For many, this was their first week of competition. Some are still waiting to kick off their 2021 track and field seasons and will hope to do so this week. COVID led to at least a half dozen postponements in our area over the past week. The big meet this week was the Bruce Dallas Invitational, hosted by Cumberland Valley High School. All race videos from Bruce Dallas are posted on my twitter or Instagram feeds and can also be viewed on penntrackxc.com here.
Updated Performance List
Updated Track and Field Results (please send your results to centralparunner@gmail.com for inclusion)
Highlights from the week:
RELAYS – Add the Red Lion boys 4x100m, the State College boys 4x800m, and the Northeastern girl’s 4x800m relays to the Cumberland Valley boy’s and girl’s 4x400s as potential state medal winning relay squads this season. The Red Lion boys ran 42.66 in a mid-week dual meet and followed that up with a 43.43 win at Bruce Dallas. State College boys showed their fitness with an early season 7:58.96 victory at Bruce Dallas. The Northeastern girls dropped a solid 9:53.79 to win the 4×800 at Bruce Dallas. Those are all CPAR and PA #1 times! Cumberland Valley repeated their performances from Tim Cook a week ago to claim both 4x400m titles and new Meet Record’s at Bruce Dallas.
SPRINTS
Boys – James Jaisingh (sr, Cumberland Valley) and teammate David Williams (sr) continued their strong performances in the 400m. They ran 48.97 (PA #1) and 49.72, respectively, at a dual meet on 3/30 and then followed those times up with a 49.08 and 49.28 (PA #2) 1-2 finish at Bruce Dallas. Finishing 3rd was Manheim Township’s Darren Cammauf (jr) who ran a new PR of 50.68. The Red Lion duo of AJ Virata (sr) and Randy Fizer (sr) went 1-2 in the 200m at Bruce Dallas running 22.09 and 22.10. Virata’ s 22.09 ties Guiness Brown (jr, Butler) for the PA#1 time. That puts Fizer at PA #3. State College’s Eniayo Ogunranti (sr) improved upon his PA #1 time in the 100m, sprinting to victory at Bruce Dallas in 10.82!
Girls – Riley Ebersole (so, Cumberland Valley) ran two new PRs en route to winning her events at Bruce Dallas. She clocked 59.13 (PA #2) to win the 400m and ran 26.14 (PA #2) in the 200m. Her teammate, Mia Boardman, took 2nd in the 200m running 26.48 (PA #5). Boardman also ran a quick 100m (12.71) earlier in the week against Harrisburg. Running the fastest 100m on the week was Huntington’s Amanda Gwinn who clocked 12.46 at Phillipsburg-Osceola. Cocalico senior Kaia Martz also ran a quick 100m, going 12.63 at Garden Spot on 3/29.
Hurdles
Boys – Tanner Haines (sr, Warwick) opened his season with an area best 14.9 HT (~15.14 FAT) at Manheim Township on 3/29/21. Basically matching that performance was Xander Topos (sr, Palmyra) at the Bruce Dallas Invite, who took home the victory in a 15.18 FAT. Travis Wilk (jr, Manheim Township) finished 2nd to both Haines and Topos this week, running 15.1 HT against Haines and running 15.59 FAT against Topos. All three are PA Top 5 times. Wilk followed up his 2nd place 110mH at Bruce Dallas with a PA#1 time in the 300mH (40.53).
Girls – Olivia Sensenig (sr, Cocalico) ran a 15.7 HT at Garden Spot on 3/29/21. That’s currently a PA top 5 time. Running the fastest 300mH time of the week was Cumberland Valley’s Cora Heilman, who ran 47.59 on 3/30 at home against Harrisburg. At Bruce Dallas, Wilson senior Madi Herb edged Heilman out for 2nd. Herb ran 47.63 to Hellman’s 47.70.
