There Were Other Meets This Weekend?

Yes indeed, there were not just the Penn Relays this weekend so let's talk track around the rest of the state.

 Masterman ran an 8:13 this past weekend in the 4x8 to throw their name into the state medalist talks in AA.

Chris Culley had a double win for Moon Area in 4:34 and 2 flat. He was a 1:56 guy and XC state medalist a year ago so the talent is there. District 7 is fairly wide open in the middle distances so he may sneak into states and surprise with a solid amount of dropped time.

Another name kind of like Culley to keep an eye on as a deep sleeper would be Aziz Yousif of Bradford. He ran a 4:30ish 16 and 1:58 800m to take double gold but his PRs are closer to 4:24 and 1:57 give or take. He is out in District 9 and won't get much pub, but he is another one who could drop a lot of time with right competition at season's end. In fact he did it within the weekend as he came back at McDowell to run 1:57 and 4:24 and take a few more golds.

Without CV out there to dominate the headlines at Millersville, Central Dauphin had a nice 4x8 win in 8:12 to win handily over Jacob Fetterman's Hazelton squad that ran 8:28. Nice to see Fetterman's name in some results. In the 1600m, Harrison Schettler had his big break out race of the season cutting down to 4:18 to win by over 7 seconds over Jordan Crawford's 4:25 and Ethan Gatchell's 4:26. Schettler ran 4:18 last year and was a state finalist in the 1600m race. This year he is starting to catch fire, clearly. His Penn Manor team also has some nice pieces for a sleeper 4x8. Schettler's teammate's ran 1:58.48 and 1:58.92 in a very deep 800m. The race was won by Caleb Gatchell of Red Lion in a sizeable open PR of 1:56.35. For Red Lion, the 4x8 possibility is there as well. The Gatchell brothers posted nice marks of 1:56 and 4:26 while Nathaniel Pardoe added an open 1:58 of his own. Throw in another brother, Josh Pardoe who ran 4:28, and that is easily a sub 8 minute relay team using just two families. Nice races also for Matt Sankey and Liam Corcoran. Sankey was a 4:22ish 1600 guy a year ago and added an early season 1:56 mark to his resume getting second to Gatchell. Liam Corcoran added a 1:58 to his own resume. He is, I believe, at 3200 guy at best so it is nice to see this speed. He ran around 4:21 a year ago, however, so clearly he has got wheels. It should be very exciting to see how all the District 3 guys chose to race come championship season. There are a lot of quickly developing guys to be on the look out for. One of those guys may also be James Martin who ran a 9:33 3200m to win over Jacob Fetterman, the state XC medalist, who ran 9:37 and also Penn Manor's Jonathan Bitner who edged out Fetterman for 2nd, also running 9:37.

In other D3 news, Littlestown dropped an 8:09 relay with Xaiver Savageau on the relay. They are a AA team I believe, sub 8:10 makes them contenders in the 4x8 looking ahead. The 3200m was the marquee event in Dallastown, however, thanks to a big win for the sophomore Aaron Gebhart. Obviously this warms my heart a little bit because I gave him some nice talk in some previous posts, so it's nice to see him take down the W in 9:32 over Patrick Reilly and Ryan Hertzog who are two of D3's best XC guys. They ran 9:35 and 9:51 respectively. The District 3 3200m will be very interesting to watch. Todaro has to be the favorite (maybe Groh), but outside of those top 2 (if they both choose to run it) the race is wide open with a slew of guys that have the potential to run between 9:25 and 9:35. The District 1 race will be competitive and will feature some fast times that don't make states, but the D3 race should be exciting because it will be even more unpredictable than the D1 race. I can't wait to watch.

Right here in Allentown, PA, Parkland high school put their 4x8 on the map winning with a convincing 8:03 over Whitehall's 8:08. The District 11 teams shouldn't be completely overlooked as we move ahead.

With Penn Relays stealing the Martin bros, Dan Jaskowak had a chance to shine and took down the 1600m in 4:23. Behind him, however, were some big PRs by Nate Sloan in 4:24 and his teammate Brian Shields who ran 4:25. Shields was a great XC guy this past year, definitely could have been a state medalist if he had his day at the right time. But Sloan made a lot of progress bridging the gap between the two of them as Hampton almost made it to states as a team nearly upsetting Mt. Lebo. Both these guys could be solid 3200m guys, even though the depth of the 32 may make it tricky for them to make states in anything but the 16. Shields added a 3200m win in 9:36 over Derek Zynn's 9:39. Jaskowak made his gold double when he won the 800m in 1:57 over Dylan Wilhoite's 1:58. D7 will be interesting to watch play out in the 800m and 4x8. Usually I feel there is more clear cut depth at this position in this district, but this year the fields are very wide open and filling 4 spots will be a task. Jaskowak is D10 so he won't help the cause any.

Small schools beware, AA is deep. And no this isn't the part of the post where I talk about Rico Galassi (it's coming) but Barrett Kemp threw down a nice performance this weekend. He dropped a 4:22 1600m to take down the W and also ran 9:44 to win the 3200m. That is a great performance for him. He is a sleeper pick, he returned to top form this past XC season after a bit of a down year and is looking great. Other AA guys were running fast as well including the Wellsboro boys. They have a real nice 4x8 on paper. Bobby Hill was second behind Kemp in the 1600m running a 4:22 and his teammate Jordan Jackson won the 800m with a 1:59. They had a 2:04 guy in there as well.

But of course the big news of the weekend for AA fans was Rico Galassi continuing to drop time. Without the big hype of the Penn Relays and the great competition of the Penn Relays, Galassi dropped a sick 4:19 and 9:10 double win. The 9:10 is a fantastic time for this early in the season and really makes this Shearn v. Galassi battle interesting. Shearn was no slouch this weekend himself, running a faster converted time than Galassi with better competition. My pick for Galassi to win may have been a year premature, but Shearn has been a gamer all his career so nothing will come easy. The 4:19 is a nice mark as well. He has hit that kind of time a few weeks in a row now. With a fresh effort he can dip down towards 4:16 I have to imagine. Galassi probably won't see perfect conditions to race an all out 3200m unless he really travels, but I hope he does. Either that or a 5k on the track. Sub 15 and sub 9:05 are both easily in the cards. Maybe, just maybe, even a sub 9 would be possible with the right kind of conditions. Behind Galassi were some really solid performances as well. Aaron Valoroso ran 9:26 which shouldn't go overlooked. That is a blazing time and in a lot of years would make him an easy favorite for AA state gold. Mike Brier dropped a 9:32 and Kieran Sutton a 9:42. These guys are some of the depth that AA has added this year which should make every state medal spot exciting in the 3200m. Tunkhannock's Alex Nole ran a blazing 1:56 to win going away in the 800m. Would be nice to see him do what Ayers and Damiani have done in the past and travel to Henderson to get good competition and see if he can hit 1:54.

At Unionville a couple injured guys are looking very healthy. Ken Leidal dropped a sick 9:25 in the 3200m. That's a big PR and reminds you of one of his first break out races at Henderson as a sophomore where he ran 9:36. He has underrated long distance ability to go along with the surprising speed he showed last year running an open 1:56. Not sure where he will use his talents, the 16 is certainly his best shot to make states, but if he is after a fast time, he can be sub 9:20 in the 3200m in that District race assuming conditions aren't bad. Nice win also for Steve Yannacone who ran a 1:56 to take down the 800m. I was hoping this would be the year we saw him move up and make some serious noise at 1600m, but the injury has kind of prolonged those plans. He still has a ton of raw speed and is the defending D1 800m champion over a field that included guys like Magaha, Chaborek, Rivera and more. If he returns to anywhere near top form he is dangerous. I still think, when healthy, his sweet spot is the 1600m.

Williamsport, my 4x8 sleeper team, is taking steps in the right direction. Herb Stelly won the 800m in an uncontested 1:57.57. I think that is his open PR as well. Jon Colwell, fresh off a Penn Relays 3k, came back and said, screw it, I'm not tired, to the tune of a 4:22 victory in the 1600m. Props for that double. Griffin Molino, one of the most underrated stories of this past XC season, was second in 4:24. He is a sophomore on the rise, looking ahead he could drop a lot of time at AA states. Molino also ran 9:46 to win the 3200m.

Ryan Smathers very quietly ran 4:18 and 1:58 to win the 1600 by almost 30 seconds and the 8 by just under 6.

