In the final round of DVGTCA meets before the annual Meet of Champions, big performances were on the horizon. Once again, the relays took center stage, as Strath Haven (US#6 9:22.33) overcame Cardinal O’Hara (US#10 9.26.41) to win the 4x800 meter relay. Ridley ran 1:49.24 to win the 4x200 meter relay. In open events, Shannon Taub of Council Rock South cleared 5-4 to win the high jump. Hannah Molloy of Pennsbury ran 10:37.86 to win the 3000 meter run. Liz McGroarty of Garnet Valley ran 2:18.41 to win the 800 meter run.
Paul Robeson girls surged to the top of the state rankings in the 4x400 meter relay with a 2nd place finish of 3:54.52, good for US#6 in 2014. Joey Logue of Pennridge ran 2:28.66 to finish 5th in the boys 1000 meter run. Cardinal O’Hara boys ran a US#2 time of 7:50.98 to finish 2nd in the 4x800 meter relay, setting a new school record. Paul Robeson ran a PA#2 time of 1:41.56 to come to within a tenth of a second of state leaders Cheltenham. The US#6 team became PA’s fourth top 20 girls 4x200 meter relay team this season. Great Valley ran a PA#3 9:27.37 to finish 7th in the girls 4x800 meter relay. Delaware Valley Charter ran 1:30.06 to finish 4th in the boys 4x200 meter relay.
Day Two: New Delaware County and Cardinal O'Hara school record, 7:50.98 (Splits: Nick Smart 1:57.1, Kevin James 1:56.3, Jack Nolen 2:02.8, Jim Belfatto 1:54.6)
Marissa Sheva of Pennridge finished 2nd in the girls mile run with a time of 4:56.81, trailing the winner by under a full second. In the boys mile, Tony Russell was crowned the champion with a national leading time of 4:11.56! His teammates finished 2nd in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:27.53, only five days after running 10:15 at the NJ Varsity Classic!
(Splits: Kevin Moy 1200 3:06, Seamus Collins 400 53.7, Steve Thompson 800 2:00, Reiny Barchet 1600 4:25)
In the final TFCAofGP meet of the regular season, athletes burned up the Lehigh track with some fine performances!
Division 1 was highlighted by a tight distance medley relay race between winners North Penn (PA#3 10:38.11) and Lasalle (PA#4 10:39.57) along with a close 4x400 meter relay with Central Bucks South (3:29.19), Coatesville (3:29.81) and Pennridge (3:30.42). Christian Brissett of Cheltenham ran 22.86 to win the 200 meter dash. Casey Comber of Hatboro Horsham ran a PA#7 8:56.94 to win the 3000 meter run. Tra-C Davis of Coatesville cleared 6-6 to win the high jump. Walter Pegues of Central jumped a PA#2 45-8.50 to win the triple jump.
In division 2, James Biggs-Frazier ran a PA#4 7.00 to set a meet record in the 60 meter dash. PA#1 hurdler Donaldo Benjamin of Delaware Valley Charter ran a meet record 22.66 to win the 200 meter dash. Jonathan Perlman of Lower Merion ran 8:58.18 to win the 3000 meter run. Saybrim Medina of Phoenixville cleared 6-6 to win the high jump ahead of fellow 6-6- jumper Andy Pancoast of Malvern Prep, winning the meet on misses. Church Farm School ran 1:34.03 to win the 4x200 meter relay.
Grace Trucilla of Villa Maria Academy ran 1:01.61 to finish 2nd in the 400 meter dash. Teammate Claire Brown ran a PA#7 2:17.93 to win the 800 meter run. Alexis O’Shea of West Allegheny finished 4th in the same race (2:24.88) and 2nd in the mile (5:16.99). Marisa Deichert of Laurel Highlands ran 11:39.79 to finish 2nd in the 3200 meter run. Jenna Gabreski of Coudersport jumped 35-3.75 to win the triple jump. Elena Marchand of Hickory threw 40-1 to win the shot put.
For the boys, Isaiah Brooks of Woodland Hills finished 3rd in the 60 meter dash (7.16) and was the winner of the long jump with a meet record 22-7.75. Luke Lewis of Hickory threw 59-9.50 to win the shot put. Nick Anderson of Kane Area cleared 14-6 to win the pole vault. West Allegheny ran 8:17.83 to win the 4x800 meter relay. Mitch Valko of South Fayette ran a PA#3 8.12 to win the 60 meter hurdles. David Henderson of Pittsburgh Central Catholic ran a PA#3 50.59 to finish 2nd in the 400 meter dash.