The Weekend Slate is Stacked With Competition. We can't preview everything, but here are five quick things that you should watch out for.
Jayden Horton-Mims (Imhotep), Ade Lloyd (Harriton), Jesufifunmi Olugbenga (Ridley), AJ Glavicic (Strath Haven), and Quamere Cosby (Chester) will compete in a LOADED 400m field.
How fast will they go? No one knows. We're talking about some of the best 400m runners in the nation, let alone the state. Horton-Mims was just off the Indoor State Record this past season, but Ade Lloyd nipped him at the line at states.
The outdoor record is 45.17, set by William Reed in 1987.
Is that in reach? Probably not, but these boys could dip into the 46s and move themselves one step closer to the all-time mark. Lloyd and Horton-Mims are only juniors.
2. Griffith and Pajak are Headed to Cali for Arcadia
Drew Griffith (Butler) and Ryan Pajak (Ringgold) took the long trip to California to race in one of the most competitive 3200m fields we have ever seen.
The Arcadia 3200m Invite features high school distance stars from across the nation, including Daniel Simmons, JoJo Jourdon, Patrick Koon, Josiah Tostenson, and others.
Of course, that field also features Drew Griffith, who set the Indoor National 2 Mile record by running 8:34.91, and Ryan Pajak, who finished fourth at New Balance Nationals in the Indoor 5000m last month.
Simmons broke the National Record in that 5000m race, running 13:38.86
The 3200m Invitational is scheduled to begin at 11:34 PM EST on Saturday.
The boy's 1600m field at Saturday's Altoona Area Igloo invitational will feature several stellar Central PA talents, including the Indoor State 800m Champion.
Sophomore Carter Smith (Mifflin County) shocked the state by running 1:52.83 to win the Indoor 800m Championship in February, and he has been working on the 1600m distance this spring. He opened the season with a 4:27.32 before running 4:22.39 at a Tri-Meet this week.
Kevin Sherry (Coudersport) will also be in the show. Indoors, Sherry finished sixth in the state in the One Mile, with a 4:15.86, before doubling back and finishing third in the 3000m. He is the favorite heading into this clash, but it'll be interesting to see how well Smith can stick with him.
Tyler Rader (Huntingdon) is seeded at 4:17.21. He ran that to win the PIAA District 6 2A Championship last season and finished eighth at the PIAA Final.
Behind them are a slew of State College boys, including Samuel Endres. He ran 4:23.30 indoors.
The boys' and girls' pole vault competitions at the Bruce Dallas Invitational are slated to be intense.
The Boy's field will feature Drake Risser (Lower Dauphin), Breckin Swope (East Pennsboro), and Mason Bucks (Palmyra). In case you missed it, they all finished inside the top five at the PTFCA Indoor State Championship, with Risser coming away with the crown. They'll all look to climb the all-time ranks. Swope and Risser sit tied at 20th, with their 16-0 outdoor bests.
The girls' field will feature Kylie Eismann (Lower Dauphin), Lilyana Carlson (Bermudian Springs), Adeline Woodward (Trinity), and Kate Harnish (Penn Manor). They all finished inside the top ten at the PTFCA Indoor State Championship, with Carlson finishing second.
5. Laila Campbell will Start her March to the Top
Campbell opened her outdoor season last year with a 12.08 effort at the Tim Cook Invitational. This year, she opened with a 12.06.
If that's any sign of the future, it could be another dominant outdoor campaign for Laila Campbell, who won the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 100m title in 2023.
Her march will continue at the Bruce Dallas Invitational, where she is the heavy favorite in the 100m. Other notables include Tamryn Premici (Central Dauphin East), Alondra Montijo-Ortiz (Conestoga Valley), and Aasly DeLeon (JP McCaskey).
Interestingly, Campbell is also entered in the Long Jump. This will be her high school invitational debut in the event if she competes.