Meet Preview: PIAA District 10 Championships

PIAA District 10 Championships
Phil Grove


Boys Preview - PIAA District 10 Championships

Class A

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
Defending champion Troy Hart of Reynolds has the fastest Class A time this season in District 10, with his 16:17 at the John Sample Invitational in Grove City topping Cochranton's Noah Bernarding and Franklin Morris. One of two D10 state medalists in Class A boys in 2018 and the lone returnee, Hart nipped West Middlesex's Luke Mantzell a year ago in Buhl Park.

Ranked No. 5 this year by PTXC, Cochranton finished sixth last year in Hershey. But Cambridge Springs should make it really interesting and West Middlesex will look for one of those two state spots.


Class AA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2

On paper, the AA boys' race looks to be the best one as Dylan Throop of General McLane and Grove City Area's Tobias Jones are in the state's top 20, according to the PTXC rankings. With just one loss on his record in 2019, Throop is the second-fastest runner statewide in AA this year, the top D10 returnee and ranked 15th by PTXC, while Jones is the fourth fastest and ranked No. 17.

Add in Fairview's Zach Buckner (Sharpsville Invite winner), Meadville's Patrick Stevens (McDowell Invite champ) and North East's Zane Courtwright as the other sub-16:00 competitors, and this race should be quick. Buckner (7th), Stevens (9th) and Courtwright (10th) also are among the fastest in AA in 2019.

The team battle likely will be fought by the Eagles of Grove City and Grapepickers of North East. Those teams are Nos. 4 and 5 in this week's state rankings and were the district's AA qualifiers in 2018.



Class AAA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1

The Taylor Allderdice boys, after claiming the state spot a year ago, will look to head to Hershey again this season.

In the race for individual glory, senior Eli Anish of Allderdice has run well this season and appears to be on track to repeat his title from last year's sub-regional at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park. Also in the running for the win should be McDowell freshman Christian Mattern and Cathedral Prep's Kody Klein.