Meghan Briggs of Palmyra was the smallest competitor for the national championship in the Javelin. She looks like an 800 runner, but she knows she's a thrower. And the proof is in the title. Coming into the finals in 3rd place, she unleashed a throw of 132-08 to beat AA state champion Elisha Jones of Eisenhower by a foot. Jones had won the Penn Relays, and Briggs had finished second in the AAA competition. "It's a little depressing knowing that Elisha is feeling the same way I did at States, coming in the top seed and then having someone come from behind kind of gets you down, but at the same time, it's awesome to take second." Jones says she'll still be gong strong next year in her favorite sport, basketball, and be back at the Jav in the Spring.
Also capturing a national title was Octorara's Ryan Fritz, who fought sun and heat to win on misses over PA rival Juan Cave of New Jersey (and Saint Joseph's Prep of the Philadelphia Catholic League.) "If I hadn't won it, I would have wanted to see him win it." Fritz was more than pleased with his senior campaign... "this is more than I could have envisioned. I could never have imagined winning nationals." He credits his surge this year to an ability to meet the challenge of the pressure... "The difference between this year and last year is I am rising to the occasion this year. I used to choke a little bit, but I'm finally breaking out of that." His clearance of 6-10.25 came after only one miss at the height, which was his first of the day.
Also finishing first for PA was the West Catholic 4x400, going 3:45.31, a day after nearly beating their own US record with the 5th best-ever 1600 Sprint Medley Relay. In addition to Jones and Cave, there were a quite a few top PA athletes who took 2nd on the final day of competition. Nicole Leach, the West Catholic star, came in a heavy favorite in the 400 Hurdles. And for much of the race, it appeared that form and seeding would hold, because coming off Hurdle 7, the lead was a few steps over junior Krystal Cantey of New Jersey. Leach admitted that she may have been a bit overconfident coming in, but had nothing but good things to say about her new-found rival. Her training had suffered a bit with the demands of graduation, and "just figured that I was so much stronger than the rest of the field... we'd be good." Leach said she will regroup for the national Juniors championship next weekend, and will do what she can to ensure her conditioning returns to Penn Relays' form. But a PR in this race, all while tripping as she sensed Cantey pulling to her side after the final hurdle, was still satisfying to Leach. "I heard the crowd yelling, and part of me thought it was because I was running a good time, but once I came over the last hurdle and I saw her, i tried to react quick, got caught up in my steps and started tripping. It was too late to react." How can I be mad? I gave my best and PRed."
Finishing two days of somewhat surprising and "disappointing" 2nd place showings was Central Dauphin's Ryan Whiting. His best event, the Shot Put, had seen his unbeaten streak come to an end the day before. But he would have had to PR by over three feet to take the Discus. He'll give it one more shot at Junior Nats, but with the Junior implements. His 196-10 for 2nd came on the first throw of the finals.
Craig Miller of Manheim Township came into the meet just looking to set a PR in the Mile. His time of 4:06.76 in 2004 at this meet had nearly set a US sophomore record. But at the State meet, he had gone out hard
-- (59.6-2:00.8-3:02.1, saying he had simply "wanted a fast time" -- ending up with 4:11.98. "I guess I was a little worried" (coming into the Nike Meet). "It might have hurt me a little bit - psychologically."
But he stuck to his plan for this race, at least for the first two laps, sitting in second to see what others would do. But on lap three, he accelerated, and opened the field starting the final lap. He was passed in the first 100 of lap four by Jeff See and Justin Switzer, and gapped about 10 meters entering turn three. But he fought back to regain contact, and passed Switzer on the final turn. At that point, See was gone, and Miller held on for 2nd and a 4:07.19. "I had wanted to run faster than last year." Miller says he will probably skip swimming between cross country and outdoor in his senior year, "to get a better base."
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