PTXC Takes from the state meet

Cheltenham’s dominance was unprecedented

Rarely do you ever see a boys or girls team dominate a state championship meet. Even more rare is seeing boys and girls team from the same school dominate their competition and leave a state meet as the undisputed top school in a season.

The Cheltenham boys and girls team had shown everyone how good they were throughout the season. Both teams had shown dominance in relays and open events, while running 1-2 events per meet. So entering the state meet, both teams were going to be in strong contention to win the title.

At a state championship meet, most top athletes can run 3-4 events. Combine that with the level of competition and the emotions an athlete and a team goes through during the ups and downs of a state meet, and it is very difficult to hit on all cylinders.

Cheltenham were not phased by anything thrown their way.

The two Cheltenham teams combined for 10 gold medals in 32 events and 136 points. All but three of their entries scored points, they won a combined 3 of the 8 relay titles available, and they set two meet records and one state record. Christian Brissett won 4 gold medals, while John Lewis won 3. Ciara Leonard and Chanel Brissett won 2, and freshman Madison Langley-Walker was one of two freshmen to win gold medals in the meet.

Abington was the last team to win both team titles in 2011, but Cheltenham’s double was a performance of dominance and near perfect execution. The Panthers did rule the day!

Sam Ritz performed at a high level from day 1

Sam Ritz of Germantown Academy had nearly a perfect season in the boys distance races this winter. Ritz started the season running a 4:14 mile on his way to three US#1 performances in his first three meets of the season. Despite a few 5th and 6th place finishes, Ritz was still consistent with his performances. He qualified for the Millrose Games and set a state record at the New Balance Grand Prix.

But all those achievements aside, Ritz had to put together a strong performance and prove that he was the best in the state, despite not racing in the state for the entire year.

His performance at the state meet was special. Ritz made a strong move in the final 600 meters of the mile run to turn the race on its head. In a few seconds, the race went from anyone’s to win to a one man show. Ritz ran 4:09.56 to win the state title and break his own state record.

His mile stats by the numbers:

6 races, 5 top five finishes, 5 sub 4:16 performances, 2 wins, 2 4:10 or faster performances, 2 state records, 95 days as PA#1

Ritz also ran 1:51.79 in the 800 meter run to finish 3rd, making it two sub 1:53 performances on the season.

Ritz made his case for having one of the best seasons for a distance runner in PA from start to finish. His 2015 campaign was one of those special seasons that should be remembered for years to come.

Girls 3000 meter run deepest single event in PA history?

We had been mentioning for the past month before the state meet that the girls 3000 meter run was one of the deepest in the state. PA had the top three runners in the country at the distance, and state qualification was going to require a performance in the top 60 in the country.

Fast forward to the state meet and the results were incredible from the eight medalists. Here are the facts

Madeleine Davison of North Allegheny reclaimed her number 1 spot in the US

The top three finished in the top 4 nationally

The top four finished in the top 10 nationally

The top six all finished in the top 12 nationally

The top seven finished in the top 20 nationally

The top eight finished in the top 22 nationally

The race had at least three sub 10 minute performers for the 3rd year in a row

PA has four sub 10 minute performers this season for the first time since 2013

Special indeed. However, was it the best on the day?

Boys 800 meter run with fastest top four in state history

Not to be outdone as far as quality in depth is the boys 800 meter run. PA had the top two in the country at the turn of the year, and Sam Ritz and John Lewis never left the national top five all season.

But the state meet proved once again that when it come to the 800 meter run, PA indeed does not play. Here are the incredible numbers from that meet:

John Lewis ran a US#1 1:51.57, the 2nd fastest in PA history, just .02 seconds off Kyle Francis’ 2014 record 1:50.55

The top three in the race are in the US top 4

The top four are in the US top 8

The top six are in the US top 25

The top eight are in the US top 29

The top three made up half of the six sub 1:52 performances in the state meet. Five of them have happened in the past two years

Last spring, PA had one sub 1:50 performance. Can PA top that number this year?

Fun Facts

For our last take, we will take a look at some fun stats to take away from the state championships

Ryan Wilkes of Valley View shares the 2nd best mark in the pole vault at the state meet with eight other people (15-6). Four of the nine have happened in the past four meets

Gabrielle Wilkinson and Sarah Walker ran the fastest state 800 meter races since Chanelle Price ran 2:04.96 in 2007. Wilkinson is the only to ever make the top ten all time state list in the 800.

All four sub 8.50 performances in the girls 60 meter hurdles have been done by two people in the same meet. Ciara Leonard and Sierra Brabham-Lawrence did it in 2015. Shelley Black and Leah Nugent were the last to break 8.50 in the same meet back in 2011.

In the girls pole vault, 12 feet has won the event for the 3rd time in 6 years. No one has won it clearing lower than that mark since 2003.

Jordan Geist is only the 2nd thrower in the past 4 years to throw over 60 feet in the shot put. He is also one of three athletes to break 60 feet before his senior year at states.