The PTFCA Indoor Carnival will be held at Glen Mills High School this upcoming Saturday. The heat sheets have been released and there are quite a few Central PA athletes making their indoor debuts. I expect many additions to the CPAR Indoor Honor Roll following this competition. This is one of the last opportunities for area athletes to compete indoors in the state of Pennsylvania this season.
Let’s get re-aquatinted with some of the area athletes who will be making their 2021 indoor debut on Saturday:
Girls
Madi Herb, sr Wilson – The UConn Field Hockey commit is scheduled to race in the 55mH. Her PR in this event is 9.23 (2019). She advanced to outdoor states in the 300mH in 2019 after placing 3rd at Districts. She won the BCIAA Firing Championships while setting her current PR of 44.49. She has a 100mH PR of 15.92.
Deja Nortey, jr JP McCaskey – Nortey is scheduled to compete in the 55m dash and Long Jump. She placed 12th in the 100m dash at the 2019 LL League Championships and owns a 12.84s PR. Her LJ PR stands at 15-07.25, also from the LL League Championships.
Braetan Peters, jr Annville-Cleona – Peters is coming off of a strong XC season that saw her place 21st at the class A state meet. She’s entered in both the 1600m and 3k this weekend. She ran an outdoor 3200m earlier this year in 12:09. Her PRs come from the 2019 outdoor season when she was a freshman (1600m – 5:24.51; 3200m – 11:55.90). She medaled in both the 1600m and 3200m at the 2019 District 3 class AA Championships
Laura Posh, so Twin Valley – In a normal year, Posh would have advanced to the 2020 State XC Championships based on her finish at District’s (32nd overall). She will be running the 1600m on Saturday where she owns a PR of 5:36.71 from last indoor season.
Grace Kuhn, jr Wyomissing – Kuhn was the District 3 class AA runner-up in XC this past fall. She opens her 2021 campaign with the 1600m run on Saturday. She has a full-mile PR of 5:16.11 (5:14.28 1600m conversion). She medaled in both the 1600m and 3200m at the 2019 District 3 class AA Championships.
Kamiah Wright, so JP McCaskey – Wright may be a new name for some. She is a middle-distance runner for McCaskey and will be running the 400m on Saturday. She set PRs last summer running for the Lancaster City Track Club, going 1:00.20 and 2:21.73 for the 400m and 800m, respectively.
Anna Posh, sr Twin Valley – Posh is entered in the 400m for her first indoor race this season. She has run in a couple of polar bear events already this season. The Bucknell commit has range from 400m-5k. She has a 400m PR of 59.73 and 800m PR of 2:17.25 from the 2019 season. She advanced to states in the 800m as a sophomore.
Delaney Line, sr CD East – Line is middle-distance specialist with range through 5k. She is coming back from a solid 2020 XC season and will open her indoor campaign with an 800m. She placed 19th in the state last indoor season. Her 800m PR is 2:17.14. She placed 5th at the 2019 District 3 Championships as a sophomore.
Isabella Shertzer, fr JP McCaskey – Shertzer introduced herself during the 2020 XC season. She placed 8th at the LL League XC Championships. She ran 2:24.40 in the 800m as a 7th grader with the Lancaster City Track Club. That year (2019) she finished 17th in her age group at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships. She will run the 800m on Saturday.
Sarah Miller, so Twin Valley – Miller has run in 2 polar bear meets so far this season, but this will be her indoor opener. She will be competing in the 800m. She has an 800m PR of 2:19.92 from her 8th grade year. She also ran 59.71 for 400m as an 8th grader. She’ll look to make a name for herself at the high school level this year.
Anika Krasnai, so Manheim Township – Krasnai was already making a name for herself last indoor season before COVID shut everything down. She is a sprinter and jumper from Manheim Township. As a freshman last indoor season, she set PRs of 17-6 in the long jump, 4-10 in the high jump, 7.55 in the 55m, and 27.35 in the 200m. She’ll be competing in the long jump this weekend.
Boys
Kyle Emrey, jr Ephrata – Emrey lowered his PRs in the 55mH/60mH significantly last indoor season and will look to kick off his 2021 campaign with a strong performance on Saturday. He owns a 55mH PR of 8.41 from his 2nd place finish at the Wyomissing Team Challenge in January of 2020.
