Saturday 4/9: 28th Pan-Ram Invitational (@ Central Dauphin)
The weekend's premiere meet will take place in District 3 country in Harrisburg. Central Dauphin hosts the 28th Pan-Ram Invitational. We'll see what effect some cold temperatures, rain, wind, and possible snow will have on the competition, but it's reasonable to think that the impact could be fairly high.
It should be a busy meet for Cumberland Valley's Kier Miner (Photo by Bill Shearn)
BOYS: The best action of the day, despite some likely winds will be at the jump pits. In the long jump, Brendan Sparr of Schuylkill Valley and Cumberland Valley's Kier Miner will reignite their rivalry from Bruce Dallas. Gettysburg's Ravaughn Dillard is also in the field. Should be an excited battle! Then in the triple jump, Dillard will come back and square off with Milton Hershey's Treyvon Wheelings.
Shyheim Brown of Central Dauphin East leads the 100 meter contestants. Cumberland Valley's Miner is entered in the 100, 200 and 400 and should definitely is a threat in whatever he runs, but seems to specialize in the 400. Brown and his teammate Aaron Arp will give him a good challenge along with Norristown's Nate Reynolds in the 200.
Milton Hershey's Nasir Salahudin will be favored in the 110 hurdles after a huge indoor season that saw him take second in the state in the 60 hurdles. In the 300 meter hurdles, Carlisle's Ali Brown will look to build off a win last week at Bruce Dallas.
Matt Wisner of Carlisle will be the favorite in the 800, as he starts off his invitational season. He's also in the 1600, which should be a good battle between Wisner and JP McCaskey's Nathan Henderson.
The throws will feature a lot of the same faces as Bruce Dallas. Schuylkill Valley's Joey Mundell, Manheim Central's Tyler Hoag, Northern Lebanon's Dakota Leonhard, Greencastle-Antrim's Campbell Parker, and Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik will compete in both the shot put and discus. Hoag and Leonhard return for the javelin, where Palmyra's Alex Hoffsmith is the top seed.
East Pennsboro's Payton Morris and Red Lion's Gregory Potter will matchup in the pole vault, as both will look to get some good clearances on the board.
Cocalico's Emily Stauffer will look to put up a PA#1 in what should be a big throws meet (Photo by Don Rich)
GIRLS: Look out for some excitement in the throws at Central Dauphin! Cocalico's Emily Stauffer returns to make her invitational season debut. She'll face some competition in the discus and shot put from Kutztown's Jocelen Ruth.
Norristown (PA#1 4x100) will bring its squad to look and improve its state leading time in the 4x100. Susquehanna Township will be a formidable opponent for the Eagles in both the 4x1 and 4x4.
Those Norristown and Susquehanna Township sprints teams will be well-represented in the open sprints, as well. Norristown's Jonae Cook is the top seed in the 100 meters, while Jayana Webb and Siani Sanders lead the 200 field. Alysha Evans of Susquehanna Township will be a threat in that 200. Evans and Sanders are also entered in the 400 in what should be a fast race.
We'll get an exciting 300 meter hurdles races as the early season PA#1 and PA#2 square off. Cumberland Valley's Paige Geatz will do her best to seize that top spot in the state from Plymouth Whitemarsh's Taylor O'Brien. Geatz is also in the 100 meter hurdles, where Yasmin Brooks of Susquehanna Township is the top seed (Brooks is also in the 300 hurdles).
Mady Clahane will return to the track a week after her PA#1 in the 3200. This week, she'll get a challenge from another District 3 rival, Alison Willingmyre from Wilson in the 1600. Clahane will double back in the 800 in a nice field. Abby Yourkavitich of Chambersburg is the top seed in the 3200 meters.
In the jumps pit, there will be a host of contenders. Lower Dauphin's Karina Long, Cumberland Valley's Sarah Lehman and Wilson's Eyitope Salako will be among the girls to watch in the long and triple jumps. In pole vault is headed by a handful of girls right around the 10 feet or better mark.