Alone in their thoughts but surrounded by other runners, the North Penn 4x800m relay team waits anxiously in the paddock area of Franklin Field at the 2008 Penn Relays. A gun sharply cracks and a swarm of professional runners charge out of the starting line just a few feet away from them. The overwhelming cheering and shouting from the crowd interrupts the four high schooler’s ability to think clearly about the monumental task ahead. Nervous glances at the competition, quick leg shake-outs, and swigs of cold water pass the time as the runners wait anxiously for the Championship of America 4x800m Relay to be called. Just as thunder breaks the silence before a storm, a screeching microphone finally calls for the athletes: “Would the lead-off legs of the Championship of America 4x800 Relay please step forward.” North Penn junior Brian Quintrell moves to the front of the paddock area, taking the time to look back at his teammates. Reassuring glances from seniors Steve Franks, Justin Bookheimer, and Zach Montijo will be the last thing that Quintrell sees before he steps onto the track and begins the much-anticipated 2008 Outdoor track.
Coverage
In the 800, She could be a Contender - in the May 28 New York Times Chanelle Price will get one big race between her final PIAA state meet and the Olympic Trials, and it won't be Nike Outdoor Nationals or USATF Junior Nationals. It'll be the prestigious Prefontaine Classic on Sunday June 8 at Hayward Field at the Univeristy of Oregon. The race is the Prefontaine-retirement of 800 meter legend Maria Mutolo. Price was also named the USATF Athlete of the Week for the 2nd time during her senior year. Her 2:02.90 broke prep records held by two legends of the event, and achieved the "B" standard for the upcoming Olympic Trials. Price's first award was on January 29th after she set the US prep record for 500 meters at the New Balance Armory in New York City.
2008 PIAA Track & Field Championships - Titleists AA GIRLS | AAA GIRLS | AA BOYS | AAA BOYS Photos by Don Rich, Timothy O'Dowd, Megan Clug and Lizzie Poster
The regular season is quickly coming to an end as over a dozen more state meets take place this weekend. States like Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington and Oregon all hold their last contests of the season. MileSplit will keep you up to date with all the top state meet performances, and the few other non-state meets, throughout the weekend, so make sure to keep checking back. (Pictured left: Missouri's Maurice Mitchell wins 100m, 200m & 400m at state, pictured by Tracy Rollins) **Johannes Swanepoel (KS) sets soph. class record in javelin with toss of 221-02!!! Top Boys Weekend Highlights - Maurice Mitchell (MO) wins 100m, 200m, 400m & 4x1 at MO State - North Penn (PA) wins state 4x800m relay in U.S.#1 of 7:38.79 - Jordan Clarke (AK) improves U.S.#1 shot put with 71-03 mark - German Fernandez (CA) runs 8:45.08 3200m, 4:07.62 1600m - Mat Smoody (IL) runs 1:50.71 800 at Illinois State Meet - Raymond Butts (CA) leaps 24-10.50 in long jump in CA - Dominguez (CA) blazes 3:11.50 4x400m relay in California - Rob Finnerty (MN) runs 4:08.76 in 1600m at conference meet - Sam Crouser (OR) tosses javelin 199-06 at Oregon State Champs. Top Girls Weekend Highlights - Laura Roesler (ND) wins 100m, 200m, 400m & 800m at ND State - Alishea Usery (MO) runs 24.43 200m, 54.53 400m at MO State - Chanelle Price (PA) runs 2:02.90 800m to win PA State - Christine Babcock (CA) blazes 4:36.57 1600m run in CA - Fawn Miller (PA) throws soph. class record javelin in 167-02 - Gwynned Mercy (PA) runs 9:04.35 4x800m relay at PA State - Vashti Thomas (CA) 20-05 Long Jump, 43-01.50 TJ & U.S. #1 - Cydney Ross (MO) runs 2:09.88 800m, 4:55.23 1600m at MO State - Stephanie Foreman (AR) vaults 13-06.25 to win PV at AR MOC - Tynita Butts (VA) leaps 20-04.50 in LJ at regional meet in Virginia - Jacquelyn Coward (TN) runs 13.48 100mH, 41.11 300mH at state - Kathy Kroeger (TN) runs 10:49.89 3200m, 4:55.62 1600m in TN
