2022 Mercury-Area Boys Cross Country Season Preview
BOYERTOWN
Coach: Ed Baghdasarian, fourth year.
Last year’s record: 1-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division.
Runners to watch: Cole Cavalero, Sr.; Chase Dornblaser, Sr.; Lucas Famous, Sr.; Dylan Klass, Sr.; Ethan Maraldo, Sr.; Jayden Wool, Sr.; Louis Chesky, Jr.; Cole Peifer, So.; Aiden Voth, So.; Aidan Lacock, So.
Outlook: The Bears’ roster will be bolstered by the presence of freshmen Colin Cooper, Noah DaSilva, Greyson Dood, Alex Gambone, Evan James and Brayden Tinney. … Cavalero and Wool are Boyertown’s highest-placing returners from the PAC meet, finishing a respective 52nd and 54th. Maraldo followed in 58th place. … “Our boys team is looking to make an improvement in our league standings as well districts,” Baghdasarian said. “Two sophomores, Voth and Peifer are leading the workouts with seniors Maraldo, Famous and Cavalero in the pack. Hard work and speed is the focus to producing some fast times this season. Key to our success will have to be our depth at invites.
DANIEL BOONE
Coach: Doug Snyder, third year.
Last year’s record: 3-4 Berks League, 8-7 overall.
Runners to watch: Mason Hallman, Sr.; Matt Ferenz, Jr.; Caleb Eckstein, Jr.; Adam Inhof, Sr.; Evan Miller, Jr.
Outlook: Ferenz is Boone’s highest-finishing returning runner, placing 53rd in the BCIAA Championship Meet. … “It will be a rebuilding season after graduation of seven seniors from the 2021 team,” Snyder said.
HILL SCHOOL
Coach: Chris DeLucia, 15th year.
Last year’s record: 0-4 Mid-Atlantic Prep League.
Runners to watch: Patrick Dunn, Sr.; Ginta Harada, Sr.; Benjy Wang, Sr,; Nick Bressi, Jr.; Anders Mortenson, Jr.
Outlook: The Blues’ roster will be bolstered by the presence of freshman Liam Mpofu. … Harada led the Hill contingent in last year’s MAPL meet, finishing 12th. Dunn followed in 26th place. They were also a respective 24th and 52nd in the Pa. Independent Schools Athletic Association championship race. … “The team is stronger and more experienced than last year,” DeLucia said, “and with a good combination of older and younger runners and solid summer training, there is much room for development over the course of the season.”
METHACTON
Coach: Steve Savitz, 18th year.
Last year record: 4-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division.
Runners to watch: Evander Lackman, Sr.; Matthew Sandner, Jr.; Charlie Reith, So.
Outlook: The Warriors are coming off a 2021 season that saw them place second in the PAC and fourth in the District 1-AAA Championship team standings. … Sandner placed 27th in the 2021 PAC meet as Methacton’s leading returner, helping the team finish second. “This year’s team has a lot of enthusiasm and talent,” Savitz said. “They will continue to improve throughout the season and will be competitive every meet.”
NORRISTOWN
Coach: Neil Schafer, first year.
Last year’s record: 0-5 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division.
Runners to watch: Zif Ceja, Sr.; Steven Rubio, Sr.
Outlook: Schafer returns to head the Eagle program after doing a coaching stint at Ursinus College. He was Norristown’s head coach from 1993 to 2000. … Bill Scherer, who headed the Eagles for five seasons in the 2000s, has returned as Schafer’s assistant. … “We are in a rebuilding,” Schafer said. “We did not win a single meet last year and we did not place any runners in the varsity race at PACs in 2021. Zif Ceja and Steve Rubio look to make some noise in the league.”
OWEN J. ROBERTS
Coach: Tim Marcoe, fifth year.
Last year’s record: 4-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division.
Runners to watch: Evan Finger, Sr.; Nathan Hayes, Sr.; Andrew McGonigle, Sr.; Hunter Valentino, Sr.; Jorge Blancarte, Jr.; David Fogwell, Jr.; Oscar Lorenzi, Jr.; Eric McMillian, Jr.; Sean Rothenberger, Jr.
Outlook: The Wildcats’ roster will be bolstered by the presence of freshman Ben Pittek. … Owen J. was the PAC’s champion in 2021, in addition to qualifyng the team for the PIAA Class AAA meet. … McGonigle will be looking to repeat as the league’s individual champion and improve on his sixth-place effort in the District 1-AAA meet. Hayes was 15th in the PAC meet last year. … “The boys are looking forward to making a name for themselves after graduating 16 seniors last year,” Marcoe said. “They are excited about their potential for this season and have had consistent training over the summer. There will be a lot of new faces in the mix for the varsity positions, and they are looking forward to rising up to the challenge.”
PERKIOMEN SCHOOL
Coach: Jacob Wells, second year.
Last year’s record: Not available.
Runners to watch: Paul Cosme, Jr.; Peter Kube, PG.
Outlook: “We are very excited for the upcoming season,” Wells said. “For our boys team, this season will be incredibly exciting to watch. Last season we only had 3 boys, so we were unable to field a full team. This year, we have a full team and more, so watching our boys compete in the PJAA as a team is very exciting.”
PERKIOMEN VALLEY
Coach: Ryan Sullivan, 21st year.
Last year’s record: 4-3 overall.
Runners to watch: Dylan Ribelin, Sr.; Reilly Smith, Sr.; Jason Clifford, Jr.; Alex Corbin, Jr.; Dino Liberi, So.; Jack Margaritis, So.
