PTFCA Champs: Records-Girls:Seymour, Krais, D-town E., Schaffer|Boys:N. Penn, LaSalle|Fri:HIGHLIGHTS


3/1 PTFCA Indoor Track & Field Championships

Girls meet records by Carly Seymour 9:54.56 3000, Ryann Krais 8.54 60H, D-town East 12:13.62, Abby Schaffer 13-00.25 PV - Boys meet records by North Penn 7:48.99 4x800, LaSalle 10:15.89 DMR - Conestoga Girls Team Champs, North Penn Boys Champs

Performance List for the PTFCA Indoor Track & Field Championships

Girls Preview by Don Rich

Boys Preview by Aaron Rich

2008 PA Indoor Leaderboard: Girls / Boys

Noteworthy: This year for the first time, the PTFCA will produce a DVD of highlights of the meet. Order and payment can be made the day of the meet at the T-Shirt sales area. Post-meet order can be emailed to Ron Lopresti, ronlop@msn.com, NO LATER THAN MARCH 7TH, with payment by check. And for the third year in a row, PennTrackXC.com will sell action and awards photos. Order forms will be available at the meet, or by downloading a form. All photo galleries will be posted for review within four days of the meet. Payment is by credit card or check. Info is on the form.


STATE SUMMARIES

Relay Action at the 2008 PTFCA State Championships:

Team Champs North Penn Boys and Conestoga Girls (photos by Megan Clugh)

 

 

By Aaron Rich

LaSalle boys put on an impressive display in the DMR, posting a US#1 time of 10:15.89 to win over Pencrest, 10:29.56. Their time was also a new state meet record, besting the 2007 Henderson mark of 10:21.57. Pat Donnelly led off with a solid 1200 meter leg in a time of 3:11.48. Anthony Kent kept LaSalle in the race with a 400 meter split of 52.10. Brian Ledder turned in a solid 800 meter time of 1:59.50 to keep LaSalle in the lead handing off to anchor Dan Lowry.

Dan Lowry anchors LaSalle with a 4:12 1600 to a US#1 DMR of 10:15.89 (photo by Lizzie Poster)

Lowry finished off the great race with a stellar 1600 meter leg of 4:12.51. LaSalle had aimed for this relay win, and did not race in any individual events. While they all agreed that they thought they would win, the record and US#1 were a very pleasant surprise. Downingtown East also took down a meet record, besting the 2007 Henderson mark of 12:22.27. Their time of 12:13.62 was US #14. Ashley Fornshell started things off with a 1200 split of 3:39.6, then handed off to Rachel Hunte, who kept things moving with a 60.5 400 split, then Taylor Carcella opened things up with her 2:23.2 800 split, and Marie Thompson finished off the competition with her 1600 split of 5:10.2. After the race the girls were all pleasantly surprised to have won the event.

If LaSalle was expected to win the DMR than North Penn held an equal expectation in the 4x800 meter relay. They did not disappoint, running a meet record time of 7:48.99. The time beat the 2002 North Penn mark of 7:52.05. Brian Quintrell lead off with a time of 1:57.08, Justin Bookheimer kept the momentum going with a 1:57.25, Steve Franks maintained the lead with a 1:58.83, and Zach Montijo brought it home with a snappy 1:55.45. Conestoga won the girls 4x800 with as much ease as North Penn won the boys. Their time of 9:17.87 was slower than their best time, but the splits show that toward the end they were taking it easy.

Engineering & Science stepped up in the 4x400 meter relay and finished off the afternoon with a win and a US #6 mark of 3:21.07. The splits were 49.60, 49.50, 50.61, and 50.99. The E&S boys were all humble in victory but also very proud of what they had accomplished. Chester girls also posted a US #6 mark with their 4x400 victory, in a time of 3:53.06 to beat Paul Robeson's 3:55.12. Their splits were 58.98, 60.10, 57.33, and 56.28.

In the 4x200 meter relays Altoona and CB East both posted US #8 times on their way to state titles in the event. Altoona Area won the boys 4x200 with a time of 1:29.68 to win a very close race over Neshaminy, 1:29.76. The Altoona boys were thrilled to prove that they were the best 4x200 team in the state. Splits were 22.60, 22.66, 22.43, and 22.25. CB East won the girls 4x200 with a time of 1:42.39. Their splits were 25.42, 25.13, 26.40, and 25.44.

