MEETS NOT YET CONFIRMED FOR DATE
4/8 NY-PA Windsor Invitational NY
?4/15 DISC Relays DE
The final 'dive' by William Penn's Craig Goins... (Photo by PennTrackXC.com)
MISSING MEET RESULTS FROM PRIOR WEEKS
4/1 - Franklin Relays @ Franklin HS
4/7-8: Union Area Invitational @ Union Area HS
4/8: 26th Purple & White Relays @ Shamokin HS (NEED GIRLS' RESULTS)
MISSING DEEPER MEET RESULTS FROM 4/15
4/15: Bristol Knights of Columbus Invitational @ Holy Ghost Prep:
4/15: Don Seltzer Track & Field Relays @ Exeter HS:
Photo Gallery by Ryan Comstock of the 4/13 1st Warrior Invitational @ West Chester Henderson
Weekend Highlights:
The morning buzz was palpable as the first races got underway at the 80th Shippensburg University HS Invitational. The crowd leaned over the edge of the track to attempt to get an early view of the athlete who was coming their way. They had never seen this before. And they weren't going to miss a second. Even with all these athletes in attendance, this was a moment they were going to capture in their cameras, but more importantly, in their memories, to savor and to replay at will. At the Freddie Hendricks Track Festival in Maryland, Simon Gratz's boys and the West Catholic girls made a mark. At the Don Seltzer Relays at Exeter HS, the North Penn girls won all but two of the 15 contested relays, taking seven of eight on the track and six of seven in the field. The vets started to show that the time is fast approaching to demonstrate that they have been putting in the work. At the Bristol Knights of Columbus Invitational at Holy Ghost Prep, Bensalem's Reggie Carter pulled off the 200-400 double in impressive fashion. Senior Keith Capecci of Council Rock North soloed to a fast 3200 win. His teammate, Allison Sikora, ran a strong time for the same distance. William Tennent's Kayla Hennesss won the 100 and 300 Hurdles. Bishop McDevitt's Carey Smith pulled off the same double. His teammate, Jason Rebuck won the Shot Put and the Discus. Earlier in the week at the Larry Simmons Invitational at Penncrest, Penncrest's Karen Shump was back at it, setting season bests in the Discus and Shot Put. That was Wednesday. On Thursday at the 1st Warrior Invitational at West Chester Henderson, Conestoga's Cameron Wright captured two sprint wins.
4/12: The Larry Simmons Invitational @ Penncrest HS: Just two days after competing at Haverford Township in a rain-delayed meet, Penncrest's Karen Shump was back at it, setting season bests in the Discus with a throw of 122-10 (also a school record), and the Shot Put at 44-01. Glen Mills' Deshawn Slupski ripped to a 22.75 200 win, with Bonner senior Mike Tomasco a notch behind at 22.97. Tomasco did get his gold in the Long Jump, leaping 22-06.75.Glen Mills captured 4x100 in 43.51, but their 3:27.24 4x400 was a hundredth-of-a-second behind Chester. Nathan Stewart put the shot 55-06. He now owns the top two throws in the state so far this season.
The 800 was quick, with Unionville's Mike Brodsky going 1:58.21. Henderson's Chris Ferry and Chris Aldrich were 2nd and 3rd in 1:59.14 and 1:59.41, respectively. Teammate Kevin McGoldrick was 4th in 1:59.74. (Photo by Ryan Comstock)
4/15: Bristol Knights of Columbus Invitational @ Holy Ghost Prep: The vets started to show that the time is fast approaching to demonstrate that they have been putting in the work. Bensalem's Reggie Carter pulled off the 200-400 double in impressive fashion, running 22.06 for the half lap, and 49.03 for the full. Senior Keith Capecci of Council Rock North soloed to a 9:32.81 3200 win. His teammate, Allison Sikora, ran a strong 11:19.88 for the same distance. Christine Toepfer, also of CR North, went 58.89 for 400m. William Tennent's Kayla Hennessy won the 100 Hurdles in 15.46 and the 300 variety in 46.91. Bishop McDevitt's Carey Smith pulled off the same double, going 15.00 for 110m and 40.99, respectively. His teammate, Jason Rebuck won the Shot Put with a 54-09 throw, and the Discus with a strong 162-10 performance.
