Craig Miller of Manheim Township came into the meet just looking to set a PR in the Mile. His time of 4:06.76 in 2004 at this meet had nearly set a US sophomore record. But at the State meet, he had gone out hard -- (59.6-2:00.8-3:02.1, saying he had simply "wanted a fast time" -- ending up with 4:11.98. "I guess I was a little worried" (coming into the Nike Meet). "It might have hurt me a little bit - psychologically." But he stuck to his plan for this race, at least for the first two laps, sitting in second to see what others would do. But on lap three, he accelerated, and opened the field starting the final lap. He was passed in the first 100 of lap four by Jeff See and Justin Switzer, and gapped about 10 meters entering turn three. But he fought back to regain contact, and passed Switzer on the final turn. At that point, See was gone, and Miller held on for 2nd and a 4:07.19. "I had wanted to run faster than last year." Miller says he will probably skip swimming between cross country and outdoor in his senior year, "to get a better base."
All he did in two days at NON was PR twice and nearly win a national championship, running 13.72 to nearly beat heavy favorite Jared Husek, losing by just .01. Queen had run a 13.91 in Friday's prelims. Queen credits his work on technique and starts between the meets with his improvement and obvious great result. He'll run this summer with his club team, PhatBack Athletics of Philadelphia.
After a 2nd and 3rd in the High Jump and Triple Jump, respectively, on Friday, Nicole Smith of McDowell added a third all-American certificate to her career honors with 4th place wind-legal 19-02.75 Long Jump. She had entered the finals in 7th place, and on her first jump, landed the one that got her her third medal of the meet. Smith, who is bound for the storied University of Arkansas program, says there are others coming up behind her that will continue the great McDowell legacy... "We have a little prodigy in the works. She's a junior, and she's a volleyball player. And there's a freshman. She just reminds me of myself when I was a freshman. Real skinny. Real lean. And both of those girls have been watching me. But I'm always going to come back. I'll be more than happy to help them."
In the 4xMile, Cedar Cliff's distance corps ended a great senior season by finishing 7th in their heat, but 9th overall after two teams in the 2nd heat eclipsed their time of 18:01.02. Cardinal O'Hara finished 11 in 18:05.97. Senior Pat Caulfield, headed to Iona College, was more pleased with their performance than at the Nike Team Nationals in cross. "We did a lot better this time on the national level. There are some guys coming up (at Cedar Cliff) who could get back here and do better than we did, I hope." And fellow senior and Penn State-bound Tim Johnson will miss the team aspect as much as anything. "This group of guys are like my brothers. I don't have any brothers or sisters at home, so these are the guys I wanted to be with all the time. It's going to be a tough adjustment without them. It's been a great ride."
And Camp Hill junior Adam Smith, a late entry, posted the fastest 800 time by a PA boy this season with a 14th place 1:53.15.
Freshman Mile
Long Jump
Freshman Mile
4xMileBriggs on her approach in the Prelims.
Meghan Briggs of Palmyra was the smallest competitor for the national championship in the Javelin. She looks like an 800 runner, but she knows she's a thrower. And the proof is in the title. Coming into the finals in 3rd place, she unleashed a throw of 132-08 to beat AA state champion Elisha Jones of Eisenhower by a foot. Jones had won the Penn Relays, and Briggs had finished second in the AAA competition. "It's a little depressing knowing that Elisha is feeling the same way I did at States, coming in the top seed and then having someone come from behind kind of gets you down, but at the same time, it's awesome to take second." Jones says she'll still be gong strong next year in her favorite sport, basketball, and be back at the Jav in the Spring. Also capturing a national title was Octorara's Ryan Fritz, who fought sun and heat to win on misses over PA rival Juan Cave of New Jersey (and Saint Joseph's Prep of the Philadelphia Catholic League.) "If I hadn't won it, I would have wanted to see him win it." Fritz was more than pleased with his senior campaign... "this is more than I could have envisioned. I could never have imagined winning nationals." He credits his surge this year to an ability to meet the challenge of the pressure... "The difference between this year and last year is I am rising to the occasion this year. I used to choke a little bit, but I'm finally breaking out of that." His clearance of 6-10.25 came after only one miss at the height, which was his first of the day. Also finishing first for PA was the West Catholic 4x400, going 3:45.31, a day after nearly beating their own US record with the 5th best-ever 1600 Sprint Medley Relay.
Fritz on a clearance at 6-08.25.
In addition to Jones and Cave, there were a quite a few top PA athletes who took 2nd on the final day of competition. Nicole Leach, the West Catholic star, came in a heavy favorite in the 400 Hurdles. And for much of the race, it appeared that form and seeding would hold, because coming off Hurdle 7, the lead was a few steps over junior Krystal Cantey of New Jersey. Leach admitted that she may have been a bit overconfident coming in, but had nothing but good things to say about her new-found rival. Her training had suffered a bit with the demands of graduation, and "just figured that I was so much stronger than the rest of the field... we'd be good." Leach said she will regroup for the national Juniors championship next weekend, and will do what she can to ensure her conditioning returns to Penn Relays' form. But a PR in this race, all while tripping as she sensed Cantey pulling to her side after the final hurdle, was still satisfying to Leach. "I heard the crowd yelling, and part of me thought it was because I was running a good time, but once I came over the last hurdle and I saw her, i tried to react quick, got caught up in my steps and started tripping. It was too late to react." How can I be mad? I gave my best and PRed."