Thelma Davies (Girard College HS) / Photo by Kyle Brazeil
Pennsylvania left the world's biggest indoor track and field meet with three golds, highlighting a big day at the NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory. Girard College's Thelma Davies, Germantown Academy's Abbe Goldstein, and Carlisle's Noah Affolder took home individual wins and many other PA individuals and relays shined on Saturday.
Davies, a sophomore, ran a PR of 6.82 to take the win, an upset of sorts of Middletown (DE)'s Daija Lampkin. Lampkin ran 6.88 for second place. Davies' time also tops Lampkin's US#1, so Davies is the new national leader.
In the girls' mile, Goldstein knew it was an open field without a big name like Kate Murphy in the field. The Germantown Academy senior seized that opportunity and picked up the biggest win of her career. Goldstein ran 4:49.06, a huge PR and US#3, for the win in a stacked field that saw six girls dip under five minutes. She made it a runaway, too, winning by over two seconds over second place Olivia Beckner. Unionville's Anna Juul took tenth and Cardinal O'Hara's Olivia Arizin was 11th in the race.
Watch a post-race interview with Goldstein below:
Then in the boys' mile, Carlisle's Affolder redeemed himself in a big way, taking the win in a US#2 time of 4:07.24. Affolder was on his way to the win last winter, but eased up before the line, costing him the win. This time around, there was no doubt about it for the Syracuse recruit. Affolder took the win over second place Brodey Hasty of Brentwood, Tennessee.
Affolder took the race out fast, running 61 seconds through the first 409 meters. He closed in a 30.02 second final lap over 200 meters to run to the win.
Noah's brother Sam Affolder took fifth in the race in a time of 4:13.45. Winchester Thurston's Tristan Forsythe was eighth in 4:17.13, and Bishop Shanahan's Josh Hoey was 11th in 4:23.64.
In the boys' 4x800, there were some flying times with six of the nation's top ten times coming from the same race, as well as the top three Pennsylvania 4x8s of the season. St. Benedict's from New York scored the narrow victory over New Jersey's Hopewell Catholic in a close finish, 7:52.71 to 7:52.76.
Germantown Friends took third in the race in a PA#1 and US#5 time of 7:54.68. The first three legs all clocked FAT splits under two minutes, while the anchor closed in a 1:56.53 to help his GFS squad to third. Pennsbury also ran well, taking fifth overall in 7:57.11. That's good enough for PA#2 and US#8. The State College Area boys, the defending Millrose champs, took ninth in a PA#3 and US#12 7:58.55.
A night after running to the win at the TFCAofGP Last Chance Meet, Imhotep's Ade Jones-Roundtree took second to William Henderson from Maryland. Jones-Roundtree clocked a 6.37, just off his season best from the Hispanic Games (where he also took second to Henderson). Dock Mennonite's Austin Kratz took seventh in the race, matching his season best of 6.50.
Imhotep later ran the 4x200 in a stacked field. They placed third in that race in a time of 1:29.45.
While Louisian's Mondo Duplantis was stealing headlines en route to his national record 18-10.25 in the junior boys' pole vault, a pair of Pennsylvania competitors had great meets. Hatboro-Horsham's Nick Marino placed sixth overall, clearing a new indoor PR of 15-7.75. East Pennsboro's Payton Morris took seventh clearing a height of 15-1.75. On Thursday at Millrose, South Williamsport's Katie Jones won the competition.