3/29 WKND: Gratz, Krais PA Classic|Spence sets mark|Rickard 6-7 HJ|Brittingham US#2 Jav

NEWS: Effective immediately, any results we receive in HyTek (or our RaceTab), will enable us to add EVERY athlete's performance to our database. Which means it will show on their individual page and in the state rankings.

Working with the new system is one of the reasons my coverage this weekend was delayed. The Pennsylvania Track Classic photo gallery is now posted with over 800 shots. More meet coverage coming this week.

Frank Wainwright, Simon Gratz, and Ryann Krais, Methacton, won Track Athletes of the Meet at the PA Track Classic.

The winds were whipping throughout PA. In early results, it appears that the throws fared the best with some nice javs and shot put effords. At the PA Track Classic, Simon Gratz senior Frank Wainwright won the 300 hurdles, was on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 and 3rd place 4x800 to be named Track Athlete of the Meet. Ryann Krais, Methacton, took the girls' track honor with her winning 100 and 300 Hurdles, plua great anchres on the 4x100 and 4x400, both come-from-behind efforts to gain medals. Results are posted for Altoona igloo, Oxenreider, Brother Jerome Benway, South Hills, Tim Cook Memorial, Chichester, and Pirate, along with PA Track Classic.

At a home dual meet on Wednesday against Middletown, Trinity (3) junior Billy Phillipy set a big PR in the javelin, upping his school record to 190-04. Welcome to outdoor!

3/28 Lawrence/Mercer Relays @ Wilmingon HS

RESULTS POSTED

On Friday at the Lawrence/Mercer Relays at Wilmington HS, Lakeview's Fawn Miller through the javelin 133-00, PA #1. The Slippery Rock girls toasted the Shuttle Hurdles, running a PA#2 1:09.5. The host Wilmington boys won the 4x100 in 44.8. West Middlesex won the boys' 1600 SMR in 3:52.4, a meet record.


3/29 24th Pennsylvania Track Classic (presented by PennTrackXC.com) @ Great Valley HS

RESULTS POSTED

Photo Gallery by Don Rich of the PTFCA Track Classic @ Great Valley HS

It was windy, cold and not raining or snowing... so all in all, not a bad way to kick the outdoor season into higher gear on the last Saturday in March.

Photo: Shaniel Chambers, Chester, soloed to a 2:14.34 at the PA Track Classic.

The Simon Gratz boys are on a mission this season. And it has everything to do with Memorial Day weekend and a certain meet in Shippensburg. Part of the plan is senior Frank Wainwright, who will be expected to contribute in four events, two of them involving hurdles and definitely the 4x400. As prep for such a busy meet, Wainwright ran on Gratz' winning 4x100 (43.59), 4x400 (3:23.65) and took the individual title in the 300 hurdles in 39.31. He also ran a leg on the 4th place 4x800. For his efforts, Wainwright was named the meets Outstanding Male Track Athlete. Wainwright says that while his emphasis is team, he would still like to improve by at least 16 places in the 400 hurdles at this year's Penn Relays Carnival. He was 16th in 2007. Sean Mallon of Archbishop Ryan was also busy, anchoring the winning DMR to a 10:45.69, and winning the open 800 in 1:57.90 with a sit and kick - stay outta the wind - strategy. That plan was also performed to perfection in the girls' mile by Emmaus' Lindsey Graybill, who's short-term goal this season is to qualify for the Penn Relays individual mile. She had hoped to go for the 5:10 at the PA Track Classic, but the wind changed her plans. Still, a 5:18.73 was a nice start. She will toe the line at Cumberland Valley next Saturday in hopes of better weather, and about ten fewer seconds on the track. Busting 11 in the 3200 and approaching 5 in the mile are season goals for the junior leader of the Emmaus squad. It was no surprise that Methacton senior Ryann Krais was named the meet's Outstanding Female Track Athlete after she won the 100 hurdles in 14.36 (14.34p), and 300 hurdles in 43.89. Krais also anchored her 4x100 and 4x400 relays teams to come-from-behind medals when the took 4th on one lapper and 5th in the four lapper. Already the owner of the best PA all-time marks in 300 and 400 hurdles, the UCLA-bound star says not only wants to defend her 400 Hurdles Penn Relays title, but try to improve on both records during the course of the outdoor campaign. She'll tune up for Penn with a 400 hurdles this coming Saturday at the Taco Bell Classic in South Carolina. The Central Bucks East girls surprised a few people with their state title in the 4x200 during indoor... but came out of the starting blocks and went 50.04 for the 4x100. The Central Bucks West girls did a front-running 9:49.92 in the 4x800. The Outstanding Male Field Athlete of the meet was Wissahickon's Folarin Ijelu who captured the triple jump with a 44-06 effort and cleared 6-02 in the high jump. His 22-01.75 was seven inches short of Doug Moppert's winning jump. The Malvern Prep athlete had to stick around following his last jump to watch as Ijelu took his jumps after running in the 110 hurdles, in which he would eventually take 5th. Meghan Morton, Saint Pius X, was the Outstand Female Field Athlete of the meet with a jav of 130-01.