A couple D7 guys threw their hats into the 800m ring this weekend as Bill Dougherty of Mt.Lebanon outdueled James Smith of Upper Saint Clair 1:57.46-1:57.47. Both guys have to be liking their shots at going to states out of D7, the 800m depth has yet to really take off and these are solid marks. Ean DiSilvio won the 16 and 32 in 4:28 and 9:56.

Kiski is taking steps to return to a top team as Brent Kennedy and company took a bunch of golds this weekend. Their 4x8 hammered out an 8:02 win followed by Tyler Snider's 4:29 victory by 9 seconds. Patrick Miller took the 800m in 1:59 and Brent Kennedy stole the show in the 3200m with a 9:27 dominating performance. It sets him up nicely to continue to duel with Ethan Martin, his in class rival. However, Kennedy will have to make a decision between 4x8 and 3200m, doing the 32 sacrfices his shot at running a really solid 4x8 leg. Seems like he is leaning towards the 32.

Lastly, Adam Bodine added his name to the list of top notch 3200m guys in the state and in the district, as the Haverford harrier dipped down to 9:26 in the 3200m for the win. Christian Kardish, doing some overdistance training ran 9:45. Dave Fowler of Haverford made it a team victory with a 4:31 1600m win. In the 800m Nick Scarpato doubled back from Penn to run a 1:58 to win the 800m. Scarpato is still a guy to consider for sleeper picks in the 1600m looking ahead.

District One 3200m on Paper

Not what I think the field will look like but what it definitely could be

Reiny Barchet: 9:21 PR
Chris Berry: 9:23 PR
Adam Bodine: 9:26 PR
Mac Emery: 9:11 PR
Connor Harriman: 9:18 PR
Francis Ferruzzi: 9:28 PR
Chris Kazanjian: 9:32 PR
Matt Kazanjian: 9:35 PR
Ken Leidal: 9:25 PR
Jack Macauley: 9:15 PR
Max Norris: 8:25c PR (9:02)
Conner Quinn: 8:34c PR (9:12)
Tony Russell: 8:38c PR/9:16 PR
Eric Stratman: 9:33 PR
Sam Webb : 9:34 PR
Ross Wilson: 8:29c PR (9:06)

In which case the top 8 times on paper yield:
1 Norris
2 Wilson
3 Emery
4 Quinn
5 Macauley
6 Russell
7 Harriman
8 Barchet

Crazy

Penn Relays!

Alright! Going to actually try and be somewhat on the ball about this. So let's get right to it shall we? Recently I gotta say it's not all that often that I feel like races have planned out relatively similar to the way I thought they would go, but this weekend in the COA races I'm not all that surprised. The DMR was a fantastic win for PA, I thought LaSalle would be the top PA team, but I honestly wasn't sure they could win the race. They pulled it out with valuable experience, good positioning by the first 3 legs and killer close by Tom Coyle. For Coyle this has to be a bit of a nice redemption for indoor states and a nice shot at his doubters as he comes back with the fastest mile split out of the PA boys. Definitely a major statement race for him and although I wasn't all that surprised by the time, I hope doubters took note. Stone ran a great leg out front as well running 3:04.7 and Magee had a very strong follow up race in 1:55 to prove that his leg was no fluke. Great running by him and great running by LaSalle.

O'Hara was the next best PA team and they were outfront the whole way as well thanks in part to a big lead off leg by Kevin James in 3:04.4. How about the work this guy has done? I think few can deny that Andrew Stone has much more raw speed than Kevin James. Heck there is roughly a 5 second 800m PR difference. But James hung strong to run 3:04.4 as just a sophomore lead off leg. This guy has been running phenomenally for some time now and it's exciting to see what he will do next. If he wanted to, he could join up with Belfatto, Boyle and Smart and the group could run a positively sick 4x8 right now. They could be a 7:40-45 relay team this year with the pieces they have and the roll that they have been on. But James also has serious 3200m credentials after his impressive 9:15 so he has some decisions to make. That 32 is incredibly, incredibly stacked though and we will get to that later.

Well allow me to stop kissing up to Kevin James and start complimenting some other guys in this race. Nice race by Belfatto at 800m. That 1:54.2 split was a long ways coming in my mind. The guy always goes out hard and puts himself in the race, he just needed it to all click at the right time. Big PR run and a great sign for this relay as we push on in outdoors. Savage ran a very solid race as well. It's tough being a 32-5k type and hanging in there with his big rival Tom Coyle but he kept his team in until the very end. He is a gamer and his teammates respect what he has given them. Great job to O'Hara to run 10:06, I think a lot of people, including myself underestimated this group of guys. They didn't get a lot of talk or a lot of hype and although I picked them to beat the group from Henderson, I still steered the discussion away from them a bit. O'Hara has had a killer season all around this year. Cross was unbelievable with a 5th place at nationals and a great states race, then indoors they had a couple all american relays and I believe some of the top PA marks ever at those events (#2 in 4xMile not sure about DMR). Now outdoors they finish 4th at the Penn Relays and have a lot of momentum going towards outdoor states and maybe outdoor nationals. That 4xMile squad is very good and I'm a fan of the 4x8 team they have as well as mentioned before. Should be exciting.

Now we move to Henderson. Some people may think that Henderson had a bad race, but I personally think they ran pretty solid. This was a group of guys who had little experience in a race like this in my opinion and they gained a lot and actually ran a slew of season bests. I think that's Barchet's PR in the 12? Or at least right around it. Moy ran his fastest 800m that I have ever heard of him running as well. And for Russell 4:14 matches his outdoor season best. The Penn Relays is just a hard place to run fast when your 12 guy isn't right up near the front. If you look at the results each year some top anchors have to run through people to get back towards the front and just get tired. It's not Barchet's fault, he ran a very solid 1200m time, unfortunately there are some really fast 1200 guys in this race who are specifically 1200 guys. Henderson seems to be a 4xMile team, a very talented 4xMile team. But they proved they can still run a very solid DMR, easily their best time of the season, running a 10:13.

And honestly, I don't think Henderson usually cares too much about Penn. Rarely do they peak their guys to run well here, they are always ready to go at states where it matters the most. They are excellent at peaking at the right time. In fact, I'd bet that the 10:13 Henderson just ran is one of the fastest DMRs they have ever ran at the Penn Relays, it's definitely the fastest they have run in the past like 5+ years that I can remember. So ultimately, I still would not bet against this team. Now that Russell and Barchet can focus on the 3200m, which is their strongest race, and Moy can even experiment with the 1600m (fresh off that sick 4:22) this team can start to round into top shape.

In the Mile we saw some nice performances from Jewett and Harriman and Logue, Jewett running tops with his 4:16 full mile mark. He has really been running strong as of late and hopefully can keep this momentum going. For Harriman this is his first race back since who knows when so that is a great time for him. And for Logue, yes his 1500m indicated faster, but a 1500m is very different than a mile. Very, very different. Ask anyone who runs both consistently. If you are a college athlete you know. Logue is like a Robby Andrews type. Andrews always struggles at the mile, but he has almost beaten Farah and Rupp at 1500. Also Logue is just a junior. With another year's strength his mile will continue to drop.

I never thought it would happen, but the Ben Ritz train has cooled. Ritz was utterly on fire for a while and although he is probably disappointed by this performance, I think it was the perfect race for him. He got a chance to get pulled along and be running fast so the next time he gets out hard he will be more prepared for it. He still has sub 4:10 potential for 1600m this year in my mind and his season will go all the way til outdoor nats so he is just getting started.

And the last championship of the day was the 3k and PA took home the gold again! This time it was Max Norris who led the charge for PA with a great kick and win in 8:25. The race set up perfectly for Max to win and as usual he was ready to go when the bell rang. Norris's races thus far remind me a lot of Bobby Micikas from Crestwood back in 2009. He too won the indoor state title and Penn Relays title at 3k with a great kick. He didn't take down the outdoor title that year, however. That belonged to the XC state champion for the 3rd straight year as Jimmy Tarsnane took down the title. Ben Furcht was second in all three races. Norris hopes to take down three golds.

Behind Norris you have to give props to Brendan Shearn. He has been keeping things real low key and not too flashy and he is completely ready to pop a big time. I'm sure Brendan being Brendan he would have liked to have won, but this time is fantastic for him, especially in more of a kickers style race. Shearn's 8:27 should set him up nicely to take on Galassi who appearently just ran 9:10.

