The state's best (at least most of them) are in State College for the 30th Annual PTFCA Indoor State Championships on the lightning-fast banked Mondo track that will help any athlete perform to their best. There are tons of great match-ups and individual performances to watch, but the key ones include:
Nicole Smith, McDowell, competing in four events. She's the top seed in the High Jump and the Triple Jump, 6th in the Long Jump, and 8th in the 60 Hurdles. She will be tired at the end of the day, but could have a lot of medals to carry home.
The 60 dash features Elyse Goode, Ambridge, going against the defending state champ in the event, Jannea Bridgeford of Upper Darby. Great Valley's Janessa Murphy, Angela Wells, Simon Gratz, and Oakland Catholic soph Charelise Davis are also in the mix. Bethel Park's Bobby Staten is the top seed coming into the meet, just .02 off the state record, the same margin as Goode for the girls. Staten will be pushed by West Mifflin's Montel Williamson, and Conwell Egan's Steve Slaton.
Sub-five minute milers Amy Kelly, St. Hubert's, and Frances Koons, Allentown Central Catholic, are both doubling in the Mile and 3000. Waiting for them in the 3k, fully rested, will be Adriene Beltz, Hamburg. In the boys Mile, Steve Hallinan, O'Hara, will double in the 3k, as will Greg Williams, Henderson. Hallinan is coming back from a few weeks of injury, and will have more than his share of challengers from Lewisburg's Chris Spooner, who has also gone sub-4:13 this indoor, and Carroll's Mike Tilger. In the 3k. Williams and Hallinan are the top seeds, but there are four other guys under 9 who could take it if either falters. St. Joseph's Prep's Tim O'Neill is one of them, plus the defending champ.
The marquis match-up of the day will be juniors Nicole Leach, West Catholic, and Krista Simkins, Wissahickon. They go head-to-head in the 200, and will most likely anchor their respective teams in the 4x200 and 4x400 at meet's end. Leach is the top seed in the 400.
Leach's teammate Latavia Thomas is the defending champ in the 800, and the top seed by over six seconds.
The Glen Mills and Henderson guys will tear up the track in the 4x200. Both are 1:30-point. The Hatboro Horsham 4x800 has a seed time better than the state record. Any of five or six teams could take the guy's 4x800, with Carroll the only one under 8 so far. The Glen Mills time of 3:21.98 is over six seconds better than the second seed in the 4x400.
Andy Rademacher, Hickory, looks to up his state indoor record for the 3rd time this season. The Regan sisters light up the Pole Vault runway. Juan Cave, St. Joseph's Prep, came close to 7' in the High Jump last week. In the Long Jump, Angela Wells is approaching 20'. And the Shot Put boasts three girls over 40' and three guys over 60', including new state record holder Auston Papay, Sharon, at 65'2". |