Sprint Action at the 2008 PTFCA State Championships:

Ryann Krais, Methacton, sets a meet record 8.54 in the 60 Hurdles.
PHOTO BY DON RICH

By Aaron Rich

 

Ije Iheoma had 2 very exciting performances, a close win in the 400 and a narrow loss in the 200. Ije won a thrilling showdown with Chanelle Price in the 400 with a time of 54.54. Price was clocked in 54.82. Ije's splits were 25.51 and 28.73. Ije had a plan of getting out fast and staying ahead of Price as they broke for the inside lane. She was able to do this and then hang on with Price surging up in the last few meters. In the 200 Ije's 24.65 fell short of the 24.45 that Shanae Bailey ran in winning the event. Shanae got out fast and maintained that advantage to the line, finally shedding the history of her DQ in the 200 last year. In the boys 200 meter dash Juan Steward has been the favorite to win, and win he did, but the tale of the tape was oh-so-close as his 21.72 was just a hair faster than the 21.73 by runner-up, sophomore Alex Kenney of State College. Steward was happy to win, but feels he can run faster, and will look to do so at nationals. Another athlete hoping to run faster was the 400 meter champion, Khaliff Featherstone. Khaliff won with a time of 48.30 over Aaron Nadolsky, 49.22. Khaliff had hoped to run in the 47's, and appears determined to do just that at nationals. Featherstone's splits were 22.10 and 25.96. Nadolsky's splits were 22.49 and 26.47.

Ije Iheoma, Central Bucks South, holds off Easton's Chanelle Price in the 400, as they ran US#3 and #4 times, 54.54 to 54.82.
PHOTO BY DON RICH

In the 60 hurdles two favorites won and a meet record was set. Ryann Krais won the girls hurdles with a meet record time of 8.54, beating the 2005 mark of 8.65 set by Mycaiah Clemens, Valley. Krais had been ill this week, but it didn't show as she dominated the hurdle event. Keenan Michael won the boys hurdles with a time of 7.99, capping a very solid indoor season. Keenan got out well and stayed just ahead of Bernardo Asencio's 8.12. Whitney Winters wanted to win the 60 meter dash for her team, so that they might have a chance at the team title. Well, win she did, with a 7.60 to top Tenesia Simpson's 7.62. In the boys 60 dash AJ Alexander won an event he had only run once before this indoor season, and that was last weekend at the Kevin Dare Invite. AJ's time of 6.86 puts him at US #9 this year.

 

Distance Action at the 2008 PTFCA State Championships:

By Aaron Rich

The 800 meter run brought some serious excitement to the track as Chanelle Price took control of the girls race and Elliot Rhodes broke away after 400 meters to take the boys race. Chanelle Price left little to chance, splitting 61.28 for the first 400 meters and separating herself from the pack. She came back in 67.83 to seal the victory with a time of 2:09.40. Chanelle later said that her goal was to win and that she will worry more about a fast time at nationals. Elliot Rhodes came into the race with the goal of a 53 second first 400 and a win. The first 400 ended up being 55.06 but Rhodes still got his victory in a final time of 1:54.62. His last lap split was 59.13.

Front-running and patience were the differing variables in the girls and boys mile races, and both strategies payed off in the end. Carly Hamond led from the gun and held-off late charges by Marie Thompson and Chloe Schmidt to win with a time of 5:04.26. Carly's 800 meter split was 2:29.46. Max Kaulbach took part in a different type of race where no one wanted to lead for the first 400, at which point Vince McNally took over the lead. McNally took the race through 800 meters at 2:08.86. Kaulbach decided to make his move with 400 to go and would up running 58-59 for the last 400 to win convincingly in a time of 4:15.80. Nick Crits wound up 2nd in a time of 4:17.47.

