It’s going to be a hot one at the District 3 Track and Field Championships this weekend. Action starts Friday afternoon at Shippensburg University and continues throughout the day on Saturday. Class AA and Class AAA competitions are mixed throughout both days. For anyone present at the 2021 championships, Friday’s weather will be reminiscent of what last season’s Friday weather was like. Staying well-hydrated and cool will be as much of a strategy for the athletes as the events.
The top 5 finishers will qualify for the state meet. The next 3 individuals (up to 8 total) can advance to the state meet if they hit the state qualifying standard.
Follow along with “centralparunner” on twitter and Instagram for live updates and videos from the weekend!
Friday weather forecast (Accuweather)
Saturday weather forecast (Accuweather)
Live Results (to be updated when available)
Meet Schedule:
Projected team scores based on posted entries/performance list:
The Cumberland Valley boys enter the weekend as the biggest team favorite of any of the 4 team competitions we will see this weekend. Luke Noss (sr – 200m, 400m, 4x400m) and Samuel de la Riva (sr – 800m, 4x400m, 4x800m) will carry the Eagles on the track while Wade Shomper (sr – shot put, discus) will lead the team in the field. While anything is possible, it would take a disaster (or two) for Cumberland Valley not to walk away with the district title. CV holds the #1 or #2 seed in 6/18 events.
The four teams chasing Cumberland Valley are built very differently. Shippensburg and JP McCaskey may score all of their points in the field while Manheim Township and Harrisburg are likely to only score points on the track. Ship and McCaskey will dual it out in all three jumping disciplines. Those will be some fantastic competitions! Dakota Arana (sr, Shippensburg) will look to once again clear the 7-0ft barrier in competition. He has been on fire this year with numerous 6-9 or higher clearances throughout the season. Basir Epps (sr, JP McCaskey) and Troy Johnson (sr, JP McCaskey) versus Traevon Kater (jr, Shippensburg) and Spencer Edey (jr, Shippensburg) in the long and triple jumps could determine 2nd place in the team standings.
Manheim Township has a balanced attack on the track, projected to score points in the sprints, hurdles, and distance events. Darren Cammauf (sr – 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Travis Wilk (sr – 110mH, 300mH, 4x400m), and Tyler Stevens (sr – 1600m, 3200m) lead the way. Cammauf was the indoor state champion in the 400m and Wilk is currently ranked PA#1 in the 300mH. Harrisburg enters the weekend with the state’s top 110mH, Demaris Waters (sr). Waters and teammate Albert House (sr) will join forces to score solid points for the Cougars in the 300mH and on relays as well. Justin Cook (sr) projects 12 points for Harrisburg in the 100m and 200m and will also run relays.
Event by Event Previews:
110mH and 300mH
I sound like a broken record, but boys hurdling in Central PA this season has been 2nd to none! In fact, 10 of the state’s top 25 110mH performers come from D3AAA including 5 of the state’s top 10. On the list below, Demaris Waters (Mid-Penn), Bernard Bell (YAIAA), Matthew Crow (BCIAA), and Travis Wilk (LL League) won their conference 100mH titles. The District 3 Championship record of 13.70 belongs to Harrisburg’s Dwayne Allen and was run back in 1980. Could another Cougar re-write the record book?
The 300mH state top 25 list includes 13 athletes from D3AAA. How many guys will break 39.00 this weekend? How many guys may break 38.00 this weekend? Wilk (LL League), House (Mid-Penn), Bell (YAIAA), and Crow (BCIAA) won conference 300mH titles this past wekend.
D3AAA 110mH Record: 13.70 Dwayne Allen, Harrisburg (1980)
D3AAA 300mH Record: 37.07 Albert Lane, Harrisburg (1980)
Long Jump
Outside of the hurdle events, the boys long jump is likely the next most competitive event this weekend. 11 of the state’s top 25 performers come from D3AAA. 3 guys are already 23+ foot jumpers and 5 more are within 6 inches of that mark. As mentioned earlier, Shippensburg and JP McCaskey will look to score a lot of points in this event.
D3AAA Record: 24-03.75 Kim Piersol, Governor Mifflin (1965)
Triple Jump
The Triple Jump started out slowly on the season, but over the past couple of weeks has picked up momentum. Basir Epps (sr, JP McCaskey) missed most of the season with an injury, but once cleared he popped a 47-1.25 jump in his first meet back. Chambersburg freshman JJ Kelly has jumped 46-0.5 and is the #2 seed. Gabriel Sample (sr, Muhlenberg) and Troy Johnson (sr, JP McCaskey) are the only other competitors who have jumped over 45-feet on the season.
D3AAA Record: 48-08.75 Imani Brown, Reading (2012)
100m
One of the oldest PIAA District 3 Championship Records could be in jeopardy on Saturday. Jeff White (Reading) ran 10.54 for 100m back in 1979. Kristian Phennicie (sr, Dallastown), Abraham Sloboh (so, Milton Hershey), and Justin Cook (sr, Harrisburg) could push each other to the record! The three are currently ranked #1, #3, and #7 in the state!
D3AAA Record: 10.54 Jeff White, Reading (1979)
200m
Kyle Lane ran a 21.0 (HT) back in 1992 for Harrisburg to set the Championship Meet Record. That time should convert to a 21.24 FAT. Abraham Sloboh (21.33 season best and PR) and Kristian Phennicie (21.45 season best and PR) could take aim at the meet record this weekend. The heat should not slow down the sprinters. Now let’s hope the winds cooperate!
D3AAA Record: 21.14* Kyle Lane, Harrisburg (1992)
(*was a 21.0 HT which should convert to a 21.24 FAT, I think…)
400m
We could be on District Record watch in the 400m as well. Guy Scott’s (Harrisburg) 47.4 (HT) adjusts to 47.64 FAT. Luke Noss and Darren Cammauf have run 48.23 and 48.36 on the season.
