D1-AA Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 5
- 2019 Individual Champion: Brandon Henriksen (Pottsgrove) - 17:01
- 2019 Team Champions: Pottsgrove - 45 points
Individuals Breakdown
There are some new faces moving to AA this season from AAA in District 1 and those runners could have a big effect on the individual race this fall. The one to beat looks to be Holy Ghost Prep's Elliot Puckett, who was 24th last season in D1-AAA, running his 5K best of 16:09 in that race. He went on to take 56th at states in AAA. His time from states would have put him right in the cusp of a medal in AA.
Three of the five top five boys from the D1-AA race last season are back. The champion Brandon Henriksen has graduated and his Pottstown teammate Darius Smallwood will move to AAA. New-Hope Solebury's Owen Nettles and the Pope John Paul II duo of Jack Flynn and Jason DiMarco are back though. Nettles has the only other sub-17 time to his name beside Puckett in the field (a 16:47 from the Tennent Invite).
Bishop Shanahan has a pair of boys with solid performances from last year back for this fall. Connor Smith and Ethan Perry will be worth watching for this season. Holy Ghost's Anthony Camacho and Collegium's Jacob Iseminger will also be in the mix this fall. It should be a competitive season for state spots in D1-AA.
Team Breakdown
There are some changes coming to D1-AA this season, as 2019 AAA squads Bishop Shanahan and Holy Ghost Preparatory have made the move to AA. Both teams will be among the contenders for the lone state qualifying spot in D1-AA this fall. Meanwhile, the defending district champs, Pottsgrove, move to AAA.
Shanahan loses its No. 1 runner from last year, but brings back four varsity boys to the fold in 2020. Holy Ghost, meanwhile, has five returners back this season. Holy Ghost was 30th in D1-AAA last year, while Shanahan was 32nd. Now in AA, these teams should battle it out for the district crown.
Lower Moreland, second in the district to Pottsgrove last year, bring back six boys from last year's team. LM should compete well with Shanahan and Ghost for the top spot. Pope John Paul II and New Hope-Solebury could also get in the mix.
It should be a close one this fall in D1-AA.