Preview
Top high school runners from six states will descend on the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armory on Saturday (Dec. 18) to compete in the 51st Annual Bishop Loughlin Games . The meet will feature more than 6,000 athletes from over 200 schools from up and down the Eastern seaboard including national contenders in several events.
*The meet has come to be regarded as the traditional kick-off of the indoor season, producing national leading times on the Armory's lightning fast track
*The Bishop Loughlin Games will start at 9 a.m.
*The boys competition will focus on the Invitational 2-mile run, the third leg of the New York Road Runners' Distance Grand Prix Series. Fast 2-mile times have become commonplace in this meet, and this year is expected to live up to expectations. Local favorite Kevin McDermott of Chaminade High School in Mineola, Long Island, fresh off his 11th place showing in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional meet, will be challenged by two other Long Island rivals, Brian Schmidt of Kellenberg Memorial in Uniondale and Geary Gubbins of Southampton High School, as well as Girma Segni of Brooklyn International High School, who won the high school run at this year's ING New York City Marathon.
*The highlight of the boys' sprints will be the 300 meter dash, featuring Edino Steele of Brooklyn's Pacific High School and Elliot Luscombe of Plattsburgh (NY) High School. Steele, a 20.99 200m performer, and Luscombe, the 2004 New York Indoor runner-up in the event, are the favorites. Upset possibilities include Winston Whittingham of Middle College in Brooklyn and Rob McRae of Shenendehowa High School of upstate New York .
*The 1000m run will feature Bryan Scotland of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark , NJ , the 2004 National Scholastic Indoor runner-up in the 800m run. Scotland will face stiff competition from Peter Glackin of Christian Brother's Academy in Lincroft , NJ , and Dan Wallace-Perac of Nyack (NY) High School.
*The top event for the girls is expected to be the 600m run. Last year's runner-up, Janine Davis of Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington , NJ , returns to the event. Also in the field is one of the nation's top returning 500m runners, Shakirra Pinnock of Beth el High School in Virginia .
Although overshadowed by Davis and Pinnock, Bishop Loughlin's Janean Morris, the CHSAA record-holder in the 600m (1:33.6), hopes to pull off an upset.
*Millrose Games qualifying marks could be set by a number of athletes in the mile. Danielle Tauro of Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin , NJ , the 2004 outdoor 1600m winner at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, will face Kara McKenna of Suffern (NY) High School and Rolanda Bell of Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, Long Island, last year's fourth-place finisher in the event. A fast pace by Tauro could help pull the other girls under 5:00.
*A wide-open 2-mile run features talented runners from New York , New Jersey and Connecticut competing for Grand Prix points. Among the favorites are Emily Fung of Greenwich (CT) Central High School , Meghan Brown of Ursuline Academy in New Rochelle , NY , Kelsey Malmquist of Kellenberg Memorial and Maegan Krifchin of Long Island 's J.F.K. Bellmore.
*Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for students and seniors. |