Saturday, 4/23: Shippensburg Jack Roddick Invitational (@ Shippensburg University)
Bloomsburg's Jahvel Hemphill is one to watch in the sprints at Ship (Photo by Barb Krohn)
AA BOYS: Bloomburg's Jahvel Hemphill and Christopher Dock's Austin Kratz will race in what should be a good 100 meter dash. They'll both return in the 200 that includes reigning AA state champ Andy Snyder of Camp Hill. Snyder will first run the 400, though, where he should be looked at as the favorite.
In the hurdles, look for Christopher Dock's Josh Wolfe. Wolfe is PA#9 in the 110 hurdles and PA#10 in the 300 hurdles.
Camp Hill's Cooper Leslie will be the one to watch in both the 800 and 1600. He will be the strong favorite in both. Bedford's William Kachman is entered in both the 1600 and 3200, just like Red Land's Zach Seiger and both should be factors.
Bedford's August Cook currently sits at PA#5 in the javelin and he'd love to eclipse the 200 foot mark this weekend. He'll be the favorite in the jav. Bloomsburg's Chrisrian Lee will look to build off an early season 21-9 in the long jump.
In the relays, look for the Camp Hill boys to make some noise. They are currently PA#11 in the event and the top AA team in the state. They should also be able to field a solid 4x400 as well.
Erika Voyzey is US#2 and the clear favorite in the AA girls high jump on Saturday (Photo by Patty Morgan)
AA GIRLS: PA#1 and US#2 Erika Voyzey of Tyrone will be the one to watch for the girls' of AA. Voyzey has seen a bunch of nice jumps this season and she'll look to continue that into this weekend.
Annville-Cleona's Reagan Hess should be favored in three events: the 100m, 200m, and long jump. Saturday will be her invitational debut for 2016.
In the distance event's Columbia's Jordan Haberstroh is the top seed in the 3200, while Dock's Maddison Landis is the favorite in the 1600. The one to watch in the 400 and 800 is McConnellsburg's McKenzie Gelvin.
Tamaqua's Morgan Boyle is top seed in the javelin. She's currently at PA#6. Also in that event is Morgan Bower of Millville, who is PA#8. In the pole vault, Trinity's Megan Silva will be the favorite.
Kellin Valentine is one of many talented jumpers slated to compete on Saturday (Photo by Don Rich)
AAA BOYS: There is no shortage of good matchups to look forward to for the AAA boys on Saturday. Let's dig into them.
In the 100, Somerset's Levi Deblase, State College's Tristan Daman, and CD East's Shyheim Brown will be the three main guys to look out for. Brown comes back then for the 200, where he'll see teammate Aaron Arp and Cumberland Valley's Kier Miner. Miner is also entered in the 400 where he's the current PA#1. How much faster can Miner go this weekend?
The 110 and 300 hurdles finds Hempfield's Seth Spino squaring off with Connor Oldt of Williamsport. Add Hatboro's Matthew Lenahan to the 300 hurdles and we'll have a pair of really competitive races.
The distances races should very fast as well. In the 800, Carlisle's Matt Wisner steps back on the track after a nice double win performance at Tim Cook last week. State College's Alex Milligan joins in on the 800 in what should be one of the most noteworthy battles of the weekend. Selinsgrove's Brody Beiler, Freedom (11)'s William Alpaugh, and State College's Nick Feffer, Owen Wing and Anthony Degleris (three quarters of their state championship 4x800) will all race in the 1600. In the 3200, Easton's Kevin Lapsansky and Wyomissing's Jack DiCintio are the two top seeds.
The long jump will be one of the deepest events of the day. Miner, who is also PA#1 here, is in the field, but so is State College's Kellin Valentine, Cedar Cliff's Clay Gause, Williamsport's Terrance Massey-Porter, Gettysburg's Ravaughn Dillard, Mechanicsburg's Ben Danso, Gettysburg's Marquise Camel, Jim Thorpe's Rayan Green and Altoona's Daiquain Watson. This event is there for anyone who is "on" on Saturday and is more or less a states preview (and at the same location as states nonetheless!).
Green, Dillard, Valentine, Watson, and Gause will all return for what should be a competitive triple jump as well. Dillard currently occupies that PA#1 spot in the triple.
The throws will be good, too! There are plenty of medal contenders headed to Ship this weekend. The Hempfield duo of Alex Murray and Dom Marshall, Northern Lebanon's Dakota Leonhard, North Pocono's Matt Slagus, Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik, and State College's Erik Ebel are entered in both the shot put and discus throws.
We should get the state's best pole vault competition of the outdoor season so far on Saturday. PA#1 Griffin Thompson of State College leads the field that also includes State College's Lucas Gray, Hempfield's Hayden Fox, Hatboro's Nick Marino, and Red Lion's Greg Potter in what should be a close battle.
Liberty's Rachel Finn will aim for that top spot in the state in the girls' pole vault (Photo by Patty Morgan)
AAA GIRLS: We talked about big time matchups in AAA boys, but the girls may have just as many to watch out for this weekend.
The jumps should bring a lot of excitement. In the triple jump, State College's Veronika Karpenko comes in as the top seed. She'll then return in the long jump that is loaded with talent. The reigning outdoor state champ Khyasi Caldwell-Adams is in the field, along with Cedar Cliff's Dazjanique Williams, State College's Taylor Givens, Susquehanna Township's Yasmin Brooks and Hempfield's Gabby Holmberg.
The pole vault is loaded as well. PA#1 from Easton, Greer Gumbrecht will be there, but so will Liberty's Rachel Finn, Carlisle's Sarah Bourdon, Hempfield's Molly DeBone, State College's Kinsey Thompson and Lyndsey Reed, and Coughlin's Madisyn Hawkins making for a deep field.
In the high jump, we have a field of Dallas' Katie Kravitsky, Cedar Cliff's Williams, and Hempfield's Gina Cuneo.
Cocalico's Emily Stauffer returns this weekend after winning and setting a new PA#1 at Tamaqua last week. She'll be in the shot put and discus again. Jocelen Ruth of Kutztown will also compete in both (as well as the javelin). Emily Johns of Lake Lehman will be one to watch in the discus in what should be a good day of throws. In the javelin, keep an eye out for Ruth as well as the Jim Thorpe combination of Brooke and Autumn Cope.
The sprints have the chance the shake up the state rankings quite a bit. In the 100, Jaylyn Aminu of Liberty leads in a field along with Susquehanna Township's Brooks, Whitehall's Amanda Crooks, South Western's Lynne Mooradian, State College's Haley Crawford and Cedar Cliff's Grace Gillespie, among others. Many of them will return in the 200. Mechanicsburg's Megan Mansfield is entered in the 200 and 400 and should be a factor in both.
Mooradian is also entered in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. Dieruff's Mahendra McWhite, Cumberland Valley's Paige Geatz, Hempfield's Bailey Traczynski and State College's Rachel Wylie is will be contesting both hurdle races as well. Brooks of Susquehanna Township is entered in the 100 hurdles in what will be a busy day for her.
Dallas' Ally Rome is the top seed in what should be a fast 1600 that includes Easton's Diana Hammerstone and State College's Natasha Fedkina. Cumberland Valley's Mady Clahane is entered in both the 800 and 3200 for a nice mix of speed and strength. Also attempted that double (according to the performance list) will be Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch. Those two previously raced in a 3200 at Bruce Dallas. Also in the 800 is Shikellamy's Yoangelys Cedeno and State College's Julia Neely.