Hoka One One Henderson Invitational - Meet Recap
Older Hoey improves US#1; younger Hoey goes PA#2
Josh Hoey took on some pros on Friday night. On a warm night, as a light rain began to fall, Hoey improved upon his own US#1 in the 800 meters.
The race went out quick -- the stadium scoreboard read 52.5 -- and Hoey came across the finish in 1:48.63. That's a few hundredths better than his time at Mt. Sac from a few weeks ago. Hoey, who had his eyes on a possible national record, will have to wait for another attempt at a later date.
"I felt really smooth through the first lap," he said after the race. "I was in really good position -- right where I wanted to be."
Hoey then said his legs felt heavy with about 350 meters to go.
"I pushed a little too hard in a workout coming into this race and I paid for it on the backstretch and trying to carry it into the homestretch," Hoey said. "I was a little disappointed with the time, but I'm thankful for the experience and opportunity."
Edose Ibadin of DCTC won the race in 1:47.28. Jesse Garn of Hoka was second in 1:47.31. Next up for Hoey will be the adidas Boost Boston Games, where he'll chase more fast times.
Josh's younger brother Jonah Hoey of Bishop Shanahan kept up his terrific sophomore season. He kicked to the win in a close 800 meters that produced four PA top ten times. Hoey went 1:53.89, to move up to PA#2 (trailing only Josh Hoey) and set a new PR. It's also the fastest any Hoey brother has ever run as a high school sophomore.
Pennsbury's Aidan Sauer was second in 1:54.28 (T-PA#3), Tatnall (DE)'s Napoleon Hernandez was third in 1:54.77, Pennsbury's Jed Scratchard was fourth in 1:54.98 (PA#7), and Warwick's Connor Shields came across fifth in 1:55.03 (PA#8).
Warren keeps impressing
Christina Warren of Perkiomen Valley continued her terrific junior campaign in both the hurdles and the jumps.
Warren rolled in the 100-meter hurdle finals, running 13.90 for the win. It wasn't a PR (she went 13.82 a few weeks ago), but it was her third straight meet running sub-14. She currently sits at US#14. Conestoga Valley's Jane Livingston, making her invitational season debut, looked strong, taking second in 14.66, a PA#6.
Warren kept it going in the triple jump later in the day, posting a personal best of 41-01.5 in the triple jump, which is PA#1 by over a foot and US#16. She also took second in the long jump with a leap of 18-05.
Kratz keeps winning, and so does Graybill
Austin Kratz of Dock Mennonite posted a few more wins in the sprints, a day after bettering his own PA#1 in the 100 meters (he went 10.31 at Pennridge). Kratz won the 200 meter final in 21.42 and then came back to the win the 100 meter final in 10.81.
Bishop Shanahan's Rick Zink won the 400 meters in 48.55 to improve upon his season best and go to PA#3. He also PR'd in the 200 (21.87 for third). Westtown's Julian Klenner was second in the 200 in a PA#6 21.83.
Last week, Leah Graybill of Warwick had a huge meet at Millersville. This week, she showed the District 1 crowd what she's been up to. She won the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters in a monster meet that also included a leg on the Warwick 4x100.
Graybill wen 12.21 to win the 100, 24.86 to win the 200 meters, and then 56.69 to blow away the 400 field. Her 200 time was good enough for PA#3, while her 400 time puts her at PA#6. In the 4x100, Warwick took second to Methacton, which made up some terrific ground on the anchor leg to win in a PA#6 time of 48.78.
Distance races shake up rankings between old stars & some new(er) faces
The 3200 meters at Henderson is always a special event under the lights since the meet's inception 13 years ago. Friday produced great races on both the girls' and boys' sides.
Northern's Marlee Starliper took home the win in the 3200 meters. The sophomore ran 10:17.41, the second fastest time in meet history (Tatnall's Haley Pierce holds the meet record at 10:11). She took the race out hard from the gun and says she struggled after the mile. It was still enough for a new PA#1 by a wide margin and a US#12.
Coatesville's Brooke Hutton ran a strong race to take second in 10:54.46 (PA#5) and West Chester East's Allyson Clarke was third in 10:54.89 (PA#6).
In the boys' race, Rusty Kujdych improved on his season best to take the win. The Neshaminy senior went 9:10.60 for the win and PA#2 in a race that had a huge impact on the state's top ten rankings. West Chester Henderson's Spencer Smucker (PA#3 9:18.45) was second, LaSalle's Evan Addison (PA#4 9:18.95) was third, Owen J. Roberts' Liam Conway was fourth (PA#6 9:21.08), and Downingtown West's Tyler Rollins was sixth (PA#7 9:22.00).
In the 1,600 meters, we saw a few breakthrough performances. Germantown Academy's Isabelle Goldstein dropped a big PR to win the girls' race in 4:55.46. Goldstein, the younger sister of former GA standout Abbe Goldstein, unleashed a great kick to nip Wilson's Reagan Underwood at the line. Goldstein ran a PA#3, while Underwood's 4:56.11 is a PA#4, and Owen J. Roberts' Mary Bernotas was fourth in the race in a PA#5 4:57.88.
In the boys' 1,600, Connor Nisbet, a Delaware star from Wilmington Friends, won in 4:19.11. But Conestoga Valley's Nathan Grucelski continued to impress. He went 4:20.54, a PA#5 for second place, capping off what's been a terrific two weeks. Joshua Lewin of West Chester East, from the third of four sections (!) ran a PA#8 time of 4:21.80.
In the girls' 800 meters, Great Valley's Amy Willig was the top PA finisher, placing second overall in 2:15.30 (PA#7).
More notable performances
- Coatesville's Arianna Eberly had a strong day. She won the 300-meter hurdles in a new PA#4 time of 44.54.
- Red Lion's Madisen Kling posted a new season best and PR in the discus. The reigning AAA state champ earned the win with a PA#3 toss of 150-07.
- Wilson's Alex Cluff rolled to a PA#2 in the 300-meter hurdles, clocking a 38.79. The Bulldogs 4x100 that Cluff is apart of remained undefeated, winning on Friday in 42.19, just off its own PA#2.
- Like usual, it was another busy day at the office for Germantown Academy's Kyle Garland. The Georgia-bound senior won the 110-meter hurdles (13.83), took second in the long jump (22-08), took fourth in the discus (139-10), and closed out his busy day with a 52.66 in the 400.
- In the pole vault, newly-anointed state record holder Charles Dever of West Chester Rustin won the pole vault on attempts over Germantown Academy's Caleb Johnson. Both boys cleared 15-06.
- Malvern Prep's David Bolles won the long jump behind a PA#10 leap of 22-11.2
- Taemar Willis of Northeastern cleared 6-06, a T-PA#8, to win the high jump.