Highlighting the weekend... When a record falls at the PA TRACK CLASSIC, it is usually a pretty impressive one. The meet used to be the only game in town on the last Saturday in March, but with more competition for teams, fields have grown a little smaller. Well, there's no cure for that better than continuing to attract a high level of talent that includes (but is certainly not limited to) junior phenom Ryann Krais (in PTXC photo) of Methacton and senior wide receiver-defensive back-sprinter-triple jumper Brandon Bing of Cheltenham. Their performance on Saturday earned them the female and male Track Athletes of the Meet. Krais set records in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She also posted some impressive splits in anchoring Methacton's 4x100 and 4x400. Bing won the 100 and the 200. There were impressive performances at every turn, circle and runway, as well. Wissahickon did a little switching in the opening event of the day, the Distance Medley Relay. Usually anchored by Nick Crits, the junior took the baton in hand for the start. He quickly established a lead, and pushed to an impressive opening 1200. It was a lead they never relinquished on the way to the win. The Central Bucks West girls put in some great performances. Senior Liz Kearins anchored the DMR to a win. She also came back to front-run to an 800 win. Kearins also anchored their 4x400 to victory, splitting 58.6. In the field, CB West's Justine Robertson earned Field Athlete of the Meet with wins in the shot put, and discus. She also placed 3rd in the javelin. Northampton's Laura Rycek unleashed a big throw on the first toss of the finals to secure the javelin title. Sharing Field Athlete of the Meet honors with Robertson was Wissahickon's Folarin Ijelu, who won the triple jump, and also captured the high jump. Hatboro-Horsham's Christy Ohmott set a meet record in the pole vault. Palisades held the 1ST PIRATE INVITATIONAL, where Council Rock South sprinter Ije Iheoma swept the 1/4 lap, half-lap and full lap events. South also took the 4x100. Alyson Brokaw won both hurdle events. Wilson Area's (Easton), Anthony Davidson won the 200 and the 400. Grant Broach of Palisades was a double champ, taking the discus and javelin. The jav area at Mansion Park in Altoona, site of the IGLOO INVITATIONAL, is as flat as they come. But for whatever reason (probably the talent involved), a lot of athletes throw very well there. At the site of her first PA all-time best, Westmont Hilltop senior Karlee McQuillen started with a bang, ripping a meet record throw. And United junior Eric Skedel also claimed a meet record, setting a PR by over 16 feet, topping 200. Leaping onto the jumping scene is Altoona sophomore Bethany Lender. She won the triple jump and the long jump. The Central Cambria distance crew was busy - winning. Carly Seymour took the 1600 and the 3200. Kelsey Seymour won the 800. The Altoona sprinters wrapped up wins in the 4x100 and the 4x400. One of their best, AJ Alexander, swept the 100 and 200. At the CENTRAL LEAGUE RELAYS, the Upper Darby girls posted a quick 4x100, and also took the 4x200. The Penncrest boys took their 4x200 and the 4x400. Penncrest junior Karen Shump contributed with top throws to relay wins in her two events... the shot put and the discus. Conestoga's Chris Roe threw almost 170' for the top jav of the day. Strath Haven's boys won the 4x100, the 1600 sprint medley and the distance medley relays. At the DIAMOND STATE RELAYS in Delaware, Coatesville put out two distance medley relay squads and placed 1st and 4th. Glen Mill's Reuben Aimes took 1st in the long jump, while teammate Darren Johnson took top honors in the triple jump. Cardinal O'Hara's Brigid Harron won the high jump. Coatesville's Kaleena Gray won the shot put and was 2nd in the discus. At the OXENREIDER RELAYS at Muhlenberg HS, North Penn came south after their trip north with quite a few awards. The girls won the 4x100, the 4x200, the 4x400, the 800 sprint medley relay, and the distance medley relay. The guys won the 4x100, the 4x200, and the 4x400. North Penn's Kaitlyn Dugan went over 17' for the long jump title. Whitehall's Andrew Fahringer opened his season with a strong javelin to go with a win in the shot put. At the TSTCA CHAMPIONSHIPS at West Mifflin, Woodland Hills' Cambrya Jones (in photo by Jeremy Lenzi) swept the 100 and 200. Kelly Langhans of North Allegheny set a meet record in the 400. Kacey Gibson, Neshannock, set a meet (and state) best in the 1600. Sophomore TJ Hobart of Baldwin beat Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Scott Van