PA Weekly Roundup - Apr 12

by Don Rich,
PennTrackXC

Highlights | Summaries |

Highlights

Sam Bair loses, has stress fracture

Shaler star miler Sam Bair, a senior, is out for the season with a
stress fracture in his right foot.

Bair lost his first 800 in Pennsylvania since his freshman year at
the Butler Invitational April 11. The race began in usual Bair
fashion with everyone postioning themselves for 2nd. A 53.5 opening
split will do that. But during the final 200, Bair unexpectedly began to
tie up. He was caught with 60 meters to go by Mount Lebanon's Andrew
Davidson and Ian Fitzgerald of North Hills. Davidson set a PR with his
1:54.5 win, while Fitzgerald edged Bair at the line, both timed in
1:56.2. According to published reports, Bair has inflamed tendons in his
right foot which began to bother him as soon as the race began. He
apparently began to compensate with his stride, which caused him to tire
rapidly. Bair went to Tennessee for an official visit this weekend and
is unsure of the time needed for recovery from his injury.

Fans at the meet described a fading Sam Bair, unexpectedly caught from
behind by two talented western PA runners. The opening quarter was all Bair, a 53.5
split. But then Bair appeared to tire, and would finish third in 1:56.2.
Now the news that it was all raced on a broken foot.

The injury is a stress fracture in the Navicular bone of his right foot.
According to Bair, the problem has been persisting for a few weeks.
"Before the race I had no idea I had this. I just thought it was the
tendons in my foot. But at the end of the race, I could feel that it was
something more." Prior to the meet, the initial diagnosis had been
inflamed tendons. Bair received an injection a few days earlier in hopes
that it would help what they all thought was a soft tissue problem.

Bair e-mailed PennTrackXC Sunday afternoon to break the bad news about
the season-ending injury to the two-time state AAA 1600 meter champion
(and State Meet Record Holder). "Friday night it seemed pretty serious,
and when I got out in the race it became very painful. After the 800, I
could barely walk on it, and the next day I couldn't walk at all. Now I
can't put any weight on it at all and I am on crutches."

Ashley Wetzel, Lewisburg senior,
4:58.21 @ Susquehanna High School Classic

Galen Rivers gives baton to anchor Ben Franczuszki as host Great Valley
(in blue) wins 1600 Sprint Medley in 3:36.40, a Meet Record.

Elite:

SMR
3:36.40 | Great Valley | Mike Marryat, Anthony Parker, Galen Rivers,
Ben Franczuszki | Saturday, April 12 | Great Valley Invitational @ Great
Valley HS

1600
4:58.21 | Ashleigh Wetzel | Lewisburg | Saturday, April 12 | Susquehanna
High School Classic @ Susquehanna University

3200
10:53.58 | Angie Saterstad | Hershey | Saturday, April 12 | Pan-Ram
Invitational @ Central Dauphin HS

JT
137-03 | Holly Geibel | Butler | Saturday, April 12 | Butler
Invitational @ Butler HS

Summaries

Friday, April 11 - Butler Invitational @ Butler HS (Boys) - Sam Bair
lost his first 800 in Pennsylvania since his freshman year at the Butler
Invitational Friday night. The race began in usual Bair fashion with
everyone postioning themselves for 2nd. A 53.5 opening split will do
that. But during the final 200, Bair unexpectedly began to tie up. He
was caught with 60 meters to go by Mount Lebanon's Andrew Davidson and
Ian Fitzgerald of North Hills. Davidson set a PR with his 1:54.5 win,
while Fitzgerald edged Bair at the line, both timed in 1:56.2. According
to published reports, Bair has inflamed tendons in his right foot which
began to bother him as soon as the race began. He apparently began to
compensate with his stride, which caused him to tire rapidly. Bair went
to Tennessee for an official visit this weekend and is unsure of the
time needed for recovery from his injury. Andrew Johnson, North Hills,
got off to a great start with a 10.7 100. In addition to his 2nd in the
800, Fitzgerald won the 1600 in 4:25.37. Jim O'Toole, North Allegheny,
captured the 3200 in a strong 9:23.6. Calvin Littlejohn, Butler cleared
6-07 to win the High Jump. And Mt. Lebanon took both the 4x400 and 4x800
Relays.