13 Video Interviews from the 2008 PIAA State Championships
Saturday photos by Don Rich and Lizzie Poster of the May 23-24 PIAA T&F State Championships @ Shippensburg University
Photos by Timothy O'Dowd (Irishrunner.com) of the May 23-24 PIAA T&F State Championships @ Shippensburg University
Fran McLaughlin's Saturday States Stories Records are made. Records are broken. | Pierre Carr-Kevin Steinberg | Stephanie Fulmer | Mark Dennin | Ashley Corum-Tanaya Lloyd | Khaliff Featherstone | Ije Iheoma | Penn Hills | Altoona | Chanelle Price post-race & Prefontaine Classic Invitation
Friday photos by Don Rich, Megan Clugh and Lizzie Poster of the May 23-24 PIAA T&F State Championships @ Shippensburg University
Joe Beveridge, Bishop McDevitt (3), wins the AA 3200. Tim O'Dowd's 3200 pix added Sunday - 4x800 coming Monday (sorry for the delay - technical difficulties) CHAMPION'S PAGE: AA GIRLS | AAA GIRLS | AA BOYS | AAA BOYS PHOTO GALLERIES: Timothy O'Dowd's Gallery | PTXC Friday | PTXC Saturday VIDEO INTERVIEWS: 13 Video Interviews from PIAA States STORIES: Fran's Saturday Stories | Fran's Friday Stories SPLITS: By Mark Schwartz NEWS: In the 800, She could be a Contender - From the May 28 New York Times NEWS: Chanelle Price post-race & Prefontaine Classic Invitation story Saturday: Fran McLaughlin's Saturday Stories Chanelle Price rips a 2:02.90 solo 800 for US #1 | Fawn Miller 167-2 set U.S. soph class record and PA all-time best in AA javelin | North Penn #20 all-time 7:38.79, leads 8 under 7:49 - three are others are US top 10 | Carly Seymour , Central Cambria, started the day and repeated as AA 3200 champ in a meet record 10:31.85. | Neely Spence runs a 4:44.85 to win AAA girls 1600 | Justin Shirk throws US#2 221-03 to win AAA Javelin | Nick Crits, Wissahickon, comes from way back to run PA#1, US#12 4:11.69 1600 - T.J. Hobart, Baldwin 4:12.09, Greg Kareis, Red Lion 4:12.94 | Shanae Bailey wins AA 100 in 11.88 and AA 200 in 24.59 | Michael Brown won the AAA 110 hurdles in 14:16 and the AAA 300 hurdles in 37.77 | Keenan Michael won the AA 110 hurdles in 14.00 for new PIAA record and the AA 300 hurdles in 38.17. Friday: Fran McLaughlin's Friday Stories Karen Shump four-peats in Shot with 47-10.75. All six of her throws would have won the competition. Her series didn't drop below 45-5.75. The winning throw came on the 1st throw of the finals. - Ryann Krais betters own MR in 100H Trials from 13.73 to 13.66, and wins AAA HJ at 5-5 and LJ with 19-2. Ted Heitzman, Southern Columbia, wins AA javelin with throw of 198-7. Rodney Richter, Connellsville, improves his own PA#1 in AAA discus to 175-6 - Wissahickon's Folarin Ijelu leaps PA#1 48-6.50 in AAA triple jump - Event by event results from PIAA Friday Finals - Field Highlights Friday Trials - Track Highlights
Fran McLaughlin's Friday States Stories Karen Shump | Ryann Krais | Abbey Way | Ted Heitzman | Lauren Loht | Kristy Woods-Emily Woods | D.J. Horton | Paul Yohman | Folarin ijelu
AA GIRLS | AAA GIRLS | AA BOYS | AAA BOYS | AAA TEAM | New for May, 2008: A master Leader List page that will give you rankings statewide, by AA and by AAA and by class... PLUS the same rankings by district. Click here to check it out.
