Photo by Phil Grove
Boys' 400 Meter Preview
One of the day's more wide-open events is the 400 meters.
The state leader, Isaac Elliott of Ambridge, has opted to focus on to 60 and 200, so the door is ajar for someone else to come and snatch that PA#1 and a state title. But who will it be?
Brookville's Ryan Thrush is one to watch. Thrush is the reigning champion in the event outdoors in AA. He's had a busy winter where he's experimented in a number of events. This past weekend at Youngstown State, Thrush ran a PA#2 of 49.28 for the win. He's also running the 800 meters, but the 400 will come first and the senior will try to add another state title.
St. Joseph's Prep's Miles Green is another contender, though. Green ran the 400 and hurdles at states last year, but this year, the quarter will be his only individual event focus. He ran 49.29 at Ocean Breeze, and more impressively, a 49.38 at PCLs on Lehigh's flat-track a few weeks ago. He's just a junior, but Green will be looking for his first state crown.
Many others will be in the mix as well. Bishop Shanahan's Nate Alleyne and Keegan Hughes are a pair of teammates that will be in the hunt. Alleyne is in his first season at Shanahan, transferring from Downingtown West. He's adjusted well and put up some quick times this year. Hughes has run 49.78 in the 400 meters this season.
Council Rock North's Mike Welde should be strong in this field. Welde won the Meet of Champs over this past weekend in a talented field of state medal hopefuls. That race included Wissahickon's Rasheed Wright, who has run a PA#6 49.83 this season. Wright will contend as well.
Downingtown East's Mitchell Gill, West Mifflin's Ziggy Patterson, LaSalle's Peter Nelson, and Apollo-Ridge's Dillon Butz-Retzer are others, who, on a good day, can definitely aim for a high place at Penn State.
Boys' 400m Entries:
Event 10 Boys 400 Meter Dash (24)
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State Meet: 47.65 3/1/2003 Drew Eckman, Oxford
Name Year School
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1 Alleyne, Nate 12 Bish Shanahan
2 Brunson, Christian 11 Imhotep
3 Butz-Retzer, Dillon 12 Apollo-Ridge
4 Data, Dom 12 Shenango
5 Fairy, Quincy 12 Overbrook
6 Gill, Mitchell 12 D-Town East
7 Green, Miles 11 St Joe Prep
8 Gross, Jonathan 12 Harrisburg
9 Hernandez, Javier 12 William Allen
10 Hughes, Keegan 12 Bish Shanahan
11 Keim, Austin 11 Wyomissing
12 Lenahan, Matthew 11 Hatboro Hors
13 Lytle, Richard 12 Paul Robeson
14 Nelson, Peter 12 LaSalle Coll
15 Patterson, Ziggy 11 West Mifflin
16 Shahideh, Ata 12 CB East
17 Sooknanan, Aaron 12 Abington
18 Thrush, Ryan 12 Brookville
19 Varano, Nate 12 Pottsville
20 Vargas-Bines, Brandon 10 Upper Dublin
21 Welde, Mike 11 CR North
22 White, Marshal 11 Canon-McMill
23 Williams, Zakharee 10 Greater Latrobe
24 Wright, Rahsheed 11 Wissahickon