Saturday, April 12 - 31th Annual Relay Carnival @ Upper Dublin High
School - North Penn captured the 400, 800 and 1600 meter relays in
strong times, going 42.9. 2, 1:30.2 and 3:23.2, respectively. Haverford
High's Sean Loomis continued to improve in the Pole Vault, easily
winning with a height of 14-3. LaSalle's Kevin Moore, threw the Javelin
180-11 for the win. In Division II, Wissahickon won five relays, the
Shuttle Hurdle, 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, and 1600 Sprint Medley.

Saturday, April 12 - 15th Annual Pan-Ram Invitational @ Central Dauphin
HS - Milton Hershey won both the boys and girls team titles, holding off
Central Dauphin by just four point 104-100 in the boys competiton, and
the Hershey girls 116 to 94. Individually, William Penn (York)'s
Knowledge Timmons continued his strong sophomore season, winning the 100
in 10.72 (10.92 Trials) and the 200 in 22.08 (22.22 Trials). Mark
Mathews, Milton Hershey, took both the 110 Hurdles (15.11, 14.81 Trials)
and 300 Hurdles (40.52). Ryan Whiting, another sophomore making an
impact, won the Shot Put with a throw of 54-08 and the Discus Throw,
going 160-00. In the 3200, senior Pat Philbin went 9:33.58 to hold off
East Pennsboro's Ryan Blood (9:41.64) and Red Land's Chris Robson
(9:43.85). In the girls competition, Angie Saterstad easily won the 3200
in 10:53.58. She was 2nd in the 800 in 2:25.47 to Cumberland Valley's
Nicole Erby, who won by just .3. Erby also took the 400 in 1:00.13. In
the Sprints, Milton Hershey's Kandance Ferguson captured two titles,
taking the 100 in 12.39 and the 200 in 25.46. Teammate Ashley Mondie won
the Long Jump (16-10.50) and the Triple Jump (36-07.75).

Saturday, April 12 - 2nd Annual Great Valley Invitational @ Great
Valley HS (PennTrack on site) - What began as a cold, damp, windy day,
quickly warmed to a sunny, windblown afternoon at the 2nd Annual Great
Valley Invitational. The host school took five relays between the boys
and girls teams, including a stellar Sprint Medley by the guys in
3:36.40 (Mike Marryat, Anthony Parker, Galen Rivers, Ben Franczuszki)
settiing a new meet record. Great Valley's boys also set a meet record
in the Triple Jump Relay with a combined 85'3.50". The Great Valley
girls won the 4x200 in 1:46.57, the Sprint Medley in 4:18.43, and the
Weight 4x100 (throwers only) in 58.44. The Downingtown boys won three
relays, including the 4x1600 in 18:43.77, the Shuttle Hurdles in 1:05.68
Shuttle Hurdles, and the Pole Vault Relay with a combined 24'. The
Pennsbury girls captured four relay wins, with Meet Records in the 4x100
(50.14), the Triple Jump, and Pole Vault (19-0, Kourtney Marquis cleared
10-6). Pennsbury also combined to go 62-11.50 to win the Shot Put Relay.

Saturday, April 12 - 12th Annual Lady Spartan Invitational @ Hempfield
Area HS - Hempfield's Lauren Bricker had a successful day, taking the
Long Jump (16-1) the Triple Jump (37-1), and anchored the winning 4x800
to a 9:46.8. Penn-Trafford hurdler Mycaiah Clemons captured both the 100
and 300 in 15.6 and 45.7, respectively. Shenley's Kaetlyn Brown won the
400 in :58.2 and the 200 in :26.1. In field events, Chris Roadman,
Connellsville Area, won the Javelin with a throw of 126-1, and the
Discus with a toss of 118-5.

