D5-A Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 5
- 2020 Individual Champion: Ian Zimmerman (Northern Bedford) - 16:10
- 2020 Team Champions: Windber Area - 45 points
Individuals Breakdown
After winning four straight PIAA District 5 Class A individual titles, Ian Zimmerman of Northern Bedford has graduated, so we will see a new district champion this season for the first time in four years.
Chestnut Ridge's Calan Bollman will look to take over that top spot. He had a big sophomore season last year, placing second in the district and then 17th at the state meet to earn a medal. That was a big improvement over the previous year when he was 82nd at states. Looking to challenge Bollman for that top spot will be Windber's Joseph McKelvey. As a freshman last year, McKelvey was third in the district and then 29th at the state meet, just four spots and two seconds off the medals. He was the No. 3 ninth grader last year in Class A.
Windber's Garrett Page and Bryce Brubaker, Southern Fulton's Kasey Fitz, and Foundations Christian's Reece Moyer are the other returners from the top ten in the district last year.
Team Preview
Led by two ninth graders, Windber Area captured the district title last year in D5-A, and with it, grabbed the lone state qualifying spot for teams. They went on to take tenth at the state meet. McKelvey and Page were top five district finishers last year. Brubaker, a junior last year, was also inside the top ten. All seven varsity runners from a year ago are back this season for Windber, which will be favored to repeat.
Northern Bedford, second as a team last year in the district, loses its top runner from last year in Zimmerman but brings back four of its top seven. Southern Fulton, which was fifth in the district last year, will look to make a run at the top three this season.
Teams like Meyersdale Area and Chestnut Ridge will look to add some depth this season to compete for a high district finish.