Then how about Ross Wilson? CRN should really peak by season's end and Wilson has training partner Mac Emery who has run 9:11. Wilson is just a junior and now is a sub 8:30 3k runner. I wouldn't be surprised at all is he was 9:05ish this year, but I don't know if he has the kind of closing speed to take down a state title as an individual.

Great races for a bunch of other guys in this race. I think Ethan Martin at least got an outdoor PR if not an overall PR and his brother snagged an overall PR as well I believe as they ran 8:34 and 8:37. Fantastic duo of Juniors. Conner Quinn ran the fastest 3k and converted 32 he has ever run with his 8:34. I think that is faster than Sam Hibbs at this time last year. Unfortunately, Quinn is going to struggle to be state champ even with a sick 8:34 mark. But still you have to think that Horsham knows how to coach them, and Quinn is one of the few guys in the state who already has a state championship to his name and a teammate with first hand experience on how to win the 3200m. Gotta like what Quinn has been doing this year.

And lastly, I'll give a quick talk about the 4x8s. The 4x8s went a little underappreciated in the drama leading up to Penn but we saw some really sick performances. Cheltenham ran great although they didn't quite make it out of the trials. That was a great race by John  Lewis and a smart race order for the Cheltenham guys. 7:56 puts them in the state medal conversation. DT East ran very solid as well running under 8 minutes in 7:58. But in the end only CV and Bensalem made it on to the championship of america. Bensalem ran a 7:49 in qualifying behind a blazing fast anchor leg from Kyle Francis: 1:52.9. Wow! That was a huge PR and the fastest split of the weekend for any PA guy. CV had to claw their way through the trials with a 7:54, but they got in thanks to Coburn and Kunzweiler on the back two legs. I was really nervous about CV's decision to run Coburn and Kunzweiler at 3rd and 4th rather than 2nd and 4th. They run a lot of risk with that decision because they have to play a lot of catch up during those last two legs. I'm not sure if I think that is the best way to go about doing things, even after their solid mark in the finals, looking ahead at states.

In the finals, CV got revenge on Bensalem: 7:48 to 7:49. Kunzweiler had the big day today running 1:53.1 to catch up and pass Francis, who ran a 1:56 with tired legs. The teams were 4th and 5th in the finals. Again CV decided to run Coburn and Kunzweiler on the back two legs and they had to play catch up, but it worked out pretty well with Coburn running a 1:55. The two lead legs improved from the first round as well, running 1:59 and 2:00. Clearly this team was ready to double back and run faster in the finals as everyone on their relay had a faster day 2 split. For Bensalem it was still a very solid day as they ran another 7:49, something like their 4th 7:49 in the last two years when you count districts and states in track last year outdoors. Rivera ran lead off, which I think is a smart move at Penn, but I hope they change it up for outdoor states. I'd like to see him running a leg where he can chase people. Francis is money right now after that 1:52, yeah he struggled on the second day but he went all out the day before, he won't be doing that at states and he will be ready to roll. Cox-Finn had a very solid day with 1:56 split in the finals. That is a great mark for him and a good sign looking ahead as Bensalem and CV will definitely be locked in a clash at states.

It was a great weekend to be a track and field fan.

4x8 Preview

Sorry for the lack of preview here folks I've been sick for the last few days to the point where I couldn't get out of bed. I'm still sick but I can get out of bed so I guess that is good enough health to go blog.

First off looking at these 4x8s I was surprised to see GFS run the 4x8 over the DMR. They would have been able to get in on time, their 10:21 or whatever they ran in Virginia was faster than both Pennsbury and Henderson unless I am mistaken. Their 4x8 squad could potential surprise with a fast time, but they are made up of a couple 2 mile guys in Wistar and Aziz so it will be interesting to see how they run in a speed relay such as this. Cheltenham and Upper Merion are also in the first heat. I can' t see either of these teams running all that fast but they both have great anchors in John Lewis and Christian Sanders. In the Penn environment with people to chase one of these guys could drop into the 1:53-1:52 range for an outdoor season best. Sam Ellison split a 1:52 on our squad way back when. In the other small school heat you always have to keep Penncrest in mind. They are consistently solid in the 4x8. However, I don't think they have shown enough fire power to get through to the COA.

I'm super excited to watch Bensalem face off with CValley in the first large school heat. Right now I'm riding the CV bandwagon, I think Bensalem is going to peak at the right time like they did indoors, but their focus is clearly states (not that CVs isn't). CV has run a boat load of 4x8s as of late and their guys are rolling with confidence. I think if Bensalem is ready to go both teams will make it through to the COA, however, CV is my pick for the most likely team to qualify. CB East, as has been mentioned, is a great sleeper pick here. I don't see them having enough fire power to run 7:50 and get to the finals but they could drop a nice 7:55. I'll be interested to see Caldwell's split as well for DT East.

In the final heat, Pennsbury is listed as a school competing? Odd and I think not accurate, but if Penn has changed their rules, it will be interesting to see how Pennsbury runs the 4x8. They have some nice pieces and of course could sneak into the championship with a low 7:50s mark. I think it is more likely they are running the DM, however, and this is just a type-o. State College is in this heat and they have the potential to really roll. They have a lot of nice pieces but I think they are a year away. They will go up this year, gain some valuable experience and maybe get close this year, but next year will be their big year. I could be really wrong here and I hope I am but I think these guys will have their big race this year at outdoor states. St. Joe's is an interesting team, I don't think they are going to run anything mind-boggling, but maybe down around 8 flat.

Should be fun.

Ultimately I got
CV
Bensalem
SC
Penncrest
CB East
DT East

for my top 6, after that who knows ...

Weekend Recap

Needless to say I have been behind on my blogging. I just finished a big research paper this past week and I'm still trying to get a lot done with school coming to a close fast and college being classic college. But I've got a bit of a break in my day now so hopefully I can drop in some quick knowledge and then I gotta go get in a run.

First off a quick shout out to Rico Galassi who had the PA #1 for a couple minutes in the 1600 with a 4:21 and also dropped a solid 9:44 both races very uncontested. Galassi should be in the mix again for a state title at either distance, although both races feature some tough competition out front with the likes of Shearn, Smathers and Jewett as names worth noting off the top of my head. I would love to see Galassi get in some competitive 32s with the states best before the state meet and drop some nice times. If this guy was in D1 AAA I gotta imagine he would be a 9:10 guy this year.

Speaking of that whole D1 AAA scene, things got sick this weekend with some fast times all around. Ben Ritz proved he is the real deal with a blazing 4:12.53 win over Huemmler who ran 4:12.88. For Ritz it is an overall PR, for Huemmler it is just off his, but the fastest mark he has ever hit in April. Ritz is really rolling, I wish we could have seen him at indoor states racing those guys. The Ritz win is big, he has got to be in the lead in the conversation for best miler in the state now, but Huemmler added a nice "don't forget about me" kinda race when he beat out likely the second best miler right now in the PIAA in Tony Russell who dropped his open PR substantially down to 4:14. Max Norris ran a PR of 4:17 and although I thought he maybe could have been faster, it is still a very solid time for this early. He and Russell should make for an exciting finish on race day in the 3200m at states. Norris's pair of kicks at the end of indoors make me feel there is more in the tank here in this 16. Sophomore Sam Ritz added a 4:18 to the group. Sick mark for the youngster, an up and coming stud in the business.

Behind these big names we saw a huge breakout race from Kevin Moy. Arugably the most impressive performance of the day, he dropped a 4:22. He beat out some really quality names like Macauley (4:24), Leidal (4:24), Caldwell (4:25), Garton (4:26), Barchet (4:28), Diestelow (4:28) and Aziz (4:29). Leidal's time is encouraging, it is good to see him getting healthy. Good range for Caldwell and Garton, those guys are 800m guys at heart. I'd like to see Diestelow try his hand in the 3200m. Either that or see what his speed is like in 800m. Ultimately 22 guys broke 4:30. Dang.

