In the Boy's 4x800, Lewisburg was nipped at the wire, but split a comfortable 2:00.9, 2:01.3, 2:02.9, 2:01.2 for and 8:06.24. Manheim Township ran the fastest time of the day, a 7:54.68, but Craig Miller will be replaced on Saturday by his twin, Brad, so he can concentrate on trying to win the 1600. Upper Dublin won the 2nd heat in 7:55.49. If you didn't break 8:04, you didn't make the final. .In the AA girls 1600, Gwynedd Mercy's Kahki Mealey and Kate Vernon are in. Mealy was 2nd in the first heat to Fairview junior Aryn Gruneisen. Vernon won the 2nd heat in 5:06.55. In AA Boys, Chris Spooner ran his 2nd race of the day in 4:21.64, with average splits of 65.4 (63.2, 2:09.1, 3:16.1, 4:21.64) David Mock, Westmont Hilltop, won the 2nd heat in 4:20.94 (65.4, 2:12.8, 3:19.4, 4:20.94 - Average split of 65.2). Frances Koons cruised comfortably in the AAA girls (70.0, 2:26.6, 3:44.2, 5:00.82 - Average quarter of 75.1). Freedom junior Lauretta Dezubay posted a 4:59.13 with splits of 73.8, 2:28.4, 3:45.00 - Average quarter of 74.7). The AAA boys matchup will be between Mike Booth, West Mifflin, (69.8, 2:19.2, 3:23.7, 4:23.60 - average split of 65.8) who has gone 4:07.71; and Manheim Township sophomore Craig Miller, (64.3, 2:08.8, 3:14.4, 4:16.74 with a last lap of 62.3). James O'Toole, Mount Lebanon, should be in the mix (2:08.1, 3:14.1, 4:17.30. last lap of 62.9). .
In the 100 meter dash, the big guns ran the top times: Knowledge Timmons, William Penn, 10.67, Andrew Johnson, 10.80, Robert Staten, Bethel, 10.86. In AA boys, it was Kevin Baidoo, Harriton, 10.89, and Andre Broussard, Elmer L. Meyers, 10.93 to lead the advancers. In AA girls, it was Jasmine Rogers, Quaker, 12.27, and in the AAA girls, Upper Darby senior, and favorite Jannea Bridgeford ran a 12.24. Southwestern's Catie Hare went 12.16 in the first heat, while Janessa Murphy, a Great Valley junior, ran 12.22. .
Big news in the short hurdles was that Mycaiah Clemons, Valley, withdrew from the meet with a hamstring injury. The top ranked qualifier is Jasmine Rogers, Quaker Valley, who set the WPIAL record a week ago while beating Clemons. Rogers ran 14.76 today. In AAA girls, the top qualifier is Sha-Tira Snell, Penn Hills, 14.67. Kate Noonan Sessa, the third ranked 100 meter hurdler in the state did not qualify for the final in that event due to a false start. In AAA boys, Carrington Queen, Chichester, posted a 14.54, while in AA, Chris Morrisey, Ligonier Valley, ran 14.77. .
Krista Simpkins from Wissahickon has also scratched from the entire meet due to a hamstring injury.She was the top-ranked runner in the state in the 200 meters and the 2nd ranked runner in the state in the 400 meters. She was the defending champ in the 200, and the current PIAA AAA record holder at 23.77. With Simkins absent, the favorites have to be Kaetlyhn Brown of Schenley, who went 25.42, Melissa Miler, Athens, 24.95, and Jannea Bridgeford, Uppe Darby, 25.02. Boiling Springs' Mary Dell went 25.90 with the best AA time. For the guys, Andrew Johnson of North Hills, false started (by a lot) to miss the final. The top qualifier was a 22.04 by Knowledge Timmons. The District One champ, Quenton Boyer, went 22.07. The fastest time of the day was Andre Broussard of Elmer L. Meyers, who ran 21.93. .
Other top times in the trials: .
4x100 meter relay AA girls: Lewisburg, top qualifier with a time of 49.59. AA boys: Elmer L. Meyers, 42.27, AAA girls: Penn Hills, top qualifier with a time of 47.77. AAA boys: West Mifflin, top qualifier with a time of 42.00. .
400 meter dash AA girls: Top qualifiers: Lacey Cochran, Freeport 57.19; Abby Montgomery, Hughesville, 57.80 AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Kaetlyn Brown, Schenley, 56.35, and Erica Moody, Oakland, 56.97. AA boys: Top qualifier, Michael Coe, Reading Central, 49.32. AAA boys: Top qualifier, Tracy Robinson, WC Henderson, 48.52. .
300 meter hurdles AA girls: Amanda Seigworth, Northwestern, (freshman) 45.93; Samantha Snukis, Nativvity BVM, 45.99. AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Chanel Williams, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 44.62, Kristen Jones, Cumberland Valley, 45.59, Sha-Tira Snell, Penn Hills, 45.66. AA boys: Chris Morrisey, Ligonier Valley, 38.79; AAA boys: Tyrone Midder, Altoona, 38.54, Ozzie Brown, Plymouth Whitemarsh + Tobias Robinson, cedar Crest, both in 39.19. .
800 meters Chris Spooner's other individual goal for individual gold is the 800, He led the qualifiers in 1:55.58 (56.8, 58.8), looking more than comfortable. AA girls: Kaitlin Urban, Westmont Hilltop, 2:16.46; Faye Korich, Springfield Montco, 2:17.20; Alexzandra Loos, Bentwood (freshman) 2:17.78. AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Liz Kearins, Central Bucks West, 2:12.62, Fiana York, Haverford, 2:13.21, Maressa Pinzini, Cheltenham, 2:13.60. AAA boys: The first heat had to expend a lot of energy with five guys under 1:56, led by Connellesville junior in 1:55.09. Notably absent from the final will be both Central Dauphin runners, Ryan Jones and Mark Wieder.
In the 4x400, the Penn Hills girls are a favorite, going 3:56.03, the second fastest time in WPIAL history, along with Henderson, which ran 3:56.35. Penn Hills' splits for the underclassmen were 58.5, 59.5, 60.0, and 57.9 for an average of 59.0. The race will be missing a Wissahickon team anchored byKrista Simkins. Gwynedd Mercy , Elk county Catholic and Milton Hershey had the fastest qualifiers in AA. For the AAA boys, Harrisburg fell and the field will be led by Glen Mills, Bensalem and Central Dauphin East. The Milton Hershey boys ran 3:23.55 in AA.