Kooten in the 1600. Meet records were also set by McDowell's Brice Myers in the 100 hurdles, by Penn Hills in the 4x100, and by North Allegheny in the 4x400. West Banks, Hempfield, won the shot put and the discus in 163-05. Sean Gil of North Allegheny and Zach Meverden of Pine Richland each cleared 15-00 in the pole vault. Both meet records in the 400 were rewritten at the BROTHER JEROME BENWAY INVITATIONAL @ St. Basil Academy. Swenson's Shanae Bailey and John Kennedy of Central the winning runs. Bailey also helped Swenson set a met record in the 4x100. The Neumann-Goretti boys ran for a meet record in the single lap relay. Girls' High of Philadelphia posted a new meet record in the 4x200. Goretti also erased the meet record in the 4x200. A record also dropped in the 4x400... by Girard College. The Archbishop Prendergast squad ran clear of 2nd in setting a record in the DMR. The field was not spared the record barrage, as Colleen Costmen of Prendie and Tom Beasley of Phoenixville set new marks in the high jump. Chestnut Hill Academy's Phil Thomas, in the long jump, and teammate, Wayne Crawford in the shot put, both set meet records. Senior Lara Crofford had an incredible XC season, and she is carrying over that strength after running well in a few open meets during indoor. Her sub-11 3200 at the HAROLD PHILLIPS INVITATIONAL @ Carlisle HS, is a strong statement for this time of year, as she pulled away from Boiling Springs junior Kara Millhouse over the final few laps. Millhouse turned the tables in the 1600 beating Carlisle Marie Lamparter and Crofford. Carlisle's Kacey James must love the home throwing areas, because she was strong in all three events, taking the shot, discus and javelin. Crofford's teammate Amanda Raudabaugh had a strong double, winning the 400 and 800 in 2:23.6. There were four other double champs as well. Harrisburg came and conquered all the sprint relays at the TIM COOK MEMORIAL INVIATIONAL in Chambersburg. But Chambersburg defended their home turf nicely in the girls 100 and the distance events. The Cougar's not only won the girls and boys 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400, they set meet records in all six races. Chamberburg swept the 4x800's in meet record form. Chamberburg sophomore sprinter Anyssa Barbour cruised to a meet record in the 100. Harrisburg's Lhayana Dallas set two meet records in the hurdles. James Buchanan's Dian Lehman set stadium and meet records in the long jump. Harrisburg's Tausha Ellison leapt 17-0 to establish the girls' LJ mark. And welcome back to Chamberburg's Sarah Morrison. The William & Mary signee is back from illness and injury and looks ready to roll after a meet record in the 1600. Trinity (Camp Hill) swept the small school girls and boys team titles at the WHITE ROSE INVITATIONAL at Central York. The girls title is notable because they beat more-often-than-not-state champs Milton Hershey by four points. The Trinity boys were led by two wins in the relays, taking the 4x100 and 4x400. Shane Seymore contributed valuable points to the Shamrocks his win in the 800, while Chris Kearney took the 400. West York's Tyler Real won the hurdles events. In large school girls, it was New Oxford being paced by Jordan Jenkins who won the 1600 and helped the 4x800 set a meet record. The large school boys team title was captured by Central Dauphin East behind the fastest 4x100 on the day. Red Lion's Greg Kareis took the 3200. Red Land's Lindsay Bumbernick won the triple jump. At the BALD EAGLE AREA RELAYS, Amanda Mondack of the host team threw 36-03.25 to win the shot put. Jersey Shore swept most of the events in both boys and girls competition.
Coverage
Photo Gallery by Don Rich with 800+ photos from the 2007 Pennsylvania Track Classic, plus video by theazn... Photo Gallery by Jeremy Lenzi and William McBride of the 3/31 TSTCA Outdoor Championships @ West Mifflin, and Photo Gallery by Ryan Comstock of the 3/31 Central League Relays @ Haverford Twp HS
Baldwin sophomore TJ Hobart, who's full name is Thomas John Hobart Jr., didn't surprise his coaches a whole lot with his recent 4:15 1600. According to head Baldwin coach Ed Helbig, the program tries to find one eighth grade boy who appears to have the potential to go far in high school. Two years ago they had a hunch it would be Hobart, who as a middle schooler, had posted times of 56 seconds for the 400 and 2:18 for the 800, despite focusing on basketball and soccer. (Photo from 3/31 TSTCA Champs by Jeremy Lenzi)
Photo Gallery by Jeremy Lenzi and William McBride of the 3/31 TSTCA Championships at West Miffllin HS