NYRR Millrose Games - Meet Preview
It's time for the Millrose Games at The Armory, one of the most prestigious indoor meets in the country and the world. A number of Pennsylvania high schoolers qualified for the meet. Let's breakdown how the PA entries stack up.
Boys' Pole Vault (7pm, Thursday, 2/1)
Fresh off a strong performance at F&M, East Pennsboro's Payton Morris has a quick turnaround in the pole vault, as he headlines the Pennsylvania entries at Millrose on Thursday night. Morris sits at PA#1 after his 15-8 this past week.
Also in the field from PA is Schuylkill Valley's Joe Jardine and West Chester Rustin's Charles Dever. Those two are tied at PA#2 having jumped 15-6 this season.
Those no Mondo Duplantis (Lousiana) in the field like last year, so the top seeds are US#9 Charles Crispi (NY) and William Chapman (VA).
Girls' Pole Vault (12:00pm, Saturday, 2/3)
The Millrose title in the girls' pole vault will have a good shot at staying in Pennsylvania this year. Last year's champ, Katie Jones of South Williamsport, has graduated, but a wealth of PA talent is back and set for a big matchup Saturday.
The top seed will be from Texas, though, with Makenzie Hayward of Marcus making the trip up. She's cleared a US#4 13-4 this season, and even went 13-6 outdoors last spring, so she'll be the one to beat.
But a pair of 13-plus vaulters from PA may have something to say about that. Manheim Township's Mackenzie Horn (12th at Millrose in 2017) has been on a roll this season. Two weeks ago, she jumped a US#5/PA#1 of 13-3 at Kutztown. She'll look for an even better jump on the big stage. There's also Abby Norwillo of Pittston Area (ninth at Millrose in 2017), who is no stranger to the Armory. Five of Norwillo's six wins this season have come at the NYC venue, including her best of 13-0.5 from the Marine Corps Classic in December. She enters at US#6 and PA#2.
Also in the field is PA#3 Carena Nottoli of Hempfield. Her best of the season was 12-6 from two weeks ago at Kutztown. She placed fifth last season and is the No. 2 top returner in the field. Lyndsey Reed of State College Area, who enters at PA#10 is also in the field
Boys' 4x800-Meter Relay (12:32pm, Saturday, 2/3)
There;s no Bishop Shanahan in the 4x800-meter relay, as Josh Hoey has opted for the mile (athletes are only allowed to compete in one event at Millrose), but we'll see a pair of strong SOL squads in the field for Saturday afternoon.
Pennsbury went 7:57.41 at the Millrose Trials, where it took third. Now the Falcons, which enter the weekend at PA#2 and US#6 are back at the Armory again. Council Rock South is making its Millrose debut on Saturday. The Golden Hawks ran a school record of 8:03.88 for a PA#3 and US#18 at the Lavino Relays a few weeks ago and will look to put together a great performance on the big stage..
Northport (NY) is the top seed (US#4 - 7:55) and St. Benedict's Prep (NJ) is the No. 2 seed (US#5 - 7:57), but this race is generally very wide open. Expect a competitive race and a close finish here.
Girls' 55 Meters (1:02pm, Saturday, 2/3)
Thelma Davies will continue her junior season on Saturday, as the Girard College sprinter will go for back-to-back Millrose wins in the 55 meters. Davies went 6.82 for the win last season, as the national scene took notice of the upstart sophomore.
Now Davies is smack on the national radar and looking for another win Saturday. She ran a 6.77 at the VA Showcase a few weeks ago and will be very tough to take down in this field. The facility record in 6.74, so look for Davies to go after that.
Boys' 55 Meters (1:07pm, Saturday, 2/3)
Kristian Marche of Imhotep is the lone Pennsylvania entry in the Millrose field on the boys' side. Marche, a senior, has held strong at PA#1 since he went 6.38 at the Hispanic Games in early January at the Armory. Since then, he's added solid races at the VA Showcase and Ocean Breeze, but hasn't hit that state-leading time.
