MEET PREVIEW: Elitse Runners & Walkers/Brooks Baldwin Invitational

GIRLS:

Burrell's Nicole Scherer is favored in the sprints at Baldwin (Photo by David Beyerle)

Burrell's Nicole Scherer will be the one to watch in both the 100 and 200. She's PA#5 in the 100 and PA#4 in the 200. She's the strong favorite at Baldwin.

Sewickley's Summer Thorpe is the top seed in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. In the 100 hurdles, watch for Ringgold's Bailey Cooper, Plum's Ashley Amato and Penn Hills' Jayla Ellis could provide a challenge. In the 300 hurdles, Hempfield's Gabby Holmberg is also in the field.

The girls' distance events should bring plenty of excitement.  Quaker Valley's Hannah Bablak will race Knoch's Mandi Moxi, Villa Maria's Claire Brown, Mount Lebanon's Kelsey Potts, and Kiski's Megan Aller in what should be a fast race up front. Bablak and Brown then return for the 800, but they'll see a good race from Mount Lebanon's Claire Dougherty and Oakland Catholic's Lauren Finikiotis.

In the 3200, Vincentian Academy's Marianne Abdalah heads the field along with North Allegheny's Clara Savchik and Grove City's Catie Jaskowak. Expect a handful of quick times and the calendar has rolled over to May.

Hickory's Tori McKinley is entered in the shot and disc at Baldwin (Photo by Don Rich)

Hickory's Tori McKinley has had a great junior season already, and she'll look to continue that on Friday. McKinley is the top seed and favorite in both the shot put and discus. She's ranked second in the state in both events.

In the pole vault, Hempfield's Molly DeBone, Greensburg Central Catholic's Michelle Karabin, and Laurel Highlands' Cassandra Phelan are the favorites in what should be a close competition. Phelan is PA#6, while DeBone and Karabin are tied for PA#9.

In the high jump, Brownsville's Maris Seto is the top seed, while Holmberg will look to improve upon her PA#11 in the triple jump.

In the relays, the former PA#1 from Villa Maria returns to the track. They're entered as the top seed. Quaker Valley and Mount Lebanon could bring strong teams as well. Penn Hills will be the team to watch in the 4x400, while 

BOYS:

Peters Township's Nick Wolk will be on of many distance runners to keep an eye on at Baldwin (Photo by Phil Grove)

The relay to watch will be the boys' 4x100, which features PA#2 Pittsburgh Central Catholic. They ran a season best 42.49 at Butler a few weeks ago and will look to reclaim that top spot this week.

There should be a good battle between Isaac Elliot of Ambridge Area and Meadville's Journey Brown in the 100 and 200. Micah Watts of West Mifflin should be up there too, and North Allegheny's Ayden Owens is entered in the 200. Elliot is also in the 400, along with Penn Hills' Brennon Hill.

Owens leads the 300 meter hurdle field. He's PA#1 there, but he could get a challenge from Hempfield's Seth Spino and Mount Lebanon's Pat Kimball. Spino is also in the 110 hurdlesm where Kiski's Jace Roundtree is the heavy favorite, looking to keep up a very impressive season.

The mile is loaded, headlined by Seneca Valley's Mike Kolor, fresh off a Friday night mile at the Penn Relays. He's back out west to face Peters Township's Nick Wolk, North Allegheny's Jacob Stupak, Waynesburg Central's Ben Bumgarner, Winchester Thurston's Tristan Forsythe, and Quaker Valley's Zach Skolnekovich.

Kolor is also entered in the 800, which also includes Seneca's Donovan Myers and Penn Hills' Isaiah Bailey.

The 3200 will be a big race, too. Wolk is entered, but so are Forsythe and Skolnekovich. Mount Lebanon's Todd Gunzenhauser, Plum's Jake Susalla, Winchester Thurston's Will Loevner, and North Allegheny's Marc Migliozzi, among others make up what should be a fast race.

Knoch's Jordan Geist returns to the circle a week after throwing over 73 feet in the shot put (Photo by Phil Grove)

Knoch's Jordan Geist headlines the field events. Geist went and broke his own state record at the Penn Relays last week, winning his second straight title there. He's now over 73 feet and is aiming for more this weekend. Evan Blaire of Hickory and Dom Marshall of Hempfield will also compete in the shot.

Blaire will be the favorite in the discus, where he's PA#1. Geist (PA#3) will look to challenge, along with Marshall and his teammate Alex Murray. In the javelin, PA#3 Andrew Manz of North Allegheny is the top seed with Hempfield's Hayden Fox also in that field.

Fox is also entered in the pole vault where he'll square off with his usual western PA rival, Caleb Sanford of McDowell. Sanford went over PA#1 15-7 at Butler, while Fox has cleared 15-0 this season.

In the high jump, look out for Meadville's AJ Byham and Laurel Highlands' Chad Livingston. Both will look to make considerable moves up the state leaderboard. PA#9 Matt Kelly of McDowell is the top seed in the long jump.