D1-A Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Non-Team Individuals: 5
- 2018 Individual Champion: Jack Miller (Jenkintown) - 15:58
- 2018 Team Champion: Jenkintown - 15 points
Individuals Preview
Jenkintown's Jack Miller rolled to another District 1 Class A individual title last year, before capturing the PIAA Class A championship at Hershey, completing a dream season for both him and his Drakes squad. Miller is off to Pitt, so there will be a new champ in D1-A and the state in 1A.
So who's next up? It looks like it could be Jack's younger brother, Luke Miller. He was second in the district and 22nd in the state last season. His Jenkintown teammates Carter Geer and Aiden Michell will be in the mix as well. Geer was fourth at districts last season and 16th at states -- the Drakes' top returning state meet finisher. Mitchell was fifth in the district and ran a terrific states, placing 24th to earn a state medal.
It should be a intra-squad battle between Miller, Geer, and now Michell for the district title.
Among the other returners from the top ten in the district last year are Dock rising sophomore Matthew Birch (seventh), Collegium Charter's Jacob Iseminger (eighth), and Jenkintown's Matt Visomirski (tenth).
Team Preview
Last year was an absolutely dominant year for Jenkintown. The Drakes took the top six spots in District 1 Class A to score the minimum 15 points last season. Then at the state meet, it was another huge performance, as Jenkintown put each of its scorers in medal territory (including the individual champ) to win the Class A state title with just 49 points.
But now the Drakes must fill in the blanks to be a contender on the state level again. The state champ Jack Miller has graduated, along with Pat Wagner. But Jenkintown does bring back three state medalists in Luke Miller, Geer and Michell -- arguably 1A's best trio. The Drakes will look to Visomirski and some of its JV runners from 2018's team to step up to bolster the backend of its varsity squad.
Jenkintown sits at No. 3 in our preseason Class A team rankings, but a repeat state title in certainly still in the cards for this squad, which knows how to win. Jenkintown is still the overwhelming favorite to win the district. The Drakes still have the best depth in D1-A.
Dock Mennonite Academy, led by Birch, who emerged as a strong freshman last season, will be a team to watch with five of its seven varsity boys back this season. It was second last year. Collegium Charter School wasn't far off, though, taking fourth last season. All seven of its varsity boys are back from 2018, paced by Iseminger, so watch for this team to make a run at that second spot.