Day 1
Story and photos by Don Rich, PennTrackXC.com
Clemons, Simkins out of meet with hamstring injuries -
Hatboro and Haverford safely advance in 4x800 -
Spooner advances in 1600 and 800, 4x800 and 4x400 (cruises, and didn't have to run the 4x400) -
Miller, Booth advance in 1600.
Field finals - track qualifers
Ruby Radocaj 158-00 Javelin state meet record
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left, Ryan Whiting 193-02 Discus, state meet record
Chad Radgowski 207-02 Jav gets gold medal for state meet record throw. Prior record holder Osayi Osunde, of Central Columbia, also bettered 200 feet.
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Nicole Smith 5-8 HJ
Field Finals
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 Radocaj, who heaved the Javelin, into a wind,
158-00. She broke her own 2003 record of 156-08. The throw is #3 in the
US. Ringgold senior Bev Rogers was 2nd with her 143-11 effort.
In other field action, girls AAA High Jump, favorite Nicole Smith
cleared a state best of 5-08 to win by an inch over fellow junior Kati
Dempsey of Pleasant Valley. The girls' AAA Shot Put saw state leader
Briana Flagg, a Harrisburg junior, took fourth, as Chambersburg's Jen
Andrews went 41-05.75 for the win. Other winners included Milton
Hershey's Jonathan Okon with a Triple Jump of 45-11; Riverside senior
Nicole Pitchford, who cleared 10-06 in the AA Pole Vault; and Rose
Morgans of Elmer Meyers, a senior who leapt 17-07.75 to win the AA Long
Jump. In the AAA boys Triple Jump, Gettysburg junior Darnell Johnson
leapt 47-11. Towanda senior Same Fairchild cleared 15-00 to win the AA
boys Pole Vault. Nicole Smith took 3rd in the Long Jump after her
morning High Jump win. Strath Haven senior Meredith Ryan won the event
by just a half inch, going 17-05. Red Land junior Kristina Kline was
2nd. In AA girls High Jump, Lakeland's Trina Carito, was one of three
sophomores to clear 5-05, but took the title on misses. Brittany Maun,
Reynolds, was 2nd, while Lauren Donahoe, Greensburg Central Catholic,
was 3rd. The boys AAA Shot Put was quite what was expected, but the
winner was. Auston Papay, Sharon, won with a throw of 58-10.50. Teammate
Dylan Page was 2nd with his throw of 56-11. A new Clickett is in town,
and the sophomore Union City thrower won the AA Discus with her 136-11
throw.
Track Qualifiers
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. .
In the Boy's 4x800, Lewisburg was nipped at the wire, but split a
comfortable 2:00.9, 2:01.3, 2:02.9, 2:01.2 for and 8:06.24. Manheim
Township ran the fastest time of the day, a 7:54.68, but Craig Miller
will be replaced on Saturday by his twin, Brad, so he can concentrate on
trying to win the 1600. Upper Dublin won the 2nd heat in 7:55.49. If you
didn't break 8:04, you didn't make the final. .
In the AA girls 1600, Gwynedd Mercy's Kahki Mealey and Kate Vernon are
in. Mealy was 2nd in the first heat to Fairview junior Aryn Gruneisen.
Vernon won the 2nd heat in 5:06.55. In AA Boys, Chris Spooner ran his
2nd race of the day in 4:21.64, with average splits of 65.4 (63.2,
2:09.1, 3:16.1, 4:21.64) David Mock, Westmont Hilltop, won the 2nd heat
in 4:20.94 (65.4, 2:12.8, 3:19.4, 4:20.94 - Average split of 65.2).
Frances Koons cruised comfortably in the AAA girls (70.0, 2:26.6,
3:44.2, 5:00.82 - Average quarter of 75.1). Freedom junior Lauretta
Dezubay posted a 4:59.13 with splits of 73.8, 2:28.4, 3:45.00 - Average
quarter of 74.7). The AAA boys matchup will be between Mike Booth, West
Mifflin, (69.8, 2:19.2, 3:23.7, 4:23.60 - average split of 65.8) who has
gone 4:07.71; and Manheim Township sophomore Craig Miller, (64.3,
2:08.8, 3:14.4, 4:16.74 with a last lap of 62.3). James O'Toole, Mount
Lebanon, should be in the mix (2:08.1, 3:14.1, 4:17.30. last lap of
62.9). .