Nashawn Dunbar, sr Wyomissing – the senior from Wyomissing was one of the breakout stars from last indoor season. Competing in track and field for the first time in 2020, he set indoor PRs of 6.37 in the 55m, 6.88 in the 60m, and 22.20 in the 200m. He advanced to indoor states in both the 60m and 200m. He should be one of the top sprinters in the state this year. He’ll be running the 55m on Saturday.
Ethan Capitano, sr Wilson – Capitano has improved each year as a sprinter for the Bulldogs. Last indoor season he set PRs in the 60m (6.94) and 200m (22.82). He would place 13th in the state over 60m. He should push Dunbar in the boys 55m dash this weekend and will be one of the area’s top sprinters in 2021.
Randy Fizer, sr Red Lion – Fizer adds to an already impressive group of 55m competitors on Saturday. He owns a 55m PR of 6.64 and a 60m PR of 7.11.
Tommy Bildheiser, sr Cedar Crest – Bildheiser is scheduled to run both the 1600m and 800m on Saturday. The senior from Cedar Crest owns PRs of 4:37.84 (1600m) and 2:02.99 (800m). He very likely would’ve blown those out of the water had he had an outdoor season last spring. Don’t be surprised if he opens his season with new PRs.
Peter Wolf, sr Wilson – Wolf owns an 800m PR of 2:03.71, a 1600m PR of 4:26.38, and a 3200m PR of 9:51.90. His PRs are from his sophomore season when he was the area’s top class of 2021 1600m runner. As such, he is the top returning 1600m performer in District 3. He will be running the 1600m on Saturday against a strong field.
Brandon Vargo, jr Wyomissing – Vargo posted one of the state’s fastest 400m times as a freshman back in 2019, running 52.28. He opens his indoor season with the 400m.
Ben Blough, so JP McCaskey – The sophomore saw a strong improvement in XC from his freshman year. A year ago he ran 2:08.04 indoors over 800m. He opens his 2021 T/F season with an 800m this weekend.
Stephen Schousen, sr JP McCaskey – The Bucknell commit is coming off of a top 10 finish at the PIAA class AAA state XC Championships. He ran a 9:04 3k at a low-key polar bear meet earlier this year. With a strong field set-up for Saturday’s 3k, look for him to run sub-9.
Jewleus Benner, jr JP McCaskey – Benner is entered in the long jump this Saturday. He PR’d in the event last indoor season, going 19-03.5. He also owns a high jump PR of 6-2.
In addition to those opening their 2021 indoor season on Saturday is a group of athletes who have already made their way onto the CPAR Indoor Honor Roll.
This group includes:
Noah Taylor, sr Twin Valley – Taylor will be running the 1600m on Saturday and will look to improve upon his 4:30.80 1600m run from earlier this season. He’s had a great 2021 indoor season to date.
Aidan Hodge, so Hempfield – Hodge is entered in the 3k. He has had a strong winter season setting new PRs for the full mile of 4:33.19 and for the 3200m of 9:44.65. Hodge is one of the top sophomores in the state. He placed 21st at the state XC championships (AAA) this past November.
Anthony Engle, so Twin Valley – Engle will look to improve upon his 3k PR he set earlier this season when he ran 9:23.39. He’s run a strong indoor mile (4:39.75) and outdoor 800m (2:02.98) this winter as well. He’s another class of 2023 athlete to keep an eye on this year.
Rushard Williams, sr Wyomissing – Williams is one of the top throwers in District 3. He eclipsed the 50-foot barrier earlier this season at the Wilson Limited Event Series, hitting 50-10.5. That toss was a PR.
Caryn Rippey, jr Wilson – Rippey is coming off of a US top-20 3200m performance (10:44) at the SPIRE Showcase this past weekend. She is entered in the 1600m on Saturday.
Kylee Cubbison, jr Mifflin County – Cubbison lowered her 1600m PR at SPIRE last weekend, running 5:16.92. She is entered in the 1600m and 800m this weekend.
Trinity Bellamy-Reid, sr CD East – Trinity owns a spot on our honor roll for her sub-60s 400m earlier this indoor season. She is entered in the 200m dash on Saturday.
Arielle Breuninger, sr JP McCaskey – The UPenn commit already owns PRs from the current indoor season in the full mile (5:10.42) and full 2-mile (11:24.14). She will run the 3k on Saturday.