BETHLEHEM - Prior to the start of the season, few thought the Jim Thorpe boys cross country team would be able to duplicate its unprecedented success from a year ago.

The Olympians went 10-0 en route to a Schuylkill League Division I championship, a runner-up finish in the District 11 Class AA meet and a 12th place result at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey.But questions remained about whether or not Jim Thorpe could return to that form after losing three of its top-five runners from a season ago in Christian Fields, Jake McGeehan and Zachary Nace.The Olympians silenced any doubts with yet another Division I title this year, and their ability was on full display in last week's Schuylkill League Championships, where Johnathan Condly, Dylan Bucior and Jacob Saxon swept the top three spots on their way to yet another league meet crown.With momentum on its side and reservations put to rest, Jim Thorpe entered Thursday's District 11 Cross Country Championships ready to compete for a chance to return to Hershey.The Olympians did just that and came within three points (87-90) of Allentown Central Catholic for the Class AA boys' title.Regardless of past success, longtime Jim Thorpe coach Drew Benyo knew it would take more than just talent to earn another second-place finish this season."I told them this week and I've told them before, this is it," Benyo said. "I can't make you any better from today to tomorrow as far as conditioning is concerned. We've done all the work; you've put in all the miles."Now it has to come from three different places and you have to understand this and believe it. First, it comes from your head and how hard you want to run and how hard you want to push yourself. The next place it comes from is your heart, and nobody knows how much heart you have except you."The last place it comes from is in your soul. Whatever's in there; whether it's you gut, or your soul, or whatever you believe in, that's where it comes from. And you need to find out what's in there and this is a great time to do it."While not quite in the same positions as a week ago, Condly (16:43) and Bucior (17:13) were close, taking second and third, respectively, while Saxon finished 16th in 17:59.After coming up one spot short of a medal last year in Hershey, Condly has plenty of motivation this time around."I just want to try to stay up near the front," he said. "I think I can run with almost anybody at that race. I'm going to push there just like I did here."Joining the Olympians at the state meet will be a host of runners that performed will in the Class AA race, led by Northwestern's Brayden Heller, who finished fourth in 17:19."I'm happy," Heller said. "I was going more for a place than a time and fourth place was my goal. I almost got third, but ended up in fourth, so it was good."Right behind Heller was Northern Lehigh's Gavin Kemery, who took fifth in 17:27."I just came out and did my best like any other meet," Kemery said. "I'll try to do the same next week."Rounding out the Colonial League contingent that advanced was Palmerton's Zach Svetik, who moved on with a ninth place finish in 17:42."It feels great," Svetik said afterwards. "I've been working hard all season and it feels good to know that it all paid off in the end."The last qualifier out of the AA race from the Times News area was Lehighton's Michael Blacketter, who advanced with a 14th place finish in 17:52.Pleasant Valley's Seth Slavin will be making his second consecutive trip to Hershey after finishing sixth in the Class AAA race with a time of 16:40."I worked really hard and I gave it my all, I know that definitely," the sophomore said. "Even if I didn't get third or second like I wanted to, these are some high class runners and I'm proud of how I did."It's a major improvement and I'm happy with that."