Outlook: The Vikings roster is bolstered by the presence of freshmen Nathan Boyer, Cooper Hey and Max Tacinini. … Ribelin placed 19th in last year’s PAC meet, with Clifford following in 21st place. … “The team graduated two out of top five runners,” Sullivan said. “The team is now lea by Jason Clifford and Dylan Ribelin, who both had a great summer of training. We will need development and improvement of younger runners to compete with the top dogs in the PAC 12. We have a large and talented incoming freshman class. We’re looking forward to the always-competitive PAC 12, improving throughout the season and competing for the Final Four.”
PHOENIXVILLE
Coach: Justin Winters, 13th year.
Last year’s record: 5-0 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division and overall.
Runners to watch: Jacob Cross, Sr.; William Imburgia, Sr.; Owen Kelly, Sr.; Noah Kocher, Sr.; David Nguyen, Sr.; Dan Rabiychuk, Sr.; Zeke Rein, Sr.; Neel Sajja, Sr.; Max Trainer, Sr.; Declan Woodall, Sr.
Outlook: Bolstering the Phantoms’ sizeable (40 runners) roster will be freshmen Max Goudie, Hayden Oplinger, Kyle Padilla, Flynn Roulstone and Owen Young. … Woodall is Phoenixville’s highest-placing returner from the 2021 PAC meet, placing 32nd. It was fourth in the team standings. … “This will be an exciting year for us,” Winters said, “and represents a new era amongst the squad. We have tons of runners intent on showing what they can do with an opportunity, and it will be super fun to see them progress this season. We plan to run hard.”
POPE JOHN PAUL II
Coach: Lisa Cagliola, seventh year.
Last year’s record: 2-3 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division.
Runners to watch: Runners to watch: Oscar Luna, Jr.; Ryan Edde, So.; Jack McNicholas, So.; Aiden Radcliffe, So,; Danny Schiele, So.
Outlook: Luna is PJP’s highest-finishing returner in the PAC’s 2021 meet, placing 42nd. He went on to go 13th in District 1-AA competition. … “We are returning most of our boys from last season including Oscar Luna leading a strong group of sophomore boys,” Cagliola said. “The freshmen are already showing promise, setting up an exciting season. We’re looking to improve on last year’s record.”
POTTSGROVE
Coach: Torry Dugan, first year.
Last year’s record: 0-3 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division.
Runners to watch: Daniel Korman, Sr.; Isaac Kumpf, Sr.; Xavier Walker, Sr.
Outlook: Dugan has taken over the Falcon program from Toni Crater, who stepped down from the post after one season. Dugan is a Pottstown grad who ran collegiately at Susquehanna University. … Korman placed 31st in the PAC meet last fall, the Falcons’ highest finisher. … One difference for Pottsgrove this year is its dropdown to Class 2A for the post-season competition. … “The Pottsgrove boys are AA this year, which is an exciting new place for us,” Dugan said. “We have an entirely new coaching staff, but have been working hard all summer. Daniel Korman, Isaac Kumpf and Xavier Walker are our senior boy returners, and we are expecting some great races from them. Jordan Raudenbush, Darius Hairston and Cole Strunk are three of our newer runners that are going to be competitive.”
POTTSTOWN
Coach: Stephanie Konnick, fourth year.
Last year’s record: 0-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division.
Runners to watch: Dawud Barnes, Sr.; Derek Gephart, Sr.; Adam Alaoui, Jr.
Outlook: Gephart and Barnes both finished in the 60s in the 2021 PAC meet. … “We’re looking forward to sending off our seniors with a good running season and working on growing our team for future years,” Konnick said.
SPRING-FORD
Coach: Larry Rechtin, first year.
Last Year’s Record: 3-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division and overall.
Runners to watch: Ryan Kovaleski, Sr.; Quinn Smith, Sr.; Jake Delgado, Jr.; Jack Stanick, Jr.; Ethan Tharp, Jr.; Jedd King, So.; Eli Dunham, So.; Spencer Bellaire, So.
Outlook: Rechtin takes over the Spring-Ford program after a long tenure as head coach of Pottsgrove’s cross country and track teams. … The Rams’ roster will be bolstered by the presence of freshmen Max Labarber and Mason Short. … Smith was among the PAC’s leading runners in the 2021 championship meet, placing fifth. Kovaleski placed 14th. … Smith was Spring-Ford’s top finisher in the 2020 District 1-AAA race, placing 27th. … “A really strong core of runners returning headed by 2021 state qualifier Quinn Smith,” Rechtin said. “A nice mix of experience and youth. The boys appear hungry to compete with the best in the PAC and District.”
UPPER MERION
Coach: Lynda Newhart, 18th year.
Last year’s record: 3-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division and overall.
Runners to watch: Mark Drayton, Sr.; Charlie Helfand, Sr.; Jack Lutz, Sr.
Outlook: “The boys lost some key runners from last year’s roster and are fairly young,” Newhart said. “It will be interesting to see who moves up and rounds out varsity as the boys look to improve on last year’s record.”
UPPER PERKIOMEN
Coach: Todd Niemann, 20th year.
Last Year’s record: 4-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division.
Runners to watch: Mason Conti, Sr.; Chris Shermer, Sr.; Thomas Uber, Sr.; Hunter DeBlock, Jr.; Kaden Dennis, Jr.; William Godshall, So.; Alex Gomez, So.; Lukas Hunsinger, So.; Roman Macedo, So.; Ben Sensinger, So.; Stephen Shermer, So.
Outlook: Niemann will be assisted in coaching the team by Dave Dusza, in his seventh season. … The Indian roster is bolstered by the addition of freshmen Patrick Knowles, John Kuzmission, Evan Snyder and Peter Thomas. …”The team is very young and looking forward to growing together,” Niemann said. “We lost our top four from last year due to graduation. The seniors have been great in leading the underclassmen over the summer. We are looking forward to seeing where stand against the competition of the PAC.”