In the 100 meter dash, the big guns ran the top times: Knowledge
Timmons, William Penn, 10.67, Andrew Johnson, 10.80, Robert Staten,
Bethel, 10.86. In AA boys, it was Kevin Baidoo, Harriton, 10.89, and
Andre Broussard, Elmer L. Meyers, 10.93 to lead the advancers. In AA
girls, it was Jasmine Rogers, Quaker, 12.27, and in the AAA girls, Upper
Darby senior, and favorite Jannea Bridgeford ran a 12.24. Southwestern's
Catie Hare went 12.16 in the first heat, while Janessa Murphy, a Great
Valley junior, ran 12.22.
.
Big news in the short hurdles was that Mycaiah Clemons, Valley, withdrew
from the meet with a hamstring injury.
The top ranked qualifier is Jasmine Rogers, Quaker Valley, who set the
WPIAL record a week ago while beating Clemons. Rogers ran 14.76 today.
In AAA girls, the top qualifier is Sha-Tira Snell, Penn Hills, 14.67.
Kate Noonan Sessa, the third ranked 100 meter hurdler in the state did
not qualify for the final in that event due to a false start. In AAA
boys, Carrington Queen, Chichester, posted a 14.54, while in AA, Chris
Morrisey, Ligonier Valley, ran 14.77. .
Krista Simpkins from Wissahickon has also scratched from the entire meet
due to a hamstring injury.She was the top-ranked runner in the state in
the 200 meters and the 2nd ranked runner in the state in the 400 meters.
She was the defending champ in the 200, and the current PIAA AAA record
holder at 23.77. With Simkins absent, the favorites have to be Kaetlyhn
Brown of Schenley, who went 25.42, Melissa Miler, Athens, 24.95, and
Jannea Bridgeford, Uppe Darby, 25.02. Boiling Springs' Mary Dell went
25.90 with the best AA time. For the guys, Andrew Johnson of North
Hills, false started (by a lot) to miss the final. The top qualifier was
a 22.04 by Knowledge Timmons. The District One champ, Quenton Boyer,
went 22.07. The fastest time of the day was Andre Broussard of Elmer L.
Meyers, who ran 21.93. .
Other top times in the trials:
.
4x100 meter relay
AA girls: Lewisburg, top qualifier with a time of 49.59.
AA boys: Elmer L. Meyers, 42.27,
AAA girls: Penn Hills, top qualifier with a time of 47.77.
AAA boys: West Mifflin, top qualifier with a time of 42.00. .
400 meter dash
AA girls: Top qualifiers: Lacey Cochran, Freeport 57.19; Abby
Montgomery, Hughesville, 57.80
AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Kaetlyn Brown, Schenley, 56.35, and Erica
Moody, Oakland, 56.97.
AA boys: Top qualifier, Michael Coe, Reading Central, 49.32.
AAA boys: Top qualifier, Tracy Robinson, WC Henderson, 48.52.
.
300 meter hurdles
AA girls: Amanda Seigworth, Northwestern, (freshman) 45.93; Samantha
Snukis, Nativvity BVM, 45.99.
AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Chanel Williams, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 44.62,
Kristen Jones, Cumberland Valley, 45.59, Sha-Tira Snell, Penn Hills, 45.66.
AA boys: Chris Morrisey, Ligonier Valley, 38.79;
AAA boys: Tyrone Midder, Altoona, 38.54, Ozzie Brown, Plymouth
Whitemarsh + Tobias Robinson, cedar Crest, both in 39.19. .
800 meters
Chris Spooner's other individual goal for individual gold is the 800, He
led the qualifiers in 1:55.58 (56.8, 58.8), looking more than comfortable.
AA girls: Kaitlin Urban, Westmont Hilltop, 2:16.46; Faye Korich,
Springfield Montco, 2:17.20; Alexzandra Loos, Bentwood (freshman) 2:17.78.
AAA girls: Top qualifiers, Liz Kearins, Central Bucks West, 2:12.62,
Fiana York, Haverford, 2:13.21, Maressa Pinzini, Cheltenham, 2:13.60.
AAA boys: The first heat had to expend a lot of energy with five guys
under 1:56, led by Connellesville junior in 1:55.09. Notably absent
from the final will be both Central Dauphin runners, Ryan Jones and Mark
Wieder.
In the 4x400, the Penn Hills girls are a favorite, going 3:56.03, the
second fastest time in WPIAL history, along with Henderson, which ran
3:56.35. Penn Hills' splits for the underclassmen were 58.5, 59.5, 60.0,
and 57.9 for an average of 59.0. The race will be missing a Wissahickon
team anchored byKrista Simkins. Gwynedd Mercy , Elk county Catholic and
Milton Hershey had the fastest qualifiers in AA. For the AAA boys,
Harrisburg fell and the field will be led by Glen Mills, Bensalem and
Central Dauphin East. The Milton Hershey boys ran 3:23.55 in AA.
DyeStat Pennsylvania
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