PIAA Pennsylvania State Meet
May 27-28, 2005 at Shippensburg PA

Day 1

Three meet records broken -- Osaya Osunde 207-10 JT, Ryan Whiting 201-9 DT, and Eric Sparks 15-10. Nicole Smith doubles 20-3 and 5-8.

story by Don Rich - prelims

Eric Sparks 15-10 PV
Osaya Osunde 207-10 JT
Ryan Whiting 201-9 DT
Karen Shump 44-5 SP

 

Nicole Smith is on fire -- wins HJ at 5-8 as jumpoff ends gruelling duel with Rachel Gehret, wins LJ at 20-3 (which would have been a meet reocrd except for +3.2 tail wind) and qualifies in 100H heat at 14.99. Her dad got to see it on a rare weekend off from his professional golfing duties.

 

Day 1 story

by Don Rich, PennTrackXC / Milesplit network

  Three PIAA records bit the dust, and another was saved by a gust of
wind at Day One of the Field Events at PIAA T&F State Champs @ Ship.

McDowell senior Nicole Smith is on fire this weekend. With her father -
a professional golfer and a busy guy on most weekends - in attendance
for his first state meet, Smith started her meet with two wins and an
advance to the Semis of the 100 Hurdles. In the Long Jump, she wasn't
credited with a PIAA record because it was wind-aided, but who would
question the distance of 20-03 with a wind reading of 3.2? It's out
there. "I just let the sand come to me."

Smith shouldn't have had the legs left for the effort after her
seemingly endless head-to-head against Altoona junior Rachel Gehret in
the High Jump. The two were even through 5-08, and after both missed at
5-09, they started a jump-off, Clearing 5-07, it was back to 5-08,
which Gehret missed, and Smith cleared. But that was after running a
14.99 in the Trials of the 100 Hurdles. Oh, and Gehret took 2nd in the
Long Jump. Her 19-01.25 would win many years. Just not this one.

Smith's leap was the near-record... but it doesn't go down in the books
that way because of a wind reading of 3.2.

But there were three field marks that were rewritten. The first came in
the AA Boys Javelin, when Osaya Osunde of Central Columbia unleashed a
207.10 throw to beat his nearest competitor by nine feet. Osunde, who
is headed to Villanova in the fall to play football and compete in
track in the spring, said that while he had been thrilled by his Penn
Relays title in the event, this was even better. "And to get a state
record, that's really incredible."

Record number 2 was happening at about the same time as a 201-09 Discus
was being hurled by Central Dauphin senior Ryan Whiting, breaking his
own record. Coming in the prelims, Whiting was pleased with the effort.
But a reported 210+ throw on the finals was excluded because of a foul.
Whiting is hoping for his first 70-foot Shot Put in Saturday's Shot Put
competition, but knows he still has two more chances in the Nike and
Junior Nationals meets.

The third record to go by the boards was in the AA Boys Pole Vault when
Eric Sparks, Hickory, cleared 15-10. He won the AAA title last year,
and this year, because Hickory dropped down a class, added the AA as
well.

Not to be lost in the record blitz were the great throws by frosh Karen
Shump
of Penncrest who won her second state championship of the year in
the Shot Put. She actually had several throws that would have won the
event, but her best was a mark of 44-05. Six other girls broke 40-feet,
but Shump was clearly the class of the field. "I really want the
freshman record (49+ feet), but I have another chance at Nike."

In the AA Girls Long Jump, Brianna Liebold of Chartiers Houston went
18-05 for the win. Donegal senior Kelsey Buffenmyer did 18-00.50 for
2nd.

Westmont Hilltop junior "sprinter" Brad Kanuch concentrated on his
jumping skills (all while advancing in the 100 and 200) to take a win
in the Triple Jump at 47-02. The Boys AAA was won by Nate Gilbert with
a monster 48-11.50 clearnance. Amber Gaffey, the favorite in the AA
Girls Pole Vault, cleared 11-03 for the win. The AA Boys Shot Put was
won by Colin Dugan with a throw of 54-09.25, a mere half-inch ahead of
Lakeland's Joe Tuzze.

