Ten Deep, Ten Strong - the 2018 Riverview Boys XC Team

2018 Boys XC Team:  Ten Deep, Ten Strong

The Questions
The Varsity Boys team suffered the loss of many key runners including WPIAL and State medalists.  The 2017 squad had 21 boys competing throughout the season that included finishing as section runner-up to the Sandbaggers of Indiana. Last year’ squad was three-peated as State qualifiers, including back-to-back WPIAL runners up.  With only the #3 (Gid), #4 (Sully) and #7 (Erik) runners returning from the State lineup, there were many questions facing the squad.  Add to the loss of key seniors, an epidemic of defection to soccer and the Coaches O were left with ten runners and a lot of questions:
  • Who among the six returners could maintain or step up?
  • How would the four rookies, including Freshman Ty, Parker and Lucas handle the rigors of a longer race?
  • What kind of wild card did they have in Noah, perhaps the OLDEST rookie in school history?
  • Was Mason’s spring performance a true “Track Bounce” that would propel him to a solid XC season, or was he a NASCAR runner, only capable of running well making left turns?
  • Would Swens be able to channel his sarcastic energy into his legs?
  • How multisport athletes Sully and Aidan be able to dedicate enough time to Cross?
  • What would be the impact of off-season injuries to Gid and Erik?
  • Would there be enough food for Noah?
The Answers:  210 - 3 - 10-0  - 2 - 8
210:  A conditioning number
Palma and Bobby put together a great off-season program, including many hundreds of miles through Oakmont, the Laurel Mountains and the 99-mile relay of the Mighty Mosquito.  Boys squads were challenged with completing 210 miles. Why 210? That’s just about how far it is from Riverview High School to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
3: (Say Hello to the New Raiders - 3rd at RWB)
Prior to section competition the boys and girls teams competed in everybody’s favorite season opener at the ankle-busting course in Boyce Park for the Gateway Invitational and the Red White and Blue Invite at Schenley Park.
GATEWAY Racing against many AAA schools, the Raiders finished in fourth place as a team. Included among the schools they defeated, were Pine Richland, Baldwin, Kiski Area and Plum. Not a bad start.
Mason proved to be the real deal from the start, placing 3rd ahead of several AAA and AA state qualifying runners. Gideon was not far behind, finishing in 7th place.
RED WHITE and BLUE – Hello Single-A Schools!  Greetings from your RWB 3rd place squad.  More questions were answered in the mud and slop of Schenley Park.  With 2017 State and WPIAL medalists peppered throughout the entry list and State qualifiers who didn’t have the attrition of Palma’s team, the Raiders would get a first assessment of where they stood.  They ended up standing on the “podium” as the 3rd place team thanks to another standout performance from Mason who failed to break the 17-minute barrier by a measly 1/8th of a second.  Gideon again “medaled” (at RWB, shirts replace medals) finishing ahead of several strong runners and the oldest rookie Noah joined his younger teammates on the medal stand with a top-20 performance.  A team doesn’t reach the podium at a big invite unless all the runners deliver a solid performance, strong showings by the captains, Ben “Swens” Swensen and Erik Ketterer, as well as fine run by Aidan Sebastian helped the Raiders edge out several strong teams for the coveted RWB “medals” otherwise known as hoodies.
Running in the Freshman race, Lucas Wilton, Parker Steele and Ty Laughlin all put up top times among the 1A and 2A runners.  There just might be something to this group.
10-0: Section Title
The boys team was undefeated in section races, finishing a perfect 10-0.  Mason completed an undefeated in section season, winning every race.  Gideon was on his shoulder the whole way, finishing second in 9 of 10 races.  The season culminated in a 21-34 victory over Knoch, the 4th largest 2-A school in WPIAL and a   20-36 triumph over Freeport whose coach was convinced at the halfway point that his boys had a chance.  I guess he thought Mason’s brother Craig was part of the squad.  












