D7-A Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 4
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 20
- 2020 Individual Champion: Patrick Malone (Winchester Thurston) - 16:26
- 2020 Team Champions: Winchester Thurston - 67 points
Individuals Breakdown
Lance Nicholls of Winchester Thurston spent last season as a strong No. 2 on a good Thurston team. With the graduation of last year's WPIAL-A champion Patrick Malone, Nicholls becomes not only the new top runner on the Bears, but also the one to beat in the WPIAL, and one of the state's top returners in Class A.
Nicholls was third at WPIALs and ninth at the state meet last year. Look for the senior to chase after WPIAL and state titles this season in what could be a special season for Nicholls.
Only three boys from the top ten in D7-A are back this year. After Nicholls, Greensburg Central Catholic's Nick Szekely and Eden Christian Academy's Sean Aiken are also back from the top ten. Szekely enjoyed a big freshman season, taking sixth the in the WPIAL and 22nd in the state to earn a state medal. He was the No. 2 frosh in 1A last year. Aiken also medaled at the state meet. After taking ninth at WPIALs, he placed 24th at Hershey. He'll be a junior to watch for this season.
Others to watch for include Thomas Presnar of Shenango, Ty Fluharty of Riverside, Parker Steele of Riverview, and Alex Siege of Chartiers Houston.
Team Preview
Perennial power Winchester Thurston won its second straight WPIAL title last season. That Bears team went on to take third at the state meet, just five points off second place Penns Valley. Thurston loses two of its strong top three that took three of the top four spots at WPIALs last year. Nicholls is a strong No. 1, but this season the defending champs will need to retool and have some newcomers step up if they want to return to the top of the WPIAL. Of course, though, this isn't a team you can count out.
So what teams can seize the opportunity? Riverview was second to Thurston last season by just 13 points. In a normal year, that would have meant a trip to states and a chance to compete for a top five team finish or better. But only one team per district/classification went to Hershey last year. This year, Riverview loses three of its top seven, but still returns a good core. They have some good depth and should be a factor again this season.
Eden Christian Academy was fourth in the district last season (also state qualifying territory in a normal year). ECA's whole top seven is back this season, and this team could be a serious factor in the WPIAL and the state in Class A. Aiken is a solid No. 1 and the depth is there for this team. Our Lady Of Sacred Heart loses its No. 1 runner from 2020, but brings back the six other varsity boys from last year. OLSH will contend for a high finish at WPIALs.
Shady Side Academy, Shenango, and Avella Area are among the other teams with a good shot at the top four this season in WPIAL-A.