The 3200m results weren't half bad either. Sami Aziz had a nice redemption run in the 32 winning in a 9:24.87. Aziz is a 32 guy first and foremost it appears and so it will be interesting to see if he and Ritz and Russell all hop in a fresh 32 together at the Henderson Invite. It's a shame the non PIAA guys will not get a shot at a state title this year and get a shot at running in the blazing fast 3200m race that is anticipated for outdoor states. Tony had a solid double back in 9:32 on tired legs but he really pulled along Eric Stratman to a huge day. 9:33 for him which is a very solid mark for this early. With Stratman running this quick at this point in the season, he has to be considering mid 9:20s and a shot to go to states. Just another solid performance to add to the list of guys trying to get to states in the 3200m out of D1.

On the same night in Abington, some more great performances were unfolding. Pennwood took the top two spots in the 800m as Christian Hunter continues to roll with a 1:57 mark. His teammate Aiyebo ran a PR of 1:58 right behind him. I'm not sure if they have 4 legs, but those are two nice pieces for a 4x8. Both guys beat out O'Hara stud Kevin James who ran 1:59 (likely on the double from the 4x8). In the 1600m, James Zingarini got the win in 4:22 over Hatboro's Conner Quinn. Hard to say exactly how the race placed out, but Quinn, in 4:23, finished right behind Zingarini, a big accomplishment for Quinn, a guy whose speed I have questioned on multiple occassions. He seems to have made a big push on improving it and that should help his 3200m time improve significantly. He may be a surprise at Penn.

The 32 getting cancelled at this meet was a bummer. Really would have liked to see this race play out.

At CB West relays, we saw our first glimpse in a while at the Pennsbury boys. They did not disappoint as the crew showed they were ready to shine at Penn after posting an 18:06 4x16 that flat out dominated the field, winning by over a minute. They added a 10:38 win in the DMR, winning by 20 seconds. Sam Webb wasn't listed on the DMR although he might have run it.

There were a bunch of other relays worth noting including a very fast 4x8 that was won by LaSalle in 7:53 over Pennridge who surprised with a 7:56 mark. The relay likely won't be stacked at Districts because of Logue's individual prowess, but still a very nice mark. CB East added an 8:02 right behind and CB South ran a season best of 8:05. Both teams are looking consistent and are clearly improving week to week. CB East has a knack for putting together a relay team that will get to the district finals, now they just need to breakthrough and make it to states. CB South of course is known for their ability to put together 800m guys as well. Wouldn't be surprised at all if this team dropped a bunch more time by season's end.

Out in District 3 Shawn Wolfe continues to cruise. He appearently ran a 1:54.4 last weekend (link to results would be appreciated) and now drops a completely solo 1:55. Would have loved to have seen him in the top race with those AAA guys. Wolfe also led his team to a very solid 4x8 mark for AA in 8:13.

The AAA races were certainly fun to watch at this meet. Not completely positive on the order for this meet but I'm assuming 32-16-8 so somebody correct me if that's wrong.

The 3200m was a big win for Vinny Todaro who I am very excited to see back in the results. His 9:27 was a solid PR I believe. He has 4:16 speed from a year ago and using that speed and his new found confidence from XC in the longer distances should lead to a solid 32 mark this year. But again that field is very strong, it will be a tough battle to win. Dominic Deluca of Dallas ran a solid 9:36 for second. Liam Corcoran was in the mix as well with his 9:40 mark. He was sub 9:30 a year ago so watch out, he has the potential to drop time. I still haven't given up on Aaron Gebhardt, he ran in the 9:30s the week before this relatively solo, so an off day this weekend, but a good learning experience for the young soph.

Speaking of sophs, did anyone notice that Zach Brehm is running like a man? I've seen some solid marks from him throughout the season, but now things are really starting to look up. I'm sure it's hard to be satisfied with a couple narrow defeats but Brehm doubled 4:21.82 and 1:54.64 for a couple PRs and 2nd places behind Alec Kunzweiler. Brehm is just a sophomore but is showing great strength to double back in 1:54. It was also quite the windy day I've been told (which makes sense considering where I was on Saturday was quite windy as well) which means there is even more potential for improvement. Brehm has the potential to be a 1:51-52 guy this year which would be amazing for a soph. It would put him on Mallon and Magaha level.

But the guy who took down both golds shouldn't be overlooked. Alec Kunzweiler is beginning to roll. It's his second straight 1:54 mark and his first big 1600m win of the season as he took down Brehm and team Coburn (4:22) for the win in 4:21.03. Kunzweiler has looked quite strong this year and is looking like a true contender to double 4x8 and 8 and take both golds. The 8 field is very strong, but Kunzweiler has to be among the favorites right now. If Penn Relays goes well for CV, Kunzweiler may leave with a 1:52-1:51 type split.

Nice double by Will Cather in 4:25-1:55. That State College team is looking very solid with 1:55, 1:57 and 1:59 marks coming in the race. SC looks like a 7:45ish team by season's end and I believe they return a decent percentage of the relay as well. Jeff Groh managed a 4:23 in the 1600m but likely just didn't have the kick to run away with it at the end. In a faster race, Groh could probably hit 4:17, but windy conditions limited his ability to get a fast time. The 32 is likely he and Nissley's sweet spot. Same can likely be said for Colin Abert who thrives off a fast pace, he ran 4:30 at the meet. Nissley ran 4:28.

Red Lion got a solid win in 8:06, but watch out for Williamsport who ran 8:07. Williamsport has been consistently running solid 4x8 times and could be dangerous in the long run as a 7:55ish type team. Red Lion should benefit from a very fast 4x8 at the district championships. They will almost certainly be under 8 minutes by season's end.

Penn Relays: DMR

This is going to be heavily discussed (I hope) up until the big day and perhaps after, so I figure I should get things started early. There are a fantastic 6 PA teams in this field! The race includes the top 3 indoor 4xMile's in the nation as well as a CBA, St. Benedict's and O'Hara who were 3 of the top DMR teams at Nats. I won't lie to you and say I know a lot about the team's outside of PA.

Obviously CBA will be in the mix for the win as they are year in and year out. They are going to need to push hard to run away from this field, however, because of Ed Cheserek, a potential sub 4 anchor leg. In addition, Tony Russell has proven he can run down CBA out front so don't count him out.

For the sake of discussion on here, I'm going to just take a look at the PA squads in the race and give some analysis on them.

Let's start out with Pennsbury. I've seen very limited results on the Pennsbury guys after their solid indoor season campaign, so I hope they are in solid shape still. If they are Pennsbury is a great sleeper pick in this race. The DMR at Penn is a bit packed on the 1200 leg and if you can set yourself up well on that leg then sometimes your team can surprise people. Think Joey Waddington and CB South a few years back. Connor Harriman is just the lead of leg to do it (assuming they choose not to anchor him which they have yet to do this year). Harriman, if he is on his game, could surprise with a 3:05ish split in this race and set up the relay for success. They have a slew of good 400 guys who will keep them in contention and Liam O'Connell is a very underrated 800 man. I'm a big fan of Sam Webb running gutsy on the anchor. It's tough to imagine Webb will run anything faster than around 4:18 or so, I don't think he quite has the leg speed for it, but I know he will give it a great effort.

Pennsbury's main in conference rivals will be in the race as well: Council Rock North. CRN is an interesting squad as they will have a 2 miler running the lead off in Mac Emery. Emery had a very impressive run indoors at states, mixing it up with the leaders and showing no fear. He was able to move up through the pack but running consistent splits. Hopefully in a crowded Penn field he can still use that tactic and get CRN out front on his leg. At 800m, Rob Simmons is another CRN man who had a breakout race at the state championship. He split around 1:56 going out very, very hard to catch the leaders. Simmons has still yet to launch under 2 minutes in the open 800, but the potential is there. On the anchor is James Zingarini, who has run 4:18 multiple times now in his career and ran a great anchor leg indoors in the DMR. Zingarini will have his hands full in this race filled with guys of his ability. His style of running will really benefit from a competitive anchor leg where the pace will be fast the whole way and it won't be a kicker's race.

Strath Haven was neck and neck with CRN indoors, but can they repeat the feat outdoors? Huemmler must think his team's odds are good because he bailed on the individual mile to chase a fast DMR time with his team, a very admirable decision. But right now, Dylan Butera and company need to step up their game to get Huemmler the stick in contention. Butera ran a very solid indoor 1200m leg but he is going to need to take another step forward to get his team to the front pack. At 800m, Haven has a few guys closing in on the 2 minute barrier, if their leg can dip under it would be a huge lift to their relay chances. At anchor you know what your going to get, Huemmler is a beast who is not afraid of going out hard and trying to chase team's down. He has a 4:12 PR and is the indoor state champ in the mile. If his squad is contention when he gets the baton watch out.

