Nick Feffer (State College) / Photo by Ethan Rissell
West Central Coaches Invitational - MEET PREVIEW
AAA BOYS' PREVIEW
A week after a strong showing in Philadelphia, the State College boys will look for some more fast times in Altoona. Nick Feffer and Owen Wing will be the ones to watch in the 1600 meters. Feffer sits at PA#7, while Wing is PA#17 after solid Ship races. Indiana Area's Samuel Lenze should be a factor in that race and so should Mifflin County's Chayce Macknair and Bradford Area's Logan Caruso.
State College's Joey Feffer is the top seed in the 800 meters, while his teammate Mitchell Etter will look to take the 3200 meters.
Clearfield Area's Matthew Collins is favored in the discus. He's currently sitting at PA#11. He's also entered in the shot put, where the top seed is Bradford Area's John Eakin.
Altoona Area's Daiquain Watson is the one to beat in the long jump and the high jump. He's PA#9 in the long jump and PA#13 in the high jump, so he'll try and improve on those rankings. The triple ump figures to be a matchup between State College teammates Stanley Hamilton and Brandon Clark.
Mifflin County's Seth Phillips will be the one to beat in the 400 meters and he'll likely have his sights set on going sub-50.
Lyndsey Reed (State College) / Photo by Bill Shearn
AAA GIRLS' PREVIEW
The throws should generate some good excitement at Altoona on Friday. PA#3 Skylar Ciccolini of Mifflin County, fresh off a strong performance at the Penn Relays, will look for more this weekend in the javelin. 153-1 was a big PR for her.
In the shot put and discus, we'll be watching for State College's Jordan Bair. Bair sits at PA#5 in the shot and PA#15 in the discus. Can she improve on those marks this weekend?
In the pole vault, watch for the State College duo of Lyndsey Reed and Lily Plute. Both rank inside the top ten in the state heading into this weekend. Reed took second last week at the Penn Relays.
We should see some good races in the sprints. In the 100 meters, State College's Taylor Givens will go up against Hollidaysburg's Ali Wyland. Wyland then returns later for the 200 meters where she'll race Ashton McGriff of Bradford Area. Givens is also the top seed in the long jump and the triple jump. She's currently PA#9 in the LJ.
State College's Jordan Rohrbach is the top seed in both the 100 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles.
State College's Catherine Curtin is the top seed in the 1600 meters, but she should get a good challenge from Central Mountain's Alyssa Laughner and Saint Marys Area's Amanda Foster. In the 3200 meters, Saint Marys Area's Michelle Bauer, State College's Gabbi Bock and Cailin Saylor are among the top seeds.
Garrett Baublitz (Juniata) / Photo by Ethan Rissell
AA BOYS' PREVIEW
Saint Marys Area's Tom Bojalad is the one to watch in the throws at WCC. Bojalad is PA#6 in the shot put and PA#8 in the discus. With districts lurking, the senior will look to make moves up the state rankings, as he continues to assert himself as one of the state AA's throwers.
Zach Baum, currently PA#6, will go for the win in the javelin. The Derry Area senior threw a PR of 192-11 last week at Westmoreland and he'll go for more this week. Kane Area's Austin Labesky is also a strong entry in the field.
Juniata freshman Garrett Baublitz has had quite the freshman season. The ninth grader will look to keep it rolling into this weekend. He's the top seed in the 1600 meters and is also entered in the 800 meters, where Central Cambria's Mike Walwro is the top seed. In the 3200 meters, the Elk County Catholic duo of Matthew Dippold and Zachary Wortman, who went sub-10 at LHU last weekend, will return to the event this weekend.
Sera Mazza (SJCA) / Photo by Ethan Rissell
AA GIRLS' PREVIEW
United's Michaela Bracken will look to continue her strong season in the hurdles. She currently sits at PA#8 (and PA-AA#4) in the 300 hurdles. She'll be looking to improve upon her season best of 45.60 in that event. Bracken is also the favorite, along with teammate Emma Arblaster in the 100 hurdles.
Saint Joseph's Catholic's Sera Mazza will look for a fast time in the 1600 meters, but Marion Center's Taya Whitfield and Penns Valley's Rebecca Bierly will be among her challengers. Bierly is also the top seed in the 3200 meters.
There's some strong talent in the javelin. Derry Area's Kara McDonald (PA#10), Bishop Carroll's Brittany Krug (PA#14), Penn Cambria's Jadyn Tiracave (PA#13), and Kane Area's Trinity Clark (PA#24) will battle it out for the win.