AAA Boys' 1,600m Preview
Buckle up for this one because it's going to be fast. The field is loaded with no shortage of quick milers in what will be one of the state meet's most compelling distance races. Very little separates the top seeds in this field.
The top seed coming into the meet is Patrick Anderson of Mount Lebanon, who went 4:15.09 to win the WPIAL crown this past week. He outlasted North Allegheny's Zach Kinne (4:16.77) for the win. They are seeded 1-2 in the race, though Kinne is contesting the 3200 meters earlier in the meet. Anderson was an XC state champ in the fall, and the junior will have his sights set on an outdoor track title. Kinne, who transferred last summer from Illinois, will look to have a crack at the win off the double.
PA No. 1 in the event is Manheim Township's Evan Dorenkamp, who stormed to a 4:14.53 for the L-L League crown a few weeks ago. He went 4:17 to win at District 3 last week and has one of the best kicks in the bunch. Tyler Wirth of Wallenpaupack will look to close out his high school career on a high note. he took home the District 2 crown last week and has the talent to go after his first career state title on Saturday.
Jonah Hoey of Bishop Shanahan may be the best in the field. He dropped a 57-second last lap in a tactical District 1 race to take the win. A kick like that will be tough to beat on Saturday afternoon. He was a very close second a year ago, and the junior is hungry for his first states win. LaSalle College's Vincent Twomey took fourth in the state final a year ago. He ran a season best of 4:21 to take second in District 12, but he has the ability to drop a fast time this weekend. His LaSalle teammate Jack Seiberlich won that race and has been on the rise all season.
There are plenty of other fast runners in this field. West Chester East's Joshua Lewin was third in D1, but went 4:15 at Henderson this season. Mifflin County's Chayce Macknair, Governor Mifflin's Alexander Ermold, and Conestoga Valley's Nathan Grucelski have all run in the 4:16 range this spring, and Seneca Valley's Sam Owori has run 4:17 this year.
It could get tactical, which will favor some of those kickers. Or someone could take it out and make it a very
ENTRIES:
Event 704 Boys 1600 Meter Run AAA Prelims =============================================================================== NFHS Record: 3:59.51 2001 Alan Webb, RestonSoLakesHS, VA PIAA Record: 4:07.32 2011 Drew Magaha, Upper Moreland 01 NFHS Hnr Rol: 4:11.00 4:24.22 SQS Name Year School Seed relim Time =============================================================================== 1 392 Anderson, Patrick 11 Mount Lebanon 07 4:15.09 SQS 2 419 Kinne, Zachary 12 No Allegheny 07 4:16.77 SQS 3 656 Wirth, Tyler 12 Wallenpaupack 02 4:16.84 SQS 4 366 Dorenkamp, Evan 12 Manheim Twp 03 4:17.65 SQS 5 556 Owori, Sam 12 Seneca Valley 07 4:18.51 SQS 6 559 Volk-Klos, Connor 12 Seneca Valley 07 4:18.98 SQS 7 266 Binda, Dylan 12 Grnsbrg Salem 07 4:19.04 SQS 8 149 Grucelski, Nathan 12 Conestoga Vly 03 4:19.79 SQS 9 35 Hoey, Jonah 11 Bish Shanahan 01 4:20.13 SQS 10 341 Seiberlich, Jack 12 LaSalle Cllg 12 4:20.29 SQS 11 251 Price, Nate 12 Gen McLane 10 4:20.87 SQS 12 381 Macknair, Chayce 12 Mifflin Cnty 06 4:21.25 SQS 13 257 Ermold, Alexander 12 Gvrnr Mifflin 03 4:21.34 SQS 14 343 Twomey, Vincent 11 LaSalle Cllg 12 4:21.73 SQS 15 278 Tomov, Aiden 12 Haverford Twp 01 4:21.94 SQS 16 669 Lewin, Joshua 11 W C East 01 4:22.80 SQS 17 372 Beveridge, Matt 12 Meadville 10 4:23.09 SQS 18 283 Rittenhouse, Justin 12 Hempfield 03 4:23.31 SQS 19 449 Ali, Saabir 12 Overbrook 12 4:23.57 SQS 20 272 Starvaggi, Ryan 12 Harbor Creek 10 4:23.78 SQS 21 236 Garrett, Sean 11 Garnet Valley 01 4:24.28 22 469 Williamson, Riley 12 Parkland 11 4:24.62 23 189 Chamoun, Joseph 12 Dtown West 01 4:24.87 24 37 Haas, Kevin 11 Blue Mountain 11 4:25.77 25 119 Overcash, Trentin 12 Chambersburg 03 4:26.72 26 578 Strouse, Logan 12 Shikellamy 04 4:27.17 27 457 Toth, Zachary 11 Palmyra 03 4:27.25 28 515 Bartlebaugh, Owen 11 Punxsutawney 09 4:41.20