Ultimately, I see these 3 teams being fairly close at Penn, but not quite mixing it up for the win. On the other hand I think there are 3 PA teams that can surprise for the W at Penn ....

Let's take a look first at the boys from O'Hara. In my mind they are the hot team right now, running very solid and carrying a lot of momentum. Kevin James has been a fantastic lead off leg for them throughout the season and has been rolling with a fast 1500 and a 9:15 3200m! I don't know if that will translate directly into his speed, but it should be at least somewhat beneficial. Boyle and Belfatto are coming off solid 800m PRs and Belfatto has already proven he can split 1:55ish in a national caliber race. That leaves Dan Savage who has run some solid 5k and 32 times as of late, but hasn't moved up to the mile since Nats (unless he anchors the team's DMR at the track classic which won easily). Savage split 4:16 that race, a really impressive time that I wasn't expecting. To keep O'Hara out front when he gets the stick he is going to need another carry of that caliber or faster. I wouldn't be surprised if Savage gets the baton in first place and that is going to make for a tough job on the anchor leg.

Now we look at LaSalle who has been rolling for quite some time with a healthy Coyle back to anchor the relay. They won a pair of relays down South and then returned home for some solid races back in PA. It was nothing mind blowing, but Stone and Coyle both ran similar 800m marks to a year ago at the same meet in a slower race. That may indicate that both are ready to repeat their mammoth splits from Penn a year ago. If Coyle and Stone can run 3:04 and 4:12 they are in very good position  Magee has had a bit of ups and downs but his 1:55 indoors is still fresh in my mind. I think he might have even been able to go faster with the right competition. I don't know if he will be able to hit that mark at Penn, but if he can run anywhere close to it, LaSalle is set up very nicely behind the two big guns on the relay.

Lastly there is Henderson, a team always discussed on this blog with a lot of potential to have their breakout DMR here at Penn. Henderson's big gun is Tony Russell who split 4:11y indoors. Any split under 4:10 would be close to the fastest split in the field (fastest besides Cheserek) and would be a truly amazing accomplishment for the Junior. His teammates are going to have to set him up to hit that mark and still be competitive. Barchet will be the big leg. He dropped his 1200 time nicely at the windy DTW meet so there is clearly potential there to break out. He is going to have to get out hard and mix it up out front to set up Russell on the anchor. Moy has made nice strides as of late in the 800m. He isn't the big name that Chaborek is and doesn't have the big PRs, but Moy could be a 1:56 guy in the right race. He ran 1:58 open just recently and has a great group of training partners. The Henderson team hasn't been on this Penn Relays DMR stage as of late, but they did just fine at NBIN not too long ago so I doubt they are intimidated by the big stage.

Ultimately I guess I should probably make a prediction so I can get bashed later for being wrong but it at least gives us something fun to talk about for the next couple weeks. Here is the order of my PA teams:
LaSalle
O'Hara
Henderson
Pennsbury
CRN
Strath Haven

We will see what goes down, but hopefully PA takes the Gold, gets at least one guy under 4:11 and puts 3 teams under 10:10.

Penn Entries

FYI here's what I got online ... Preview to come soon

 DMR

A		St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)
B		Christian Brothers (NJ)
C		Cardinal O'Hara (PA)
D		W.W. Plainsboro South (NJ)
E		Northport (NY)
F		Toms River South (NJ)
G		Blacksburg (VA)
H		La Salle College (PA)
I		Rush-Henrietta (NY)
J		Pope John XXIII (NJ)
K		Council Rock North (PA)
L		Strath Haven (PA)
M		Arlington (NY)
N		Henderson (PA)
O		North Babylon (NY)
P		Old Bridge (NJ)
Q		Pennsbury (PA)

4x8

AA

Holmwood Tech (JAM)

AB

Union Catholic (NJ)

AC

McQuaid Jesuit (NY)

AD

Brookfield East (WI)

AE

Germantown Friends (PA)

AF

Georgetown Day School (DC)

AG

Lafayette (VA)

AH

Hopewell Valley (NJ)

AI

Metuchen (NJ)

AJ

St. Christopher's (VA)

AK

Maplewood (OH)

AL

Regis (NY)

AM

Cheltenham (PA)

AN

Radford (VA)

AO

Upper Merion (PA)

AP

Holy Ghost Prep (PA)

AQ

Ocean Township (NJ)

AR

Liberty (MD)

AS

Springfield DelCo (PA)

BA

Jamaica College (JAM)

BB

Collegiate (NY)

BC

St. Jago (JAM)

BD

Penncrest (PA)

BE

Munro College (JAM)

BF

Voorhees (NJ)

BG

Thomas Jefferson (NY)

BH

Bellefield (JAM)

BI

Bayport-Blue Point (NY)

BJ

Digital Harbor (MD)

BK

Hershey (PA)

BL

Rahway (NJ)

BM

Bishop Eustace Prep (NJ)

BN

Haddonfield Memorial (NJ)

BO

Frederick Douglass (MD)

BP

Great Valley (PA)

BQ

Haddon Township (NJ)

BR

St. Joseph by the Sea (NY)

CA

Pleasantville (NJ)

CB

Kingston College (JAM)

CC

Calabar (JAM)

CD

Bensalem (PA)

CE

Xavier (NY)

CF

Ridgewood (NJ)

CG

Atlee (VA)

CH

Cumberland Valley (PA)

CI

Massapequa (NY)

CJ

Ridgefield (CT)

CK

Saratoga Springs (NY)

CL

Lakeland/Panas (NY)

CM

Salesianum (DE)

CN

Hunterdon Central (NJ)

CO

West Springfield (VA)

CP

Knightdale (NC)

CQ

Western Branch (VA)

CR

Central Bucks East (PA)

CS

Downingtown East (PA)

DA

Chaminade (NY)

DB

Thomas Edison (VA)

DC

Syosset (NY)

DD

St. Anthony's (NY)

DE

St. John the Baptist (NY)

DF

Warwick Valley (NY)

DG

Pennsbury (PA)

DH

Westfield (VA)

DI

Monroe-Woodbury (NY)

DJ

South Lakes (VA)

DK

State College (PA)

DL

Westfield (NJ)

DM

Morristown (NJ)

DN

Kingsway Regional (NJ)

DO

Midlothian (VA)

DP

Centennial (NV)

DQ

St. Joseph's (PA)

DR

Don Bosco Prep (NJ)

Talking Some Track

So I've been writing a paper for the past like forever and although I still have a bunch to do, I probably have more to catch up on here on the blog so let's see if I can get in a little recap stuff now and then maybe some Penn Relays talk a little later on.

Warning: I'm a big fan of the words sick and solid. Be prepared for me to use them.

Let's start things off at Central Dauphin in District 3. Cumberland Valley continues to be the class of the state right now in the 4x8 as they are undefeated on the season in the relay and have dominated with their consistency. They ran a few seconds faster at this time than they did a year ago (7:58.06 last year) running 7:56.27 for a meet record. Right behind was State College with a 7:58. Kunzweiler split a 1:55 is what I've heard, I don't know how close he and Cather were when they got the stick, but I have seen some pictures of them close to one another. The strength of CV is their back two legs, State College looks much more balanced on paper anyway. It's a good sign for State College if they can hang tough with CV, it will be interesting to throw teams like Bensalem into the equation. Red Lion had a solid day as did CD and LD, LD using their big 2 mile guns at 8:11. CD was 8:10 and Red Lion was 8:08.

Kunzweiler and Coburn continued to roll running 1:54 and 4:22 respectively to win by 5 and 9 seconds respectively. Kunzweiler's 800 time is pretty amazing to me, I didn't think he was quite that sharp, especially basically soloing that mark on the double (I assume it was on the double anyway). He keeps his name in the mix for a state title outdoors in the individual 800m, although that field is very impressive right now. Jeff Groh and Cole Nissley stole the show in the 3200m, running 9:28 and 9:35. Groh is looking very sharp right now, he had some bad luck in XC, otherwise he would be a well known name by now. I'd love to see him mix it up in a 2 mile with some of the best guys in the state and see how well he can hang in there. Solid race for Conrad-Kline of Palmyra as well in 9:42.

