Germantown Academy's Abbe Goldstein just missed an auto-invite to Millrose, but still wound up with a huge PA#1 and US#3 (Photo by Steven Pisano)
Nothing like a busy Wednesday night of track and field to get the juices flowing. A bunch of meets were going on Wednesday, which always helps to break up the midweek monotony. The athletes may have school early tomorrow morning, but that didn't stop some from turning in solid performances. Here are some of the big ones from tonight.
Millrose Trials (The Armory, New York, NY)
Germantown Academy's Abbe Goldstein didn't get the auto-qualifier for February's Millrose Trials, but she came about as close to it as you can. In the mile, Goldstein took the lead going into the final lap, only to be overtaken by North Shore's Diana Vizza at the line. 4:54.34 for Vizza, 4:54.36 for Goldstein. Still, it's good enough for a PA#1 (which stood since Anna Juul's 4:57 on Dec. 16) and a US#3. Goldstein should feel pretty good about her chances for being slected to the real Millrose field.
Cardinal O'Hara's Olivia Arizin took first in the unseeded heat in a nice PA#5 5:03.96. In the seeded heat, after Goldstein, Cumberland Valley's Mady Clahane was fourth in an impressive 4:55.96, which is faster than her last two mile races at the Millrose Trials as a sophomore and junior. It's also a massive improvement from her season opener at the Burdette Classic two weeks ago. Downingtown West's Aislinn Devlin was 11th overall, tenth in her heat with a 5:05.01, and Pennsbury's Hannah Molloy was 14th overall in a 5:10.23.
Jaxson Hoey makes his move on Conor Lundy to pull away for the win (Photo by Steven Pisano).
For the boys, it was all Jaxson Hoey. The Downingtown West senior beat pre-race favorite Conor Lundy by unleashing a 61.6 final quarter mile for a 4:12.05 and the win, qualifying him automatically for the Millrose Games. The win is a clear PA#1 as well as a US#2. All this comes mere days after Hoey top the national leaderboard in the 800 meters at Saturday's Hispanic Games. Not a bad way to start the season.
The Penn Wood DMR--new state leaders (Photo by Dan Beck)
Girls DELCO Champs (Haverford College - Lutnick Center, Haverford, Pa.)
Penn Wood made didn't waste any time Wednesday night proving their worth on the state level. Last Friday, the PW DMR came up just short of the PA#1 time set by North Penn. Clearly, they were itching to get on top and they led off the meet by winning the DMR in solo fashion with a new state-leading and US#7 time of 12:26.
But that wasn't even the most impressive feat of the night from Penn Wood. Instead, it was the emergence of a new star--Thelma Davis. Davis, a freshman, only just joined the team. Well, it didn't take long for her to make an impact. Davis won the 60m dash in 7.75, which ties the PA#1 time. Looks like Pennridge's Kouri Peace will now have company as far as top freshman sprinters are concerned.
Notre Dame's Mikayla Schneider also had a big meet. She won the 800 in wire-to-wire fashion in 2:17.44, a PA#3, and then she anchored the ND 4x400 by pulling the team from third to first on the final lap (stay tuned for a video).
Penncrest's Alicia Collier won a pair events, taking the county gold in both the 400 meters (1:00.31) and the long jump (16-08).
Strath Haven's Maia Mesyngier won the 3000 meters in a competitive battle with Cardinal O'Hara's Elizabeth Mancini. Mesyngier took out the race in the lead, gapping the field, but Mancini reeled her back in making a race of it. But in the final laps, the Strath Haven leader was able to pull away for the win in 10:38.
In the shot put, Garnet Valley's Nina Gambacorta took home first, throwing 37-05.25.
Glen Mills Invitational (Glen Mills Schools, Glen Mills, Pa.)
Hatboro's Nicholas Marino stayed at PA#2, but he got a whole lot closer to the top spot in the pole vault, clearing 14-9 at Glen Mills to sit just three inches behind Caleb Sanford's state-leading mark.
Downigntown East's Jeremy Jennings had a nice meet. Jennings ran a PA#6 6.58 55 meter dash on the unforgiving surface at Glen Mills for the win. Then he took second in the 200 meters in 23.75.
Upper Darby's Gianni Lawrence won a competitive 200 meter dash in 23.40, topping Jennings and Mason Weh. Weh did win the 55 meter hurdles, though, taking gold in a time of 7.76.
In the shot put, Yondell Dudley of Wissahickon threw his best mark of his career--53-4.5 for the win. That puts him at PA#7 with a real shot to move up that list.
Albright College HS Invitational #1
Mahendra McWhite of Dieruff made her season debut, taking first in the 55m hurdles in a PA#6 7 8.58 for the convincing win. Expect that time to go down for McWhite as the season progresses.
Methacton's Rainah Dunham took first in both the long and triple jump. Her 34-6 in the triple was her first time in competition in the event and not a bad starting place at all.
North Lebanon's Dakota Leonhard with a big PR of 54-8.25 for the win. That moves him up to PA#5 in a season that has seen him steadily progress nicely.
Hill School Invitational (Ursinus College, Floy Lewis Bakes Fieldhouse, Collegeville, Pa.)
Friends' Central's Gabrielle Wilkinson won the 800 meters in a new PA#1 time of 2:15.