Class AAA
It will be a cool Friday morning for the District 1 competitors at Lehigh University. The course may also be damp from Wednesday's rain, but should it dry up, the athletes will fly.
Everyone will be chasing Jake Brophy of Central Bucks East. The defending district and state champion is still undefeated on the season, and had the wind been more cooperative last week at the Suburban One Championships, he may have broken 15 minutes. Friday will be his final chance to achieve that milestone. But while chasing that goal, he will have some big stars chasing him.
Two of them are the Hoey brothers, Jaxson and Josh, who have made the switch to the PIAA look effortless. Jaxson has run 15:28 this season while Josh has run 15:40. Rock Fortna of Central Bucks West will also be in the mix after finishing 2nd to Brophy last Friday. Connor McMenamin of Souderton believes he can improve from his performance last week despite running in the 15:40s. Jeff Kirshenbaum of Methacton can tussle with this group. He's fallen to Jake Brophy twice this season, but has been sensational against all other competitors.
The race will also have five state qualifying berths on the line. Downingtown West and Central Bucks West will enter the race as heavy favorites to qualify as the top two teams in the race. This will be the first time these teams will match up. Both teams have yet to taste defeat this season, so something has to give. Both teams have three runners who have broken 16 minutes this season, and both teams have decent 1-5 spreads. The fine margins may determine who enters the state meet as district champion and state title favorites.
As for the other three spots, West Chester Henderson will always be in the mix for one of those berths. The 2014 district runners up surprised everyone by qualifying for states with a squad that graduated the bulk of its varsity squad. They've been consistent this season, earning several runner up finishes to Downingtown West. The program has always been sharp on the biggest meet days, and Friday will be no exception. Central Bucks East has picked up some momentum after some early season struggles, and with Jake Brophy contending for the gold medal up front, that one point could go a long way in punching their state meet ticket.
Council Rock North were sensational in their Suburban One title race last week, looking like a dominant force. Should that squad return Friday, a trip to states will be a likely outcome. Spring Ford surprised many teams with their 2nd place finish at the Paul Short Run behind District 3 Hempfield. Spring Ford won the PAC 10 title last week and are a new team since Paul Power's graduation. Hatboro Horsham, Owen J Roberts, North Penn and William Tennent will look to be the one team that has a big race and sneaks into states, something that traditionally happens in this race.
Class AA
Will the hoodoo end for Holy Ghost Prep in their bid to qualify for the state meet for the first time since switching to AA four years ago? They are coming off their 20th consecutive league championship last week and have made adjustments to try and avoid another crash and burn at districts. Patrick Donahue and Callahan Lennon will lead the team that finished in the top ten at Paul Short back in early October. They will also be favorites for the individual gold medal. Bishop Shanahan will look to qualify themselves after winning two invitational titles, including the Paul Short White race crown. Jack Ettien, Chris Kolimago, and Seamus Breslin will lead the charge.
Of course, there's that small road block known as the three time District 1 AA champions Pottsgrove. Every season, they get counted out as a contender for the district crown, only to blow their competition out of the water each time. Michael Neeson and Brendan Wurtz will look to foster a 4th straight crown for Pottsgrove, but this could be their toughest challenge to date.
Class A
New Hope Solebury and Jenkintown will square off for the team title and the lone state qualifying berth. Each team have good front threes, and their performances could decide the championship. Chris Cammarata will lead New Hope Solebury, while Christian Geer will be the front man for Jenkintown. Both runners will be chasing favorite Michael Gunden of Christopher Dock for the individual title.