MileSplit Scholastic Showcase (@SPIRE Institute)
Live on Ohio MileSplit, you can watch this Saturday's SPIRE Scholastic Showcase in Geneva, Ohio. There should be plenty of good action all day with athletes from a number of different states. PA's own Mr. Geist will be featured. Here's a preview of the PA action to look out for:
Jordan Geist returns this weekend. Does he have another record in store? (Photo by Phil Grove)
BOYS PREVIEW
Just how far can Jordan Geist throw? That seems to be the question on most PA track and field fans' minds these days. Geist has broken the indoor state record in the shot put five times this season. He'll go for number six on Saturday at SPIRE this weekend, where he appeared earlier in the season. 72-8.75 is the distance he'll be shooting to top, and we'll be watching.
Ohio throwers Ben Peterson and Nik Curtiss will join Geist in the field. From PA, Hickory's Evan Blaire and Saint Marys Area's Tom Bojalad are also entered.
PA#1 Jace Roundtree of Kiski Area returns to action in Ohio this weekend. Roundtree will face some tough competition in the 60m hurdles. He comes in as the third seed with his state-leading 8.25. Curtiss, Geist, and Blaire will come back for the weight throw.
The 800 should be a good race, featuring PA#1 Domenic Perretta of Beaver Falls, Penn Trafford's Nick Wagner (PA#7) and Mount Carmel's David Fletcher (PA#10). In the 1600, there's a nice PA crowd, including Kiski's Eric Kennedy, Winchester Thurston's Tristan Forsythe, and Waynesburg Central's Ben Bumgarner. Will Loevner of Winchester Thurston is entered in the 3200.
Caleb Sanford will look to continue his fantastic senior campaign at SPIRE. The McDowell vaulter is one of the top seeds in the pole vault.
Lauren Gronbeck (left) and Marianne Abdalah (right) will square off once again this weekend in the 3200m (Photo by Phil Grove)
GIRLS PREVIEW
Madeleine Davison returns this weekend after an impressive start to her season a few weeks back at Edinboro. Davison is entered in the 1600 meters.
Villa Maria Academy comes in as the top seed in the 4x800. The PA#8 team went to SPIRE to get their top time this season and they'll look to do the same again this weekend.
South Fayette's Amanda Oliver is entered a stacked 60m dash field that includes some of Ohio's top sprinters Justice Richardson and Brittni Mason, as well as New York Lanae-Tava Thomas. Richardson, Thomas and Mason will all also run the 200 meters.
Grace and Claire Brown of Villa Maria will run the 800 meters (Grace is also entered in the 400m; Claire in the 1600m), joining Lexi Bible of Hickory in the field. In the 3200, we'll have a very similar field to the one we had at the TSTCA meet two weeks ago at Edinboro. The winner there, Eden Christian's Lauren Gronbeck, returns, along with Ava Pietrzyk of North Hills, Marianne Abdalah of Vincentian Academy, and Clara Savchik of North Allegheny.
In the pole vault, McDowell's Nada Buntic will be the top PA competitor.
The shot put is loaded with some of top PA girls. Hickory's Tori McKinley, Elizabeth Weimer, and Moniteau's Maura Kimmel. McKinley is also entered in the weight throw.