ESPNHS Track & XC

Press Release

NEW YORK CITY (May 16, 2012)—Josh Lampron and Ben Malone, who own the two fastest 1500-meter times in the nation so far this season, are among 16 top high school athletes added to the fields for the adidas Dream 100 and adidas Dream Mile at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9, organizers have announced.

Also headlining the roster are Ajee Wilson, the 2011 World Youth Champion at 800 meters, and freshman sensation Alexa Efraimson, the first freshman ever invited to a Dream event.

The Dream 100 and Dream Mile are again destined to be among the most hotly contested events at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9. In its eighth year as one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, the adidas Grand Prix, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, will feature dozens of Olympic medalists and World Champions, including Yohan Blake, the reigning 100-meter World Champion, and David Rudisha, the 800-meter World Record-holder, who will be making his U.S. debut. The event will again be the sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit and is part of the Visa Championships Series. Tickets are now available at adidasgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-849-8722.

Lampron, a senior from Mansfield, Mass., last weekend ran 3:45.74 for 1500 meters at a meet in Boston, among the top-20 high school times in U.S. history and the fastest in the nation since 2009. The 2011 national champion in the mile, Lampron is a three-time state champion and will attend Villanova University in the fall.

Malone, a junior from Hillsdale, N.J., is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 800 meters and holds U.S. high school indoor records for a junior at 800 meters (1:49.94) and 1000 meters (2:23.56). On Monday, he ran the #2 time in the U.S. at 1500 meters, 3:49.84.

A senior from Neptune, N.J., Wilson is one of the top high school athletes in New Jersey history. Currently ranked #2 in the nation at 800 meters, she finished the 2012 indoor season ranked #1 at both 600 and 800 meters. A qualifier for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson will attend Florida State University.

Efraimson, of Camas, Wash., has run 4:23.41 for 1500 meters already this season to rank #4 on the U.S. list, and her time of 2:08.92 for 800 meters is #7. She finished 14th at cross country nationals last fall.

Also accepting invitations to the Boys’ Dream Mile are Jacob Burcham, a junior from Ona, W. Va.; who finished seventh at 1500 meters in the 2011 World Youth Championships in 3:46.55, the fastest time by a U.S. prep last year; Brannon Kidder, a senior from Lancaster, Ohio, a four-time state track champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1600 meters who is headed to Penn State University; Craig Nowak, a senior from Cypress, Tex., who is a five-time 5A state champion, ranks #2 at 1600 meters and #3 at 3200 meters, and will attend Oklahoma State University; and Craig Engels, a senior from Pfafftown, N.C., ranked in the top 10 at the mile (#3), 1500 meters (#4), and 3200 meters (#10). Engels was the 2012 Penn Relays Mile Champion in front of Burcham, the runner-up, and Malone, who placed third. He will attend North Carolina State University.

Joining Wilson and Efraimson in the Girls’ Dream Mile will be Haley Pierce, a senior from Wilmington, Del., the 15-time State Champion ranked #3 at 3200 meters and #4 at 1600 meters who will attend Georgetown University; Angel Piccirillo, a senior from Homer Center, Penn., who is a two-time state Gatorade Cross-Country Athlete of the Year, a seven-time State Champion, ranks #2 in the mile and will attend Villanova University; Amy-Eloise Neale, a junior from Snohomish, Wash., six-time Washington 3A State Champion ranked #4 in the mile and #6 at 1500 meters; and Paige Rice, a sophomore from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore., the 6A Oregon Cross Country State Champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1500 meters.

Burcham, Wilson, Pierce, Piccirillo and Neale are all making return Dream Mile appearances.

Joining the field of the adidas Boys’ Dream 100 are Raymond Bozmans of Fort Collins, Colo., a senior ranked #3 in the U.S. at 100 meters and #5 at 200 meters who is the 2012 Arcadia Invite Champion and will attend Texas Christian University on a football scholarship; and Khalfani Muhammad of Sherman Oaks, Calif., a junior who is the 2012 Mt. SAC champion at both 100 and 200 meters and 2011 state runner-up in both distances.

