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multi events | 07-08 most outstanding performers

This is the thirteenth of a series of DyeStat year-end awards for 2007-08. The DyeStat Most Outstanding Performers series, which follows the DyeStat Athlete of the Year awards, includes top honors for boys and girls distances, sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, relays, and multi-events. Selections are made by DyeStat editors and are based a combination of multiple major victories/honors won and performances on all-time and yearly lists. Performances from outdoor track, indoor track, and cross-country are taken into account..

Text by SteveU - Photo by Ken Charnock


Ryann Krais

Although there was a little disappointment and frustration at the end of the season, the girl who was arguably prep track’s finest all-around athlete, male or female, generally had an outstanding senior year – whether it was running, hurdling, jumping, or doing it all.

Norristown (Methacton HS) PA senior Ryann Krais began 2008 racing a variety of distances and long jumping indoors, with some key regular-season marks being PRs of 8.04 and 8.54 for 55 and 60 hurdles.  At Nike Indoor, she put it together for a 3,823 meet-record pentathlon PR, moving to #2 all-time.  She also took thirds in the open LJ and 60H.

Outdoors, in individual events, the highlights of Krais’s season began and ended with battles with TN star Jackie Coward.  At Taco Bell, Krais beat Coward at 400H with a 58.96, then in finishing 2nd to her at 100H, she ran a PR 13.50.  Two months later, at Great Southwest, she would take on Coward again at 300H and, after Coward fell, she went on to edge US#1 Donique’ Flemings, (US#3) 41.20-41.21.

Of course, the 300H win at GSW for Krais came after she had nearly broken the HSR the two previous days in the Heptathlon, her signature event.  With a PR 5-8 HJ providing a big spike, she battled Shana Woods mark for two days, ending with a wind-aided 5522, the #2 best score ever in any conditions.  She won again at USATF Juniors, using a big margin in the javelin to outscore Jessica Flax, 5217-5108, and make the World Junior team.  In Poland, she came back for a legal PR of 5457, a mark only two other preps have beaten and good for 9th in the world.

Krais didn’t do the hept at the PA state meet, but with victories in the HJ (5-5), LJ (19-02), and 300H (41.68) – and despite a fall in the 100H – she single-handedly won the state title for Methacton.  She also claimed another 400H title in the Penn Relays.  Finally, Krais also qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 400H, where she ran the first round in 59.39.

 
Honorable Mention

Curtis Beach – The Albuquerque Academy NM senior didn’t quite make his goal of representing Team USA at the World Juniors, but still had a strong – and busy – campaign.  He and fellow New Mexican Dan Gooris started their multi seasons indoors with a tie for 1st at NSIC with 3866 points.  Outdoors, he was pretty strong at Great Southwest with a wind-aided 7262 victory and bigger things seemed ahead.  But at USATF Juniors, he struggled in a few events and “only” picked up 7026 for 3rd.  He tried again at USATF JOs, but suffered a mid-competition injury that held him to 3rd in 6376. 

Ben Davies – The Brentwood Academy TN senior had a tough year, struggling with injury for most of 2008.  He didn’t try the deca at Great Southwest and DNF’d at USATF Juniors.  But at the AAU JO meet, he finally was back in near-PR form and compiled the top legal score of the year at 7260.

Dakotah Keys – The Sweet Home OR soph hit a 6630 during the regular season, then improved to 6767 for 5th at USATF Juniors, a great placing for a sophomore.  But the big bomb came at USATF JOs, where he ratcheted his score all the way up to 7204, one of the best ever for a 10th-grader. 

Dan Gooris – The Cibola NM senior was the year’s busiest multis performer, starting with that tie for the NSIC title indoors (3866 points) with friend and fellow New Mexican Curtis Beach.  He then broke the 7000 barrier with 7067 for 2nd at Great Southwest behind Beach.  At USATF Juniors, he was somewhat off form at 6700, but then at USATF JOs he joined Beach as decathletes with two 7000-point scores this year when he hit a runner-up 7005.  His specialty is the pole vault, where he was in the US top 10 with 16-09.

Shakeia Pinnick – Like Gooris, the Waubonsie Valley IL junior competed in a number of multis throughout the year.  She was 2nd behind Ryann Krais in the NIN pentathlon with 3549 points in March.  In June, she broke the 5000 barrier with a super 5053, the top mark in the country at the time.  The USATF Juniors didn’t go as well for her, as she hit 4721 for 7th, but she bounced back somewhat to hit 4883 to win AAU JOs.  She won five medals in that meet, including a 2nd in the 400H at 58.98, one of the top 10 times in the country for the year.

Jessica Flax – The Pearland TX senior wasn’t as prolific as some, but who else could say they gave Ryann Krais a run for her money.  Flax did, posting a US#2 5108 at USATF Juniors, battling Krais until the final event.


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