Boys Long Jump Preview
Troy Johnson has enjoyed a huge season this winter, and he will look to win his first state title on Sunday. The JP McCaskey senior is the state leader and the one to beat in the boys long jump for the state meet.
Consistency is key in the long jump, and Johnson has been very consistent in the event this year. He owns the two bests jumps in PA this winter -- his PA#1 23-3.5 and his jump of 22-10.5 from earlier this season. He's also the lone boy to jump past 23 feet in the field. He's broken through in a big way and Johnson will go for the gold.
But seven others in PA have jumped at least 22 feet this season, and those boys will be right in the mix, too. Springside Chestnut Hill's Henry Banks Brandstadter, who is among the high jump favorites, will also be one to watch in the long, where he is PA#2. Banks Brandstadter has jumped 22-6.5 this season, which he did to win the TFCAofGP Meet of Champs. He's been long jumping better as the season's gone on and looks to be in a good spot to challenge for the win here.
Altoona's Ty Friedenberger has also progressed nicely in the long jump this season. He put down a jump of 22-5.5 at YSU earlier this month. Epsicopal's Mekhi Rodgers (22-3 season best), Hickory's Luca Bertolasio (22-3), Mifflin County's Josiah Sechler (22-2.25), Saint Joseph's Prep's Brendan Leneghan (22-0.25), MLK's Nasim Moody (22-0.25), and Northampton's Logan Henry (22-11.25) all have season bests right around the same neighborhood.
We know a pop can come at any time. Can any of those 22-footers pull out a big jump to take the win? There's a good chance it will take a jump well into the 23s to take the gold here.
ENTRIES:
Event 28 Boys Long Jump
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9 to the finals
Meet Record: 24-11.50 2/23/2019 Ezra Mellinger, Lampeter Strasburg
Name Year School
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1 Bertolasio, Luca 11 Hickory
2 Brandstadter, Henry Banks 12 Spside Chestnut
3 Crow, Matthew 12 Twin Valley
4 Friedenberger, Ty 12 Altoona Area
5 Henry, Logan 12 Northampton
6 Johnson, Troy 12 J.P. McCaskey
7 Kauffman, Jacob 12 Lower Dauphi
8 Leneghan, Brendan 12 St Joseph Prep
9 Liu, Jed 12 Strath Haven
10 Moody, Nasim 12 Martin Luthe
11 Peters, Momo 11 Father Judge
12 Rekich, Tyler 12 Butler
13 Rodgers, Mekhi 12 Episcopal Acad
14 Roof, Nicolas 12 Beth Catholic
15 Rose, Jake 12 Sthern Columbia
16 Sample, Gabriel 12 Muhlenberg
17 Sechler, Josiah 11 Mifflin County
18 Smith, Daniel 12 Nazareth Are
19 Weaver, Teagan 12 Lampeter Strras
20 Wert, Dillon 12 Mifflin County