The wait is over. It is officially PTFCA Championship Week. With an action-packed meet on deck - we want to ensure you're as prepared as we are.
Throughout the week, we will release event-by-event previews of the action and what you can expect on Sunday. Today we have previews of the Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump and Pole Vault. Make sure to click through to each event to read event-by-event previews of the action.
Pole Vault | High Jump | Long Jump | Triple Jump
High Jump Preview
By John Davern
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The Girls
The Girls' High jump is the most challenging event to preview. That's because 12 girls in this field have jumped between 5-3 and 5-5 this year. An incredibly condensed group of girls will compete in this year's championship - making the battle for the championship a highly anticipated affair.
Sara McConnell (River Valley), Grace Howard (South Fayette), and Anna Troutman (Fox Chapel) sit amongst the top of the entrants. They have each cleared 5-5 this season.
Though McConnell has only jumped at four meets this year, she has impressed often. She has won back-to-back meets in February and is coming off a personal best weekend.
Grace Howard was a favorite coming into this year's championship. She finished the 2022 season as the PTFCA Championship Runner-up - clearing 5-4 in the effort. Howard is one of the most consistent girls in this field. Though she is coming off a disappointing finish at the TSTCA Indoor Championship meet, she strung together five straight meets of jumping 5-1 or higher.
The girl who won the TSTCA Championship was Anna Troutman. She recorded a personal best of 5-5 last week and has improved in her five meets this year. She finished 16th at last year's championship but is a threat to win it all this year.
After finishing third at the 2022 PTFCA Championship, Katie Becker (Warwick) has re-established herself as a championship favorite. She is undefeated in 2023 and has only jumped worse than 5-4 once this year. She has what it takes to compete with the best.
Grace Patterson (Council Rock South) is riding a hot streak. She won the PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival and the DVGTCA Meet of Champions in back-to-back weeks. Before those wins - she jumped her lifetime best of 5-4 at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.
Outside of those Top Five, Giana Torri (Hempfield 7), Ashley Laukus (Norwin), Reagan Irons (Tyrone), Ava Koski (Neshannock), Niya Jeffers (Chester), Teresa Moore (Lancaster Catholic), and Grace Nichols (Butler) could all find themselves competing for the top of the podium.
The Boys
Similarly, there are a lot of boys who could contend for the win in the long jump.
Drew Domurat (Coatesville) stands above them with his PA No. 1 performance of 6-5. He has consistently jumped over 6-3 this year and cleared 6-4 to win the TFCAofGP Meet of Champions last week. He finished sixth at last year's championship but is poised to improve upon that position.
Xavier Bryan-Booth (North Penn), Ty'Shawn Ewings (Harrisburg), Xavier McGreal (Kennett), Jayden Ekoko (Easton), JJ Kelly (Chambersburg), Joachim Johnson (Episcopal Academy), and Aiden Carey (Central Bucks South) have all cleared 6-4 higher this season.
Byran-Booth was the 2022 PTFCA Indoor Championship Runner-Up, as he cleared 6-2. This year he has only high jumped at three different meets but scored back-to-back wins to open the season. He had an off day at the TFCAofGP Meet of Champions, but we expect him to bounce back this weekend.
Ewings is making his PTFCA Championship debut this weekend. He has steadily improved throughout this season and most recently hit a lifetime best to win the Douglas Wesner Memorial Invitational.
McGreal made his indoor track and field debut this year. He earned his first win of the year at the PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival.
Ekoko finished 11th at the PTFCA Indoor Championship last year and has consistently hit solid marks this year. He hasn't jumped worse than 6-1 this season.
The wild card of the group is JJ Kelly. He has only competed in one meet this year but cleared 6-4 to win the Mercersburg Mid-Winter Madness meet. He could steal the show if he can replicate that success or find further success. Joachim Johnson has experienced a similar season to Kelly. He has only jumped twice but cleared 6-2 and 6-4.
Carey has consistently jumped around 6-0 but has a breakthrough performance at the Kristian Marche Memorial Invitational. He finished second to Bryan-Booth at that meet but still hit a career-best.