4/15: Don Seltzer Track & Field Relays @ Exeter HS: The North Penn girls won all but two of the 15 contested relays, taking seven of eight on the track and six of seven in the field. Their best performances came in the 4x100, going 51.50, the 4x200 with a 1:48.40, the 800 SMR at 1:53.51 and the DMR, with a 13:09.12.
4/15: Freddie Hendricks Track Festival @ Mervo HS, MD: The boys' team of Simon Gratz competed in 3 relays, setting three meet records in taking the 4x100 in 42.67 (Markise King, Gourdie Corbin, Kevin and Kenneth Talley); the 4x200 in 1:28.05 (Gourdie Corbin, Khaliff Featherstone, Kevin and Kenneth Talley), and the 4x400 in 3:21.57 (Markise King, Kevin Talley, Gourdie Corbin, Derrick Davis). Kenneth Talley also ran 22.03 in the 200m to tie Aaron Anderson of Bishop McNamara for 1st place. They were in different heats. And Markise King captiured 3rd in the 400 hurdles 57.60. West Catholic's Latavia Thomas won the 400 meters in 58.21, Kneisha Sheard captured the 400 hurdles in 1:05.92. West Catholic's Diandrea Witherspoon, Katurrah Hayman, Christiana Taylor and Thomas won the 4x800 in 9:47.0. The team also took 2nd in the 4x100, going 48.22, and 4x200 in 1:40.1.
4/15: Mercersburg Academy Invitational @ Mercersburg Academy:
4/15: Shippensburg University HS Invitational: The morning buzz was palpable as the first races got underway. The crowd leaned over the edge of the track to attempt to get an early view of the athlete who was coming their way. They had never seen this before. And they weren't going to miss a second. Even with all these athletes in attendance, this was a moment they were going to capture in their cameras, but more importantly, in their memories, to savor and to replay at will.
BRAD Miller after 57.6 first 400 in his sub-1:55 800 win in 1:54.91
Camp Hill's Adam Smith went 1:54/78 to win AA.(Photo by PennTrackXC.com)
The athlete was William Penn York's Craig Goines, a junior long and triple jumper who had tried to get into the rarely run Steeplechase at last year's meet, and this year, had succeeded. And he wasn't going to waste the moment. The first time over the water jump he had a smile on his face as he approached the barrier... but the crowd had no idea what to expect. They were just half-hoping; like all those NASCAR crowds; to witness a crash and hope that nobody gets hurt. What they got on Goines' first journey was a half-flip onto his side, and a not-so-perfect landing on his back in the water. The howls were deafening. But the show wasn't over. Goines said he had planned to do something fun, but didn't plan the specific jumps. "I did whatever could cause the biggest splash" with each trip around. And that's exactly what he did. The rhythmic clapping started in anticipation of each of his next two trips. On the first, he simply launched himself horizontally over the bar, making the biggest splash of the three. And for his final act, he did not disappoint, pulling off a nearly perfect overhead handstand before landing on his back. His newfound fans cheered. And Goines finished his first-ever steeplechase. "There ain't nothing better than that. I can come in last place, and everybody still applauds me."
And the cheering for every competitor who made the effort continued for ten more mostly non-stop hours of action as AA and AAA teams from across Pennsylvania made this 80th edition of the meet one of its best.
The only news at this point about the final chances to catch a glimpse of one of this year's PA must-see-athletes, Craig Miller, is that he did not compete in Shippesburg. He was registered in two events, the 1600 and the 3200. When he didn't appear for the 1600 in the morning, the buzzing began. Many were hoping to see an assault on the 9-minute 3200. But when Miller was not on the line for that one, the other kind of buzzing began. When you run under 4:08 as a sophomore, make Foot-Locker finals as a junior, run 4:13 in the cold and wind of an early April meet this season – solo – then you have created the buzz. But there is no news. Here's hoping no news is good news.
But fans did get a glimpse of Craig's twin, Brad (pictured after 57.6 first 400 in his sub-1:55 800 win). No one knew what to expect after three year's of running in his brother's shadow. But Brad's training this season had reportedly been better than at any time during his high school career. It showed in his only race of the day, the AAA 800. He simply pulled a Miller Move, which is basically, come and get me. After a rough start and getting trapped at the back through the first 100 meters, Miller moved quickly to and through the front, coming through the 400 in 57.6. His form never wavered through his final lap, and he crossed the line in a AAA meet record 1:54.91. His was the 2nd fastest 800 of the day, as Camp Hill's Adam Smith roared to a 1:54.78 to win the AA race. The mark was also a meet record. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to travel to North Carolina to the June Nike Outdoor Nationals to see these two square off.
