Saturday PA @ NON: Price wins US 800 in US#1. 9 all-Americans (7 STORIES POSTED 6/21)

Girls' 800 Meter Run

Her 2:07.71 US title is a US#1 for Easton's Chanelle Price.

From the 6th of 7 heats, West Catholic senior Latavia Thomas achieved a 6th place overall with her 2:09.40.

Running from behind is her strategy. Winning is her style.

Easton's Chanelle Price won a state championships at the end of May, and three weeks later, she added her first national title, winning a very competitive 800 in 2:07.71, which is US#1 and a PR. Price followed her usual strategy of letting others lead during the first lap. "I don't like to take it out really fast." But at the 600 meter mark, she says with the pack so tight, she decided it was her turn to take the lead. Coming up the straight, she didn't have as much company as she had during the state meet, which was a side-by-side battle with Shaniel Chambers of Chester. This time, she was alone, and knew it. "Usually you can hear footsteps, or see shadows, or hear the crowd get even more hyped. so I just closed my eyes and pumped my arms." Price said that with a little more pressure she might have gotten her goal of 2:06, but "2:07 as a sophomore is pretty good."

In the 5th of 6 heats, Andrew Rotz, Central Dauphin, finished 6th overall with a time of 1:51.91.
PA senior Adam Smith, Camp Hill (behind Rozt) was 3rd in the heat, going 1:52.19, while senior
Jared Weaver, Conestoga Valley ran 1:52.67. In the final heat, Red Land senior Aaron Kauffman went 1:53.85.

Andrew Rotz decided not to let history repeat itself, and made personal history.

At the PIAA state meet, Central Dauphin junior Andrew Rotz was caught from behind and it cost him a state title. His 1:52.35 was a PR and good for a third place finish. But at Nationals, running the next-to-last heat, he knew he'd have to employ a different strategy to have a chance to stand on the awards platform as an all-American. "I knew it would go out real fast, which it did, in 52.5-53-flat. I knew I couldn't stay with that, so I decided to just hang behind and come through in 54, which I think I did on the dot." It's that next 200 meters that saps the strength in the 800, but Rotz was ready. "It's so much easier to be the one making the pass in the last 100, than the one trying to hold off the pass." He started reeling people in and nearly won his heat, going a PR of 1:51.91. Two other runners had gone faster in the 3rd from last heat, so he knew it would be close for finishing top six. Ultimately, only two other runners in the 'hot' heat bettered his time, and he had his first all-American award at 6th place.

Laurel Highlands junior Breehana Jacobs in the Trials ran 24.04.
In the finals, her 24.13 was good for 6rth.

Breehana Jacobs has her eye on a national championship one of these races...

Two days, two trials, two finals, two 6th place finishes. Two all-American certificates. Not bad for a junior who won two state championships just three weeks ago in some very fast times. Breehana Jacobs of Laurel Highlands felt good about her future, because she had come to North Carolina to race against the best, and had stood up to both the pressure and the competition. Her start is usually her strength, but a bit of a shaky one in the 200 cost her..."but toward the end, I made a little comeback." She'll have plenty of opportunities this summer to go after her ultimate goal of winning a national championship in either the 100 or 200. "My main goal is to win. If I don't, I'll just keep working harder and harder towards that." She'll race at the USATF Juniors in Indianapolis, back in Greensboro the following week at the USATF Youth Outdoor Champs, at the Baltimore Classic July 15th, and at the USATF Junior Olympics.

3rd place and a PR of 59.64 (Photo by Victor Sailer, Photorun.net)

Here's the scary part. Ryann Krais had a ton left in the 400 Hurdles.

You've watched in awe the past two years as this prodigy continues to set PRs and excel at new events, all the while exuding an enthusiasm for her sport and in support of her teammates and competitors that is as genuine as it gets. Even the announcers at the Nike Team Nationals pointed out that she is an athlete to watch over the next two years. Yes Krais surprised even herself a little by making the finals of the 100 Hurdles. It's not her strongest event, but the result must have been a slight redemption for her slip that cost her the finals of the event at the PIAA state meet. She missed out on a medal in the Long Jump by just a half inch. She anchored her team with a 55.7 split in the 4x400. But her best performance of the meet was her 400 Hurdles in which she stalked the best in the country and while gaining ground over the final two hurdles and sprint, moved into 3rd place with her first mark under a minute, going 59.64. "My coach told me when I learn how to run the 400 Hurdles from the start, I should run even faster. I had a lot left in the last 100 meters."

Frosh Justin Shirk of Central Dauphin was 3rd with a throw of 196-03.

Cumberland Valley senior John Austin PRed with a 4th place throw of 192-05.

Austin, Shirk.

Two Mid-Penn Conference competitors earn all-American in the Javelin

Chambersburg's Lorraine Hill had shown them the way on Friday with her all-American performance in the girls Javelin, finishing 3rd. For Central Dauphin freshman sensation Justin Shirk, and Cumberland Valley senior John Austin, it was just a matter of performing. But being from the same conference as Hill, they have developed a friendship and this was certainly the place to use it.