A convincing win and meet record time marked the girls 3000 meter run while surprises were the order of the day in the boys 3000. Carly Seymour won the girls 3000 in a time of 9:54.56 and the only drama was whether she was going to take down Lauren Shaffer's 2001 time of 9:55.26. She did. (racing to the record - photo by Don Rich) Kacey Gibson and Meghan Lutz hung on for the early laps and were rewarded with nice times as Kacey was 2nd in 10:09.83 and Meghan was 3rd in 10:14.18. The results of the boys 3000 were a surprise to everyone except Josh izewski, who crossed the finish line in first with a time of 8:30.78. Chris Aldrich and Mark Dennin were favored to win, but Josh came in with a plan to run consistent lap splits, go through the mile in 4:30, and then hang tough for the last few laps. The plan worked as he alternated between 33 and 34 second laps for most of the race, split 4:31.38 at the mile, and wound up with the win. Second place went to Chris Bodary, who ran a big PR of 8:32.69 and surprised everyone with his incredible performance.

Abby Schaffer about to clear an all-time state best of 13-00.25...
one of the six meet records and three all-timers.
PHOTO BY MEGAN CLUGH

 

 

Field Action at the 2008 PTFCA State Championships:

 

By Aaron Rich

No surprises in the girls shot put and pole vault as the favorites, Shump and Schaffer, come away with wins. Karen Shump (in photo by Don Rich) won the shot put with a throw of 48-10.25, and while not her best throw, it was good enough to win a state title. Abby Schaffer won the pole vault and bested her former teammate Lindsay Regan's 2005 mark of 13-00. Abby's vault was 13-00.25, and gave her confidence going into the national meet in 2 weeks. A big upset occurred in the long jump as Tanaya Lloyd outdueled Ryann Krais for the victory. Tanaya made her winning jump in the prelims with mark of 18-04.25. After that jump she watched as the others continued to fall short until Krais' last jump, in which she soared 18-03.25. It ended up being an inch shy of what she needed and Tanaya was able to celebrate her first state championship. Kristin Brandt won the triple jump with a leap of 38-04.50 to earn a narrow victory over Joelle Neilson's mark of 38-02.75. In the high jump Brittany Whitmer jumped 5-04 to earn a victory over a tightly packed field in which 5 girls all cleared 5-04.

Kwiatkowski and Moppert do what they do, Ijelu, Hynes, and Jabin come away big with upset victories. Dan Kwiatkowski hasn't hit the 63-00 since his first throw of that distance, but his 61-01.75 gave him a comfortable margin of victory. Dan remains confident in his lifting and training, and will look to throw big at nationals in 2 weeks. Doug Moppert has won all season, and states was no different as he came away with a 23-01.75 to win by almost a foot. He was happy with his victory but wants to stretch it out to 24 feet by the time nationals rolls around. With all the talk swirling around Ray Quill it was easy to overlook the soft-spoken Sheriff Jabin, but he can't hide from us anymore after his leap of 6-10 and a state title. He was only 1/2 inch off of the meet record held by Juan Cave and Ryan Fritz so his jump puts him in with some lofty company. Jabin is looking forward to nationals and wants to crest the 7-00 barrier before track season is over. Derek Hynes set a huge PR with a 15-06 vault to win the state title in the pole vault. It was a close victory as Mike Steffenino also achieved the 15-06 mark. Folarin Ijelu needed a PR to win the state championship, and he did both with a leap of 47-00.25. There were two competitors within 1 inch of his mark, making for a narrow victory over Hanif Johnson, 46-11.50, and Jason Johnson, 46-11.25.

 

 

 

 

Girls Preview by Don Rich:

The names will be remembered. The marks will be etched into the record books. And if you're one of the lucky track & field fans who have been fortunate enough to see any of these four talented athletes perform during their four-year high school careers, you'll remember more than the names and the marks.

This is the final indoor meet in Pennsylvania in the careers of (in alphabetical order, of course), Ryann Krais, Chanelle Price, Carly Seymour and Karen Shump. Each has won state championships. Each is a defending indoor state champ. And each is favored in at least one event to win another title this year.

