Top 11 Stories No One Is Talking About

Alright admittedly I do most of the talking on here so this is mostly directed at me, but hey let's see if I can spark up a few new avenues of conversation besides the same old, same old. Once we get closer to states we have some big plans for the big questions about Henderson (Chaborek and Russell were big last night) and state-wide DMR vs. 4x8 and who is going to win the state title and stuff like that but for now let's talk about some of the little stories.

11. Millrose Games
It's one of the most exciting meets in all of indoor track and field worldwide and we have the privilege of seeing two guys from PA represent on the big stage. Huemmler and Harriman are both clear top 5 guys in the state over 1 mile and are currently sporting the PA #1 and #2 times! I don't know about you guys, but I'm pumped to see what they can do! Huemmler has 4:14-4:12 ability and Harriman may be able to break through and hit around 4:16 if the race is fast the whole way. Plus the 2 mile at Millrose is going to be dirty.

10. Lucas Elek, The Haverford School
For the second straight year, Elek is piecing together a slew of solid races on slow tracks. He has won a bunch of 800s now over quality guys like Belfatto who had that 1:57 split earlier in the year and is one of the big breakout performers of XC. Elek has been consistently under 2 minutes for a year now and he is the right race away from being a 1:55 guy.

9. Kyle Francis, Bensalem
Brad Rivera is certainly the headline grabber on the Bensalem squad, but Kyle Francis has been stepping up to the plate. He beat Rivera earlier in the season in the mile and continues to progress, running an uncontested 4:23 split to anchor the DMR and hold off a charging (and eventually DQd) Ed Cheserek. If Bensalem does opt for the DMR, he will be the key piece in their quest for state gold. If not, he has a shot to score in the open mile or break through with a powerful 4x8 leg in the 1:56ish range. Don't forget about this Bensalem 4x8 squad in the coming weeks.

8. The Last Chance Meet
This meet has really developed into a meet with a lot of good individuals and fast times. It is on this coming Friday night and I hope we can get some people to come on here and let us know what the top guys are looking to qualify in. My bet is the 3k and mile will be real solid. Any TFCAofGP team that is not running the Carnival is likely taking their A guys up to  the last chance meet to hit some quick marks.

7. Western State DMRs
Every year there are a few teams from out west that break out and surprise at the TSTCA meets. Penn Hills, Baldwin, NA, Trinity, West Allegheny, and Kiski are a few teams to surprise in the past. Going forward Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon and Vincentian Academy are all sleeper picks for the DMR at states. Plus powerhouse NA is starting to develop some pieces for a big relay and Kiski Area looks like just the team to push them there. Brent Kennedy is a stud anchor leg and he should not be overlooked if he starts to hit his stride.

6. The Penns Reloading
Penncrest and Pennridge both lost a ton of pieces from their 1-2 punch at states in the 4x8, but somehow they have managed to put together pieces and be in the mix for state gold again. Penncrest is one of the top teams in a weak field for the 4x8 and is running quick with a bunch of young rising stars. Pennridge is building around stud anchor Joe Logue with a few nice pieces and has run 8:14 on a flat track uncontested. Plus we have teams like Penn Hills and Penn Wood who have loaded up once again on the 4x4 despite losing a lot of big names like Futch and Baily. Dylan Wihoite dropped a nice 800m race under 2 minutes for Penn Hills as well.

5. O'Hara's 4x8 Power
I certainly didn't expect this team to the have the depth they have shown over 800m. They were an XC powerhouse with a slew of guys who could run excellent 2 mile times, but all those guys have proven they can dip to lower distances and put up great marks. Guys like Savage, Pastore and James are showing great wheels while Belfatto seems to have taken the next step towards the more elite pack of 800 runners. They have 8-10 guys who can run under 2:03 right now. That is dangerous depth to have in a weak 4x8 field. It makes them very flexible for states.

4. Ken Leidal
Somehow this guy's name has continued to stay under the radar. He has run some quality relay legs for DTWest over the past year on the 4x8 and now the DMR, but he has also stepped up as an individual. He established himself as a true front runner in XC and then came back to run a top 10 time in the state for the mile after a tough anchor leg in the DMR. Plus last night Leidal threw down a 9:30 3200m which should convert to 8:53 for the state meet 3k. He continues to drop impressive times and should start coming in conversations about the best milers in the state.

3. Twins
Yeah you guys are probably all thinking of the beer commercial from back in the day but I'm thinking about the Archers and the Martins. The Archers have run some very nice marks down around 4:30 and under 9:50 (for 3200m) which sets them up nicely to continue to break out moving towards the state championships and beyond. The Martins are proving to be dynamic forces, each running close to 9 minutes in the 3k and winning against quality XC guys. Ethan also added a mile victory and 4:24 mark that would land him in the fast heat at states if he should chose to run. Ethan Martin is the sleeper pick to win the 3k at states this year and I hope he doesn't get overlooked going forward.

2. LaSalle's State Record Chances
LaSalle has a legit opportunity at the 4x8 and DMR state records. Henderson will give chase to the DMR record as well I suspect come outdoor nationals, but LaSalle is likely running an A relay at states and can have their eyes on CB West's state meet record as well as their own state meet record in the DMR. LaSalle's 7:48 is the 5th fastest 4x8 in state history and is faster than CB South ran indoors before CB South went on to run 7:33. In fact only last year's Pennridge team ran faster than LaSalle and did not go on to run sub 7:40 outdoors. LaSalle still has two big opportunities to lower their mark and approach an All-Time Top 10 mark this season. And heck if things play out right the outdoor record of 7:33 may not be safe.

1. The 3k State Race!
This field is absurdly stacked this year. You know how I know? Because Jon Colwell ran 8:45 completely dominating a field and he gets no love on this blog. That time would mix it up for a top 2-3 spot in the state a lot of years but he can't get much publicity anywhere. Conner Quinn is also a great story here. He has been having a great indoor campaign after a disappointing XC year. He has already run a mark that would be close to all-state most years. Plus we have Savage, Norris, Wistar, and Aziz who have thrown their names in under 8:50. Martin and Groh who are huge times waiting to happen are still waiting in the wings. Plus we have Will McDermott and Chris Berry who ran times that would medal most years in December. I didn't even mention guys like Sam Williams and Jack Macauley who are proven veteran racers on the state stage and Ross Wilson and Mac Emery who have yet to qualify but are 8:50 guys waiting to happen. Yes, Tony Russell is hands down the favorite for the title in the 3k and has been running out of his mind, but with the guys that are in this field we could see one of the greatest 3k races in state history! Let's get excited people!

-train