An exciting week ended with some big performances at the Jack Roddick Invitational and the Blue Jay High School Invitational. Here is a look at who stood out:
Sprints
Boys
Performer of the week – Joseph Bruno (Mechanicsburg)
I originally had this going to Harrisburg’s Kamere Day, but Bruno’s triple (100/400/4×100) with a PA#3 400 time of 48.38 gives him this week’s honor. He also ran a PA#9 10.76 100m dash and helped his 4x100m relay go sub 44s. Bruno is having a terrific season and could medal at states in anything from 100m-400m. His SB 200 is a PA#12 22.07.
Honorable Mention – Kamere Day (Harrisburg)
8 District III AAA boys have run under 11.0s for 100m so far this season, with several others close. Harrisburg’s Kamere Day and CD East’s Shawn Brown continue to lead the way. This weekend, race officials at Jack Roddick reversed direction for the 100m and 100/110mH due to high winds and the performances that resulted benefitted from that decision. Day ended up running the 100m dash in 10.48 which ranks PA#2. CPA athletes are dominating the state rankings for 100m.
Other CPA boys ranked in the top 10 in the state include:
PA#3 – Shawn Brown, CD East – 10.54
PA#4 – Ezra Mellinger, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10.64
PA#6 – Donte Kent, Harrisburg – 10.72
PA#8 – Tyeshawn Worrell, Chambersburg – 10.74
PA#9 – Joseph Bruno, Mechanicsburg – 10.76
The exciting part is that all but Mellinger are juniors, meaning we will get another year of really fast times and great competition.
Other Highlights:
Harrisburg lowered their 4x100m relay time to 42.06 (PA#3)
Cumberland Valley’s sophomore 400m duo of James Jaisingh and David Williams both broke 50s for the first time. Jaisingh went 49.71 and Williams finished with a 49.83.
Harrisburg sophomore Jujuan Oliver also broke 50s in the 400m running 49.74; Gettysburg Sophomore Noah Sanders finished with a 50.00.
Girls
Performer of the week – Taylor Nissly (Donegal)
Donegal senior Taylor Nissly had an outstanding week. On Tuesday, she won the 100, 200, and 400m against Lancaster Catholic. On Thursday night, she won the 200m at the Twin Valley Invitational in a season best and PA#7 ranked 25.11. She also placed 2nd in the 400m with a lifetime best of 58.45.
Honorable Mention – Milly Heinbaugh (Fairfield), Cahsia Page (Hempfield)
Fairfield junior Milly Heinbaugh may have established herself as the top PIAA AA sprinter in CPA. She ran the fastest girls 100m dash of the weekend with a PA#9 12.34 at Shippensburg. She came back to also win the AA 200m in 26.54. She has run 26.18 so far this season.
Hempfield junior Cahsia Page had another strong week as she ran a 12.38/26.50 100m/200m double at Shippensburg. The 100m was a PB. She has run 26.11 for 200m this year.
Hurdles
Boys
Performer of the week – Zachary DeCarmine (State College)
DeCarmine won the Jack Roddick Invitational on Saturday with a PA#2 time of 38.79.
Honorable Mention – Payton Rohrbaugh (Bermudian Springs), Demonte Martin (Eastern York)
Rohrbaugh won both the AA 110mH and AA 300mH in times of 15.58 and 39.63 at Jack Roddick.
Martin won both the 110mH and 300mH at the Blue Jay Invite in times of 15.16 and 40.97
Girls
Performer of the week – Jane Livingston (Conestoga Valley)
Livingston won both the AAA 100mH and AAA 300mH in times of 13.59 (PA#1) and 44.48. She currently holds the state’s top ranking in the 300mH with her season best time of 43.77. She also ran a leg on Conestoga Valley’s 4x100m relay that set a new PA#1 time of 48.08.
Honorable Mention – Madi Herb (Wilson)
Herb and some of her Wilson teammates competed at the Volunteer Track Classic in Tennessee over the weekend. She came away victorious in the 300mH running 47.05. Her season best time of 46.98 ranks her PA#22.
Middle Distance/Distance
Boys
Performer of the week – Tyler Shue (Ephrata)
Shue won the Jack Roddick Invite 1600m with a time of 4:21.94. He won by over 5 seconds and in the process defeated quality competition from Conestoga Valley’s Nathan Grucelski (2nd, 4:27.38) and Hempfield’s Justin Rittenhouse (4:28.19).