STATES: PIAA State Champs Heat Sheets | PIAA State Champs Performance Lists PHOTOS: 5/17 D1 AA/AAA Day 2 | 5/16 D3 3200's by Tim O'Dowd | 5/16 D3 AA/AAA Day 1 | 5/15 11 AA/AAA Day 2 | 5/15 D2AAA in Times- Leader | 5/14 D10AAA by Carl Strub | 5/13 D12 AA/AAA Field Events | At District 3 on Friday, Neely Spence, Shippensburg, and Jordan Jenkins, New Oxford, took control of the race early, with Spence finishing in 10:46.58 and Jenkins in 10:57.14 – photo by Timothy O'Dowd, Irishrunner.com SUNDAY: Junior Robyn Oakley of Cardinal O'Hara will have to wait a year to challenge for a PIAA state title... but she showed she belongs on the podium with her three individual wins - taking the 300 hurdles in 44.28, the 100 hurdles in 15.57, and the 800 in 2:15.65. She was already ranked top 10 in the 300 hurdles and 800 from earlier this month. Archbishop Prendergast's Arielle Fonrose posted a PA#7 56.88 400. Double champs for the girls included Alysha Womack of O'Hara in the high and long jumps; Caitllin Storbeck of Carroll in the distances, and Sarah Houtmann of O'Hara in the 100 and 200. The Lowery boys made a mark in the top five of the 300 hurdles, with Jermaine going PA#3 38.17 and Jerome PA#5 38.23. Jermaine also won the 110 hurdles, the 200 and the 400. LaSalle's Dan Lowery captured the mile and 3200. The 4x800 produced three PA top 20 times from Ryan, Father Judge and Monsignor Bonner. At District 1 at Coatesville, Methacton senior Ryann Krais won four individual events, taking long jump (18-01.50) Friday's rains, and the 100 hurdles (13.54w) and 300 hurdles (41.60) on Saturday. She was 2nd to Souderton junior Kristin Smith in the high jump, both over 5-4. SATURDAY: District 1 AA/AAA, Ryann Krais, Methacton, won the 300 meter hurdles with a new district record of 41.60. She also won the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.54 (in photo to right) and the long jump with a leap of 18-01.50. North Penn set a new meet record in the 4x800 with a time of 7:44.81. North Penn also won the 4x400 with a PA #1 time of 3:18.47. Ije Iheoma, Council Rock South, won the 400 dash with a new district record of 55.03. Shaniel Chambers, Chester, distanced herself from the pack, winning the 800 run with a time of 2:12.32. Nick Crits, Wissahickon, won the 1600 with a time of 4:17.46 and the 800 with a time of 1:53.47. Mark Dennin, Boyertown, won a close 3200 over Chris Aldrich, West Chester Henderson, with times of 9:08.40 and 9:10.86. District 3 AA/AAA, Neely Spence, Shippensburg, capped her district career with wins in the 1600, 4:50.23, and 3200, 10:46.58. Greg Kareis, Red Lion, won the 1600 with a fast time of 4:13.82. Kara Millhouse, Boiling Springs, won 3 individual events and ran on a winning relay. Millhouse won the 800, 2:20.99, the 1600, 5:10.26, the 3200, 11:13.85, and was on Boiling Springs winning 4x400 relay, 4:05.33. Boiling Springs also took the 4x800 relay with a time of 9:52.66. Devan Coon, Schuylkill Valley, won the 400 dash with a time of 57.13 and the 200 dash with a time of 25.52. District 10 AA, Lauren Zarger, Harbor Creek, won the 1600 run with a time of 5:14.97 and the 3200 run with a time of 10:56.12. Ryan Bell, Wilmington, won the javelin with a throw of 196-05. At the Friends' League Championships, Germantown Friends swept the team titles. Talitha Smith won the high jump (5-5) and the discus. Teammate