Added to the adidas Girls’ Dream 100 are Kali Davis-White of Lauderdale Lake, Fla., a junior ranked #4 in the U.S. and 2012 Florida State 4A runner-up at both 100 and 200 meters to the previously announced Shayla Sanders; and Destinee Gause of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a senior who is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 200 meters and is ranked #5 at 100 meters. The 2011 Ohio State Champion at 100 and 200 meters, she will attend the University of Florida.

Fields for the Dream Mile and Dream 100 are being drawn from the winners of three qualifying meets in the adidas Golden Stripes series, as well as from at-large bids. The first meet, the adidas Meet of Champions, was held on March 24, followed by the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan., April 19-21. Next up is the Golden South Classic in Orlando, Fla., on May 26. In addition to the opportunity to compete in a world-class international track event, athletes in the Dream Mile and Dream 100 will also have the chance to receive coaching from mile legend Jim Ryun.

All of the latest news, photos and additional information on the event can be found at adidasgrandprix.com, the event’s pages on Facebook at facebook.com/adidasGrandPrix and on Twitter at twitter.com/adidasGrandPrix. When tweeting, use #agpny. For even more coverage on the Dream Mile and Dream 100, visit adidasgoldenstripes.com.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Hunninghake, Global Athletics & Marketing
media@globalathletics.com
917.972.3656

MEET RESULTS

Neptune (N.J.) high school senior Ajee Wilson ran at a high-profile meet in the Cayman Islands on Wednesday. Wilson ran 2:05.29, just a hundredth off of her season best.

The meet featured Olympic-level athletes and was highlighted by a 9.84-second clocking in the 100 meters by Jamaican Yohan Blake.

Wilson is no stranger to big-time competition. During the indoor season, she ran against professionals at the Millrose Games and the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

The Olympic Trials, which will decide which U.S. track and field athletes make it to the 2012 London Games, are just six weeks away.

As the high school season moves toward state championships from coast to coast, we have an eye on which preps may crash the party in Eugene and go head to head with professionals and collegians in competition for a spot in the U.S. Olympic team.

Making it to the Olympics as a high school student (or recent graduate) is exceedingly rare in modern track and field. Dwayne Evans made the team in 200 in 1976, shortly after graduating from Arizona’s South Mountain High School. The same year, Johnny "Lam" Jones, a legend from Lampassas High (Texas) made it in the 100 meters and won a gold medal in the 4x100 relay.

No high school male has competed in the Olympic Games in a U.S. uniform since then.

Sisters Sherri and Denean Howard of Kennedy High (Los Angeles) went 1-2 in the 400 meters at the 1980 Olympic Trials, but that year’s U.S. team didn’t get compete in Moscow, Russia because of a boycott. Denean was just 15 at the time, coming out of her sophomore year. (She would go on to make three more Olympic teams).

Before Title IX became law in the 1970s it was common for teenagers to make the U.S. women’s Olympic team. But the advent of college scholarships, plus professional opportunities, has made it exceedingly difficult for a high school athlete to make the team ever again.

However, the very best prep athletes do make it into the Trials on occasion, soaking up the experience of being one step away from their dream. The starts lists usually include 24-32 athletes per event.

Here is a closer look at where some of this year’s top high school athletes stand. Some of these athletes may choose not to do the Trials for scheduling reasons. The U.S. Junior Championships, which is the qualifying meet for World Juniors (and a trip to Barcelona) is just days before the Trials start at Eugene, Oregon's Hayward Field.

Olympic Trials Qualifying Standards

2012 US High School Leaders

BOYS
Marvin Bracy, Boone (Florida): A report in Monday’s Orlando Sentinel stated that there is hope that Bracy will be able to be at full strength for the Golden South Invitational on May 26. Bracy, who has a wind-legal best of 10.25 seconds (and 10.05 wind-aided), won the Florida state title in the 100 over the weekend, but had to pull out of the 200 with a slight hamstring strain. If he can get back to his best, Bracy should make the cut-off for the Trials. He would be a longshot to make the finals there.

Aldrich Bailey, Timberview (Texas): Based on the sizzling 45.19 he ran a little over a week ago, Bailey is a shoo-in to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 400 meters. And if he can bring the time down even further, as he has suggested that he will, he could have a realistic chance of advancing beyond the first round. Arman Hall (Florida) and Najee Glass (N.J.) could potentially make it into the Trials, too, but both of them would need to PR and dip below 46 seconds.

