12/31 WKND: Gratz boys, WC girls win in multiple states. Queen, Krais are hurdle royalty (PIX)

NOTE: Race Photos and Link to Photo Gallery Below and in Right Hand Column

Photo Gallery by Don Rich of 12/30 Robert J. Burdette Classic @ Lehigh University


Carrington Queen knows it was quick, setting a new meet record in the 60 Hurdles at 8.09.

12/27: Marine Corps Holiday Classic @ NY Armory: Simon Gratz put together some great early relays, taking the 4x200 in 1:28.67, and also capturing the 1600 Sprint Medley in 3:33.05. Their 4x800 took 5th in 8:13.89, contributing to a 2nd place team finish behind Newburgh NY by seven points. Chester's Shaniel Chambers won the Invitational 800 in 2:14.32. The Chester 4x400 ran 4:06.48 for 5th. Villa Maria went 10:03.14 for 5th in the 4x800, with Perkiomen Valley just over two seconds back.


Ryan Krais has a remarkable lead with a
few hurdles left on the way to a meet record 8.82.


Seton Hall Games @ Seton Hall University: At Seton Hall University, West Catholic captured the team title, taking first in the 4x200- and 4x400-meter and sprint-medley relays. Erica Ferguson, LaTavia Thomas, Kneisha Sheard and Simone Carter carried the baton in the 4x200, timed in 1:44.72. The 4x400 team, made up of Christiana Taylor, Thomas, Sheard and Carter, went 4:01.00. Taylor, Thomas, Sheard and Carter teamed to win the sprint medley in 4:11.73. West Catholic was second in the shuttle hurdle race in 35.49. Girls' High of Philadelphia took 2nd in the 4x200 in 1:48.14, and 3rd in the SMR in 4:15.92. Girls' Chanel Tartt-Minor was 4th in the 400 in 1:00.38. The day after the Holiday Classic at the Armory, the Simon Gratz boys hit the 2nd day events at Seton Hall, winning the 4x200 in 1:31.42, taking 2nd in the 4x800 in 8:12.31, the DMR in 11:26.29, and 4th in the Sprint Medley in 3:44.22.


12/28: Christmas City Relays @ Lehigh University: Jump specialist Megan VanBuskirk captured the Triple with a nice 35-08.50, and also took 5th in the Long Jump (16-01.25). Pennridge sophomore Sara Simonetti is running well, taking the 3200 in 11:30.11. In the 55 Hurdles, Reading's Jazmin Hunt, now a junior, went 8.79 to win. She ran 8.74 in the Trials. In the 55 Dash, Springfield Delco senior Andre Nelson ran 6.62 for the win (6.61 in the Trials). Shanahan's Caitlin Fairbairn won the Pole Vault, clearing 11-03.00.

East Stroudsburg South senior Brian Cullin posted a strong 9:36.85 3200 win. Carrington Queen, Chichester, ran 7.46 to win the 55 Hurdles. And Pottsgrove junior Julian Washington leapt 43-05.25 to take the Triple Jump.


12/30: Colgate Women's Games HS Week #1 @ Pratt Institute: The Carver High School of Engineering & Science has made this meet a part of their indoor schedule for years. Their athletes took home two first places in the first week of competition. LaVaughn Jones ran a quick 4:57.5 to win the 1500. Benita Taylor won the 800 in 2:22.2, and she also took 6th the 400 in 1:00.1, with teammate Acoya Goines in 7th at 1:00.2.


Latavia Thomas breaks her own 800 meet record.

12/30: Burdette Indoor Classic @ Lehigh University: Five meet records were re-written, two in the hurdles, while the established programs staked their claims in traditional strengths, and two schools that emerged during cross country with state-level performances demonstrated they should be considered as contenders for indoor, as well.

Individually, super soph Ryann Krais of Methacton added the 60 hurdles to her growing repertoire of events. For her effort, she erased a six-year old meet record, dipping under nine seconds in the 60 Hurdles, to win easily in 8.82. West Catholic senior Kneshia Sheard was 2nd in 9.17, and also got a similar view of Krais in the 200, as the two went first and second again, this time in 25.34 to 25.51, respectively. Krais split 25.1in the 4x200 to lead her team to a 4th place finish from the next-to-last heat in a 1:49.80, and later, in the 4x400, anchored with a split of 59.9. In the boys 60, senior Carrington Queen came out and set his own meet record, going 8.09 to erase the mark of 8.18 set by Central's Mike Wray in 2003. He doubled back with a win in the 200 as well, holding off Cheltenham's Zach Shands 23.07 to 23.24.

Lindsey Regan, the Easton pole vaulting talent, came off of just three practices to clear 12-0 and break her own meet record. She is a member of the school's cheerleading squad that has qualified again this year for national competition. Regan had two good looks at 12-07.

West Catholic took the 4x200 and 4x400 two days after their Seton Hall meet, running 1:45.33 and 4:06.05. Latavia Thomas was a big part of the two wins, and also captured the individual 800, running 2:17.83 to break her own meet record. Easton surprised a lot of people in the Sprint Medley and 4x800, as sophomore 800 specialist Chanelle Price hawked the competition in the final leg of each. Easton ran 4:16.82 in the SMR, and was the only team under ten minutes in the 3200m relay, going 9:59.78.

The Gratz boys set a SMR meet record.

Karen Shump, Penncrest, had her fifth throw in the 40's for December and 2nd best of the year, going 44-02.25. Coatesville's Tierra Flowers outleaned West Catholic's Simone Carter in the 60 dash, 7.78 to 7.79.

Lindsey Regan tops her meet record.

Simon Gratz left the banked track of the NY Armory behind after some quick times Tuesday, but still showed that flat just means a little more time as they took the 4x200 in 1:33.46 and the Sprint Medley in 3:40.44, the latter breaking Cardinal O'Hara's 2001 meet record. North Penn used a strong come-from-behind anchor leg from Cody Edling to run 8:15.07, beating Wissahickon by less than two seconds. Edling also won the 800 in 2:00.22. Wissahickon took a 2nd in the DMR to Conestoga, as the two ran 11:06.05 and 11:09.96. Foot Locker Finalist Josh Hibbs, Hatboro-Horsham, won the 3000, leading the entire way to a 9:00.40. Chestnut Hill's Wayne Crawford won the Shot Put with a throw of 54-01.00.


12/30: MAC Holiday Classic @ NY Armory: Taking advantage of the high level of competition, Bensalem posted some strong times. Their 4x200 ran 1:32.57, while seniors Reggie Carter went 22.70 for 200 meters and Fran De La Pena 51.15 for 400. Running unattached, Trevon Rainford of Engineering & Science posted a 4:15.45 for 1500.
Alexandra Brasington, running unattached, was the 1st girls in the 3000, posted a 10:27.47.