D3AAA Record: 47.40 Guy Scott, Harrisburg (1984)
800m
Eight guys have already broken the 1:57 barrier this season with three under 1:55. Anthony Engle (jr, Twin Valley) enters with the top seed time of 1:54.26. He has run 4:18 for the 1600m as well, but this weekend appears to be focusing on anchoring the Twin Valley 4x800m relay and running the open 800m. He was an indoor state medalist in the 800m. Samuel de la Riva (sr, Cumberland Valley) broke 2-minutes for the first time at the Bruce Dallas Invitational in early April. He hasn’t looked back since. Each time out he seems to set a new persona record and enters Saturday as the #2 seed following his 1:54.42 runner-up finish at Mid-Penns. He too will likely be anchoring his team’s 4x800m relay. Jacob Smith (sr, Warwick) ran 1:54.49 at the Henderson Invtational and last weekend dropped his 1600m PR to 4:17.43. He will run both the 1600m and 800m on Saturday. Aidan Hodge (jr, Hempfield) is going for the distance triple, running the 3200m on Friday evening and then the 1600m and 800m on Saturday. His time of 1:55.24 comes from a dual meet 2 weeks ago.
D3AAA Record: 1:51.68 Alec Kunzweiler, Cumberland Valley (2013)
1600m
I said earlier in the season that you may have to run sub-4:20 to finish top 8 in D3AAA this season to qualify for states in the 1600m. I stand by that. Eight guys are entered with times ranging between 4:11.05-4:20.46. 12 guys have already run under the state qualifying standard of 4:24. 5 of the top 8 will be doubling back after running the 3200m on Friday evening. The only thing that may limit this group from breaking 4:20 will be the heat, and even that might not stop them.
D3AAA Record: 4:10.73 Craig Miller, Manheim Township (2005)
3200m
The top 6 competitors have already run sub-9:20 on the year. Colin Whitaker (Lampeter Strasburg) is only a sophomore, but he enters Friday evening’s race as the top seed following his 9:07.62 performance from the Shippensburg Invitational. Weber Long (sr, Greencastle-Antrim) is still the pre-race favorite. He ran 8:58 last year and has been sharpening his leg speed over the past few weeks. If the heat doesn’t slow him down I would expect him to make a run at Nathan Henderson’s meet record. Matthew O’Brien (jr, Susquehannock) led most of the 3200m at the Shippensburg Invite and the field should thank him for ensuring fast times. He ran 9:11.99 in that race and is coming off of a 1600m and 3200m title at YAIAAs. Aidan Hodge and Cole Perry (sr, Northeastern) set new PRs at the rainy Henderson Invite, running 9:14.82 and 9:16.66 respectively. Hodge has run sub-9:20 3 times this season and most recently captured the LL League 1600m and 3200m titles. Tyler Stevens ran 9:19.63 last weekend when he finished 2nd to Hodge at the LL League Championships. Looking to join the group under the 9:20 mark will be seniors Cole Adams (York Suburban – PR of 9:21.59) and Dillan O’Shell (Hershey – PR of 9:24.06).
D3AAA Record: 9:06.69 Nathan Henderson, J.P. McCaskey (2017)
High Jump
Dakota Arana (sr, Shippensburg) chases 7-0(+) again this weekend. He has been the state’s best and most consistent high jumper all season.
Pole Vault
Justin Rogers (sr, Hershey) has been as dominant in the pole vault as Arana has been in the high jump. Rogers has won everything so far this spring, including the Penn Relays title. The state record holder will look to improve upon his 17-2 clearance from the Mid-Penn Conference Championships. Sophomore Breckin Swope (East Pennsboro) is waiting in the wings to take over as the area’s top vaulter upon Rogers graduation. He’s cleared 15-0 on the season.
D3AAA Record: 16-03 Payton Morris, East Penn (2018)
Throws
Cumberland Valley senior Wade Shomper has been the best, and most consistent thrower in D3AAA this season. While he will face competition in the discus from ELCO junior Colin Daub, Shippensburg junior Anthony Smith, and teammates Griffin Huffman (jr) and Ridge Crispino (jr), he is the heavy favorite to bring home the shot put title. He holds a nearly 9-ft PR advantage over the field. He will look to improve upon his PRs of 61-4.5 and 163-8.
D3AAA Shot Put Record: 69-11.50 Ryan Whiting, Central Dauphin (2005)
The javelin competition is wide open. Brock Shugart (sr, Carlisle) and Ahren Stauffer (sr, Central Dauphin) have both thrown 179-6 on the season and are the top seeds.
D3AAA Javelin Record: 219-05 Thomas Jordan, Cedar Crest (2003)
Relays
The 4x100m relay has a chance to be special. Palmyra, Dallastown, and Spring Grove all ran under 43s last weekend and enter as the top 3 seeds. Nine D3AAA teams in total rank inside the state’s top 25.
D3AAA 4x100m Record: 41.10 Central Dauphin East, CD East (2019)
In the 4×400, Cumberland Valley will look to become the first D3AAA team under 3:20 his year. Palmyra, Manheim Township, Wilson, and South Western will be able to keep it close.
D3AAA 4x400m Record: 3:17.18 Wilson (2012)
The 4x800m becomes much more interesting if Greencastle’s Weber Long doesn’t run anchor. If he doesn’t run, as many as 6 teams could contend for the title. The 4×800 and 3200m is nearly an impossible double at states, so don’t be surprised if some of the top 3200m runners do not end up on their team’s 4×800.
D3AAA 4x800m Record: 7:45.00 Harrisburg (1984)