Jasmine West contributed wins in the triple jump and 100 hurdles. Max Kaulbach took the 1600 in a PA#2 4:14.70, and teammate Isac Ortiz was 2nd, but did win the 3200. Michael Dohrman, Friends Central won the 110 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the long jump. Teammate Megan Wilson captured the 100, 200, long jump and was on the winning 4x100. At the Boys' Inter-Ac Championships, Malvern Prep's Doug Moppert won two events, the long jump at 22-5.75 and the triple jump at 44-05.50. Teammate Brian Fulton went 50.23 in the 400 and 1:59.29 in the 800. Penn Charter's Dareem David posted a PA#5 21.85 200. Teammate Kashif Smith tied PA#12 with a 10.89 100, with Haverford School's Tom Hopkins in a 10.90, tied for PA#14. Germantown Academy's Dean Melchionni cleared 6-6 in the high jump, now a tie for PA#10. FRIDAY: District 9 AA, David Cobb, Northern Potter, won the long jump with a leap of 22-00.50 and the triple jump with a jump of 42-08.75. Andy Lippert, Cameron County, won the 100 dash in 11.43 and the 200 dash in 23.10. THURSDAY: Chanelle Price (in photo to left) cruises to a 2:09.74 win in the 800 at District 11 AAA, even while being a little under the weather. Teammate Abby Schaffer won her specialty with a pole vault of 12-09.50. In District 11 AA, junior Anthony Davidson, Wilson, set a new district record, winning the 400 dash with a stellar time of 48.51, which is PA#4. Alex Zubey, Tamaqua, won the 1600 with a new district record of 4:19.50, and also won the 800, 1:56.60, and the 3200, 10:00.11. Casey Wagner, Tamaqua, continues to impress in the javelin, winning with a toss of 146-03. In District 6 AAA, Chloe Schmidt, the State College frosh sensation, continued to impress with a PR in the 800, now PA#2 with a 2:12.47. She also won the 1600 in 5:07.85. Central Mountain's Kristin Brandt won the long jump at 17-9 and took 2nd in the triple with a 37-05.25 to Altoona's Bethany Lender and her PA#2 39-00.50. Indian Valley sophomore Laura Loht wn the jav with a 135-10 throw. Altoona kept the stadium record in the family, as Jared George cleared 15-8, now PA#2. Teammate Travis Hammaker, who had set the record on May 2nd at 15-7, cleared 15-3 for 2nd. Altoona sprinter Alex Kenney is now PA#3 with his 21.64 200, and PA#4 with his 10.80 100. And Altoona senior Neal Huynh won two events – the jav in a PA#13 191-8 and the shot put with a throw of 51-6.50. He was runner-up in the discus. At District 10 AAA, it was the McDowell show as they swept the team competiton. Sophomore Leah Presnar contributed to 40 points with wins in the long jump (16-10) and triple jump (36-6.75), and on the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Teammate Kelly Fromknecht also leapt 36-6.75. Senior thrower Dan Kwiatkowski PRed with a big PA#1 64-8 in the shot put, and a PA#3 170-5 in the discus. His shot is US#8. And the 4x400 put up some great times as McDowell's boys ran a PA#4 42.64 4x100, with Cathedral Prep right behind in a PA#6 42.71. WEDNESDAY: At the Tue (field)-Wed (track) District 12 AA/AAA, the Swenson girls grabbed the #2 spot in PA in the 4x100 with a 47.73, behind only AAA Penn Hills from District 7. Two members of that relay also won individual titles, with Shanae Bailey going 12.11 in the 100 (25.01 200, 15.31 100H) and Anthonia Ballard over the 300 hurdles in 44.83 (2nd in 100H). Girls' High's