Sean Keller, Heritage (Vancouver, Wash.): With the US #2 all-time throw of 244-1 at the end of April, Keller moved into the top 10 nationally (including pros and collegians). His place in the Trials is probably secure, but if he chooses to throw at the U.S Junior Championships the preceding week he may not have a rested arm.

Jacob Blankenship (Ohio), Shawn Barber (Texas), Reese Watson (Texas): During the indoor season, there was a lot of momentum happening for the top boys pole vaulters. But outdoors, not one of them has made 17 feet since April 1. And time is running out. The standard to make the Trials is 18-0.50, which none of them has made yet. However, Barber is eligible to compete for Canada and will likely compete in that nation's trials.

Devin Field (Texas) and Jarrion Lawson (Texas): Field was not allowed to compete this spring in varsity events for DeSoto because of the UIL’s residency issues, but his goal for the spring was 26 feet in the long jump. If he can get close to that number, he could make the Trials field (it takes 25-7 to qualify). Lawson, of Liberty-Eylau, has a wind-aided best of 25-10.75. If he can go big at the Texas state championships (without the wind), then he has a chance of making the cut.

Tyler Sorenson (California): The record-breaking junior racewalker earned a spot in the 20-kilometer even last year as a 17-year-old, making him one of the youngest Trials qualifiers ever for this event.

GIRLS

Haley Crouser, Gresham (Ore.): Only a high school junior, Crouser joined her older brother Sam and cousin Ryan as a national record holder this spring when she threw her javelin 181-2. She is a lock to make it into the Trials (along with Sam and Ryan), but she would need a huge PR in order to make it to London. (The Olympic A standard is 200-1). She has a realistic chance to finish in the top five at the Trials. Avione Allgood (Nev.) has been hoping all spring that her surgically repaired shoulder heals in time to throw at the Trials. She threw 176-8 for fourth at the U.S. Championships last year and competed at the Pan Am Games last fall.

Shelbi Vaughan, Legacy (Mansfield, Texas): She is consistently in the 180s with her discus and hit a best of 191-6 for a new U.S. high school record. That puts her squarely inside the top 10 nationally. On a good day, she could even make the finals at the Olympic Trials. But in 2008, the three who made the U.S. team all threw farther than 205 feet.

Gabrielle Williams, Reed (Sparks, Nev.): Still a little shy of the Trials standard (6-0.50), the U.S. leader has cleared six feet once and has a little more time to make an improvement that could put her into the field. It’s a lot to ask of a high school sophomore.

Shayla Sanders, Boyd H. Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.): She has been the dominant high school sprinter this spring in the 100 (11.33) and 200 (23.25), but these are extremely competitive events in the U.S. What will it take for her lineup against the likes of Carmelita Jeter or Allyson Felix? Sanders has met the qualifying standard for the 100, but if a bunch of women run fast at the NCAA championships, it could bump her down the list. If she can improve her time by even a few hundredths, she’d have a good chance of making the field. In 2008, it took 23.12 to make the field in the 200, so that might be out of reach.

Robin Reynolds, Jackson (Miami): The US leader in the 400 (52.19) has the B standard for the Trials, but that’s not a guarantee of making the cut. In 2008, 52.58 was the last accepted entry (out of 27 in the field). Reynolds’ best time would have made the field (22nd). Reynolds also has a long jump best of 20-6.25, about eight inches short of the Trials qualifying mark.

Ajee Wilson, Neptune (N.J.), Mary Cain, Bronxville (N.Y.) and Amy Weissenbach, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.): These are three of the all-time best prep 800-meter runners and all three of them have credentials that could put them into the Trials. In 2008, the slowest woman in the field made it in with 2:04.90. This is becoming a deeper even in the U.S., so it could take something a little faster this time. Wilson ran 2:02.64 last July and has a best so far this spring of 2:05.28. Cain, who is only a sophomore, is coming on strong and has a best of 2:05.90, but split 2:03.7 on a relay last year. She is also very close to the Trials B standard in the 1,500 (4:17.00). Weissenbach, the California state champion, has a PR of 2:02.04, although she has not run a fast one yet this spring.