Natalie Clickett, Union City, won the Discus in AA Girls by half a
foot, throwing 140-07. Brittany Maun of Reynolds cleared 5-05 to win
the AA Girls High Jump. Carlisle's Kacey James threw the Jav 147-06 to
beat Palmyra's by over six feet.

 

Prelims

  In the AA Girls 100 Trials, Athens' Melissa Miller had the fastest qualifier at 12.67. Frosh star Devan Coon of Schuylkill Valley went
12.73 to advance. Miller had the 2nd fastest 200 qualifier of 26.06.
Coon went 26.02 in her heat, while Milton Hershey's Abigail Johnson ran 26.26. Johnson went 56.93 to post the best 400 Trials in AA Girls.
Miller completed her triple sprint qualifier in 57.36. In AAA, all the leading athletes advanced comfortably, with Breehana Jacobs, Laurel Highlands, going 12.11, Janessa Murphy, Great Valley 12.12, and Krista Simkins 12.17. Simkins came back in the afternoon in the 200 Trials to rip a 24.10, best of the four heats by over 8-tenths.
</p><p>

The two favorites in the AA Boys 100, Brad Kanuch, Westmont Hilltop, and Tommie Campbell, Aliquippa, each posted 11.01 times to advance to Saturday morning's Semis. Campbell and Kanuch had the fastest two qualifiers in the 200, with Campbell at 22.37 and Kanuch at 22.49.
Montel Williamson, West Mifflin, looked comfortable and confident in running to a 10.74 Trials win. Knowledge Timmons, the favorite from William Penn York, ran 10.81. Also breaking 11 were Mike Odofin of Penn Wood and Da'Rel Scott, a Plymouth-Whitemarsh junior. A mild surprise was frosh AJ Alexander of Altoona failing to advance, losing one sending the times to a-thousandth of a second. Timmons and Bensalem's Reggie Carter both posted 21.80 marks in winning their heats of the afternoon 200 Trials. Scott De'Rel of Plymouth-Whitemarsh went 21.87.
Carter came back to run 48.39 in the 400. In all, five guys were under
49 seconds, setting up a spectacular final for Saturday.
</p><p>

No surprises in the 100 and 110 Hurdles, as the top seeds advanced. In the AA Girl's, it was Masterman's Dara Wilson going 15.04. Wilson came back in the 300 Semis, with Northwestern's Amanda Seigworth, a sophomore, posting the AA best qualifier of 44.33. In AAA, Mycaiah Clemons of Valley went 14.23, but in the prior three heats, Brianna Broyles of William Allen ran 14.96, Chanel Williams of Plymouth Whitemarsh ran 14.56, and Ryann Krais, the frosh star from Methacton ran 14.65. The 5th best time in the Trials was from Nicole Smith, McDowell, at 14.99. Krais looked smooth in the 300 Trials, running a 43.08, while Broyles, in the previous heat, went 44.21.
</p><p>

In AA Boys, Pottstown junior Jaris Mayes ran a pretty hard Trials, going 14.75. Also advancing were Valley soph Toney Clemons, Smethport's Mike Mitchell and Windber's Nate Kiss. Mitchell ran 38.83 to advance in the 300 Hurdles. Troy Harris of Bedford and Brandon Tress of Bible Baptist, both broke 40 seconds in the first heat. Carrington Queen ran
14.65 in the AAA Trials, with only Delon Isom of Harrisburg joining him under 15 seconds. Queen looked to struggle over the final three hurdles in the 300 Trials, but still ran 39.41. Ryan Thompson of General McLane and Kerry Boyle of Hazleton both posted better Trials times in the 3rd heat, running 38.90 and 39.15, respectively.
</p><p>

West Mifflin senior Monica Allen and Ije Iheoma, a Council Rock South freshman, posted the fastest two 400 AAA Girls qualifiers of 56.69 and 56.83. In AA Boys, Ben McConnell of Danville ran 48.92, helping Phil Leineweber of Christian School of York to a 49.17, the times the two fastest of the qualifier. Biglerville's Joey Wagner also advanced comfortably. McConnell also ran well in the 800 Trials with a 1:57.95, taking second to Windber's Tony Clement at 1:57.70.
</p><p>

