Dasia Pressley is back again this weekend after a PA#1 in the 200 meters at Hispanic (Photo by Steven Pisano)
Once again, there's A LOT going on this weekend. Plenty to get excited about! We'll start by previewing some of Friday's action and then check back tomorrow when we'll preview some of the Saturday meets.
DVGTCA #4 (Lehigh University - Philip Rauch Fieldhouse, Bethlehem, Pa.)
This should be a big one. While last week at Haverford was more on the low key side with many teams journeying up to The Armory it appears most of the Delaware Valley's top athletes will stay local for an association meet. Let's break it down:
Relays: North Penn and Cheltenham appear to be going after a 4x400. Could Penn Wood's state-leading mark be in danger? We shall see. Pennsbury may go after a DMR, so stay tuned for that.
Sprints/Hurdles: Without a doubt, all eyes will be on the 60 meter dash. Two of the state's mainstays will battle with a newcomer looking to put her name on the map. The vets are Cheltenham's Chanel Brissett and Pennsbury's Dasia Pressley. The other is freshman Thelma Davis of Penn Wood, who came out of nowhere to tie Brissett's PA#1 in the 60 dash. You don't want to miss this one. The only prediction we'll make is that that state-leading time of 7.75 will go down. The winner? Next question.
The hurdles will feature CB East's Morgan Duncan and DELCO winner from Upper Darby Victoria Robinson. In the 200 meters, Penncrest's Alicia Collier will square off with Imhotep's Gloria Young. THe 400 meters will be a good race between Penn Wood's Terri Turner and Springfield (Montco)'s Sydni Stovall.
Distance: The 800 very easily could be the deepest event in Pennsylvania. In fact, we'll go ahead and say that it is. Gabrielle Wilkinson of Friends' Central went and put down a PA#1 in the event on Wednesday night, but her reign atop the leaderboard may be short-lived with Germantown Friends' Sarah Walker at Yale and Agnes Mansaray of Penn Wood and Maddie Villalba of CB West racing at Lehigh. Villalba is yet to run an 800 this season, but she's been busy working on both her speed and strength in other events. Mansaray has had a very busy season. This matchup will be another one you don't want to miss.
The mile will be another fun one. Delaware's Padua Academy will bring Lydia Olivere to race Pennsbury's Mary Webb, North Penn's Phoebe Clowser, Coatesville's Brooke Hutton, Conestoga's Annamarie Shultz, Ridley's Jamie Green, and Springside Chestnut Hill's Alexandria Kitchell is a crazy deep field.
Field: Will Moira O'Malley ever lose? Maybe not. The Souderton high jumper returns as the favorite to win the event in her fifth straight meet. In the long jump, Cheltenham's Madison Langley-Walker (PA#1 LJ) hopes to continue her stellar sophomore season, but she'll face competition from Imhotep's Avani Dorsey, Padua's Christina Allen, and Christina Warren of Perkiomen Valley. The Council Rock South duo of Savannah Wood and Dominique Franco will look to do big things in the pole vault. The triple jump field is deep as well, with North Penn's Allison Williams leading the way.