Saturday, April 12 - Susquehanna University High School Classic @
Susquehanna University - Lewisburg junior Chris Spooner was busy most of
the day, winning the 1600 in 4:26.49, anchoring the 4x800 to an 8:13.95
win, running a leg of the 4th place 4x400, and getting 2nd in the 800 in
2:01.13. Montoursville senior Eric Baker took 1st in that 800 in
1:59.33. He also captured the 400 in 50.75. Junior Colton Fisher of
Bloomsburg won both the 100 (11.36) and 200 (22.95). Lewisburg's
Ashleigh Wetzel was just as busy as teammate Spooner, anchoring the
4x800 to a 9:49.88 win, winning the 3200 in 11:23.12, and obliterating
her meet and stadium record of 5:07.67 in the 1600 with the fastest time
in the state this season, a 4:58.21. Sister Abby, a junior was 2nd in
5:28.01. Abby was also 3rd in the 800 in 2:28.38, ran on the winning
4x800, and ran a leg of the winning 4x400 (4:09.56). Lewisburg also won
the 4x100 in 51.97. Teammate Kalle James-Wintjen, a freshman, captured
both the 100 (12.85) and the 200 (26.68).

Saturday, April 12 - Butler Invitational @ Butler HS (Girls) - Holly
Geibel of Butler threw one of the best Javs in the state this season,
going 137-3. Hurdle specialist Juliana Reed of Hampton, captured both
the 100 (14.6) and the 300 (45.1). Nicole Smith of Erie McDowell was a
double winner, taking the Triple Jump (36-3) and Long Jump (17-1-1/2).
North Allegheny's Kim Markel 5-4 tied state #1 high jump and 15.0/45.9
hurdles state #4/#3. She also anchored the 2nd place 4x400. Katie
Orchowski, Upper St. Clair goes state #1 2:19.4 800. Molly Friel, North
Allegheny, 2:19.8 for state #2. Anna Marie Thompson, Villa Maria 38-10.5
state #2 Shot Put.

Saturday, April 12 - Mount Carmel Invitational @ Mount Carmel HS -
Nativity's Lindsey Smith came within one inch of sweeping four events.
Her near miss was getting 2nd in the Triple Jump with a 32-08.5 effort.
Berwick's Taylor Beattie was first. Smith won the Javelin (117-4), the
Discus (116-5), and the Shot Put (32-2.50). Teammate Samantha Snukis
captured the 400 in 1:01.28, the 300 Hurdles in 48.40 and anchored the
winning 4x400 to a 4:18.15, and the victorious 4x800 to a 10:08.06. For
the boys, Southern Columbia's Rob Kerris won two events, the Discus
(168-6) and the Shot Put (55-6). Minersville's Jim Close took both short
dashes, the 100 in 10.83 and the 200 in 22.50. Shamokin won the 4x100 in
44.68 and the 4x400 in 3:34.0. Jesse Hershey, Jersey Shore, popped a
strong Javelin effort with his 185-10.

Saturday, April 12 - Washington-Greene County Coaches' Meet @ Canon
McMillan HS - Matt Warco, Peters Township, won three events to highlight
the meet, taking the 1600 in 4:31.1, the 400 in 51.2 and the 800 in
2:01.7. Teammate Phil Sierzega captured the 110 Hurdles in 15.6 and the
300 Hurdles in 40.9. The short dashes were owned by Canon-McMillan's
Rich Bizick, who took the 100 in 11.3 and the 200 in 22.7. Taryn Gibson
won three events in the girls' competition, including the 800 in 2:25.1,
the 1600 in 5:53.0 and the 3200 in 11:51. Ashley Campbell won the 100 in
12.6 and the 200 in 26.2. In the field events, the double winner was
Helen Higgins of Waynesburg, winning the Shot Put (37-9) and the Discus
(98-9). Bev Rogers, Ringgold, had a strong throw in the Javelin, a 132-0
effort.

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