The field also includes Eric Allen Jr (MD), who was third a year ago, in addition to Brendon Stewart (MD), all of who will offer up a good challenge for Marche. His former Imhotep teammate Ade Jones-Roundtree (now at the University of Pittsburgh) was second in 2016 and 2017 in the event.
Girls' 4x800-Meter Relay (1:50pm, Saturday, 2/3)
Strath Haven will be only Pennsylvania squad in a loaded 4x800-meter relay field that includes the US#2, US#3, and US#4 teams. Leading the field is Notre Dame Academy (NY), which went 9:15.25 for second at last week's Dr. Sander Invitational.
Haven comes in at PA#2 (it was PA#1 until State College went 9:29 last week) after running 9:31.15 at a DVGTCA meet in December. It's a talented quartet, anchored by Grace Forbes. Look for Strath Haven to improve upon its US#16 and maybe surprise more than a few people in Saturday's field.
Boys' Mile (2:54pm, Saturday, 2/3)
A trio of Pennsylvanians are set for Saturday's mile, which should bring out more than a few fireworks. Leading the field is US#2 Josh Hoey of Bishop Shanahan. Back in mid-December, the Oregon signee threw down a 4:12.60 to win the AT&T Hall Of Fame Coaches Invitational at the Armory. Since then, Hoey hasn't raced the mile, but he did run a state record in the 1,000 meters at the VA Showcase (2:24.64). Look for Hoey to compete for the win.
Then there's Dalton Hengst. The senior recently transferred to Shanahan this past week after spending most of his high school career at McDonogh School in Maryland. However, sources indicate his status for Millrose is unknown at the time of this writing. Hengst ran 4:13.63 at the VA Showcase, a US#4, after taking a close second to Hoey in the 1K. If he's on the line Saturday, he can certainly be in the mix for the win.
Liam Conway of Owen J. Roberts won his bid to Millrose behind an epic kick at the Millrose Trials on January 10. Conway, a recent Stanford recruit, ran 4:15.33, which puts him at US#8 coming into the weekend. He's got the kick---we know that---so he can't be counted out if he's near the lead pack with a lap to go.
Sam Affolder of Loudoun Valley (VA), formerly of Carlisle in PA, is also in the field. His brother, Noah, while with Carlisle, earned the win last year in 4:07.24. He ran 4:11.27 for 1,600 meters and expects to be in the mix. Ryan Lockett (MD) and Scott Thompson (TN) are among the other contenders in this very fast field.
Girls' Mile (5:08pm, Saturday, 2/3)
The final high school event of the day may be the best. At the top is Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland (NY). The sophomore sensation went 4:43.62 at the Millrose Trials. She'll aim for a meet record and the sophomore class national record on Saturday,
But second to Tuohy at the Trials was Marlee Starliper. The Northern sophomore, who really broke out during the fall in XC, has shown she's also an incredible track runner this winter. She ran 4:49.18 at the Armory's Millrose Trials, which puts her at US#3 entering Saturday. The Pennsylvania girls indoor state record is 4:42.58. It'd be a big improvement for Starliper since her last mile, but she's done plenty of surprising all year long.
While Tuohy may be difficult for Starliper to catch, look for an intriguing matchup between Starliper and Kelsey Chmiel of Saratoga Springs (NY). Chmiel went 4:48.94 at the New Balance Games in the mile and will post a good challenge.
Also from Pennsylvania in the field is Friends' Central's Gabrielle Wilkinson and Abington Heights' Katie Dammer. Wilkinson went 4:56.15 at the AT&T Hall Of Fame Coaches Invitational back in December, where she booked her trip to Millrose. She's been running other events since then, including a very fast 2:47.22 in the 1K (US#1) last week, but look for Wilkinson to come ready to play on Saturday. She was fifth at Millrose two years ago as a sophomore.
Dammer, meanwhile, went 5:00.12 at the New Balance Games at the Armory a few weeks ago. The senior went 4:48 for 1,600 meters in the spring, so look for her to put down a sub-5 effort in this packed field.