Yasmin Brooks (Susquehanna Township) / Photo by Don Rich
29th New Balance Pan-Ram Invitational - Meet Preview
After some bad weather forced the cancellation of last year's edition of the Pan-Ram Invitational at Central Dauphin in Harrisburg. A number of top teams and individuals are slated to appear and here's what we're watching for:
GIRLS' PREVIEW
Yasmin Brooks will be set to make her outdoor debut on Saturday. The Susquehanna Township senior and TCU signee is entered in both the 100 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles. 2017 could be a special season for Brooks and it all begins in Harrisburg.
Look for some fast times in the sprints. Norristown's Jonae Cook will face off with Harrisburg's Ty'Asia Dansbury in the 100 meters. Cook returns later for the 200 meters, where her teammate Jayana Webb will make her outdoor season debut. Webb went a wind-aided 23.37 last year and surely has some big goals for this spring. Dansbury, who won at Bruce Dallas last week, is also in the field and should challenge. Dansbury is also entered in the 400 meters along with McConnellsburg's McKenzie Gelvin.
Taryn Parks (Greencastle-Antrim) / Photo by Don Rich
Gelvin is also entered in the 800 meters, but she'll face a strong challenge there from Carlisle's Meg Lebo, who won the 1600 at Tim Cook. The 1600 meters is loaded with talent. Greencastle-Antrim freshman Taryn Parks will matchup with Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch and Kaylee Mowery, Greencastle-Antrim's Lauren Hirneisen, and Central Dauphin East's Makenna Krebs, among others. The 3200 meters will be led by Central Dauphin's Sydney Myers and Chambersburg's Cadie Kiser.
Fresh off a big performance at Bruce Dallas, Lower Dauphin's Karina Long will look for another big meet at Pan-Ram. She jumped 18-6 in the long last weekend, which put her at PA#3. She'll face some tough challengers, including Palmyra's Camryn Simpson, who was second to Long at Bruce Dallas with a PA#5 jump. Susquehanna Township's Brooks and Cumberland Valley's Sarah Lehman are also in the field. Long, Lehman, and Simpson all return for what should be a competitive triple jump.
Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner is the one to watch in the shot put, while Archbishop Ryan's Megan Kirn is the top seed in the javelin.
Mychael Thomas (Carlisle) / Photo by Abby Huber
BOYS' PREVIEW
The sprints should produce some intrigue. Norristown freshman Austin Montgomery will make his outdoor season invite debut. He'll face a challenge from Susquehanna Township's Jalik Smith, Harrisburg's Ronald Kent, and Pottsville's Nate Furness in the 100 meters. In the 200 meters, Montgomery, Kent, and Smith will return to face off with Central Dauphin East's Aaron Arp.
Arp is also entered in the 110 meter hurdles, but he'll get a strong challenge from current PA#1 Mychael Thomas from Carlisle. Harrisburg's Richard Gilchrist, the winner at Bruce Dallas last week, and McConnellsburg's Josh Booth are also in the field and should be in the mix. Booth returns later as the favorite in the 300 meter hurdles.
In the 400 meters, Milton Hershey's Austin Padmore will be the one to watch. Padmore is fresh off a win at Bruce Dallas and he'll look to keep it rolling into this weekend. His teammate Malcolm Jones and Central Dauphin East's Luke Everidge are also in that field.
Carlisle's Sam Affolder leads the entries in the 1600 meters, which is loaded with talent. The Cumberland Valley duo of Josh Higgins and Yahya Soliman, along with the Mechanicsburg duo of Alex Tomasko and Morgan Cupp will look to challenge. Lower Dauphin's Jared Giannascoli will also mix it up. Affolder, Padmore, Cupp, and Padmore will all return for the 800 meters, which also includes Carlisle's Isaac Kole and Pottsville's Collin Ebling. Tomasko, meanwhile, returns in the 3200 meters, but he'll be chased by Lower Dauphin's Colton Cassel and Kyler Shea.
Payton Morris (East Pennsboro) / Photo by Don Rich
East Pennsboro's Payton Morris has been off to a flying start this season. The junior claimed a pair of wins to start his season, and he'll be heavily favored to win another one this weekend at Pan-Ram. Schuylkill Valley's Joe Jardine (the reigning AA state champ) and Cumberland Valley's Zach Austen are also in the field.
The throws will see a good rematch in the shot put and discus between Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik and Greencastle-Antrim's Campbell Parker. At Tim Cook two weeks ago, Parker won the disc and Chastulik took the shot. Expect these two to push each yet again this week at Central Dauphin.
Treyvon Ferguson of Milton Hershey is the favorite in the triple jump, but Schuylkill Valley's Dustin Brown could supply a challenge. Altoona's Daiquain Watson is entered in three events; he'll be the favorite in what should be a competitive high jump.