Pan-Ram Invitational - Meet Recap
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The sun was out and the wind was whipping, but 29th edition of the Pan-Ram Invitational at Central Dauphin still brought out some of the best in central Pennsylvania. Here's what caught our eye from Saturday:
GIRLS' RECAP
Susquehanna Township's Yasmin Brooks started off her season in a big way on Saturday. Brooks cruised to wins in the 100 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles. She ran a PA#2 of 14.00 in the 100s and then a 46.12 in the 300s. That's 14 flat also breaks the meet record, formerly held by Olympian and Central Dauphin grad Hyleas Fountain from 2000. Brooks was also a part of Susquehanna Township's 4x100, which won in an exciting finish, clocking a 49.62. In a busy day, Brooks also added a third place finish in a competitive long jump.
Greencastle-Antrim's Taryn Parks ran 5:03.27 to start her freshman outdoor track season off well. She beat out Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch is a good race. Yourkavitch was part of Chambersburg's winning 4x800 to start off the meet. Her teammate Cadie Kiser won the 3200 meters in 11:55.15. In the 800 meters, Carlisle's Meg Lebo held on to win in 2:21.62.
In one of the days closest races, Harrisburg's Ty'Asia Dansbury nipped Norristown's Jonae Cook in the 100 meter final. Dansbury's time was good enough for a new PA#1 of 12.16. Cook was second in 12.17. Cook then came back in the 200 meters and won in a time of 25.36, completed a strong day at the office for the junior.
The horizontal jumps, as expected, proved to be very competitive, despite some not great conditions. Palmyra's Camryn Simpson won the long jump with a leap of 17-5.75. Lower Dauphin's Karina Long was second with a jump of 17-3.25, which reverses the order from the event at Bruce Dallas last week. Long came back to win the triple jump (37-0.5) over second place Simpson (36-3).
In the shot put, Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner won her second competition of the season, throwing 40-10.25 for the victory. Palmyra's Kirsten West won the javelin with a throw of 127-8.
BOYS' RECAP
Carlisle's Mychael Thomas just keeps getting better. The senior bettered his own state-leading time in the 110 meter hurdles, running another big PR of 14.26. Last year, Thomas' best was 15.06, so he's already seen a huge improvement.
We spoke with him afterwards:
Sam Affolder of Carlisle had a day. The sophomore won the 1600 meters in 4:16.42, winning in wire-to-wire fashion and breaking a 13-year-old meet record. That's also a PA#2 behind Josh Hoey. Affolder then came back to win the 800 meters, holding off a hard-charging Austin Padmore of Milton Hershey. Affolder's time was 1:56.26.
Padmore also helped Milton Hershey to wins in the 4x800 (8:18.46) and then 4x400 (3:26.12).
Second in the 110 meter hurdles was Central Dauphin East's Aaron Arp. Arp has been focusing more on the hurdles this season and it has paid off with a time of 14.89 on Saturday. Arp then returned later to run a PA#3 21.87. Susquehanna Township's Jalik Smith claimed a nice win in the 100 meter dash, clocking a 10.88 for a quick early season time. Smith also anchored his Susquehanna Township team to the win in 43.09.
We spoke to Arp after the meet:
Campbell Parker of Greencastle-Antrim took down the meet record in the discus. That record was held by former Central Dauphin standout and Olympian Ryan Whiting. Parker threw 175-2 for the win, a few feet off his own PA#2 that he got last week. In the shot put, Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik won with a throw of 57-4.
East Pennsboro's Payton Morris cleared 14 feet on a windy day to take the win in the pole vault.