D5-AA Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 5
- 2020 Individual Champion: Nate Scritchfield (Bedford) - 17:58
- 2020 Team Champions: Westinghouse - 26 points
Individuals Breakdown
Seven of the top ten individuals from the D5-AA Championship meet are back this season, so there will be a lot of returning talent. The defending champion Nate Scritchfield of Bedford is back. He'll be back this season, looking to defend his title. Scritchfield placed 101st at the state meet.
Sean Russell of Westinghouse was second at the district meet, but he was the highest placed District 5 boy at the state meet, taking 70th. He'll look to challenge Scritchfield for the district title this season, and it could be a close battle. Somerset's Colton Walker, Branson Walker, Chase Brenneman, and Colby Livengood did not compete at the district meet last season, but expect these boys to make a run at the top five this season. Colton Walker was tenth at the LHAC Championships last year -- not far behind Scritchfield -- so he, too, is a district title contender.
Bedford's Evan Sigel and Westinghouse's Elias Santiago Bradbury and Cruz Bradbury are among the other top D5 returners to watch out for this season.
Team Breakdown
Last fall, Westinghouse came away with the district title with just five boys. That earned that team the lone state qualifying spot last season, where it placed 11th. Westinghouse has a solid core back this season with Russell and the Bradburys, but will need to add some depth to get a full team to contend for a repeat.
Bedford and Somerset Area will be the teams battling it out for the top spot along with Westinghouse. Bedford returns five of its top seven from last year on its second place district team. Somerset Area did not compete at the district meet in 2020, but this team was second at the LHAC Championships. Somerset has a good group back this season, and could very well to the team to beat out of D5-AA behind its strong depth.