PIAA T&F State Championships 2004

State relay information for both trials and finals for all Boys & Girls AA & AAA. Team Members [first & last name]; order; split. I was able to obtain the field cards from the PIAA. In addition, I do not have the wind cards for all of the jumps. Any help from would be greatly appreciated. I was able to obtain the field cards from Mark Byers [PIAA} and am incorporating them into the results. Several of the non placers marks are questionable. In addition, I do not have the wind cards for all of the jumps.

How a creative, stubborn coach and talented, coachable athletes won a 4-year battle in the 4x800 in 9:09.06. The story of Haverford (PA) high school's 4x800 that beat the competition, four years of getting close, a last minute strategy shift, and self-doubt to finally win a state championship.

Four new action pix pages, one each of girls and boys, AA and AAA, plus the 4x800 race sequences page and five photo gallery pages.

Boys AAA Action Pix from the 5/28-29 PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg University

Boys AA Action Pix from the 5/28-29 PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg University

Girls AAA Action Pix from the 5/28-29 PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg University

Girls AA Action Pix from the 5/28-29 PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg University

Race Sequences of the 4x800 finals on 5/29 at thePIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg

Athlete Quotes from Day Two at the PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg: Adriana Boyle, David Mock, Ian Fitzgerald, Craig Miller, Chris Spooner, Eric Sparks

Peter Habegger goes 24-08 for a US#2 Long Jump. A Regan wins the Pole Vault, while another takes second. A Hickory pole vaulter wins the state title, but it\'s not who you think. Two sophomores show their older competitors the way to Triple Jump. And another Radocaj wins the Javelin. Just business as usual in PA. Cedar Crest\'s Peter Habegger launched a US #2 Long Jump 24-08.00. In AA, Samuel Aleshinolye of Milton Hershey leapt 22-00.50. Easton\'s Lindsay Regan cleared the magic 13-0 in the Pole Vault for the third time this season in sometimes swirling winds. She missed on three attempts to break the US National sophomore record of 13-4. Courtney Regan took 2d with an 11-06 effort. The upset of the day came in the boys AAA Pole Vault, as Andrew Rademacher, in his final PIAA performance, was beaten by teammate Eric Sparks, a junior. Sparks graciously referred to Rachemacher\'s performance as \"a bad day\", but nonetheless, had to PR by 3\" at 15-09 to claim his first state title. Both cleared 15-09.

Jannea Bridgeford, Upper Darby defends on title and adds a new one. Knowledge Timmons does the same in AAA boys. Andre Broussard gets two golds. And Jasmine Rogers takes home two individual titles with 100 and 100 Hurdles win.

West Mifflin overcame two rough handoffs in the 4x100, Conestoga took the wide-open girls AAA 4x400, while Elk County Catholic took two seconds to Gwynedd-Mercy; and Lewisburg boys posted the US#2, Haverford girls the US#5 4x800\'s.

Kate Vernon, Gwynedd Mercy, wins both AA 800 and 1600 races, while Lewisburg\'s Chris Spooner accomplishes the same feat in AA boys. Both athletes also anchored their teams to wins in the 4x800 earlier in the day. Monster races from sophomore Craig Miller, Manheim Township, in the AAA 1600, and Ian Fitzgerald, North Hills, in the AAA boys 3200. Included are some splits and race flow descriptions for the 800, 1600 and 3200 races. Times in a few of the races were among the best in years.

According to the schedule on PIAA.org, there are two more broadcasts of the PIAA State Championships on PCN: Monday, May 31 at 9:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m.

Chris Spooner triples, spits 1:51.8 to anchor Lewisburg to US#2 4x800 of 7:44.44, and wins 1600 in 4:13.99 and 800 in 1:54.27. Lewisburg gets 3rd in 4x400 of 3:23.14 with Spooner split of 50.5. (in pix, Adriana Boyle is greeted by Alica and Fiana York after her winning anchor for the Haverford 4x800). MORE...

The old record of 4:09.61 was set by Sam Bair in 2002.

US # 1 is Archbishop Carroll of Washington, DC, with a time of 7:44.42.

David Mock won the AA 3200 meter title and Ian Fitzgerald won the AAA 3200 meter title.

Real Time Results from the PIAA State Championships @ Shippensburg University

Athlete quotes from Day One @ the PIAA State Champs @ Shippensburg: Chad Radgowski, Ryan Whiting, Nicole Smith, and Ruby Radocaj.

Three field State Meet records fell during the first day\'s competition, one of them a US#3. Ryan Whiting, the Central Dauphin junior, uncorked a 193-02, an improvement of over eight feet on the 1985 AAA record set by Mark White of Upper Saint Clair. In the Javelin, two juniors went head-to-head, with last year\'s state champ, Osayi Osunde of Central Columbia, taking 2nd this year to the new record-holder in AA, Chad Radgowski of South Park. Radgowski\';s throw of 207-02 was over 11 feet better than the record Osunde set in 2003. The third record was by Williamsport senior Ruby Radocah, who heaved the Javelin, into a wind, 158-00. More...

The leading state champ candidates ran controlled 4x800\'s. Gwynedd-Mercy cruised to a 9:40.29. Their main challengers in AA, Elk County Catholic, won their heat in 9:31.71. In AAA, Allentown Central catholic, Henderson and Haverford all ran relatively hard in the first heat. Haverford split 2:18.9, 2:22.0, 2:15.0, 2:20.9. The heat also included a 2:15.3 split from Upper Saint Clair\'s Katie Orchowski, a sophomore, to bring them back and get them into the final. The second heat was relatively relaxed, as Radnor, McDowell, Hatboro (the favorites) and Perkiomen Valley came in at 9:27-28. That two seconds a lap difference in effort could cost a team or two in tomorrow\'s finals. More...

The boy\'s 1600 in 2003 saw the emergence of Manheim Township\'s Craig Miller, who set a US freshman class record of 4:14.26 in the finals. He ran a 4:14.59 last week to get here. Twin brother Brad was just behind him. Pacing shouldn\'t be a problem, as West Mifflin senior Mike Booth, who shocked the Baldwin Invitational crowd with a 4:07.71 win over Ian Fitzgerald a few weeks ago, will be out to add a state championship to his resume. Fitzgerald, the North Hills senior and defending 3200 champ who won this year\'s Penn Relays 3000, is the hands-on favorite in the eight-lapper. More...

Defending 200 champ Krista Simkins of Wissahickon is out of the 200 after scratching from the final at the District 1 meet. She is in the 100, but will face defending champ Jannea Bridgeford of Upper Darby, who has been having an incredible season, along with Great Valley junior Janessa Murphy. Bridgeford should be the favorite in the 200 as well.

We\'ll be watching over two days to compare the distance races, especially on the boys\' side. Lewisburg\'s Chris Spooner is one of the best distance runners to come out of PA (you\'ll have to follow the Duke Blue Devils next year to catch him). He ran an 8:53.46 two-mile in Hartford, CT a few weeks ago, and has opted to leave the 3200 title he won in 2003 open to someone else. That someone will probably be Westmont Hilltop senior David Mock, who is bound for William & Mary. More...

Let\'s start with one of the easiest: Gwynedd Mercy will take the 4x800. They\'re not only the defending champ; they have gone faster this year, a 9:04.57 at the Penn Relays. More...