Honorable Mention – Andrew Foster (Ephrata)
Foster placed a very close 2nd to Wallenpaupak’s Tyler Wirth in the 3200m at Shippensburg. He would finish with a PA#16 time of 9:36.71.
In the same race, Palmyra’s Jakolby Fackler placed 3rd and ran 9:40.25 while Cedar Crest’s Jake Barrett placed 4th in a time of 9:44.89.
Girls
Performer of the week – Kileigh Kane (State College)
Kane ran a PA#2 4:57.46 in winning the Jack Roddick 1600m on Saturday. Very impressive time considering the winds that were felt throughout the day.
Notable Mention – Tatyana Gibson (Milton Hershey), Sophia Toti (Carlisle), Taryn Parks (Greencastle-Antrim), Madeline Quinn (Elizabethtown)
Gibson won both the 1600 and 800m runs at the Blue Jay Invitational on Saturday. She crossed the line with a new school record time of 5:05.58 (PA#10) in the 1600m and followed that up with a 2:17.24 800m.
Toti placed 2nd to Kane in the 1600m at Shippensburg, running a personal best and PA#7 5:03.91. She would later place 3rd in the 800m with a 2:24.64.
Parks, in what was surely a tune-up race for her Penn Relay’s mile, easily won the 800m at Shippensburg in a time of 2:15.87 (PA#5).
Quinn was dominant in her 3200m victory on Saturday at Jack Roddick, winning by 18 seconds in a new PR and PA#8 time of 11:04.26.
Jumps/Pole Vault
Boys
Performer of the week – Will Rivers (Manheim Central)
Rivers had a great night under the lights at the Twin Valley Invitational this past Thursday winning both the Long and Triple Jumps. His 23-07.5 Long Jump currently ranks him PA#3 while his 48-03 performance in the Triple Jump ranks PA#2.
Honorable Mention – Ezra Mellinger (Lampeter-Strasburg), Lance Hamilton (State College), Dan Hyatt (Hershey), David Wasson (State College)
Mellinger once again topped 24 feet in the long jump, this time in an early week dual meet.
Hamilton jumped 23-04.25 to win the long jump on Saturday at Shippensburg. That jump currently ranks him PA#6.
Hyatt and Wasson both cleared 14-6 in the pole vault this weekend. Hyatt won the Blue Jay Invitational while Wasson won the title at Jack Roddick.
Girls
Performer of the week – Sydney Horn (Manheim Township)
Horn cleared 13-0 in the pole vault for the second time this outdoor season, winning the Jack Roddick Invite title. She is currently PA#1 and US#18.
Honorable Mention – Tesia Thomas (West York), Darcie Frazier (Hollidaysburg), Avionna Saunders (Conestoga Valley), Gabriella Recce (Central Dauphin)
Thomas was a triple winner at the Blue Jay Invite on Saturday, winning the LJ/TJ/HJ competitions. She improved upon her season best in the triple jump to 38-09, which is a PA#2 leap.
Frazier took home the long jump title at Jack Roddick with a PA#8 18-01.25.
Saunders won the TJ title at Shippensburg with a distance of 38-01.25, which currently ranks her PA#3. She also placed 2nd in the LJ with a 17-07.
Recce finished 2nd to Horn in the Pole Vault at Shippensburg with a new lifetime best and PA#3 ranked 12-6. She also jumped a lifetime best in the triple jump reaching out to 36-11.5 at the Twin Valley Invite.
Throws
Boys
Performer of the week – Chris Barrett (Northern)
Barrett has a monster throw at the Jack Roddick Invitational, surpassing 200 feet for the first time in his career. His 204-07 effort ranks him PA#1 and US#3!
Honorable Mention – Duane Knisely (Chestnut Ridge) and Nickolas Hyde (Somerset)
Knisley won the AA Discus and was runner-up in the AA shot at Shippensburg on Saturday, throwing 167-05.5 and 49-09 respectively. He is currently ranked PA#4 in the discus.
Hyde won the AAA shot put and placed 2nd in the AAA discus at Shippensburg with throws of 60-03.5 in the shot and 162-08 in the discus. He is currently ranked PA#2 in the shot.
Girls
Performer of the week – Mallory Kauffman (Greenwood)
Kaufman had the best shot and discus performances of the week. She won both events at Jack Roddick with throws of 47-00.5 in the shot and 134-0 in the discus. Her season bests of 47-5 and 155-01 has her ranked PA#1 in both. She is US#8 for the shot and US#13 in the discus.