In AAA Boys competition, Cumberland Valley put an exclamation point on their 56-43 victory over Harrisburg and 36 other teams, by winning a come-from-behind 4x400 3:22.47. The Cougars were less than a second back in 3:23.31. CV's anchor, David Stonfer, had won the 400 earlier in the afternoon in 49.20. Cumberland Valley won the morning's 4x800 in 8:04.80. Without either Miller in the 3200, defending state champ Curtis Bixler went straight for the lead and then settled in for a solo 9:32.92 win. William Allen's Rushane Scott was a double winner, going 10.82 for a .09 edge on Nate Speaks of Central Dauphin East, and later, a .01 22.09 win over Speaks in the 200. Norristown's Peter Selby got a look at one of his toughest competitors for states in taking 2nd to Harrisburg's Delon Isom, who sailed through the 110 hurdles to a 14.34. Altoona's Zach Epple, who performed no flips in his 2000 meter Steeplechase, was entertaining nonetheless, winning in the best time of the day at 6:34.83. In the field, Cedar Crest's McKenzy Rene leapt 46-02 to win the Triple Jump by over two feet. The boys' Javelin was strong , with Selinsgrove's Josh Hostetler throwing 196-03 into a stiff breeze. Coughlin's Victor Cruz went 189-00 for 2nd. Adam Thielemann, Cumberland Valley, won the Discus with a throw of 157-06.
Kutztown and Danville had battled throughout the day in the AA Boys' competition, with Kutztown earning a one-point win, 46 to 45. Greencastle-Antrim was just another two points back. While the points were spread around, the only one-two confrontation between the two teams came in the 100 as Danville's Andrew Cope went 11.06 to beat Kutztown's Calvin Laing by .08. In addition to Smith;s great 800, Danville's Travis Miller launched the best Jav of the day in the relative calm of the morning, going 198-04.
In AAA Girls, it was the beginning of the final campaign for a great talent, and the emergence of a new star. As anticipated, Altoona senior Rachel Gehret was, well, Rachel. She won three events in the field, and took a strong 3rd in the 200, going 26.02. Her 5-06 High Jump, 18-01.50 Long Jump, and 37-08.25 Triple Jump were all generally dominating performances. But all eyes were also on Chambersburg freshman Anyssa Barbour, who just ran through her more experienced competitors to two wins, the 100 in 12.09, and the 200 in 25.42, both #1 in the state. She had a strong competitor in William Allen's Briana Broyles, who came in in 112.39 and 25.92, respectively. But Broyles was also busy winning the 100 Hurdles in 14.62 and the 300 in an spectacular 43.48, both state bests. Hollidaysburg's Jen McConnell was the only girl over 40' in the Shot Put, beating that mark by 3". In the Javelin, Palmyra's Beghan Briggs threw 137-09, a 2'5" advantage on runner-up Lorraine Hill of Chambersburg. In the relays, Harrisburg won the 4x100 in 49.81 and the 4x400 in 4:07.68. Cumberland Valley ran 9:43.22 to take the 4x800. Cedar Cliff won the team title by 28 over Altoona with ten points of help from Jess Shuman, who won the inaugural 2000 meter Steeplechase for girls in 8:01.78.
