PIAA District 1 AA/AAA Championships 2006

TUESDAY:Time flies, especially when you\'re running around 11 seconds for the 100 and 22 for the 200. That\'s been the story of Brad Kanuch\'s career, and on Tuesday, he raced for the last time at the magnificent Mansion Park track in Altoona in the PIAA District 6 AA Champs. The conditions were cold with occasional drizzle for most of the meet, and were almost ideal for the distance runners, but a challenge for those who had to stop and plant their feet to throw, say... a Javelin. New state-best record holder (new implement, 2002), Karlee McQuillen of Westmont-Hilltop, overcame the slippery conditions to take home the gold in her main event, as well as the Shot Put. Further to the west, it was a great day to have a meet almost everywhere, except at South Side Beaver High School. Kind of like April deja vu as the rain and cold returned for one last hurrah. The top seeds took care of business. Also on Tuesday, there no surprise on the girls side at the PIAA District 2 AA Champs as Dallas dominated the competition... but on the boys side, Lakeland beat traditional power Scranton Prep by 7-1/2 points, starting the meet with a win in the 4x800. At the PIAA District 7 AA Champs, rain was the story. Kacey Gibson Neshannock, and Rachel Erny, Brentwood, posted wins. Ellwood City\'s Jake Walker closed out his district career with the distance double. And shot putter Allyn Laughlin of Center, flirted with 50\', going 49-06.50 (if you can, you may want to watch all six throws at Shippensburg, She\'s not the only one capable of hitting those big numbers.) And teammate Lindsay Dolan won the 100 hurdles and took 2nd and 3rd in two others. WEDNESDAY: Germantown Academy won the girls title, and the host Hill School won the boys title at the PA Independent League Championships. At PIAA District 10 AAA, the General McLane girls proved their depth by beating McDowell... but the McDowell boys were victors. Three General McLane girls won the 100, 200, 400, 800, Long Jump and Triple Jump. At PIAA District 4 AAA, it was the Shikellamy girls and the Selinsgrove boys. Big jav throws by the boys. In PIAA District 5, it was the Berlin Brothersvalley girls and the Northern Bedford boys. Berlin\'s Megan Lamens won two events and took 2nd in two others. At PIAA District 9 AAA Champs, it was Bradford all the way with a sweep of both girls and boys titles. Erin Hannon is completely healthy this spring (as opposed to a stress fracture in 2005), and rolled through the 100 Hurdles, High, Long and Triple Jumps. THURSDAY: Hannon will face fellow senior Rachel Gehret of Altoona in three of those events, the jumps. Gehret swept the jumps at the PIAA District 6 AAA Champs, including a 19\'+ Long Jump. State College won the girls title behind the distance double from Katherine Ward. Altoona won the boys, thanks in large part to sophomore AJ Alexander, champ in the 100, 200 and anchor of the winning 4x100. He also took 3rd place points in the Long Jump. In the PIAA District 2 AAA Champs The Hazleton girls won by 2.5 points over Delaware Valley, while the Wallenpaupack boys were team champs. John Motter of Berwick and Coughlin\'s Lynn Lisofsky pulled the same Hurdles double. Kevin Sives of Wallenpaupack, won the 800 and 1600. Teammate Jessica Hunter went took the 1600 win 3200. Sean Craig of Honesdale, won the 400 and anchored two winnning relays. In the field, Wallenpaupack\'s Justin Kraft and Honesdale\'s Cass Schweighofer pulled the same double, each taking the Shot Put and Discus. PIAA District 11 AA/AAA AA GIRLS: Nativity BVM senior Katie James won the 100 and 200m. Sophomores dominated the 400, 800 and 1600. North Schuylkill junior Lindsey Guldin won the Shot Put with a big throw to go with a Discus win. AAA GIRLS: William Allen senior Brianna Broyles was a triple champ, taking the 100, 100 Hurdles and the 300 Hurdles. Pocono Mountain junior Anita James won the 200, 400 and Long Jump with a typing PA#1 effort. Chanelle Price, Easton, was quick in the 800. The Allentown Central Catholic tandem of Meghan Burns and Marcie Sobrinski went one-two in the 1600. They also were half the winning 4x800. Lindsay Regan of Easton won her final Districts appearance. AA BOYS: Mike Cadau, Mahanoy City, won the 400 and 800 with Bethlehem Catholic senior Eric Yeager credited with the same time in the 800 for 2nd. Yeager also anchored the winning 4x400 and 4x800 teams. Kevin Dougherty won the distance double. A quick 300 Hurdles from Tamaqua senior Derrik Keich. Robbie Clews, North Schuylkill, won the Long and Triple jumps. AAA BOYS: Rushane Scott of William Allen, won the 100 and the 200. Nick Malanka cleared 15-00 to win the Pole Vault. Whitehall junior Andrew Fahringer won the Discus and Javelin with big throws. PIAA District 7 AAA: Breehana Jacobs of Laurel Highlands is only a junior, which means that this is the next-to-last time you get to see times like these at a state meet. She cruised through the 100 finals and added a WPIAL meet record in the 200. Latrobe frosh Natalie Bower won her first 1600 title, holding off Diana Filtz of Penn Trafford. Norwin has been coming on season, and they won the 4x400 comfortably. The Upper Saint Clair girls 800 tradition is evident in their 4x800 win. Anchor Katie Orchowski also won the open 800. Latrobe senior

Photo Galleries of Districts action posted or coming, including Districts 1 + 3 Friday & Saturday, District 6 AA + AAA, District 7 AAA, District 8 and District 10 AAA

DISTRICT ONE AAA GIRLS TEAM PREVIEW by Bill Coren (Strath Haven)

Seven Photo Galleries by Dave Tavani of the 5/19 action, plus Four Photo Galleries by Don Rich of the 5/20 action at PIAA District 1 AA/AAA Championships @ Coatesville High School