2: Runners-Up at WPIAL Championships
At WPIAL Championships, the boys fed off the energy of the girl's team.  Despite being forced into a starting box deep in the weeds just so that other schools might have a chance of qualifying for Hershey, the boys crushed arguably the hardest course ever used for a WPIAL championship.  
Bobby and Palma crafted the home course at Oakmont East to mirror the brutal second-mile hill of the California course. If you are looking for a good workout, try to run up Commons hill.  The coaches had both teams attacking that steeply graded road two or three times at a go on “hill” days. That laid the foundation of strength in preparation for the Cali-monster hill.  
Yet another question:  Just how strong was the 2018 boys team?  
  • Compared to the five previous State qualifying teams since 2007, this year’s squad posted the lowest score (2018 – 81 points, 2008 -105 pts, 2017-105 pts, 2016 – 121 pts, 2015-162 pts, 2007-168).
  • Only top 5 count in team scoring, but if you replace Mason (4th) and Gideon’s (9th) medal-winning performances with the results from  #6 man Aidan and #7 man Swens, Riverview would still have finished as Runner Up.
  • Based on PRs, #8 man Ty Laughlin, #9 man  Erik Ketterer and #10 man  Parker Steele would have been racing for any of the other 39 squads. Yes,  including Westminster Thurston, er, Winchester-Churchill, er… you know who.  Unfortunately, these three had the misfortune of being teammates with the other 7 Raiders.
  • Lucas (17) Noah (30) and Sully (32) all finished ahead of the final individual qualifier, marking the second time in school history 5 runners posted a qualifying time.  (The WPIAL champion girls squad of A Garda (5), C Ostrowski (15), B Craig (20), C Trilli (22) and R Zentgraf (32) completed that feat in 2006.  The boys still haven’t earned all the bragging rights.)
  • Aidan Sebastian’s  44th place finish was the best ever by the #6 runner on any Raider WPIAL squad. In fact it was better than any #5 runner in school history as well, if you don’t count Sully’s placement this year.
  • Ben Swensen’s 56th place finish was better than any previous #6 runner and only 3 #5 runners posted better placements.
8: 8th  Place at States
The boys closed out a record year by equaling the 2017 squad’s 8th place performance.  The Raiders were only 31 places away from a 3rd place finish.  Not too shabby for a squad led by 3 underclassmen.  Mason Ochs joined Matt Springer (2007) and Ben Barnes (twice – 2016-17) and Dave Hackworth (1985) as a State Medalist.  Gideon Deasy’s 36th place finish was the 3rd best placement by a sophomore behind Mason’s best-ever effort and Ben B.  No freshman had cracked top 100 runners until Lucas Wilton’s 73rd place finish.   Noah Black became the 15th boy in school history to finish in the top 100 at States… not too shabby for the oldest rookie.
States - Repeat Offenders and First Timers
Jacob Sullivan - Sully became the 8th runner in school history to compete at States three times, and he is lined up to be the first boy to run at States four years in a row … Gid’s back-to-back appearances at States puts him in a group of 16 to run at least twice. Aidan, Swens, Noah, Mase and Lucas are now among a select group of only 33 runners to ever represent the school at States.  
More Notes about the 2018 Season for the Boys’ XC Team

  • 5th section title (1986,  2007, 2008, 2015, 2018)
  • Of the 149 Riverview times recorded at WPIALS since 1996
    • Mason (4th place)- 3rd  best placement in school history. BEST by a Sophomore.
    • Gideon (9th)- Tied for 8th best placement. Tied  for 2nd best by Sophomore.
    • Lucas (18th)- 18th best placement.  2nd best by a Freshman.
    • Noah (30th)- Tied – 23rd best.  10th best by a Senior
    • Sully (32nd)- 25th best.. 6th best by a Junior
    • Aidan (44th)- 9th best by a Sophomore
    • Swens (56th)- 25th best.. 13th best by a Junior
  • Ty Laughlin joined a select list of JV Invitational winners  with his triumph @ Freedom
  • Mason completed an undefeated section season, winning each race.  

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