Performances Lists for the PA Track Classic:

GIRLS | BOYS

Photo: Lindsey Graybill, Emmaus, kicked in to win the 1600 in 5:18.73.

3/29 2nd Pirate Invitational @ Palisades HS

RESULTS POSTED

At the Pirate Invitational at Palisades HS, Brandon Ellis of Norristown went 10.9 to win the 100. Teammate EJ Hadrick won the 400 in 50.9. With the help of these two athletes, Norristown won the 4x100 and 4x400 as well, going 44.4 and 3:30.4, respectively. Stroudsburg's Steve Garcia leapt 22-02.50 to win the long jump. Grant Broach of the host school. won the Discus at 147-01, the javelin with a throw of 165-10, and the shot put with a toss of 47-06. Tamaqua's Casey Wagner started her season in the jav with a throw of 132-07.

3/29 Altoona Igloo Invitational @ Mansion Park, Altoona

RESULTS POSTED

At the Altoona Igloo Invitational, speedster AJ Alexander of Altoona knows what it was like two years ago when he was challenging older runners in the sprints. Now it's his turn to be pushed, and he responded with a 10.87 100 over sophomore Alex Kenney of State College, who was second in 10.98. Kenney did capture the 200 in 22.23. Alexander helped his 4x100 set a meet record of 42.67, which is PA#1. The javelin is always hot at any Altoona meet, and defending AA state champ Eric Skedel did not disappoint. His 186-09 was good for the win. He had thrown 201-10 at a dual meet vs. Windber earlier in the week, and reportedly was over 205' on his first throw on Saturday, but fouled. Central Cambria sophomore Kelsey Seymour was a double winner, taking the 800 in 2:19.34 and the 400 in 1:01.25. Ben Hatch, Bellwood-Antis, set a meet record with his 1:57.35 800 and also ran 4:34.13 to take the 1600. Sarah Strayer, Forest Hills, took the 1600 in 5:17.60 and the 3200 in 11:38.64. DJ Horton of Kane cleared 15-03, a meet record in the pole vault. Altoona's Troy Floyd double dipped in the hurdles, taking the 110 in 15.68 and the 300 in 41.51.

3/29 Brother Jerome Benway Invitational @ Saint Basil Academy

RESULTS POSTED

Photo gallery by Clinton T. Fields of the Brother Jerome Benway Invitational

Report on the Father Judge home page: Father Judge shows impressive team depth at Brother Jerome Benway Invitatonal

At the Jerome Benway Invitational at Saint Basil Academy, Swenson's Anthonia "Mouse" Ballard was a double individual winner, taking the 100 hurdles in 15.0 and the 400 hurdles in 45.6. Jerome Lowery took family honors in the longer hurdles in 39.7, while Jermaine went 14.7 for the short one. Jerome also captured the 400, going 51.0. Notre Dame won the shorter relays, going 51.8 in the 4x100 and 1:50.1 in the 4x200. Hosts Saint Basil took care of the longest stuff, running 9:58.6 in the 4x800 and 13:11.57 in the DMR. Nazareth Academy's Meghan Lutz won the mile in a strong 5:14.8.