Krais (in photo to right) will kick things off among the four, starting her day in the 60 meter hurdles. She won the event as a sophomore, but took 2nd in 2007. Krais' main competition in the event should come from emerging hurdler Alysha Cook of Harrisburg, who's speed showed last year with a medal in the open 60 meter dash. Conestoga's Whitney Winters and Girls' High's Jasmine Wanamaker should also challenge in the hurdles.

Krais will be busy early, as the girls' long jump gets underway at the same time as the hurdles trials. She has won the event the last two years, and is the top seed coming into the meet. She can look for tough competition from Central Mountain's Kristin Brandt, Central Bucks East's Shannon Daniels, and Phoenixville's Courtney Kedra. Brandt was a state medalist in the triple jump last year. Krais could challenge the all-time marks in the PA in both the 60 hurdles (8.43) and the long jump (20-02.50).

Krais will not defend her state title in the 400 meter dash, but 2007 runner-up Ije Iheoma of Council Rock South will be sharing the hot heat with Chanelle Price, who will kick off her meet with the two-lapper. Last year's 3rd place finisher in the event, Shaniel Chambers of Chester, is not in the event this year.

Amid all the other late morning action will be a spectacular event to the side that deserves your full attention - the girls shot put. Recently an extremely strong event in Pennsylvania, there are nine girls in the championship with throws of over 40 feet. But heading the list is two-time defending champ (2005, 2007) Karen Shump (in photo to left) of Penncrest. Shump finally reached a long-time goal of cracking the 50-foot barrier - twice this season. Her 50-07.50 is over six feet further than the second seed, last year's runner-up Kaleena Gray of Coatesville - a three-time indoor medalist in her own right.

Following the PA High School Track & Field Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Krais should be facing off against seven other finalists in the 60 meter hurdles. Those races will set up one of the premier events of the day, as defending champ Price takes to the track in her specialty, the 800 meter run. Following her 12th place finish in her first USATF Indoor Championships last Saturday, Price will be motivated to get back to the times she says her training foreshadows. Price's 2:04.96 from 2007 made her the third best prep performer in the history of the event. Look for Chambers to defend her runner-up status over the other runners in the final. The event will be your first glimpse of an up-and-coming talent in the middle distances, freshman Chloe Schmidt of State College.

The thrills of the 800 will only set up the intensity of the 200 meter dash, where you'll see Krais go head-to-head with a very talented field, Top seed Shanae Bailey of Swenson was DQed in 2007 and is running very well. Iheoma – 4th in 2007 – will be coming off the 400, while Price's teammate Tenesia Simpson –3rd in 2007 – is seeded 4th. Harrisburg's Cook will take another shot at Krais after their earlier match-up in the 60 hurdles.

If you think the 3000 meter run will be a calming respite from the blur of the earlier events, you've never seen the intensity that defending champ Carly Seymour (in photo to right) of Central Cambria can put on the track. There are several key challengers in the race, and because of the quality of the field, this event could see a meet and state all-time-best under 9:55.26. Meghan Lutz, Nazareth Academy; Heather Giovagnoli, Spring Ford, and Kacey Gibson, Neshannock, are all capable of special races. All four of the top seeds are running the event fresh. Seymour and Gibson are 2007 Foot Locker all-Americans in cross country.

The individual events then give way to the relays. Krais and Price will finish their PA indoor days in the final event of the meet, the 4x400 meter relay. Defending champs Easton is the 15th seed, so Price ((in photo below) will be anchoring what should be an all-out effort by her teammates to put a number up on the board that will get the attention of the ensuing heats. Krais will anchor the final heat with her team that is seeded 5th. But Chester, Robeson, Conestoga and West Catholic have all put down faster times this season. Methacton was runner-up to Easton last year in the event.

Easton's Simpson and Conestoga's Winters are the top two seeds in the 60 meter dash. Winters was 3rd in 2007. Also among the favorites are 2007's 4th place finisher, Bailey of Swenson; McCaskey's Emily Dresser, and Trinity's (Camp Hill) Erin Guty.

Price will hot be defending her title in the mile run. The top three seeds are from the Philly suburbs: Henderson's Carly Hamond, who anchored the winning DMR in 2007; Conestoga's Megan Deakins; and Downingtown East's Marie Thompson. Last year's third place finisher, Natalie Bower of Latrobe, is seeded fourth. Up-and-comer Schmidt is seeded 6th. Don't be surprised to see the 17th seed, Christine Smith of Unionville, challenge at the front.