Last year's AAA champ Liz Kearins ran 2:18.41, while Engineering & Science freshman Benita Taylor went 2:18.09 in the second heat to lead the AA Girls 800 qualifiers. Easton freshman Chanelle Price looked every bit the veteran, as she and fellow frosh Amanda Raudabaugh of Big Spring ran 2;15.21 and 2:16.19 in the Trials of the AAA Girls. Serita Lachesis of Wissachickon, the District 1 champ, ran 2:15.53 in the first heat. The second heat of the AAA Boys' 800 was quick, as five athletes bettered the top time from the first heat, lead by favorite Ken King of Connellsville in 1:55.40. Cedar Crest's Andy Miller was 2nd at 1:55.74.
</p><p>

The two favorites in the AA Girls 1600 looked every bit of that, as Shady Side senior Katie Roll ran 5:08.74 to easily take the first heat, and Brentwood frosh Rachel Erney running 5:11.70 to take the 2nd heat.
Two of the favorites pulled away from the pack in the opening heat of the AAA Girls 1600. The sophomores, Sam McMillan of Hershey and Sarah Morrison of Chambersburg, ran 5:00.58 and 5:01.46, respectively. But in the 2nd heat, Freedom senior Lauretta Dezubay left no doubt about her intent for Saturday, running alone to a 4:59.97.
</p><p>

Jacob Walker, the Ellwood City junior, controlled the first heat, running 4:24.04. Springfield Montco junior Matlack Gillin was 2nd quickest, while Lane King also advanced. In AAA, the Miller boys took their individual heats. Brad actually had to work the hardest, holding off North Penn senior Sean Doyle by about a quarter second at 4:21.60.
In the 2nd heat, Craig looked to be holding himself back over the first two laps, appearing to intentionally slow to stay in the pack. But over the final lap he simply imposed his will on the group, running 4:23.36.
He'll have plenty of energy left for the Saturday finals.
</p><p>

In the 4x100's, AA favorites Quaker Valley and Lewisburg advanced with sub-50 second performances. The West Chester Henderson girls led the AAA qualifiers at 48.57, just .02 better than Simon Gratz. Aliquippa was, as expected, the early class of the AA Boys 4x100, going 42.96.
And Central Dauphin East led AAA Boys qualifiers with a 42.50. West Mifflin and Simon Gratz also advanced comfortably.
</p><p>

Engineering & Science went 3:59.88 to post the fastest qualifier in the AA Girls 4x400. Gwynedd-Mercy was quick as well, along with Milton Hershey. The AAA Girls race will be quite a race on Saturday.
Wissahickon, with a 53-point anchor by Krista Simkins, ran 3:54.11. Ten other teams broke four minutes. Hang on tomorrow. In AA Boys, Lewisburg, Christian School of York, Southern Columbia, and Trinity. In the AAA Boys, some bad news for fans of Harrisburg, as they were DQed when their anchor forced the Central Dauphin East anchor out a few lanes. CD East ran 3:20.267. but Simon Gratz cruised to a 3:18.56, as anchor Khaliff Featherstone looked to turn on the effort with 150 meters to go.
</p><p>

Engineering & Science and Gwynedd Mercy are on a collision course in the 4x800 Saturday morning. Both ran alone to easy wins in the two heats of AA, with E&S going 9:27.88 and Gwynedd running 9:28.20. North Penn didn't have to expend too much energy in running a 9:17.48 in heat two of the AAA Girls. Conestoga ran 9:16.85 to take the first heat. In AA Boys, Greenville and Bethlehem Catholic were the heat winners. If you didn't break eight minutes in the AAA Boys race, you didn't advance. North Penn ran a quick 7:50.69. Conestoga Valley, who went five seconds faster than that at their district meet, controlled the race in heat two, going 9:56.41.
</p><p>

 

Pennsylvania State Meet index page


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