Recap: PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival

Qayyim Ali put up a new PA#1 in the high jump Saturday (Photo by Patty Morgan)

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Don Rich's Photo Album

The PTFCA Indoor Carnival delivered on its yearly promise once again for plenty of action and solid performances. Lehigh University was host to a few PA#1s and some great pre-states excitement. Let's dive into what impressed us.

GIRLS RECAP

The meet started out with a great finish in the girls 4x800 between North Penn, Wilson (3), and Villa Joseph Marie. North Penn won it at the line in 9:39, while Wilson and VJM ran the 7th and 9th best times in the state respectively.

In the mile, Downingtown West's Emma Planck held off a late charge from North Penn's Phoebe Clowser to take the win in 5:13.35

The 400 was a great matchup between three of the states best. North Penn's Uche Nwogwugwu came out on top in 57.77, outlasting CB West's Maddie Villalba (57.99) and Penn Wood's Agnes Mansaray (58.23). Nwogwugwu's time betters her own PA#4 in the event by .07.

Chanel Brissett came about as close as you can come to tying her own state record in the hurdles (Photo by Don Rich)

Chanel Brissett of Cheltenham easily won the 60 meter hurdles, but it was the clock that everyone was focused on. Brissett, who set the PA state record a few weeks ago at Penn State, narrowly missed her own record. Brissett's time of 8.29 is one one-hundredth off her all-time best. But hey, nothing wrong with the second best 60 hurdle race in state history. Not to be forgotten in that race is Yasmin Brooks of Susquehanna Township. Brooks took second in 8.79, which moves her from PA#3 up to PA#2.

In the 60 dash it was a battle of the freshman. Girard College HS's Thelma Davies took the win in a season best and PA#3 of 7.71. Pennridge's Kouri Peace took second in 7.75, a season best for her, and Cheltenham's Bria Barnes was third in 7.88. All three are freshman and all three will likely continue to see an awful lot of each other the next four years.

Gabrielle Wilkinson of Friends' Central made it look easy en route to her 2:12 800 on Saturday (Photo by Patty Morgan)

Gabrielle Wilkinson of Friends' Central took control of the 800 meters early and that's all she needed. The sophomore ran away with the win in a solo effort, clocking a 2:12.47, slightly off the best time in the state, but it did come on a flat track. For prospective, her time Saturday is about three seconds faster than a year ago at the Carnival. And last year, Wilkinson went on to win the event at indoor states.

In the 200, Peace returned for a big win over Davies. Peace's time of 24.86 is her best on a flat track this season. Watch her post-race interview below:

The 3000 was a great battle between familiar faces. Erin Feeney of Scranton Prep and Ally Rome matched up in a very fast field. Feeney and Rome separated from the field at about the halfway point, and then Feeney absolutely threw down the hammer with about 800 to go. Her move was decisive and it paid off. Her time was a 10:04.29 and a meet record. It's also a PA#2. Rome was faster than she was at Susquehanna and still wound up with a PA#3 10:11. Allison Willingmyre of Wilson wasn't far behind, capping off a nice double (she anchored the PA#7 4x800 earlier in the day), running 10:16, a PA#4. Cheltenham's MaryGrace Rittler was fourth in a PA#6 10:18.

Three relays capped off the day. Cheltenham won the 4x200 in 1:43.07 with an anchor leg from Brissett. North Penn won the 4x400 in 4:06.45. The Unionville DMR was loaded up. They took the win in a solo effort in a PA#4 12:27. Watch the U'Ville girls talk after their race (with a surrogate for 5:10 1600m anchor leg Anna Juul):

Girls Highlights