Jasmine Wanamaker was .1 back. Simon Gratz hurdler Frank Wainwright is now PA#2 in the 300 hurdles after his 38.12. And teammate Khaliff Featherstone tuned up for his signature event with a 48.46 400, currently PA#3. A day earlier the field events, Franklin's Tajidin Mcgough cleared 6-7, tying him for PA#3. And Imhotep Charter's Herman Kirkland (in above photo) leapt 23-02.75 in the long jump. He also won the 100 in 11.19 and the 200 in 22.50. Joelle Neilson, Girls' High, won the long and triple jumps. At PIAA District 5, Brandi Harris, a Bedford junior, leapt into a tie for PA#10 in the long jump at 18-1. She also cleared 5-2 in the high jump. No surprises in the 400 and 800 as Tussey Mountain's Jordan Donaldson swept, going 49.38 and 1:58.87. Sophomore Zach Mullin of Everitt won the 100 and 200. Northern Bedford's Catya Gilbert took the shot and discus. Windber hurdler Liah Snyder captured both hurdle events. And Samantha Valiton, Chestnut Ridge, won the short sprints. In District 9 AAA, Bradford's Tyree Bennett won three events, including the 110 hurdles in a PA#9 14.83, the 300 hurdles in a PA#11 38.99, and the high jump. Double champs include DuBois juniors Shawna Posteraro, Bud Plaszenski, and Bethany Naugle, plus sophomore teammate Anna Pfingstler. Punxsutawney's Laybn Hollis captured the sprint double as well. At the PA Independent League Champs, Germantown Academy's Jen Hoy posted two PA top 10 performances, taking the long jump with a PA#2 18-04.25 and the triple jump in a PA#10 37-7. Talitha Smith, Germantown Friends, cleared 5-7 in the high jump, 2nd in PA only to Ryann Krais at 5-8. Max Kaulbach and Isaac Ortiz, Germantown Friends, went 1-2 in the 800. TUESDAY: At District 7AA, Christa Rogers, Quaker Valley, ended her last district meet with a bang, winning 3 events on the day, all top 10 in the state, taking the 100 in 12.14 (PA#7), the 200 dash in 24.98 (PA#8), and the 100 hurdles in a time of 14.55 (PA#3). Freedom's Ashley Adams, won the shot put with a throw of 40-05 (PA#9). At District 6AA, Cary Seymour, Central Cambria, finished off her last district meet with two individual championships, winning the 1600 with a PA#4 time of 4:58.01 (district record), the 3200 with a time of 10:38.55, which is PA#1, and running a leg of the winning 4x800 team with a time of 9:25.45. Central Cambria also won the 4x400. Kelsey Seymour won the 800 in 2:16.35, breaking her own district record. Ben Hatch, Bellwood-Antis, Jim Spisak, Bishop Mccort, Bobby Glenn, Penn Cambria, and Janae Dunchack, Northern Cambria, all won multiple events, Dunchack taking three. At PIAA D2 AA, Owen Wignot, Holy Redeemer, was a triple winner, taking the high jump with a leap of 6-06, the long jump and the triple jump. Amanda Kuhl, Hanover Area, was also a triple winner, taking the 100, the 200 and the 400. SATURDAY MAY 10: At PIAA D8, Peabody's Christopher Anderson qualified in two events, the 200 in 22.55 and the 400 in 51.06. Schenley's Monique Sims qualified in the 100 in 12.71 and the 200 in 25.99. Past weekend results needed for 3/29: Jersey Shore | 4/12: Union Area, and Pacer | 4/19 Moon Mixed, and East Allegheny | 4/26: Fairfield, Tri-County (boys) | 5/3: Bellwood, Liberty Last Chance, Sonny Sheppard, Schuylkill Ct. Relays, York Suburban Relays, NCSAA and North East | 5/10: Laurel Highlands, Northern Tier (sm. schools), ACSI