The LL League Track and Field Championships kick off tomorrow at Hempfield and will feature one of the state’s best team. The JP McCaskey girls have been dominant on the track this spring and this weekend will serve as a highlight reel for the program. The boys team race should be much closer, but again, JP McCaskey will be the team to beat.
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Championship Meet Schedule:
Boys Preview
Team Race:
Expect a three team race for the title with JP McCaskey entering as the favorite. 70 of the Tornadoes points are projected from the field, with a whopping 49 of those 70 points coming from the jumps. Seniors Basir Epps, Troy Johnson, and Jewleus Benner lead McCaskey’s jumps crew. This trio should be nearly as dominant next weekend at districts. Sprinters Isaac Burks (sr) and Josiah Gray (sr) look to score significant points in the 100m and 200m events. Matthew Remash (jr) is the top seed in the javelin competition. While the field events pace McCaskey, the opposite is true for Manheim Township. The Blue Streaks project to score only 4 of their 101 points in the field. Seniors Darren Cammauf, Travis Wilk, and Tyler Stevens will be counted on to score big points in multiple events. The development of some young distance talent (Cole Stevens, Adam Kingston, and Gunner Geib) at Township has helped to close the gap in scoring between them and McCaskey. Cammauf was the indoor state champion in the 400. Will Township have enough left in their legs by mid to late meet to keep it close heading into the final event, the 4x400m relay, where they are the top seed? The third team to watch are the Falcons of Cedar Crest. They enter the championship with a more balanced attack of track AND field scorers. Gabe Lewis (jr) enters as the favorite in the 100m and as a championship contender in the 200m. Cedar Crest relays should also be top contributors for their championship aspirations. They are the top seed in the 4x100m and 4x800m. Seniors Ryan Wolfe and Luke Hinegardner have had a lot of post-season success in their careers, so look for them to continue that trend this weekend in the distance events. Shot-putters Gavin Popejoy (sr) and Connor Daubert (sr) could both contend for the individual title.
Lampeter Strasburg has a great program, but appears to be giving their top athletes an “easy” weekend with districts looming next week. They only entered one relay into the championship and mid-distance/distance stars Colin Whitaker (so, 1600m) and Luka Vranich (sr, 800m) are only running one event. Both will contend for individual titles.
Keep an eye on the relays. It seems unlikely to me that athletes on the track that are scheduled to compete in three individual events will then also run on a relay. For this reason, the biggest variability in the projected team points below will likely come from the relays.
Top Individual Performers:
Isaac Burks (sr, JP McCaskey – 100, 200, 4×100); Josiah Gray (sr, JP McCaskey – 100, 200, 4×100); Basir Epps (sr, JP McCaskey – LJ, TJ); Troy Johnson (sr, JP McCaskey – LJ, TJ); Jewleus Benner (sr, JP McCaskey – HJ, LJ); Darren Cammauf (sr, Manheim Township – 100, 200, 400, 4×400); Travis Wilk (sr, Manheim Township – 110mH, 300mH, 200m, 4×400); Tyler Stevens (sr, Manheim Township – 800, 1600, 3200, 4×800); Gabe Lewis (jr, Cedar Crest – 100, 200, 4×100, 4×400); Ryan Wolfe (sr, Cedar Crest – 800, 1600, 4×400, 4×800); Luke Hinegardner (sr, Cedar Crest – 800, 1600, 3200, 4×800); Aidan Hodge (jr, Hempfield – 800, 1600, 3200); Ryan Criste, sr Hempfield (LJ, HJ); Jacob Smith (sr, Warwick – 800, 1600, 4×400, 4×800); Enrico Faccio, (sr Ephrata – 110mH, 300mH, 4×100, 4×400); Teagan Weaver (sr, Lampeter Strasburg – 100, 200, LJ); Colin Whitaker (so, Lampeter Strasburg – 1600); Luka Vranich (sr, Lampeter Strasburg – 800); Colin Daub (jr, Elco – discus); Noah Gunderson (jr, Annville-Cleona – HJ)
Team score projections based on team and event entries:
Girls Preview
Team Race:
Whereas their is intrigue in the race for the boys team title, their is no question who the heavy favorite is on the girls side. JP McCaskey brings a loaded team into this weekend’s championship. They are projected to score in 16/18 events. They hold the #1 or #2 seed in 10/18 events and they hold the #1 and #2 seeds in 2 events (200m and 800m). Their 4x400m and 4x800m relay teams have already run faster than the current championship meet records and both should compete for state titles in two weeks. Additionally, nearly every projected point scorer will be back next year as McCaskey may have the best junior class in the state! Class of 2023 competitors Kamyah Wright, Kamiah Wright, Milana Breuninger, Isabella Shertzer, and Lucie De Syon could find themselves on top of the awards stand multiple times this weekend.
Hoping to challenge McCaskey, but most likely battling it our for the team runner-up spot, will be Manheim Central and Warwick. Manheim Central hurdlers Malea Stoner (sr) and Abbie Reed (jr), and field event specialist Maddie Knier (jr) lead the way for the Barons. Ella Lucas (jr, discus), Katie Becker (so, HJ), and Alexa Wenger (sr, mid-distance) will lead the Warriors into action. Lucas and Becker could challenge for district and state titles in the coming weeks.
Top Individual Performers:
Kamyah Wright (jr, JP McCaskey – 100, 200, 4×100, 4×400); Milana Breuninger (jr, JP McCaskey – 800, 1600, 3200, relay); Lucie De Syon (jr, JP McCaskey – 200, 400, 4×100, 4×400); Isabella Shertzer (jr, JP McCaskey – 800, 4×400, 4×800); Kamiah Wright (jr, JP McCaskey – 400, 4×100, 4×400); Amyrah Kellam (so, JP McCaskey – Jav); Malea Stoner (sr, Manheim Central – 100mH, 300mH, relays); Abbie Reed (jr, Manheim Central – 100mH, 300mH, relays); Maddie Knier (jr, Manheim Central – LJ, TJ, HJ, Jav); Alexa Wenger (sr, Warwick – 800, 1600, 4×400, 4×800); Ella Lucas (jr, Warwick – Discus); Katie Becker (so, Warwick – HJ, 300mH); Jianna Long (so, Ephrata – 100, 400, relays); Bryna Kelly (sr, Garden Spot – 100mH, 300mH, relays); Elena Barrall (fr, Manheim Township – 1600, 3200, 4×800); Braetan Peters (sr, Annville-Cleona – 1600, 3200); Samantha Nelson (jr ELCO – Jav); Maggie Swarr, jr Lampeter Strasburg – Jav); Katie Urbine (jr, Solanco – PV, LJ, 100); Molly Heintzelman (sr, Cedar Crest – TJ, PV, HJ); Teresa Moore (fr, Lancaster Catholic – HJ)
Team score projections based on team and event entries:
