In fact, overall, the way have done things makes sense and should be a good model for others. You have been working on a package for quite awhile, thinking ahead, and putting all the pieces together. Keep up your methodical perseverance and top performance in your unit and you should be well placed for the board next year.
Concur,
I know a couple of guys that were seriously contemplating putting in a package "next year" because they wanted to have "more stuff" to put in it. This kind of thinking blows my mind. If one is qualified and motivated, why would they wait 'till "next year"? I buy into the school of thought that says: "apply early, apply often, and apply until you are accepted".