The defending champ in the 4x200 meter relay, Harrisburg, is seeded 5th, and within a few seconds of top seed Central Bucks East, who was 6th in 2007. Swenson, Penn Hills and Chester round out the top four.

Conestoga put up the fastest 4x800 meter relay time, but will have their hands full with a surging Council Rock North squad, 4th in 2007. Waiting to pounce on any missteps will be Robeson, Saint Basil (2nd in 2007), and North Penn (8th).

The distance medley relay has been a popular addition to the state lineup. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th ranked teams in the state, Conestoga, Saint Basil and Council Rock North, have all opted for the 4x800 (you can only select one or the other). Defending champs West Chester Henderson has run 12:14.84, over seven seconds faster than their winning effort in 2007.

The pole vault will be Easton senior Abby Schaffer's opportunity to return the title to her school. Her 12-11 is the top seed by nine inches. Schaffer was 2nd in 2007 and 3rd in 2006. Council Rock South's Tory Worthen is the only other competitor over 12 feet. The state mark of 13-feet, set by Schaffer's former teammate and four-time indoor champion Lindsay Regan in 2005, could be challenged.

There is going to be a rather unique tie-breaker in the high jump. This year's top seeds, Betsy Dempsey of Methacton and Christie Johnson of State College, tied for 7th in 2007. This year, they enter the competition tied again, each leading the state with jumps of 5-06. Richland's Calsie Boyd is the closest seed at 5-04.

Following the long jump, the multi-phase triple jump takes center stage. Top seed Kristin Brandt was 4th in 2007. Three of her competitors are also over 37 feet, Joelle Neilson of Girls' High, Laura Kosiorek of McDowell, and Courtney Bell of Norristown.

 

Boys Preview by Aaron Rich:

In almost every event PA kids are ranked in the top-20 nationally. So my very bold prediction will be that this weekend will be a joy for anyone with a passion for following the sport. From the sprints, to the distance events, and the relays to the field there isn't an event that won't be exciting to watch. What follows is a cursory look at each event, designed to highlight the talent that will be on display at the 2008 PTFCA Indoor State Championships.

Beginning with the sprints, and the 200 meter dash, Juan Steward (in photo to right) has shown a steady progression to the top of the charts and currently holds the #4 time in the US of 21.67. On his heels is State College runner Alex Kenney, who has run a time of 21.91. Khaliff Featherstone has a time of 22.18, but once the race begins he has a knack for finding a way to win. Kevin Wilbank, Anthony Batch, and Kevin Steinberg are also favorites in this event. In the 400 meter dash Featherstone is the favorite with a US #6 time of 48.29. Altoona's Aaron Nadolsky has run 49.35, putting him in contention to earn a medal in this event. Carver E&S's Austin Perron has a time of 49.41, and can take a top-3 finish with a solid race. Anthony Batch, Nick DeFeo, and Chris Morrales round out the sub-50 competitors. In the fast and furious races Keenan Michael and AJ Alexander lead the way. Keenan has a US #7 time of 7.98 in the 60 meter hurdles and has the late-season momentum to carry into the state meet. Bernardo Asencio is also ranked top-20 with a time of 8.19 and has a good chance to challenge for the win. Tim Malloy, Leon Bullock, and Jermaine Lowery round out the top 6 in this event. AJ Alexander leads the pack with a US #9 time of 6.87 in the 60 meter dash, but Kevin Steinberg is on his heels with a time of 6.93. Kevin Wilbank and Robert Dixon are at 6.94 so this race should be exciting to watch.