Now let's move out West. At the Butler Invite, we saw a match up featuring a pair of XC studs, Brent Kennedy and Ethan Martin, but this time it was Martin who came away victorious running 9:28 to Kennedy's 9:29. It was a great win for Martin who also won the 16 in 4:22 over Dan Jaskowak. Martin had a killer double to win the 32 on his second race of the day. Really impressed that he could beat a fresh Kennedy with tired legs. Kennedy is in great shape as well, it will be interesting to see what his team decides to try and run at states with a solid 4x8 potentially. Austin Pondel back in the results again with a 9:41 just behind Colin Martin who we will see at Penn, who ran 9:38. Caleb Wakeley is also back among the leaders with a 9:44, nice to see him back in the mix. Jaskowak doubled off his 4:24 with a solid win in 1:57 for 800m. Kevin Reno may be a sleeper pick down the line, he dropped a 1:58 chasing.

Out to District One we go. Wiseman ran a sick 48.94 in the open 4 to win against some really quality individuals. But surprisingly he wasn't the most impressive 800m guy of the weekend. Joe Logue won the individual 8 in 1:53.06 and followed up his 1500m mark well. Logue will be very interesting at the Penn Relays. I like that he has expanded his range from a 4-8 guy to now a miler and XC stud. That kind of range should make him dangerous by season's end. Behind Logue was the LaSalle duo, Stone at 1:54 and Coyle at 1:55. Very similar marks to what they ran last year, but likely a slower pace this time around. Interesting to see the same 3 studs from the distance festival a year ago back at it.

The real breakout perfomers came from behind this group. Stud runs from Christian Hunter (1:56.21) and Charlie Hoyt (1:57.96) neither of whom I had been counting among the top 800m guys in the state. Splitting those two were the boys from O'Hara Jim Belfatto (1:56.67) and Jimmy Boyle (1:57.17). O'Hara is looking scary good. They have the DMR at Penn to look forward to with a slew of stud guys on that relay, but their 4x8 for outdoors is beginning to shape up really well. Belfatto, Boyle, and Smart are all in the 1:57s or faster thus far open. The talk by this blog (mostly from me) has been about CV and Bensalem but O'Hara is looking really strong right now. If they piece together a 4th leg they will be set.

Speaking of 4x8s how about the ones at this meet? 8:03 for DT East and then Upper Darby at 8:06 with the other UD right behind in 8:07. These are all very solid teams, I'm a big Caldwell fan. North Penn was in the mix as well with their 8:07 and Abington ran an 8:07 as well. It will be interesting to see how these teams progress and who will be the studs by states.

In the 1600m we saw a nice win for Francis Ferruzzi in 4:25. He has developed some solid speed, he split a 1:58 to anchor the UD 4x8 as well. Watson Hanson from Radnor is representing the Radnor boys well with a 4:25 of his own. Radnor has some really underrated guys on their squad. Brendan Billotta continues to be really solid. He has got to be one of the best runners to be left off a DMR squad in a while. Just shows how strong LaSalle is this year. They could probably qualify a 4x8 for states without Stone and Coyle and still mix it up well. Maybe a leg or two away from medal contention without their two best guys. Wow. The PCL has got some good teams. Bonner is in that talk as well with a 10:37, would like to see McDermott's name in some results though, a tiny  bit worried about his health just because I haven't seen his name for a while.

Now I'm going to throw out some other solid performances and names worth noting.

Harrison Schettler ran 9:33 for a solid mark in a pretty dominating win. Schettler ran 4:18 a year ago and has a real solid crew behind him that may be able to put together a very dangerous 4x8 down the line. Not 7:45 dangerous but they had two guys around 2 flat in the open 4:35 miler and Schettler. Could probably run sub 8 by year's end without much problem. Brehm won both races easily including a 1:56. Hard to remember the guy is only a sophomore. He could come on very strong down the stretch like a year ago and has some solid D3 competitors to race with. Hershey an easy 8:10 win. That 4x8 may be interesting down the line. They got into Penn from that race.

Ever heard of Aaron Gebhardt? Will write down his name right now. The kid is going to be good. He is just a sophomore, but he soloed a 9:34 mark already this year. He was also in the top 30 at XC states this past year. He is a gamer and a youngster who definitely is going to make some noise this year, especially considering that D3 gets a lot of states spots in the 32 and the race should be fairly wide open.

NA is rounding into form. McGoey and Zemet take a 1-2 finish in 9:33 and 9:34. McGoey is really looking good. I think he can drop a lot of time in the right race. I like this sophomore's potential as well. Zemet is solid for sure, we know he can run with the best of them after his XC states performance.

Luke Jones very quietly getting his name back out there with a double gold of 4:27 and 9:46. Will be interesting to watch him begin to round into form and see how he matches up in a deep AA field.

Tony Russell leads a time trial of sorts for Henderson with his 1:58 win. The real story may be Moy who ran a 1:58 behind Russell and is rounding into great form to run the key 800m leg on the Henderson DMR at Penn considering that Chaborek seems to be a scratch at this point.

A lot of interesting stories at Penn as well as perhaps the greatest DMR battle in state history! I'm really excited to see what goes down.

Record Chase

This outdoor season is going to be one of the deepest years of talent in PA's history, that much is clear. However, call me pessimistic, but I don't see any of the state records going down this year on the distance side. Here are the marks:

800m: 1:48.86 Drew Magaha

1600m: 4:03.22 Paul Vandegrift

3200m: 8:49.84 Paul Springer

4x800m: 7:33.48 CB South

The toughest one to me is that 1600m. 4:03.22 is no joke. The closest guy by PR is probably Russell at around a 4:10 conversion. That's a massive 7 second drop he would have to make to get down to the time. The drop would be even more for someone like Coyle or Huemmler. And in order to have these guys push for this time they would need a race set up to come through in close to 2 flat. Russell's focus will likely be on the 32 rather than the 16 this year which makes a record chase even more difficult. Magaha, who ran 4:07.28, still over 4 seconds off the record, just had so much more raw closing speed than the other runners in their group and his kick was lethal. I don't see anyone coming after this record this year.

I think the 2nd biggest long shot of any of these is the 7:33. I really like both Bensalem and CV's teams on paper but the splits on CB South's record setting relay back on the day were 1:55, 1:55, 1:53, 1:49. The 1:49 is going to be tough to duplicate for anybody in the state, but on a perfect day Rivera and Kunzweiler could be close. 1:53 for each team's second leg is fairly reasonable as well I'd imagine. Coburn is running great right now and Kyle Francis was down around 1:54-1:55 on the double indoors so he has the potential for a split like that as well. But to pull two 1:55 guys out of guys running around 2 flat or slower right now is going to be tough. Not impossible by any means, Manion and Dickson made great strides over the course of outdoors, but as of right now 7:33 just seems to be a bit out of the question.

A couple weeks ago, I would have said the 800m was one of the biggest long shots, but I have come around to change my mind. It's still a huge long shot in my mind, it would be very difficult to for someone to throw down that fast of a mark. But the state has so much depth around the 1:51-1:52 mark that all it takes is a fast race and a breakout performance and the record could be gone. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it will happen and it will take some serious fortune to get it, but I could at least see a situation or two where it's possible. The main front runner is Logue at this point who just showed impressive 1500m strength that I don't think a lot of people (including me) saw coming. Kunzweiler and Coyle were both 1:51 a year ago and Stone and Rivera are both 1:52 guys. All have been making fairly positive strides and only need 1 or 2 second improvements to be at 1:50, a truly phenomenal mark. 

The 3200m is definitely most likely to go down, but even this race I have a tough time jumping on board for it's demise. If it happens it will have to happen either at Henderson or Outdoor Nationals. The weather at states is going to be far from ideal for a 3200m runner. The competition will be there, but the chance at state gold or a state medal usually throws record setting marks out of the window. I believe only once has anyone run sub 9 at the state championships. The other fast marks come from traveling around and getting in fast night meets. 8:49.84 is a pair of 4:24s in a row. Anyone who doesn't have a PR under 4:15 or so in the 1600 has virtually no shot at the record if you consider that fact. Russell and Norris are the two front runners to snag a fast mark and hopefully they can show down at Henderson. There are lots of other fast 3200m guys out there and this could be a truly legendary year in terms of sub 9:10 and sub 9 minute marks, but 8:49 is blazing fast and the top returner from a year ago ran 9:11. That means if Mac Emery drops 22 seconds he gets the record. Anyone else has to drop at least 25 to get the record. That is a mammoth drop to make in one season. Not impossible with the talent and depth in this group, but certainly going to take a well set up race.

