FIELD
Passing the bar at Easton...Easton junior Abby Schaffer added to her team's gold medal collections by winning the AAA pole vault. It was her first win, but will be added to the collection of pole vault golds that her school has been collecting, thanks largely impart to former team members Courtney and Lindsay Regan. "I knew the team needed me to do well," she said. "I just went bar to bar. It's been a really good season and I've been consistent throughout. I don't feel pressure (in winning the event for her school) as much as I want to win it."
Kim's weekend haul...
Kim Kanala, a junior from Hempfield, threw 149-09 in the AAA discus to defeat Penncrest junior Karen Shump (147-90), who had thrown one of the state's best marks ever earlier this season. "This is my first state title and it's very exciting," Kanala said. "This week in practice I was throwing over 150, so I was just going to try to do what I could do. I'm just enjoying this so much." On Friday, Kanala PRed in the shot put, throwing 42-06, a PR by over a foot. She was 2nd to the three-peating junior Shump.
A first for a Philly school...
Herman Kirkland, a junior at Imhotep in Philadelphia, became his school's first state champion by winning the AA boys long jump on Saturday in a leap of 22-05. He also took a pair of fifth-place medals in the 100 and 200. "This was my focus all year and I really wanted to do it," he said. "I came prepared today and I was focused all year. The heat also helped a lot."
Karlee's hits her stride to repeat and heads for the short...
Westmont Hilltop senior Karlee McQuillen overcame some a slow start to capture the AA javelin throw. "My fifth throw was good, up until then I was really nervous," she said. "My first four throw were pitiful and I knew I had to get my head on straight." She planned to celebrate the win with a trip to the beach.
Bye-bye frosh nerves. Hello soph championship.
Fallon Heddings, a sophomore from Bloomsburg, came out of the No. 5 seed to win her first state championship in the AA triple jump. "It was the best jump of my career," she said of her 37-9.5 leap. "Last year I was nervous because I was a freshman."
RELAYS
Video by theazn of the 2007 PIAA T&F State Championships
Team Easton. A 4x800 title. A 4x400 for the meet.
The Easton girls were determined to make the relays a big part of their state championship quest and the squad started things off right on Saturday by capturing the Class AAA 3,200-meter relay. Their goal was to run three strong legs to set up national class anchor Chanelle Price and the team did just that with Allyse Barlow setting them up and Jenna Liew and Abbie Dubin-Rhodin keeping the pace for Price, who got the baton just off the leaders. "I knew Jenna would set me up and that if I kept it up Chanelle would get the win," Dubin-Rhodin said. Price split 2:06 to bring Easton home in 9:09.43. Price went on to end her meet (which also included defending her 800-meter title) by anchoring Easton to silver in the 1,600-meter relay, holding off Methacton's Ryan Krais in the process. Heading into the 4x4 Easton and Methacton were tied for second at 30 points apiece in the team championship race with Laurel Highlands, then ahead with 31 points. But Laurel Highlights didn't have a relay, so that meant all Easton and Methacton had to do was beat one another. "That was weird, we got the baton at the same time," Price said. "I had sensed that I would get it a little bit ahead or a little bit behind (Krais), but not at the same time. She has the speed, but I think the 800 really helps me out. I was just doing it for my team." Krais' feelings were exactly the same, but with an obviously different reaction. Known as a genuine supporter of her team and her teammates, Krais was visibly upset when talking to reporters following the 4x400. ""I just really wanted to do more for my team."
7:43.22... and they're all back!
On the boys side, North Penn returned to its 4x8-winning ways by taking this year's AAA championship in 7:43.22. "We knew we had to come out and do what we've been doing all year," said Steve Franks, a junior. Franks ran Leg 3. He and all of his teammates return next year to help ensure the title stays with North Penn at least one more year. "It's all about tradition," said anchor Zack Montigo, a junior (in photo on final turn with Baldwin's Chris Wolfe). "We knew we had to get the indoor/outdoor double." Sandwiched in between was a best-US 4x800 at this year's Penn Relays Carnival.
DISTANCE
Despite the scorching heat on Saturday several distance runners had state meet records on their minds. The record attempts didn't work in any of their favors, but the attempts were still worth the effort as a few still came away with gold medals.
Hahn holds on...
Smethport senior Ben Hahn was one. He captured his first state championship by running 9:18.89 (the record is 9:04.09) to win by almost 10 seconds. "I ran 9:09 recently and I felt sharp," the Edinboro-bound Hahn said. But by the mile the heat was setting in and I felt myself slowing down. By lap seven I was just trying to finish out with the win."
Weller gets his 2nd state title in matches vs. Springer
The AAA race featured a showdown between seniors Paul Springer's of Unionville and Jason Weller of Boyertown. Springer had smashed the PIAA state best of 8:58.90 with his sub-8:50 in early May, and Weller had run 9:05 twice. The showdown worked out in Weller's favor as he charged in the last 50 meters to sprint past Springer, who was the defending champ, and win in 9:02.75. Springer finished in 9:04.30. "I couldn't respond in that last 50 meters," Springer said. "I didn't have anything left. I have no regrets about my tactics, someday you just don't have a great race. I'm not a good heat runner and I'm working to train in the heat more." Heading into the bell lap Weller calculated that they would have to run a 60 to beat the state record, so he set to work on beating his District 1 rival instead. "I knew he would go out fast and hard, so I just tried to stay with him," Weller said. "I know him pretty well, but I wasn't certain I could win until after the last 200 meters because I made a move and he covered it." Weller will be aiming for a fast mile at the 6/8 Henderson Distance Festival, and said his mileage is still in the 60's looking to peak in the 2-3 week range.