On to the distance events with the always exciting 800 meter run. It is not unusual to find North Penn in the 800 and this year is no exception. Zack Montijo leads the way with a time of 1:56.38. Within a quarter-second are Elliot Rhodes and T.J Hobart, and with all 3 of these runners in peak condition the last lap of this race should be very exciting. In the one mile run Nick Crits and Vince McNally face-off for the first time since Millrose, with both in great shape and eager to win a state title. Both runners learned from their Millrose races and McNally hints at his intentions by saying that he always aims for states because those are the races that people remember. Germantown Friends teammates Isaac Ortiz and Max Kaulbach, as well as Sean Mallon, Ryan, round out the top-5. Kaulbach leads the way in the 3000 meter run with his 8:34.34, but his legs will be busy as he is also running the mile. Josh Izewski and Mark Dennin (in photo to left) will be fresh for this event so watch for a hard early pace to put some weight on Kaulbach's legs. Dennin has a track record for racing well when it counts so expect him to step up and challenge Kaulbach. Terence Lee has a ferocious kick and if he can stay close during the middle laps of this race he has the ability to out kick the others down the stretch.

In the field there are two names that rise above the rest. Dan Kwiatkowski and Ray Quill have dominated their respective events all season and look to continue that streak into the state meet. Kwiatkowski (in photo to right) has risen to the top of a sport in which technique and form are everything, and he has done both quite well, throwing 63-00 to earn a current US ranking of #5 in the shot put. His main challenger will be Wesley Lavong, a very determined and motivated putter, who has a best of 58-07 this year. Ray Quill (in photo below left) has been ranked PA #1 in the high jump all year with a best of 6-08. Quill is highly motivated for the state meet with a goal of jumping 6-10 and winning a state title. Challenging Quill are multiple competitors who have gone 6-06 this year including Tim Malloy, Andrew Batula, Sheriff Jabin, Greg Barksdale, Sean Gentry, and Connor Barrett. In the triple jump Jason Johnson is the favorite with a US #14 mark of 47-00.5. Folarin Ijelu and Carlton Lavong are both within striking distance of Johnson and will be his main competition for the state title. The long jump pits a US #14 against a US #20 with Douglas Moppert leading the way at 23-03.5. Carlton Lavong is 2.75 inches back making this a very tight competition. Steve Werner and Matthew Cannell are also close enough to challenge for a top-3 spot. Tony Shirk has vaulted well all season and his mark of 15-06 is well above his nearest competitors, making him the favorite to win the pole vault. Joey McCombie and Mike Steffenino will need big PR's to challenge Shirk for the top spot on the podium.

And last, but certainly not least, the relays, which are arguably the most exciting events to watch. The 800 meter relay is a fast and technical event in which there is no room for error, especially on an indoor track. PA's top 5 teams are ranked in the top 31 in the US and all are separated by a hair more than a second. Neshaminy leads the way with a time of 1:30.00, followed by Altoona Area, Norristown, Father Judge, and McDowell. A perfect race will have to be run by the winner of this one, and what an exciting race it will be. Some quick addition will tell you that the 3200 meter relay will be won by North Penn. With 3 runners sub-1:58 this team will be hard to beat. Holy Ghost and Abington will be their main rivals with Wissahickon close behind. The distance medley relay is always exciting for the distance fan because it really does take four talented athletes to get the job done. One bad leg and your team falls out of contention. Carver E&S, La Salle, and Germantown Friends are the 3 favorites in this one, but La Salle stands out as the only one of the three without an individual in the 800, mile, or 3000. La Salle will have the edge in this race with fresh runners for each leg, but the other two teams will still be competitive. The last preview is of the flagship event of any track meet, the 1600 meter relay. Harrisburg leads the way with a US #6 time of 3:21.35. The only team within one second is North Penn, with a time of 3:22.67 (converted from flat track to banked). If Harrisburg gets the baton around the track they should have a state championship and possibly a chance at sub-3:20 with North Penn to push them. Carver E&S will also be in the race, followed by McDowell, Conestoga, Gratz, and Father Judge. As always, there is a reason they run the races, so in the spirit of competition, good luck to all who are competing on Saturday. Run swiftly, jump further, throw farther, and most importantly, enjoy the all the experiences that come along with a state championship meet.

 

2/26 71st Eastern States Championships, NY Armory

Tuning up for the PTFCA State Championships, St. Basil Academy put in a 13th place 12:35.22 DMR, which is PA#3. They run the 4x800 at States.

 

2/28 NYRCC Thursday Night at the Races, NY Armory


3/2 Marietta College HS Open #4, OH