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
Boys – Brady Bigger (sr, State College) spilt 1:55/56 for his 4×800 in the morning at Bruce Dallas and then came back in the afternoon to run a PA#1 3200m time of 9:18.43, breaking the meet record by 7.5 seconds. In fact, the top 3 finishers in the boys 3200m broke the previous meet record. Jacob Hess (jr, Lewisburg) ran 9:19.75 for 2nd and a PA #2 time. Tyler Stevens (jr, Manheim Township) also broke the previous meet record, running a new PR time of 9:23.14 (PA #3). Stevens ran a 1600m PR earlier in the day, clocking 4:23.58 (PA #4). It was an impressive double for the Manheim Township junior. Luke Seymour (jr, Schuylkill Valley) also had a very impressive double on Saturday. He ran 4:22.25 (PA #3) to win the 1600m and then came back to win the 800m in 1:56.97 (PA #2). He showed strong closing speed to claim both victories, indicating faster times are ahead. Sean Adams (jr, State College) anchored State College’s 4x800m relay and then placed 2nd in the open 800m, running 1:57.23 (PA #4). Also breaking 2-minutes in the 800m was Twin Valley’s Iain Taylor (sr) who crossed the finish line in 1:59.84.
Girls – Ashley Pines (so, Cumberland Valley) is undefeated in the 800m this season, and that includes two invitational wins. She ran a 2:19.33 800m PR to claim first at Bruce Dallas. Close behind was State College Area sophomore Grace Morningstar (2:19.62, PA #3) and Wilson junior Katie Dallas (2:20.05, PA #4). In a great early season 1600m match-up, Caryn Rippey (jr, Wilson) bettered Marlee Kwasnica (so, State College) running a PA #1 5:04.87. Kwasnica ran a strong 5:09.74 which is PA #4. Hope McKenney (jr, Mechanicsburg) ran the fastest 3200m time of the week when she ran a PA #3 11:19.04 at Red Land.
JUMPS
Boys – Conrad Moore (sr, State College) set a new PA #1 in winning Bruce Dallas with his 6-7 clearance. He came really close to clearing 6-10. He also jumped 6-6 on 3/30 at home during a dual meet. If he can consistently clear 6-6 (and up) he will be tough to beat this year. Kaden Hamilton (sr, Northeastern) reached out to 21-02.5 to finish 2nd in the long jump at Bruce Dallas. Penn Manor’s Kyle Murr (sr) had the top triple jump mark of the week when he went 44-00.5 at home against Hempfield (3/29). Camp Hill’s Brody Myers (sr) posted the top pole vault result this week, soaring over 14-07 against Northern. Ian Dorefice (jr, State College) also went over 14-0 feet this week as he won Bruce Dallas with a 14-01. Gavin Carlson (sr, Big Spring) cleared 13-07 to place 2nd.
Girls – Denee Hibbert (sr, Exeter Township) continued her hot early season streak and broke her school record in the triple jump at home (3/30) with a 38-02.25. That’s a PA#2 performance. State College Area junior Shannon Mullin had the top 2 long jump mark’s of the week. She jumped 17-06 on Tuesday and improved upon that with a 17-09 win at Bruce Dallas. In the high jump, South Western’s Madeline Lehker cleared 5-3 at her home opener on 3/30. That currently puts her PA #1. Annika Hummel (sr, Mechanicsburg) took down her school record on Tuesday with an 11-09 pole vault effort at Red Land. She is PA#2 with that mark.
THROWS
Boys – Jon Barrett (sr Northern) continued his strong early season performance in the discus, winning a dual meet on Tuesday with a toss of 162-09. He currently owns the PA#2 discus throw of 175-09. Dylan Lambrecht (sr, Northern Lebanon) had a strong opening week performance against Donegal where he won both the discus (157-03; PA #5) and shot (55-04; PA #3). Joey DeJesus (sr, West York) set his school record with a 178-07 throw in the javelin competition. He is CPAR #1 and PA #4.
Girls – Ashlyn Giles (sr, Schuylkill Valley) took down two meet records at Bruce Dallas. She threw the discus a PA #2 139-01 and the shot a PA #1 47-01.25. Erika Jackson is only a freshman, but the Harrisburg youngster launched the shot 38-00.5 at Cumberland Valley on 3/30. Keep an eye on her! Daniel Boone’s Joanna McClelland (sr) also had a nice shot put effort this week as she hit 37-08.75 at Twin Valley (3/30). Genieva Martin (sr, Palmyra) took home the victory in the javelin at Bruce Dallas, tossing a new PA #4 launch of 121-08. Josi Wehner (sr, Forest Hills) had the #2 performance of the week when she threw the javelin 116-04 at United on 3/30.
TEAMS
Congratulations to the State College boys and the Cumberland Valley girls for taking home victories at the Bruce Dallas Invitational! Both are the early favorites to take home their respective district titles this season.