D4-A Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 10
- 2020 Individual Champion: Hunter Foust (Hughesville) - 16:48
- 2020 Team Champions: Hughesville - 31 points
Individuals Breakdown
Hughesville's Hunter Foust moved up to the top spot in District 4 Class A. Foust then claimed his second consecutive state medal, placing 18th (he was 24th in 2019). Now Foust will look for his second straight district title and another run at a high place in Hershey. He's the one to beat in D4-A and he could be in line for a big 2021.
Looking to challenge Foust will be Wyalusing Valley's Zion Laudermilch. He was third in the district and 19th place at the state meet, just one place and one second behind Foust. 2020 was a year of big improvements for Laudermilch and he will look to keep it rolling into this fall.
There are four other boys that finished inside the top ten of the district last year back this season. Hughesville's Morgan Gavitt (fourth in the district last year), Kenneth Draper (seventh) and Logan Long (eighth) are each back this year. Gavitt was 33rd at states last year, while Draper was 43rd; both will be on the hunt for state medals this season.
Wyalusing's Eleazar Laudermilch was tenth at districts last year, but just missed qualifying for states last year with reduced numbers. He'll be motivated this season for sure.
Team Preview
2020 was a big season for the boys from Hughesville. After just missing out on the state meet in 2019, the team roared into 2020 and won the district by a resounding 32 points. Hughesville went on to place fourth at the state meet. Fast forward to this year, and Hughesville brings back its full top even from last season. Led by state medalist Foust, and strong depth with Gavitt, Draper, and Long, there is a ton of potential behind this team this fall.
Hughesville's top four is all seniors and it's an experienced bunch. The three teams that finished ahead of Hughesville at the state meet last year -- Jenkintown, Penns Valley, and Winchester Thurston -- all lose a number of boys to graduation, so the opportunity is there for this team to chase a state championship.
With Hughesville as the big favorites for the top spot, there is a second state qualifying spot up for grabs. Wyalusing Valley Area will be looking to capture that spot. Zion and Eleazar Laudermilch are a pair of strong returners, and this is a strong program that can develop its runners well. Expect to see Wyalusing right in the mix for the top two.
After that, it gets a bit murkier with a number of teams lacking depth. Look for Southern Columbia Area and Troy to be among the teams looking to make some noise this season.