The PIAA Championship is set for Saturday, November 2nd and the 1A races could be some of the most competitive races of the day.
Can Jaxon Schoedel Defend His Title?
Jaxon Schoedel (Mohawk) is the defending 1A State Champion and he is in a great position to win it again this year.
In fact, he is undefeated on the year, having most recently won the PIAA District 7 Championship in a personal best 15:33. He is also coming off of an outdoor track season that saw him run 9:10 to win the PIAA 2A State 3200m title.
If anyone is going to challenge him, it is going to be Henry Friedrichs of Veritas Academy. Friedrichs just won District 3 Championship in 15:39. He won by over a minute.
This season, he has also won the CCAC XC Championship and the LVC Dutchmen XC Invite. His personal best is 15:31.
We also have our eyes on Kendel Jones (Elk Lake) and the two Regina Luminis teammates, Martin O'Rourke and Gabe Simkiss.
Simkiss just won the District 1 Championship in 16:02, 52-seconds ahead of the next finisher. O'Rourke finished in seventh, but he has previously finished well throughout the season. At the New Balance Whippets XC Invitational, he finished third in 15:50.
Kendel Jones has been at the front of every race he has been in. He hasn't finished worse than fourth this year. He most recently won the District 2 Championship. At PIAA Foundation, he finished second and seven seconds back from Eli DeSimone (Winchester Thurston).
DeSimone was 10th at the PIAA State Championship in 2023 and he has been a sneaky strong competitor through-out this season. He just finished fourth at the District 7 Championship as Winchester Thurston took second overall to Riverview.
Others on our radar include Creed Dewing (Northeast Bradford), Cody Adams (Elk Lake), and Brendan Burns (Neshannock).
Two District 7 Teams Leading The Charge
Riverview and Winchester Thurston are both in the hunt for a state title and they both have the performances to back that up.
The two teams went 1-2 at the District 7 Championship with averages of 16:48 and 16:50 respectively. Riverview led Winchester Thurston by just nine points. In a bigger and more competitive race, that result could easily switch.
Winchester Thurston also won PIAA Foundation.
Regina Luminis could also be in the mix. The District 1 Champions placed four boys in the top eight at their district meet. We already mentioned two of their boys in our individual preview, but they also have Sean O'Keefe and Luke Kozak in the mix.
District 10's Lakeview may also surprise some. The team won their district championship with just 43 points and a 16:57 average. Northwestern PA teams have plenty of experience running hills, and that experience could pay off on the Hershey Hills.