With cross country entering into conference competition around District 2 Wednesday, here are 12 Boys Runners To Watch:
Brayden Clarke, Lackawanna Trail sophomore
One of three Lackawanna League freshmen to qualify for the state meet in Class A last season, Clarke made it by placing sixth in District 2.
Daniel Danilovitz, Riverside sophomore
As a freshman in 2020, Danilovitz ran the fastest time at the district championships of any underclassman in any enrollment classification. He wound up with district and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association medals for second- and 13th-place finishes. Danilovitz placed second in the Cliff Robbins Invitational to start this season.
Nicholas Hebel, Hazleton Area senior
Hebel placed third in district Class 3A in 2020. Hebel finished sixth at the Ed Narkiewicz Wyoming Valley Conference Coaches Championship Meet to help the Cougars to the title.
Nick Hockenbury, Lake-Lehman junior
The WVC’s only boys runner to return after placing in the top half of the field at one of the state meet races last year, Hockenbury finished fourth in the district Class 2A race. After leading the Black Knights to the WVC regular-season title, he finished 11th at the Narkiewicz Meet.
Caleb Kenyon, North Pocono senior
Kenyon, the lead runner on the Lackawanna Division 1 champions and district Class 3A runners-up, finished second in the district and 32nd at the state championships. Kenyon was a district champion in the Class 3A 3200-meter run in track and field season.
Colin Kravitz, North Pocono junior
Possessing an uncommon blend of speed and endurance, Kravitz was the leader of North Pocono’s Class 3A district track and field title in the spring as the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash champion. He showed he could cover the distance as well as the ninth-place finisher in the district meet last season.
Aidan LaTourette, Honesdale junior
The top underclassman in last year’s district Class 2A race, LaTourette finished third.
Brian McCormack, Scranton sophomore
The winner in a 200-runner field at the season-opening Cliff Robbins Invitational had a successful freshman season that included a fourth-place finish in the district 3A race.
Michael Novak, Mid Valley senior
Novak was Mid Valley’s second runner to the finish line in both the district meet, where he was eighth, and at the state meet where he was 60th.
Gabe Pacyna, Mid Valley junior
Mid Valley placed seventh in the state in Class 2A with Pacyna leading the way in Hershey by placing 46th. He was 17th in the district race as one of the contributors to the team title.
Gavin Ross, Abington Heights senior
Ross finished in the district 3A race, leading the way as Abington Heights captured the team title after a regular season in which he was not part of the title chase because the Lackawanna League did not acknowledge the school’s staggered-start format as a pandemic alternative. It was the first time Ross and his teammates raced against other runners starting at the same time.
Nate Sinkovich, Montrose junior
A major contributor to Montrose Lackawanna Division 2 and district Class A titles, Sinkovich placed third at the district meet. He wound up 32nd in the state while helping the Meteors place fifth as a team.
