Denny Dyroff recaps Jake Brophy’s run for the gold at the PIAA Class AAA Championships and the top SOL finishers.
By DENNY DYROFF
Central Bucks East’s Jake Brophy was a runner with a mission when he arrived at Hershey for last Saturday’s PIAA Class AAA boys cross country championship race.
“I was talking to Jake before the race,” said C.B. East coach Sam Losorelli. “He told me -- second place is not an option.”
Brophy made good on his prediction.
The Patriots’ talented junior topped the field and finished first with an awe-inspiring time of 15:24 -- a time good enough to set a new state record. He crossed 14 seconds ahead of runner-up Kevin James. The Cardinal O’Hara ace snagged the silver medal with a clocking of 15:38.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” said Brophy. “Every day I wake up and it’s still kind of a dream.”
For Brophy, it was a dream come true -- and a recurring dream.
“Winning the state championship was a goal coming into the season,” said Brophy. “In the summer, I ran 60-70 miles a week in peak weeks. It was a build-and-taper training. At the start of the season, I was farther along than last year. At every race this season, my times were faster than they were at the same race a year ago.
“I was lucky to stay injury-free all season. I had a slow build-up and trained through all the meets up until leagues (Suburban One League Continental Conference Championships). At districts, I just did what I had to do to win. I was targeting states as the major race.”
At the District One Class AAA Championships, which were held at Lehigh University on October 24, Brophy captured the gold medal with a time of 15:11. Conestoga’s Andrew Marston was second at 15:18 followed by Hatboro Horsham’s Casey Comber at 15:19 and Pennsbury’s Sam Webb at 15:26.
At the PIAA Class AAA meet, Marston was third at 15:40 behind Brophy and James. North Allegheny’s Matt McGoey was fourth with a time of 15:47 followed by Easton’s Colin Abert at 15:47, Comber at 15:48 and Webb at 15:49.
“In the race at states, I hung out behind Colin (Abert) because he had taken it out fast,” said Brophy. “It was a six-man race until the last 1,000 meters. Kevin (James) broke away and I went with him. With 400 meters left, there is a steep downhill
“Strategically, it was a good move to stay in front because you have to give the runner in front of you some space. Then, my adrenalin took over. I developed more confidence in my kick because last year, I ran a 1:55 split in the 4x800. That showed me I had a kick I didn’t know I had.”
Next up for Brophy is a date to compete at the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals in New Y
ork’s Van Cortland Park on Thanksgiving Weekend and most likely in the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego a few weeks after that.
Comber, a Hatboro-Horsham senior, capped his career with a sixth-place finish -- seven places better than he did last year.
Pennsbury’s Webb also competed in his final PIAA race last Saturday. He was a four-time qualifier for the state championship meet -- a meet at which he has medaled for the last three years.
“Last year, Sam was 19th,” said Pennsbury coach Tim Cass. “This year, he was 30 seconds faster and finished seventh. It was a very fast race. There was no rain and the conditions were good. He was very happy with his race.
“He was in fourth place with 600 meters to go. He said that he tweaked his ankle just after that and lost his rhythm. Still, his time was ranked 10thall-time on this course. The best part of his race was the middle. He moved up drastically around the two-mile.”
Other Suburban One League top 100 finishers at this year’s state championship meet were Council Rock North’s Brian Arita (21st, 16:21), Sean Griswold (57th, 16:52) and Jesse Laitman (86th, 16:05), Souderton’s Connor McMenamin (31st, 16:35), Bensalem’s Tyji Mays (42nd, 16:41) and Alex Ramirez (68th, 16:58), Central Bucks West’s Rock Fortna (43rd, 16:42), Brian Iatarola (47th, 16:48) and Declan McDonald (61st, 16:53), Central Bucks East’s Connor Sands (44th, 16:43), Wissahickon’s Lukas Marcelis (59th, 16:53) and Council Rock South’s Andrew Hanna (91st, 17:08).
In the PIAA Class AAA team standings, Central Bucks West finished sixth with 206 points and Council Rock North placed ninth with 210 points. North Allegheny won the team title with 72 points and Conestoga was runner-up with 119.
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