It was a big weekend for some of Pennsylvania's top throwers at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Nazareth Area's Collin Burkhart improved on his own PA No. 2 all-time performance in the hammer throw to take home the victory. The senior and Penn State recruit threw 221 feet, 6.25 inches to win the hammer -- over 20 feet better than second place. Burkhart threw 220-1 at the Rock Throw Invitational in December. Only Jordan Geist's national title-winning toss of 238-9 in the hammer from 2017 ranks ahead of Burkhart's performance.
Then in the javelin, Tunkhannock's Matthew Prebola picked up the win with a new personal best toss of 199-8, a PA No. 1 and US No. 2. It's a seven-inch improvement on Prebola's previous best, which was 199-1 from the PIAA State Championships in 2019 when he was just a freshman. It's a big start to the season for the junior Prebola, who keeps inching closer to the 20-foot marker.
Burkhart wasn't finished after his big showing in the hammer. He placed second in the javelin with a toss of 193-3. He'll also be a big factor in the event this season; he has the top returning mark in the state from the 2019 season.
In the girls' javelin, Renny Murphy of Berwick made a big statement with a nice PR of 143-6 to grab the win. Murphy, who was seventh in at the state meet two years ago in 2019, showed she'll be a major force in the even this season with this early season PA No. 1. Her 143-footer is a 13-foot improvement on her previous best from that state meet.
Mifflin County's Taylor Ciccolini threw a PA No. 2 of 138-5 to take third and Liberty's Brylee Tereska was second in the Emerging Elite with a toss of 116-10 (PA No. 3).
Other Highlights
- Williamsport's Allen Taylor started off his season on the right foot, taking third in the 110m hurdles in a PA No. 1 time of 14.77.
- Inara Shell of Friends' Central leapt to a pair of PA No. 1 in the horizontal jumps. The senior jumped 17-10.5 in the long jump for fourth overall and 38-3.5 for third in the triple jump. Shipley's Sabrina Imes jumped 37-10 (PA No. 2) for fifth in the triple jump.
- Girard College's Margaret Conteh ran a new PR in the 400 meters, placing second in a competitive final in a time of 55.13, which is also a new PA No. 1.
- Friends' Central's Miracle Price clocked a pair of PA No. 1s. Price took second in the 800 meters in 2:16.25 and 11th in the mile in 5:17.86.
- North Catholic's Trevor Paschall went 22.62 for a PA No. 1 in the 200 meters to take fifth in the final.
- Exeter's Alex Holbrook ran a pair of PA No. 1s, taking 10th in the mile in 4:29.36 and 13th in the 2 mile in 9:50.49.