Weekend Recap

Bruce Dallas
So remember last week when I talked about Alex Coburn not putting it together for open races? Well as much as I'd like to claim I was a motivator for his success this weekend, I'm going to go with saying that I was wrong, the much more likely to be true fact. Coburn ran a solid 3rd leg on the 4x8 before Kunzweiler brought it home. Splits were apparently 2:02-2:01-1:58-1:57. Coburn and Kunzweiler then doubled back for some solid individual 800s against Sanders (also doubling from his teams solid 8:11 relay). Coburn pulled off the win in an open 800 PR (I believe) of 1:56.33. Really impressive double for him. Sanders was solid and so too was Kunzweiler in 1:56 and 1:57 giving chase. Coburn has looked at least on the same level as Kunzweiler this season if not better. Impressive stuff for him and a good sign for the relay.

Meanwhile the boys from Lower Dauphin were looking very good behind them. 4:21 uncontested for Groh is a great sign. I'd like to see him run a 32 with Nissley and have the two of them work together to something really fast. Nissley soloed his was to a 9:37. I'd bet both these guys could mix it up in the competitive state meet at the end of the year and launch under 9:20. It looks like Groh is going to try his hand in the less competitive 16, which he could drop towards 4:15 in the right race. Penn Manor had a nice 4x8 despite a dropped baton. If they got it all around the track clear they may have been down around 8:05.

Thanks to Jon Carroll for some of the on site info.

Colonial Relays
Alright let's head down south. In VA, LaSalle ran pretty sick, and their 4x8 did it without Billotta. Billotta had himself a sick double with the 4:28 and 9:06 mile and 3k and they used the youngster Patrick Grant in the 4x8. He is a sleeper pick for big things outdoors. LaSalle pulled off a 10:17-7:56 double gold. Behind them, not to overlooked, was a very nice run by GFS who had a 10:21-8:02 double which should get their DMR into Penn (but this year who really knows, the place is crazy). Obviously LaSalle looks really strong and as long as the group stays healthy they should represent the state very well at Penn. Indoor states we didn't quite get to see this team at full strength, but this spring they have something to prove.

DT West
On what can only be described as a windy day, the DT West meet was run with some solid performances. The most notable (and most likely to be talked about) was the run by West Chester Henderson who ran to a 10:25 for a dominating DMR win. It improves their seed time for Penn but is far from guarenteed to get them in. Obviously the win was a factor but the effect of the wind is amplified when you are running out front with no one to cut the wind for you. The Henderson boys will bounce back as always and if they get into Penn for the DM they will be ready.

On a side note though, if they do not their 4x8 could be very compelling. Russell's 3 flat 1200 leg suggests he can run very quick in the relay, at least 1:55, and Chaborek is close to that mark as well (assuming he is healthy). You also have Moy, Barchet, Collins and probably some other solid dudes to pick from to fill out the relay. Could be one of the surprises of the weekend.

In other news, a solid win for Yannacone in about 2 flat despite the conditions. He beat out stud Ken Leidal from DTWest who ran 2:01 for 2nd. Solid mark for Alex Hughes of WCE with a 2:01 of his own in the conditions. If the wind is as bad as claimed that is probably worth around a 1:58ish. Markle was also solid behind him in 2:02.0.

In the 1600 and 3200 WCE asserted their dominace once more with a 1-2 finish in the 16 by Diestelow and Crump in 4:34 and 4:35. Cummings won the 32 in 10:15. I'd like to see Cummings in a 16 sometime soon to see what his speed is like. Crump and Diestelow maybe in an 800. Chris Coates ran a solid 4:38 in that 1600m and was an underrated XC guy who may be one to watch outdoors.

Tamaqua
It's not quite the Arcadia race that he ran in a year ago, but I like the more modest approach by Shearn at the start of this season. Sure he could probably go out West and run 9:15 again, but he is determined to peak at the right moment, at the state championships the spring and the outdoor nationals in the 5k. He started things off right with a 12 second win in the 1600m running 4:32 and a 54 second win in the 3200 in 9:30. Jaryd Flank from Wilson was second in the race. He wrestled in the winter but was a AA XC state medalist. At season's end he might be a name worth remembering if he can hang around and grab a state spot.

Kiwanis
The 5k was very quick and Dan Savage and Conner Quinn made it so running 15:25 and 15:27 which are both very solid marks for this meet, close to the meet record set by Chris Campbell. Conner Quinn is going to be a great 10k guy one day in college, he has great stamina, but this year on the track he should continue to have success as a clutch racer. He was 4th? indoors and he will be dangerous at outdoor states. Savage continues his great success streak, bouncing back from what was still a solid performance in the 32 at PW with this 5k moment. He and James are trading off moments to shine. Behind them, Chris Pastore ran a fantastic 15:47 5k. Shane Connor ran 16:06 from CB South in a surprise performance that I was impressed by.

Penncrest has go some bodies to work with for relays. They ran a nice 10:51 DMR uncontested without the Kazanjians I believe. They will likely run 7:55ish without the twins who can be solid 32 guys this year. Not sure what their health status is but they were clutch down the stretch in XC this past fall. Bensalem ran a solid 8 flat uncontested 4x8 but it was far from mind blowing. The story was more their sprinters than their distance crew. Qhyle Elijah looked fantastic from the results that I could see. I'm really impressed by CB East's 8:02 mark which should hopefully get them into Penn for the 4x8.

The 1500 was quite the fast event highlighted by Joe Logue moving up in distance to a very successful mark of 3:57 in the 1500, converting to roughly 4:14 for 1600m using milesplit conversions. Logue left a group of the states best milers in the dust including Kev James (4:02), James Zingarini (4:04), Curt Jewett (4:05) and Jeff Wiseman (4:10). The Wiseman experience was more of an experiment than anything, his sweet spot is the 800m. It is interesting now to consider what Logue will do moving forward this outdoor season. The 1600m could be his event to lose with his powerful kick and improving strength. He would join a field that outfront includes Tom Coyle and Jack Huemmler as well as possibly Tony Russell (who has the 32 to worry about). I think Logue will stay at 800 (maybe using his improved strength to dip down towards 1:50) but in a year when he is a senior he will have to consider the 16-8 double at outdoor states. It has rarely been successfully completed. Kevin James continues to run well, 4:02 is a very solid mark, right around 4:20 and he beat out Zingarini who is no joke of a miler. I would be intrigued to see Zingarini in a 3k or a 32 with his teammates Wilson and Emery, that may be more of his sweet spot. Although the guy has a bunch of 4:18-4:20 marks now in the books as well and in a strength race over 1600m can run with the best of them.

I'll tell you what I didn't see coming, the reemergence of Nick Smart. When he moved to O'Hara there was a lot of talk about his potential to improve the team in XC, and perhaps he received a little too much pressure. Now he has come out and dropped a sick 1:57 to start of the year beating a group that includes Kyle Francis and Brad Rivera. I'm not worried about the Bensalem guys because I know they will bounce back. In the 3k, Ross Wilson put on a great performance. He has never been someone afraid to push the pace and got a very nice mark that might be good enough to get into Penn. Sam Williams had a very nice mark as well in 8:41. That was no joke either. The NE Bradford guys will be in great shape this outdoors, this is the first outdoors they have had after that serious of an indoor season. Chris Berry had a nice bounce back race as well. 8:48 3k guy with a low 9:20s PR last spring. Gosh I'd hate to be a guy in the 32 in D1 right now. Chris Berry gets no love and is going to have to work his tail off to make states but he has some really impressive credentials. Wow.

PW Colonial Relays
Not too much to comment on but solid runs of the SOL American squads. Wissahickon a dominating 3:37 SMR and UD a solid 8:13 in the 4x8 to win by roughly 20 seconds. Stellato was under 2 for Wiss.

Still more meets to cover and I will continue to update tomorrow so stay tuned!

Altoona Igloo Invite
Interesting to see Williamsport with an 8:09 win over Kiski's 8:10, that's a big win for a relative unknown in Williamsport. Perhaps a sleeper pick down the line, we shall see. Herb Steely seems to be the member of the team to watch as far as individuals go. Altoona a solid 8:11 right with those two teams. Kiski is a sub 8 team in my mind, so anyway close by should see similar results in the coming weeks. It's nice to see Brent Kennedy is back to racing. A modest 4:29 for an easy win over teammate Tyler Snider (4:34) is a nice start to the year for him.

