Photo Above - Jonathan Hess in the Carlisle Invitational - Photo by Phil Grove
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Grove City Is Seeking Redemption
Grove City Area, the 2023 team runner-up, is back stronger than ever. MJ Pottinger is the team's point man, backed by Timothy Sabella, Isaiah Stauff, Colsen Frank and Miles Jenny rounding out the five. The team is fresh off a 1-2-3-6-15 finish at the District 10 Championship, in which their top four finishers ran sub 16 minutes.
The district meet strongly reflected how the team has been performing all season. From their wins over big 3A schools at the Riverside Kickoff and Red White and Blue Classic to their 36-point win at the PIAA Foundation meet, this team has dominated with consistency. Grove City will likely go uncontested if they mimic their previous performances this Saturday.
MJ Pottinger after the District 10 Championships
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Who Else Will Contend in the Team Race?
Annville-Cleona, Lewisburg Area and Quaker Valley are likely candidates vying for second place.
Annville-Cleona won the 2023 PIAA 1A state title and will compete in the 2A classification this year. Annville-Cleona benefits from a strong top two in Oliver Funck and Landon Hostetter. David Moran and Matt Clemson won't be far off from the front pack, making the team's five-man, Luke Tshudy, all the more important for the team's success.
Lewisburg Area and Quaker Valley are two closely matched teams. Jonathan Hess, a candidate for the individual title, will lead Lewisburg to a low stick. This could prove significant in the team's success.
However, Quaker Valley will likely put two runners, Clark LaLomia and Jonah Montagnese, in before Lewisburg's second runner. Things could get interesting if Lewisburg's two-man, Justin Nolt, contends with the Quaker Valley front runners. The race between these two teams will likely come down to their three through five scorers.
Hampton, Holy Ghost Preparatory School and Warren Area are some other teams to look out for.
The Individual Title is Anyone's Grab
Jonathan Hess (Lewisburg) is the top returner from last year's state championship, where he finished fifth. He's been having a phenomenal year in which he's run a personal best mark of 15:07.9 to take third in the gold race at Paul Short. He also won his second straight District 4 title, beating second place by over thirty seconds. Hess has the momentum to earn his first state title.
Michael Braun (Freeport Area) will surely put up a fight. Braun is the top-ranked 2A boy in Pennsylvania ahead of the state championship meet with a season's best 15:05.5 from the VA XC Showcase. He backed that performance up by running 15:18.9 to take the District 7 crown by over twenty seconds. Just like Hess, Braun is stepping into an elite level of fitness at the right time of the season to make a go for the individual win on Saturday.
Michael Braun after the District 7 Championships
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MJ Pottinger (Grove City Area), the District 10 champion, is another top contender. Pottinger may not have run as fast as Hess and Braun this year, but he has his own list of accolades that bring his name into the conversation.
Pottinger beat Braun at the PIAA Foundation meet by a considerably fair margin. Pottinger won the race in 16:17.00, while Braun was third, running 16:29.00. However, this wasn't the only big win for Pottinger this year. He finished third at the Riverside Kickoff in 15:25.14 and won the Red White and Blue Classic in 15:26.00, beating some of the state's top 3A contenders at both meets.
You can also expect to see Steven Todd (Bishop Shanahan), Timothy Sabella (Grove City Area), and Christopher Belch (Hampton) in the front mix.