State titles are nice, but a trip to the Czech Republic is nicer...
In between her relay anchoring duties, Price slipped in a successful defense of her 800-meter title, but a not-so-successful record attempt. Price ran 2:05.85, just shy of the PIAA's record 2:05.47 which is held the legendary Kim Gallagher. Price ran 59 seconds for her first lap, fast enough to put her on sub-2 pace. "That's how I like to do it," she said. "I can't complain because I got the gold medal. In a couple of weeks I know I can hit 2:03/2:04." Price plans on running in several national meets before heading to the Czech Republic in July for the junior world meet. Also attending that meet with be Methacton's Krais, who will compete in the 400 hurdles. (They'll be wearing Team USA uniforms when the head to the Czech Republic in July)
First-time titles for fast friends Crofford and Spence.
Big Spring's Lara Crofford and Shippensburg's Neely Spence did achieve a record on Saturday. Both captured their first state track and field titles. Crofford, a senior, won the AAA 3,200 and Spence won the AAA 1,600. "For the past four years I've been wanting to be on that stand," Crofford said. "I like to run in the warm weather, but this a little too warm. It's
just really nice to finish with a state championship." Spence led her race start to finish, becoming the second Spence to win a high school state mile championship. Her father, Steve, a former world-class marathoner, also won one. "He had just told me the other day that he won a state championship in the mile," Spence said. "I use his past experiences to set goals for myself." It appears that the younger Spence may also be using some of her dad's running gait to help her along. "He's really been helping me with my form so that it increases my level of efficiency," she said. "I've watched videos of him and it's amazing how easy he makes it look."
Revenge is a dish best served in under 1:52.
Central Dauphin senior Andrew Rotz, who won the AAA 800-meter run, just wanted to extract revenge on last season. "After last year I was extremely disappointed because I was leading with 200 to go and got passed on the last 50 or 60 meters," Rotz said. "I knew if I was able to take the kick out of the other runners I could do it. So I took it out hard." His winning time was 1:51.65, a PR. He'll try to improve on that at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in three weeks.
SPRINTS
Another first for Jacobs to go with her other three...
Breehana Jacobs became the first female athlete in Class AAA to win three metric sprint events at states. Netta Young of Norristown won those events when the distances were in yards in 1976. Jacobs missed the indoor season due to stomach issues. But the Laurel Highlands senior more than made up for it sweeping the sprinting events (100, 200, 400), complete with a AAA state record in the 100-meter dash. Jacobs ran 11.64 to surpass the 11.66 set in 1985 by Tonja Stevens of Peabody. (Jacob's 11.47 in 2006 was wind-aided). Jacobs' time was also faster than the AA record of 11.78, set in 2001 by future-Olympic gold medalist Lauryn Williams, then of Rochester. "I never thought I could do this," the South Carolina-bound Jacobs said. At the beginning of the season I was planning on doing just the 100 and 200, but I started to like the 400. But the 100 will be my most memorable because the record has been a goal since my freshman year."
Up and over two more hurdles (actually, make that 20).
Ryann Krais, the Methacton junior, also had a huge day in the sprinting events, capturing the 100 and 300-meter hurdles. On Friday she defended her long jump championship. "The 100 hurdles is the biggest thing for me because of last year," she
said. "And I didn't expect that time." Last year Krais fell in the semi-finals of the hurdles and failed to advance. This year she not only righted that wrong, but set a new state meet record of 13.73 to better the 13.96 set in 1991 by Penn Wood's Dawn Burrell. Krais also holds the 300 hurdles record, which she set last year, but didn't break it this weekend.
Pencil everyone surprised.
Alex Pensyl sent media members searching through their meet programs to find out who he was after the Hershey senior captured the boys AAA 100-meter dash. "I felt like I got out real good early," he said. "The win was that close that I wanted to see who won, so I stopped dead in my tracks to see. I've really been unexpected this season and I like that."
Coon zooms to three medals.
In Class AA, Schuylkill Valley junior Devan Coon went home with gold in the 400, silver in the 200 and bronze as a member of her team's 4x100-meter relay. Her 400 win was also good enough to set a new state meet record. Coon ran 55.46 to better Laila Brock's (Washington) 1996 record of 55.50. Runner-up Nicole Powell, a junior from Bayard Rustin, also broke the
record, running 55.48. "This feels awesome, I'm so happy," Coon said of her first state gold. "It's the most amazing feeling in the world. I knew that junior year was the most important year for colleges and I wanted to show everyone, especially
Division I schools, that even a AA school can do it."
Bing's breakthrough double.
Cheltenham's Brandon Bing, a senior, pulled off a double-gold, winning the AAA 200 and 400 dashes, his first for the events. "Last year I ran the 100," he said. "The difference was I actually trained this year. We had a major workout on Tuesday and it made me start to think about who I was going to run against and what they were doing. My mother is here, and I wasn't going to let her drive two and a half hours to disappoint her."
Guess who likes the 300 hurdles now?
Abington senior Jarret Eaton bested the field in the AAA 300 hurdles by over a second to capture his second-ever state title. He won his first earlier in the day by taking the 110-meter hurdle championship. "I feel pretty good," Eaton said. "I was going to to try to break the (300) record, but I hit one of the hurdles on the curve. This has just been a break-out season. Winning the 300 means more because it's the one I've improved in the most over the years and I didn't like it at first."