1st Annual Viking Invitational 2008

  2008 PA Outdoor Leaderboard: Girls / Boys   Now on PennTrackXC, all results we receive in HyTek (or our RaceTab), will enable us to add EVERY athlete's marks to the database. Which means it will show on their individual page and in the state rankings. Photo: Lindsey Graybill, Emmaus, kicked in to win the 1600 in 5:18.73. Check out the Photo Gallery by Don Rich of the PTFCA Track Classic photo gallery with over 800 shots. Also posted is a photo gallery by Clinton T. Fields of the Brother Jerome Benway Invitational @ Saint Basil Academy. We still need results for Jersey Shore. It was windy, cold and not raining or snowing... so all in all, not a bad way to kick the outdoor season into higher gear on the last weekend in March. On Friday at the Lawrence/Mercer Relays at Wilmington HS, Lakeview's Fawn Miller through the javelin 133-00, PA #1. The Slippery Rock girls toasted the Shuttle Hurdles, running a PA#2 time. The Simon Gratz boys are on a mission this season. And it has everything to do with Memorial Day weekend and a certain meet in Shippensburg. Part of the plan is senior Frank Wainwright, who will be expected to contribute in four events, two of them involving hurdles and definitely the 4x400. As prep for such a busy meet, Wainwright ran on Gratz' winning 4x100 (43.59), 4x400 (3:23.65) and took the individual title in the 300 hurdles in 39.31 at the 24th Pennsylvania Track Classic. He also ran a leg on the 4th place 4x800. For his efforts, Wainwright was named the meets Outstanding Male Track Athlete. It was no surprise that Methacton senior Ryann Krais was named the meet's Outstanding Female Track Athlete after she won the 100 hurdles in 14.36 (14.34p), and 300 hurdles in 43.89. Krais also anchored her 4x100 and 4x400 relays teams to come-from-behind medals when the took 4th on one lapper and 5th in the four lapper. The Central Bucks East girls surprised a few people with their state title in the 4x200 during indoor... but came out of the starting blocks and went 50.04 for the 4x100. Shippensburg's Neely Spence started her final high school outdoor season with a meet record at the Tim Cook Memorial at Chambersburg HS, going 10:43.00 in the 3200. Waynesboro's Terrell Rickard in the high jump (6-07, PA#1). Photo: Shaniel Chambers, Chester, soloed to a 2:14.34 at the PA Track Classic. At the Viking Invitational at Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville's Courtney Kendra won the 100 and long jump. Ridley's Kevin Wilbank did the double individual honors as well, winning the 100 and 400. The top field performance of the meet came from Methacton's Eric Brittingham with his javelin of 193-08, PA#1 and US#2. At Baldwin's South Hills Classic, moved up this year a couple of weeks, Christa Rogers of Quaker Valley got off to a quick start, running 12.70 to win the 100. At the Altoona Igloo Invitational, speedster AJ Alexander of Altoona knows what it was like two years ago when he was challenging older runners in the sprints. Now it's his turn to be pushed, and he responded with a 10.87 100 over sophomore Alex Kenney of State College, who was second in 10.98. Kenney did capture the 200 in 22.23. Alexander helped his 4x100 set a meet record of 42.67, which is PA#1. The javelin is always hot at any Altoona meet, and defending AA state champ Eric Skedel did not disappoint. His 186-09 was good for the win. He threw a lot farther earlier in the week. Central Cambria sophomore Kelsey Seymour was a double winner, taking the 800 and the 400. North Penn usually takes in the Oxenreider Relays to kick of their outdoor season. The boys swept through the relays, setting three meet records. The North Penn girls didn't win as many relays as the boys, but they were nearly as effective. At the Pirate Invitational at Palisades, Brandon Ellis of Norristown went 10.9 to win the 100. Teammate EJ Hadrick won the 400 in 50.9. Tamaqua's Casey Wagner started her season in the jav with a throw of 132-07. At the Jerome Benway Invitational at Saint Basil Academy, Swenson's Anthonia "Mouse" Ballard was a double individual winner in the hurdles. The Lowery twins led Father Judge. At the Chichester Relays, the Penncrest boys and Strath Haven girls showed their depth. At the Ice Breaker Relays @ Wallenpaupack HS, GAR (Wilkes-Barre) won both the 4x100 and 800 Sprint Medley. The Abington Heights girls set a meet record in the 4x800.