Live Stream: PTFCA State Championship

Live coverage begins on March 2nd

800 Meter Preview | Mile Preview | 3000 Meter Preview

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800 Meter Preview:

Boys:

@oldschooltrack Picks: In last year's PTFCA finale, Smith claimed the top spot in 1:52.83 in an even-split run for the winner. The meet record of 1:50.55 is 11 years old. I believe it is in serious jeopardy if Smith wants to give it a go in what should be a busy day with legs likely on Mifflin County's 4x800 and DMR quartets. Lightner will be fresh for the 800. It should be a great competition in my favorite track event, with the nod given to Smith.

Times don't always tell the whole story, but in the case of Mifflin County standout Carter Smith's 2025 indoor season, the minutes and seconds speak volumes about what the junior has accomplished in the middle distances, especially the 800 meters.

Currently ranked No. 1 in Pennsylvania and No. 3 in the U.S., the junior ran 1:51.71 on the Penn State oval back in mid-January, winning the Kevin Dare Invite 800 by 5.7 seconds. His PR of 1:50.31 came two weeks ago on the 300 oval at Youngstown State in a much-anticipated race against Bullis School senior Colin Abrams and North Hills standout Kayden Lightner, with US#4 Abrams and Lightner joining Smith in eclipsing the old facility record set by Abrams a year ago. Lightner's new indoor PR of 1:51.20 in the Ohio race is US#9 and PA#2 heading to State College.

In addition to the defending champion, Smith and Lightner, who was sixth last year, two others are back from award-winning runs in 2024 at PSU. Stefon Dodoo of Springside Chestnut Hill is No. 7 on the 2025 charts after a fourth in 2024, and fellow senior Joseph Garzio of Radnor was 8th last year and has run a PA#4 1:53.42 thus far this year.

Others in this year's top 6 headed to State College include Josh Sharp (1:52.74) of Upper Darby, Council Rock North's Lucas Poliseno (1:53.77), and Musa Herzi (1:53.85) of North Penn. A total of 17 have run 1:56 or faster thus far in 2025.

Girls:

@oldschooltrack Picks: They were separated by only tenths of a second a year ago on the 200-meter banked track at PSU, and now they are even closer as teammates at Penn Charter. Both have been very busy this indoor season, racing from 400 meters to the mile. Decisions ... decisions ... I will take Hamilton by the narrowest of margins.

With two girls ranked in the U.S. top 7 and another in the select group under 2:10, Pennsylvania is loaded with some of the finest 800-meter runners in the nation. The top two finishers from a year ago are back, along with the state's fastest indoors over the past two seasons.

Let's start off with last year's champ, Alli DeLisi. The Penn Charter senior ran down the field in 2024, trailing by a full second at 400 and winning by 0.33 seconds in 2:07.84 over now Penn Charter teammate Gwen Hamilton. Hamilton is PA#2 and US#7 this year at 2:07.86, while DeLisi has a PA#3 and US#13 2:09.70 to her credit this indoor season.

Missing from the PTFCA 800 equation again is current PA#1 and US#2 Olivia Cieslak (2:04.58) of Haverford Township. The senior and Stanford recruit has opted for another run at a state mile title indoors at Penn State, having finished second a year ago.

Megan Puleio of Meadville was fourth a year ago in 2:12.43 and showed good speed to win the TSTCA 800 a week ago in a PA#9 2:14.22. Avah Savage of Norristown was seventh last year and has run sub 2:15 this season. This year's top 10 headed to State College includes four sophomores, led by Neenah Trusty of Friends' Central and her PA#4 2:13.49.