 800m success does not translate directly into XC prowess but seeing Kunzweiler and Coburn run as well as they did this past season combined with their proven XC ability in the past (Kunzweiler 14th last year and Coburn the top freshman in his class) that was a great sign. I'm very high on Coburn this year and he is a sleeper pick for all you guys looking for great runners who didn't make my top 50.
Add in the fact that Cumberland Valley returns everyone from their varsity squad at states in 2011, including 4 will be seniors, and you have yourself a pretty sick looking team.
BUT ...
CV was just 11th at states last year and in front of them sits a Kiski team that returns 5 of their top 7, a Great Valley team that returns 5 of 7, a LaSalle team that returns 4 of 6 (5 of 7 with Greco), a CRNorth team that returns their top 5, a Henderson team that returns 5 of 7, Mt. Lebo returns 4 runners and sick JV squad, NA returns 3 and doesn't rebuild but reload and then of course O'Hara with 4 of their top 5 and North Penn with 5 of 7 as well.
That's a lot of teams to try and jump.
Then you add in the fact that CV was anchored by a big performance by Kunzweiler and a solid one by Coburn. Behind him the team had no other runners under 17 minutes all season. Coburn was the only guy under 10 minutes for 3200m on the track this past spring. At the state meet Kidd ran 17:35 as the team's third man. After Kidd they had no one else under 17:50 at the state meet.
It's hard because I don't follow the D3 guys as closely as the D1 boys, but right now CValley needs to fill the spots after their front runners. They return a lot of pieces, but returning a lot off a team that places 20th isn't the same as returning a few off a team that places 1st. Similar situation applies here but obviously not exactly the same. The "no name" guys need to take that next step to "name" guys in order to put this team on the map, but right now they are the class of a great district in District 3.
Projected Top 5 by Season's End
Kunzweiler (ET #15), Coburn, Dunham, Kidd, St. Peter
Key Losses: Abdallah Soliman
Notable Track Performances: Kyle Rhode (Jr)- 4:34, Coburn- 4:22/9:49, Kunzweiler- 4:25/1:53, 7:43.81 4x800m with 3 returners (Kunzweiler, Coburn, St. Peter)
Cumberland Valley has consistently been a D3 powerhouse, but in 2011 the team wasn't quite sure what pieces it had to play with. But Coburn reemerged from injury problems and Alec Kunzweiler began his climb from solid 800m runner to all around stud in both XC and track. The squad ran solid throughout the season but peaked at the right moment, finishing 3rd at Distrits and then 11th at states (the top D3 team). Kunzweiler finished 14th overall at the state meet, the only D3 medalist in the field.
Outdoors Cumberland Valley's 4x800m squad turned heads throughout the season, culminating in a fantastic finish at the state meet. St. Peter ran solid splits all season around the 2 minute mark, Coburn built a house in the 1:56s and then Kunzweiler powered through a 1:51 anchor carry. All these boys are going to toe the line in XC again this season with new found confidence and state gold already around their necks.
Cumberland Valley is a tough team for me to read. They came on strong at the end of last XC season, hitting their best at the end of the season. Then they followed the fall up with a great spring. Obviously 800m success does not translate directly into XC prowess but seeing Kunzweiler and Coburn run as well as they did this past season combined with their proven XC ability in the past (Kunzweiler 14th last year and Coburn the top freshman in his class) that was a great sign. I'm very high on Coburn this year and he is a sleeper pick for all you guys looking for great runners who didn't make my top 50.
Add in the fact that Cumberland Valley returns everyone from their varsity squad at states in 2011, including 4 will be seniors, and you have yourself a pretty sick looking team.
BUT ...
CV was just 11th at states last year and in front of them sits a Kiski team that returns 5 of their top 7, a Great Valley team that returns 5 of 7, a LaSalle team that returns 4 of 6 (5 of 7 with Greco), a CRNorth team that returns their top 5, a Henderson team that returns 5 of 7, Mt. Lebo returns 4 runners and sick JV squad, NA returns 3 and doesn't rebuild but reload and then of course O'Hara with 4 of their top 5 and North Penn with 5 of 7 as well.
That's a lot of teams to try and jump.
Then you add in the fact that CV was anchored by a big performance by Kunzweiler and a solid one by Coburn. Behind him the team had no other runners under 17 minutes all season. Coburn was the only guy under 10 minutes for 3200m on the track this past spring. At the state meet Kidd ran 17:35 as the team's third man. After Kidd they had no one else under 17:50 at the state meet.
It's hard because I don't follow the D3 guys as closely as the D1 boys, but right now CValley needs to fill the spots after their front runners. They return a lot of pieces, but returning a lot off a team that places 20th isn't the same as returning a few off a team that places 1st. Similar situation applies here but obviously not exactly the same. The "no name" guys need to take that next step to "name" guys in order to put this team on the map, but right now they are the class of a great district in District 3.
Projected Top 5 by Season's End
Kunzweiler (ET #15), Coburn, Dunham, Kidd, St. Peter
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