We are just over 4 weeks away from the PTFCA Indoor State Championship meet. Let’s take a look at some of the developing themes in Central PA this season.
BOYS
District III Sprints
8 of top 11 60m dash performers in the state this season come from District III, with 7 of those 8 all competing at the AAA level. In fact, the top 4 in the state are all District III AAA sprinters. They are:
Shawn Brown, sr CD East – 6.86 PA#1/US#21
Donte Kent, sr Harrisburg – 6.87 PA#2/US#25
Kamere Day, sr Harrisburg – 6.89 PA#3
Dejon Manning, sr JP McCaskey – 6.93 PA#4
The following three teams have two athletes ranked in the top 11 in the state:
CD East (Brown and Bryce Baker)
Harrisburg (Kent and Day)
JP McCaskey (Manning and Da’Avionce Rodriguez)
These 3, along with Chambersburg, all have 4x200m relay teams ranked in the state’s top 8.
Mid-Penn 400m
We highlighted the top 3 area 400m runners frequently last season when they were all sophomores. Now juniors, all 3 rank in the top 18 in the state this indoor season. This should be a fun group to watch throughout the remainder of this year.
James Jaisingh, jr Cumberland Valley – 50.07 PA#8
Noah Sanders, jr Gettysburg – 50.72 PA#16
David Williams, jr Cumberland Valley – 50.83 PA#18
District VI Distance
District III may have been the dominant mid-distance-distance force in the state last season. District VI is making a push to be that dominant this season, especially in AA competition.
(Mile and 3k)
Garrett Baublitz, sr Juniata 4:17.23 PA#3; 8:46.99 PA#1/US#18
Brendan Colwell, jr Penns Valley 4:26.51; PA#12 8:52.75 PA#3
Brady Bigger, jr State College 4:26.56 PA#13; 8:53.27 PA#5
Brayden Harris, jr Mifflin County 9:04.11* PA#20 (*converted 3200m)
Colton Sands (jr, Penns Valley) has yet to compete this indoor season, but was a Footlocker XC National medalist when he finished 10th. He ran an outdoor 2-mile in 9:07 back in November.
Shot Put
Led by Fleetwood senior Jeff Kline, Central PA has 6 of the top 20 ranked shot putter’s in the state. Kline is currently ranked US#2 with his 62-10 toss.
Jeff Kline, sr Fleetwood – 62-10 PA#1/US#2
Brock Harmon, sr Chambersburg – 54-9 PA#7
Nick Gustafson, sr Shippensburg – 54-2.5 PA#8
Dylan Lambrecht, jr N. Lebanon – 53-0.5 PA#10
Jack Miller, sr Wilson – 52-8.25 PA#11
Brock Gingrich, sr Cocalico – 52-1 PA#15
GIRLS
LL League Sprints
3 of the top 10 60m dash competitors in the state call the LL League home. 2 key members from Warwick’s 2019 outdoor state championship team lead the way.
(60m and 200m)
Lily Palacio-Lewis, sr Warwick – 7.75 PA#3; 25.87 PA#9
Meghan Quinn, sr Warwick – 7.81 PA#7; 25.27 PA#6
Cahsia Page, sr Hempfield – 7.90 PA#9
Mid-Distance/Distance
Girls distance running in Central PA continues to be one of the strongest contingents in the state.
800m
Marlee Starliper, sr Northern – 2:14.84 PA#2
Kathleen Simander, jr Saint Joseph’s Cath – 2:19.81 PA#9
Katie Locker, sr Elizabethtown – 2:20.54 PA#11
Peyton Ellis, fr Boiling Springs – 2:21.82 PA#16
Mile (* converted 1600m)
Taryn Parks, sr Greencastle-Antrim – 4:49.80 PA#1/US#3
Sophia Toti, sr Carlisle – 5:07.93 PA#6
Caryn Rippey, so Wilson – 5:10.85* PA#10
Katie Locker, sr Elizabethtown – 5:11.92 PA#11
Lizzie Gilpatrick, sr State College – 5:12.54 PA#13
Kiersten Lloyd, sr Red Lion – 5:16.35* PA#18
Kylee Cubbison, so Mifflin County – 5:17.16 PA#19
3k
Sophia Toti, sr Carlisle – 10:08.17 PA#3
Margaret Carroll, jr Northeastern – 10:21.71 PA#7
Caryn Rippey, so Wilson – 10:24.90 PA#8
Madeline Quinn, jr Elizabethtown – 10:39.61 PA#15
Jordan Reed, jr State College – 10:40.33 PA#16
Lizzie Gilpatrick, sr State College – 20:43.19 PA#18
High Jump
Another strength in the area this season has been the girls high jump. 5 of the top 12 in the state come from the area.
Amelia McCoy, sr Central Mountain – 5-5 PA#2
Lyric Janosik, sr Penn Cambria – 5-3 PA#9
Ally Richwine, so Carlisle – 5-2 PA#12
Ciera Ponton, sr Wyomissing – 5-2 PA#12
Alexis Moran, so Lampeter-Strasburg – 5-2 PA#12
Gabriella Recce
The senior from Central Dauphin is the top “jump” athlete in the state and one of the top in the country. She is ranked PA#1 and US#5 in the Long Jump (19-3.75). She is ranked PA#2 and US#26 in the Triple Jump (38-1.5). She is ranked PA#3 and US#16 in the Pole Vault (12-9). She has also improved her sprint speed in the 55m dash from last season.
Pole Vault
16 girls have cleared at least 10-0 in the Pole Vault this indoor season. 5 are ranked in the top 18 in the state. Manheim Township’s Sydney Horn leads the way and has made several attempts at the state record throughout this season, Each meet she gets seemingly closer and most recently cleared 13-6.
Sydney Horn, sr Manheim Township – 13-6 PA#1/US#2
Gabriella Recce, sr Central Dauphin – 12-9 PA#3/US#16
Rileigh Cardin, sr Carlisle – 12-0 PA#6
Kaitlyn Thorne, so Central York – 11-2 PA#15
Brenna Lester, sr Central York – 10-8 PA#18