During the entire competition, from prelims to finals, the two were constantly supporting each other with words of encouragement and words of advice. In fact, it was Shirk who helped Austin after Austin's first two throws of the prelims were going a little high. The headwind was playing havoc with a lot of throws, and an adjustment was clearly needed. Shirk watched Austin go through a trial run, said it looked good, and it was that next throw by Austin that sailed 192-05, which placed him at 4th.

Austin was a little worried earlier in the season, barely qualifying for the Penn Relays. But his jumps from the 170's to 180's over Mid-Penns and Districts helped to boost his confidence. Coming into NON, he wanted to improve a lot on his last place finish in 2005. "I PRed today, so I'm really happy with that."

Shirk's 196-03 3rd place throw is actually only his 3rd best of his remarkable freshman season, being surpassed by his state 3rd place of 198-07 and his US freshman record of 207-05 from a dual meet in early May.

Shirk is a multi-sport athlete with a lot of choices to make. He plays Football (quarterback and linebacker), basketball, and plans to add the Discus and Shot Put to his Track & Field dossier in 2007. He already runs the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay. And it was the call of the relay that may have helped him get his US freshman record. "I was rushing to get to the 4x100, so I had to throw my three final throws real quick... in less than a minute. I think all the adrenaline kind of helped."

As for his first choice in sports... "Football and Track are tied right now, but track is probably my better event for the future."

And he's already setting a big goal. "I want to get the national record when I'm a senior."

Discus

Natalie Clickett of Union City threw 151-00 for 4th place.

Markise King hands off to Kenneth Talley for the 2nd leg of the 800 SMR.

Khaliff Featherstone anchors to a 1:30.91, and 3rd place finish.

Simon Gratz caps a nearly perfect outdoor campaign with two all-American relays.

The Nike Outdoor Nationals was again an opportunity for the Simon Gratz relays to shine. Unfortunately, injuries and a less-than-perfect handoff or two held down their productivity. But earning two all-American certificates for two relays is impressive in any book. What's more, the season was spectacular, as the team broke Philadelphia Public League (and now District 12) records in the 4x100, the 4x400 and the 4x800, capping that with a AAA State Championship in only their 2nd year as members of the PIAA.

4X100:
1995: 41.8 Overbrook High (Allan Wade, Issac Tolbert, Bazil Bailey,Deworski Odom)
2006: 42.02 @ States, Simon Gratz (Markise King, Khaliff Featherstone, Kevin Talley, Kenneth Talley)
Note: The Simon Gratz school record, not run in a Public League meet, is 41.63 from 1983

4x400:
1983: 3:17.6 West Philadelphia HS
2006: 3:14.55 @ Relays, Simon Gratz (Ronald Hillian, Douglas Burton, Bernard Williams, Alan Laws)

4x800:
1983: 8:01.2 Northeast HS (Lewis Gambrell, Charles Reese, Randolph Chadwick, Ernest Bing)
2006: 7:43.43 @ States (Derrick Davis 1:54.6, Darryl Davis 1:56.8, Devin Summerville 1:58.3, Khaliff Featherstone 1:52.9)

Friday started on a bright note, with a 2nd place 3:25.19 in the 1600 Sprint Medley Relay. (Splits: 200 Kenneth Talley 21.4, 200 Kevin Talley 21.7, 400 Khalilff Featherstone 48.2, 800 Derrick Davis 1:53.6 after a 51.5 1st 400). The team then advanced to the finals of the 4x100 by winning their heat in 42.15. The 4x200, the last event of the night, scheduled to start at 10pm, but actually running a hour late, resulted in a DQ for a zone violation. Even worse, in that race Kevin Talley aggravated a high ankle injury that had been bothering him since his District 12 meet in May. He had not run the 4x100 Trials earlier in the day.

That injury meant that Trevor Mackins would have to replace Kevin on the 2nd leg of Saturday morning's 800 Sprint Medley Relay. Mackins did his job on the 2nd leg, with Markise King leading off. Kenneth Talley then split 20.7 for the 200 and Khaliff Featherstone brought it home in a 400 of 47.2 for a 3rd place time of 1:30.91, their 2nd all-American certificate of the meet. The finals of the 4x100 required another change, with Mackins filling in for Kevin Talley. Timing has to be perfect in such an intense race, and a slight bobble cost Gratz. They would finish 8th in 43.21. And in the final race for this year's team, King replaced Kevin, which meant Derrick Davis had to move from the lead-off to the 2nd leg. After that exchange, they still ran strong, but at that level, the race was essentially over, especially when you're in the hot heat. Their 3:17.49 would be 14th overall.

Unionville junior Paul Springer ran a 9:01-point solo to win the 3200 at the state meet. He came into the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a single goal, to run 4:08 in the mile. He was seeded in the next-to-last heat, and didn't have to worry about the quality of the competition. Turns out he learned you also have to worry about the pace early in the race if you want to do anything about the ultimate outcome. "We were way off pace (at the 800), going out in 2:9. So that's a big too slow to get 4:08." He knew he had to do something, so he took the lead and set the pace, but was passed over the final 200 to finish 5th in 4:14.99, which was 13th overall. Springer feels confident he'll break the 9-minute mark as a senior, but will focus first this fall on qualifying for Foot Lockers. "This was a nice way to end it this year."