New Balance Games - Meet Recap
GIRLS' RECAP
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Saucon Valley's Talitha Diggs took over the state lead in the 300 meters. The sophomore ran 39.49 to finish second in the invitational section of the event. She'd been knocking on the doorstep of breaking 40 seconds in two previous meets. Now she's dipped well under 40 and into the PA#1 slot. Coatesville's Porsha Miles took third overall in 40.25, a new PA#4.
The Cheltenham girls kept rolling in the 4x200 meter relay. The Panthers bettered their own PA#1 in the event, running 1:40.66 in the finals to take second to NY's Paul Robeson. Coatesville (PA#2) took third and Norristown (PA#3) was fourth. Look for many of those teams to be in the mix at the state meet.
The Baldwin School looked strong once again in the 4x400 meter relay. They bettered their own PA#3 in the 4x4, running a time of 3:58..74 to take the win. Penn Wood placed second in 4:02.63, a PA#6 time.
Norristown's Jonae Cook ran 7.12 in the finals of the 55 meters to place fourth in a strong field. That moves Cook up to PA#2, trailing just Thelma Davies.
Springside Chestnut Hill's Haley Unthank placed fourth in the 600 meters in a new PA#2 time of 1:36.20.
Cheltenham's Brianna Smith was sixth in the finals of the 55 meter hurdles. She ran 8.72 in the prelims.
DISTANCE
Katie Dammer of Abington Heights took second in the mile, which was won by NY's Kelsey Chmiel, who clocked a US#2 time for the victory. But for Dammer, it's an indoor PR and puts her at PA#3 at the end of the weekend.
Owen J. Roberts ran well in the DMR. The squad went 12:43.98 to take fifth in the invitational section. That moves OJR at PA#3.
In the 1,000 meters, Coatesville's Sammie Miller went 3:06.19 for eighth place. That puts Miller at PA#2 on the season. Penn Wood's Kyra Carroll was 12th in a PA#3 time of 3:06.85.
Msgr. Bonner & Abp. Prendie's Jenna Rastatter was the top PA finisher in the 2 mile. The senior ran a PA#4 12:27.10 for 35th place overall.
FIELD
Abby Norwillo of Pittston Area stayed undefeated on the season. Norwillo for the sixth time this season earned a win in the pole vault. She cleared 12-6 for the victory. Danielle Heine of Abington Heights placed third overall, clearing 11-6.
Jessica Slagus of North Pocono picked up the win in the weight throw. Slagus threw 49-7 to win by nearly three feet.
Easton Area's Kate Willshaw continued her strong season in the high jump. The junior jumped 5-4 to take the win in the event. That's her second win in as many meets.
BOYS' RECAP
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Before Saturday, the state scene in the sprint relays could be best classified as "wide open." No teams had put down a truly convincing time. That changed at The Armory, as Saint Joseph's Prep swept both the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays in a big day.
Prep went 1:29.68 to win the 4x2 and then went 3:18.23 to win the 4x4 and to break the meet record, which stood since 2003. Both performances are PA#1s.
Neshaminy's Savion Hebron put down a big performance in the 300 meters. Hebron took the win in the invitational section, running a PA#3 time of 34.62.
Norristown's Austin Montgomery ran a time of 6.45 in the 55 meter final to take second overall. That was enough to move the sophomore up to PA#3.
Scott Honicker of Owen J. Roberts put down a nice PR in the 55 meter hurdles. Honicker ran 7.69 in the finals to place seventh in the field.
DISTANCE
Seneca Valley flexed its relay muscles once again. This time, the Raiders went hard in the DMR, running a new state-leading time of 10:23.07 to place second to Saratoga Spring (NY).
In the loaded invitational mile, PA came away with some strong performances, running three of the top six times in the state. Rusty Kujdych of Neshaminy ran 4:19.28 for fourth place and a PA#3 time. Joe Cullen of Wyomissing Area was fifth in a PA#4 time of 4:23.15. Wallenpaupack's Tyler Wirth took seventh in a PA#6 time of 4:24.11.
Methacton's Michael Clark took fourth in the 600 meters in a time of 1:23.98, which puts him at PA#3 in the event
FIELD
Bangor Area's Anthony Jones and Milton Hershey's Jordan Winslow placed second in the high jump. Both cleared 6-3, the same as winner Adonis McGee of St. Peter's Prep (NY), but McGee had the advantage on attempts.
Hershey's Dalton Burnham took second place in the pole vault. The senior jumped 14-6 to move up to PA#5. In the long jump, Malvern Prep's David Bolles took second in the long jump Bolles jumped 21-5.5, a T-PA#10.