State Rankings Rewritten In Staten Island: Ocean Breeze Invitational Recap


Ocean Breeze Invitational - Boys (Saturday) Meet Recap

Kratz creeps close to history

Austin Kratz has been on fire this season, something that should be pretty evident to anyone paying attention to the Dock Mennonite senior this season. On Saturday, Kratz pulled out another huge performance, winning a pair of sprint events.

Kratz dropped a time of 21.23, the second fastest time in state history and a new US#2 time. Kratz also won the 55 meters in 6.40, matching his personal best in the event. It was yet another show put on by Kratz, who will still have plenty more chances to chase Brady Gehret's state record and more this season.

Indoor states, you've been warned.

PA Sprinters put on a show

It wasn't just Kratz dropping quick times, while repping the Keystone State on Saturday. Pennsylvania went to New York and absolutely dominated the sprints. Saint Joseph's Prep's Miles Green made a big statement in the 400 meters, running a PA#1 time of 48.26, just .02 off his personal best from last winter's state meet. This came after Green ran a PR of 21.84 in the 200 meters for third place.

Second to Kratz in that 200 meters was Harry S. Truman's Sayyid Saunders, who ran a PA#2 time of 21.47. Saunders has been quiet since the beginning of the season, but he has made his return to the track in a big way with his performances.

In fact, five of the state's top six times in the 200 meters came from that final. Kratz is the state leader, followed by Saunders at PA#2, Green at PA#4, Savion Hebron of Neshaminy (PA#5 21.89), and Lower Merion's Romaine Rhoden (PA#6 21.91). Rick Zink of Bishop Shanahan just missed the final in the 200, but did run a very impressive PA#2 time of 48.55 in the 400 taking second to Green. Green's SJP teammate Robert Dupell III was third in a PA#3 49.03.

More wins for Garland

Kyle Garland of Germantown Academy always stays busy and that was the case this weekend at Ocean Breeze. Garland did was he does best: winning. He took the long jump with a leap of 22-9.5, just off his indoor PR. It's a new season best for him and puts him at PA#3 in an event that is much more competitive throughout the state than we've seen in prior years. 

Garland also went 7.41 for the hurdles win, capping off yet another multi-win meet. He now says he's gearing up for the Dunamis Super Meet in a few weeks in Georgia.

Kujdych and Endres score victories

Neshaminy's Rusty Kujdych blasted a time of 4:15.09 to roll to the mile win. It's a new PA#2 and PR for the XC state champ. LaSalle's Evan Addison went PA#4 (4:17.08) to place second.

In the 800 meters, Central Bucks East's David Endres threw his name in the hat of what is becoming an increasingly more wide open event in the state scene. Endres went 1:55.05 to win his heat and edge out the times from the prior heat to take the overall win. That's good enough for a PA#2 for Endres. Neumann Goretti's Kamil Jihad took fourth overall and ran a new PA#4 time of 1:55.43.

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