Two teams dominated the Girls AA competition, but in the end, the depth of Saint Basil Academy simply overwhelmed a very strong Boiling Springs squad, 104 to 77. Throughout the day, you'd find athletes from both schools at the top of each event, with a pair winning two individual events each. Saint Basil's Kathleen Davies was one of those athletes, taking the 800 in 2:21.09 and the 1600 in 5:10.71. For Boiling Springs, it was senior Mary Dell who had a spectacular day. Dell won the 200 in 25.89, and the 400 in 58.26, both the 2nd best times on the entire day... and then anchored the 4x100 to a school record, come-from-behind (sorry I missed the pix), 51.04, and the 4x400 to a 4:09.56 win. Saint Basil had dominated the morning's 4x800, going 9:49.42. Boiling Springs took 4th in that race. Basil's Erinn McMahon and Jessica Posimo contributed a ton of points. The went one-two, respectively, in the 100 Hurdles at 15.39 and 15.81. McMahon took 2nd in the Triple Jump, leaping 34-11.25, with Posimo 3rd at 34-09. Posimo cleared 5-0 to take 2nd in the High Jump. Teammate Beth Crossin won the 300 Hurdles in 47.62 and was 4th in the 100 Hurdles in 16.51. Rockwood's Joanna Nist won the High Jump, clearing 5-02, the Triple Jump at 35-01.25, and the Long Jump, going 17-00.50. Boiling Springs' Kara Millhouse ran solo the final five laps after being forced to set the pace in the 3200, winning in 11:15.80. AAA compatriot Lara Crofford of Big Spring was also forced to take control of her race, running to an 11:10.69 win. And Boiling Springs' Liz Graybill won the Discus with a throw of 129-09, two inches better than Susquenita's Steph Harrison, who won the Shot Put with a throw of 37-00.50.
Weekend Preview: At Shippensburg University, it's a pre-states of sorts, as AA and AAA individuals and relays get to compete as they will at States. In AA Girls, 2004 state 200 champ Mary Dell of Boiling Springs, now a senior, heads the seeds in the 100, and is the 2nd seed in the 200 and 400 to Mercerburg Academy's Whitney Matthew. Dell reportedly will concentrate on the 'longer' distances. Saint Basil Academy of District 1 invades D3 with a ton of talent. They head the seeds in the 100 Hurdles, the 800, the 4x800 and the Triple Jump. Basil is the 2nd seed to Boiling Springs in the 4x400, while one of the talented distance runners, Christina Morelli, is 2nd seed to Boiling Springs' Kara Millhouse. Eisenhower's Elisha Jones heads the talent from District 10. She'll compete in the Javelin. In AA Boys, Brandon Tress of Bible Baptist leads the seeds in the 110 Hurdles, the 300m Hurdles and the 400. The 800 should be hot as Germantown Academy's Elliot Rhodes and Camp Hill's Adam Smith go head-to-head. Rhodes will also be giving the 2000m Steeplechase a try. In the distance races, State XC AA Champs Isaac Dunkelberger is the top seed in the 3200, and 2nd seed to Kutztown's Josh Neyhart in the 1600. Two guys are out there in the Jav as Travis Miller of Danville and Greenwood's Jordan Myers are the top seeds. Bedford's John Marshall comes in with a 45'+ seed in the Triple Jump. In AAA Girls, look for the 300 Hurdles to be quick as William Allen's Brianna Broyles is the top seed by a ton. She's the 2nd seed in the 100 Hurdles to go with the top seed in the 100 Dash. In her 2nd meet of her final season, Altoona's Rachel Gehret makes her first of two visits to Shippensburg. She is the top seed in the 200, the Long jump, the Triple Jump, and the High Jump. Follow the action if you can. Big Spring's Amanda Raudabaugh is the top seed in the 400 and 800. Cedar Cliff's Kassie Meholick takes the favored status in the 1600 and 3200. Central Dauphin East comes in with a seed time in the 4x400 that would win states during many years. Caitlyn Green of Susquehanna Township has a big seed mark in the Discus. Enjoy the Pole Vault with Bishop Shanahan's Caitlin Fairbairn coming in at 11-06.50. In AAA Boys competition, pay attention to sophomore talent AJ Alexander of Altoona. He is the top seed in the 100 and 200, and for good reason. There's a senior from William Allen - Rushane Scott - who may have something to say in both events. Cumberland Valley's David Stonfer may be ready to light it up a bit in the 400. Craig Miller of Manheim Township needs little introduction. He is the top seed in the 1600 and 3200. Defending AAA 3200 state champ Curtis Bixler of Cumberland Valley is seeded 2nd in the eight lapper. Watch for twin brother Brad in the 800. Not the top seed... but this is the season when you see the work pay off. Cumberland Valley's 4x400 is hot this year. And you have to know that Manheim Township can put together a strong 4x800. If you love the throws, you can see a great Jav from Josh Hostetler of Selinsgrove and Coughllin's Victor Cruz.