Haverford Invitational
To anyone who was watching the meet of champs 800, it probably wasn't a surprise to see this race out of Billy Cauldwell. He ran a sick 1:56.29 to beat out Jack Huemmler (1:57.08) in the 800m. This breakout race was a long time coming, and I don't expect this to be a fluke. Huemmler should continue to improve, the 1600 is his strongest event. Right behind these two were a couple newcomers to the game in Connor Holm (1:58.1) and Eli Mercado (1:58.3). Holm is leading a Radnor team that has quietly put together a pair of nice DMRs in the past couple weeks, winning with a sub 11 mark this week. Holm may be a guy on the verge of a breakout looking ahead. As for Mercado, I honestly never heard of him but 1:58 this early is no joke and he should be one to watch going forward if he continue to breakout.

Sick race by Adam Bodine to dominate the 1600m in 4:24. Bodine was a great XC guy that I kept a close eye on all indoors. He couldn't quite get the state SQS, but I'm sure that was all the more motivation to run hard this spring and it is paying off thus far with this big win. Bodine could be dangerous, especially at 3200m. Unfortunately, that race will be stacked so the 1600m may be a worthwhile investment in order to make states. Nice races by James Hare and Eric Murray who both ran to 4:28 times for Marple Newton and Father Judge respectively. Marple Newton had a pair of guys hit the district qualifying time this weekend which is worth noting (the other was Matt Moore in 1:59 in the 800m). And of course it is always a good sign when you can run 9:26 in the first weekend in April. Add it in the fact that Max Norris won his race by roughly 35 seconds, and it is clear that Max Norris is in great shape. The 3200m this year is going to be insane and Norris can hit something like 4:12 and 9:00 this year if all goes right. At Penn Norris may be in store for close to 8:20-8:22 if the race sets up nicely for him. That's one of the fastest 3ks in state history and would put him in state record talks.

South Hills Classic
Never count out the WPIAL, they always have guys, even people you have never heard of. No team exhibits this quality better than North Allegheny. After an XC season in which we watched NA go from a team of unknowns to a stud group of potential medalists, we now see the first of their breakout track performers as Mike Becich opens up the season in a 1:57.06 mark for NA to win the 800m over James Smith (1:58) and Dylan Wilhoite (1:59) of Upper Saint Claire and Penn Hills respectively. Smith was on the double from a 4:29 1600m. NA also had youngster Seamus Love at 2 flat. The two NA boys were seeded at just 2:02 and 2:04.

Moving up in distance, Dan Jaskowak appears to be returning to top form. The runner up at states twice a year ago in XC and outdoor track, now steps forward with a 4:23-9:34 double gold. But behind him in both races were a string of up and comers.

In the 1600m Ean DiSilvio had one of his best track races of his career. Always an XC power, DiSilvio dropped 4:26 and 9:47. He was seeded at just over 10:20 for the 3200m so he may not have even had a chance to run in the top heat. Tyler Palenchek from Gateway ran 4:28 and Cordon Luoco from NA ran 4:29. Possible 4x8 credentials for NA.

In the 3200m, we saw a slew of very solid early season times out of the WPIAL boys. Matt McGoey earned the silver behind Jaskowak in 9:35 and was chased hard by Ethan Louis (9:36), Josh Zemet (9:37) and Ryan Archer (9:38). The WPIAL 3200m is led by stud Ethan Martin and his twin Colin Martin, but the sophomore McGoey looks very good for this early in the season. If he can hang with the Martins he could find himself landing a massive PR by season's end.

PTFCA Classic Recap

Sorry for all these delays I've had a busy couple days and stuff.

There were lots of exciting events and fast times at this meet, especially considering it was still March! One thing is clear, with Penn just around the corner teams need fast times! And the kids went for it in the 4x8 as CV won going away, but Coburn needed a 1:56 to reclaim the lead. I'm really impressed with how Coburn runs relays, he may not run open races faster than 4:20 and 1:56 this year but I could see a 1:53 split out of him at states for that 4x8. Very clutch relay runner for this squad. Kunzweiler is a racer, when he gets the baton by himself it's tougher for him to go fast. Those two back legs are big time studs, as the others gain experience they can be dangerous. I'm very encouraged to see Abington and Cheltenham run nice relays as well. Both are more sprint oriented 4x8s so to see them run this fast this early is encouraging, could potential drop a lot in the coming weeks. Ultimately 8 teams ran under 8:20 which was pretty sick. St. Joe's Prep is a solid team, when it clicks for them I could see 8 flat as a possibility.

In the 800m we saw a nice win for Jeff Wiseman, not a particularly fast race but a solid convincing win over a real talent in Lewis. A bunch of solid marks filed in behind including a 2:00.23 for Nathan Willis and a 2 flat from Billy Wolffe. The 1600m was windy and tactical, coming through in about 2:20ish at the 800m and the last lap they really layed down the pace. A nice run by Scarpato for the win, probably closing close to 60 for the last 400. In a fast race he will be dangerous. Ferruzzi was on the double solid mark for him and always nice to see a sophomore set a PR off slow fractions to start out the outdoor season in Diestelow. All these guys can be 4:25ish in a couple weeks and I wouldn't be surprised at all if Scarpato was sub 4:20 before we knew it. Trey Crump's 4:32 was also appearently on the double which makes it a pretty solid mark. Nice break out race for Watson Hanson from Radnor. A faster pace would help Sam Ritz, but he is only a soph and 4:32 is a solid mark for March.

The glamour event of course was the 3200m and Kevin James did not disappoint unleashing a massive PR and running 9:15 to run away from the field. I imagine that most people didn't see him as a favorite for the state title in the 3200m outdoors, but now he has to be in the conversation without a doubt. He has great training partners and is only a sophomore still making massive improvements. He will have to compete against a stacked field, but if the state race has good conditions and a fast pace, the winner will almost definitely have to be under 9 minutes. James can run 9:05 this year in the right race. Hopefully there is a big show down at Henderson and James and his teammates come along. Ben Ritz, the second place finisher, should be back again. His 1600m ability is looking pretty strong this year. I'd love to see him in a fast race with Coyle, Huemmler and Russell but I don't know if we will get the chance because he is not in the PIAA. Ritz though really dropped a bomb at indoor nats in the mile and has sufficiently proven that was no fluke with this 9:19 PR. Couple that with a 1:54 and 4:12 streak last year outdoors and Ritz has proven to be one of the most complete track runners in the state.

These two sub 9:20 marks indicate that by season's end both guys could be under 9:10 with easy and challenging the 9 minute barrier in a competitive race with solid training progression. The depth of the 32 in the state this year is impressive especially considering it is likely that neither of these guys were on most people's 2 mile radar event a week ago.

Coming in behind this group was Jack MaCauley who had a very clutch 9:24 mark. I'm not positive but that may have been his second fastest 3200m ever besides his breakout district race last year. He peaks at the right time outdoors and is going to be very, very dangerous by season's end. Again 9:05ish type marks are not out of the question and a chase at sub 9 in perfect conditions could be a reasonable dream goal for Jack.

Savage a solid 9:26 for him. He is a big time post season racer and James's success will help push him to get faster. Behind Savage was Pitone in 9:27. That's a solid PR mark for Pitone I believe and a great sign that his speed is increasing. I believe that XC is clearly the guys strong suit, so watching the 4xMile at NBIN and now watching this 3200m run really bolds well for Pitone this season. If he can march under 9:20, that will give O'Hara 3 guys will sub 9:20 credentials already and that's not even counting Belfatto (he ran 9:31 to finish right behind Pitone) who has low 9:20s credentials of his own. I see Belfatto being more of a relay type guy this year and not really touching too many 32s.

For Conner Quinn, how often do you run 9:33 in March and get 7th! I have no doubts that Hatboro knows what they are doing with Quinn. I expect him to continue to steadily drop time like Hibbs a year ago. Without a truly fast mile PR I can't see him running much under 9:15, but Quinn will be in the mix in any race he runs in this year and in most other years would be a top 5 guy at states. Unfortunately with the depth of this year's race, he could run 9:15 and end up off the medal stand.