Jerome Lowery finishes the 300 Hurdles ahead of twin brother Jermaine. (photo by Clinton T. Fields)

3/29 Chichester Relays @ Chichester HS

RESULTS POSTED

At the Chichester Relays, the Penncrest boys showed their sprint relays strengths, running to a 43.8 4x100, a 1:32.1 4x200 and a 3:28.4 4x400. The Strath Haven girls were quick in the latter as well, running 1:47.7 to go with a 50.6 4x100, a 4:00.4 4x400, a 13:19.9 DMR, and a 22:06.4 4x1600.

3/29 Harold Phillips Invitational @ Carlisle HS

MEET CANCELLED FOR 2008

Sean Mallon, Archbishop Ryan, anchored the winning DMR and took the open 800.

3/29 Ice Breaker Relays @ Wallenpaupack HS

RESULTS POSTED

At the Ice Breaker Relays @ Wallenpaupack HS, GAR (Wilkes-Barre) won both the 4x100 and 800 Sprint Medley, going 44.6 and 1:36.6, respectively. In the girls' races, Valley View went 52.7 in the 4x100 and Abington Heights set a meet record of 10:10 in the 4x800, and ran 4:15, taking the 4x400. Coughlin's Jerred Berry long jumped 21-01.

3/29 Jersey Shore Track & Field Invitational @ Jersey Shore Area HS

3/29 Oxenreider Relays @ Muhlenberg HS

RESULTS POSTED

North Penn usually takes in the Oxenreider Relays to kick of their outdoor season. The boys swept through the relays, setting meet records of 1:33.31 in the 4x200, 3:26.80 in the 4x400, and 11:00.63 in the DMR. Their 44.21 won the 4x100 and their 1:07.37 captured the shuttle hurdle relay. Muhlenberg's Tyrell Ellison was a double winner, going 22-05 in the long jump and 44-01.50 in the triple jump. The North Penn girls didn't win as many relays as the boys, but they were nearly as effective. Their best was a meet record 1:47.72 in the 4x200. They also won the 4x100 (44.31), the 4x400 (4;13.00), the 4x800 (10:08.56), and the DMR (13:35.32). Not to worry though, they have the meet records already in all of those.

3/29 South Hills Classic @ Baldwin HS

RESULTS POSTED

At Baldwin's South Hills Classic, moved up this year a couple of weeks, Christa Rogers of Quaker Valley got off to a quick start, running 12.70 to win the 100. The Mount Lebanon girls posted a strong early 4x800, going 9:52.34, with Baldwin 2nd within four seconds. Baldwin's Ryan Schleicher threw the jav 189-05.

3/29 Tim Cook Memorial Invitational @ Chambersburg HS

RESULTS POSTED

Shippensburg's Neely Spence started her final high school outdoor season with a meet record at the Tim Cook Memorial at Chambersburg HS, going 10:43.00 in the 3200. Anyssa Barbour of the host school, was a double winner, going 12.3 in the 100 and 26.8 in the 200. She took 3rd in the triple jump. There were plenty of meet records in addition to Spence's mark: Waynesboro's Terrell Rickard in the high jump (6-07, PA#1); Harrisburg's Alysha Cook in the 100 hurdles (14.7); Courtney Singleton of Greenwood in the shot (34-01.50); Chambersburg's Armond Perez in the javelin (178-00); Harrisburg's Hanif Johnson in the triple jump (44-08.25); David Eubankds of Chambersburg in the 800 (2:01.9); Octorara's Manny Morris in the 110 hurdles (14.7) and the 300 hurdles (40.3); the Harrisburg girls in the 4x100 (49.9); Octorara's Britnay Barcus in the 400 (1:02.1); and Tony Armstead of Harrisburg in the 100 (10.9).


3/29 Viking Invitational @ Perkiomen Valley HS

RESULTS POSTED

At the Viking Invitational at Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville's Courtney Kendra won the 100 in a hand-timed 11.7, and leapt 17-10 to take the long jump. Ridley's Kevin Wilbank did the double individual honors as well, going 10.7 in the 100 and running an FAT 52.12 in the 400. His 4x100 also won, going 43.65. The top field performance of the meet came from Methacton's Eric Brittingham with his javelin of 193-08, PA#1 and US#2. Rustin's Alanna Owens won the shot with a toss of 38-04 and the discus, going 118-05. The Methacton boys captured the 4x400 in 3:28.7 and the DMR in 11:04.62.