Trinity Wilson, St. Mary’s College (Calif.), Dior Hall, George Washington (Colo.), Traci Hicks, Long Beach Poly (Calif.): In 2008, Jacqueline Coward (Tenn.) was a prep elite who made the field, qualifying with her best time of 13.20. At the Trials, she ran 13.69 and was last in her prelim, demonstrating how massive the leap is to this level of competition. Wilson ran 13.41 on April 7, but also suffered a hairline fracture of her big toe and hasn’t competed since. If she can return in time to compete in the California state meet, and get back to her PR of 13.15, she could land in the Trials. Hall, a sophomore, is the indoor national champion and has a PR of 13.18 from last year. Hicks has a wind-aided best of 13.22 and could also be on the bubble for a berth. (In 2008, it took 13.24 to make it into the meet).

Brianna Nerud, North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.): The senior has run a couple of 3,000-meter steeplechase races in order to see if she can make the Trials B standard of 10:15, but has a best so far of 10:24.95. It would take a startling improvement in order to make the field. In 2008, it took 10:09 to make it and this year will probably take something a few seconds faster.

Cayla Hatton, Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.): She ran an eye-popping 10,000 meters time of 33:17.28 at a low-key college meet – second-fastest in U.S. high school history. At the time, it seemed like she might be a lock for the Trials. Now, it appears that time won’t make the cut. In 2008, 33:24.10 secured the last spot in the field. This time around, it is much more competitive thanks to a couple of fast races this spring at Stanford (April 6 and 27). Twenty-nine women broke 33 minutes in those two races.

Kendell Williams, Kell (Marietta, Ga.): Has she gotten well-rounded enough to score 5,600 points in the heptathlon? That’s what it takes to make it into the Trials (at a minimum), and last year as a sophomore Williams was an age-group record-breaker with 5,170. Williams can compete with the best in the hurdles, high jump and long jump. She was reportedly working on her throws with the Throw1Deep Club in Georgia and that was a smart move. If her shot put and javelin are consistently superior to where they were a year ago, 5,600 is within her range.

MEET INDEX

PHILADELPHIA – When Tyrone Walker decided to go for broke in the Championship of America 4x800 with 300 meters left there may have been 49,000 people at Franklin Field who thought the move came too early.

The people that mattered most -- Walker’s three Westfield teammates and his coach – all trusted that he was doing the right thing.

“I wasn’t worried,” Westfield coach Kelly Deegan said. “I have confidence in him. If he thinks that’s the time to go then that’s OK.”

Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) ran US#1 7:39.73 and more importantly won the race on Saturday during the primetime session of the Penn Relays. Max Chambers (1:57.6), Jeff Edmondson (1:56.4), Nathan Kiley (1:51.3) and Walker (1:54.4) couldn’t afford one bad step against Kingston College of Jamaica, which finished second in 7:40.52.

Westfield ran the top time in qualifying on Friday but ran nine seconds better in the final.

The first big moment came in the final 200 of the third leg, when Kiley flew by two Jamaican runners to give Westfield its first lead. Kiley’s 1:51.3 split was the fastest in the race.

He turned the baton over to Walker but Kingston’s Sanj Powell quickly moved the front. Walker tucked in behind and waited for his cue.

“That’s my plan every time I run,” Walker said. “Always take it at 300. I try to keep a constant pace for the first 400 so I can have enough for the kick. There was nothing that told me (to go), it just where I knew I wanted to kick.”

The new question became: Who had more to give, Walker or Powell? As Walker drove for home, Powell drew even and tried to go around him. The two kept moving at the same speed and Walker wasn’t about to give up his precious lead.

“I was sort of praying in my head ‘Please don’t let him catch me,’” Walker said. “I would have dove across the finish line if it’s what I had to do to keep the lead.”

It was a six-second improvement for Westfield, which placed fifth at New Balance Nationals Indoor in March.

The team is already looking ahead to New Balance Outdoors with the idea of contending for the national title in June.

“I don’t think we ever had it close in our dreams to win this honestly,” Kiley said. “With the crowd here, a lot of them were rooting for Jamaica and a lot were cheering for the U.S. There was not only race competition, it (felt) like representing our country.”

The Jamaican crowd still had lots to cheer about, even though the U.S. professionals won all six of their matchups with Jamaica.

In the boys 4x400 Championship of America, Carribean schools swept the top six places, led by Munro College of Jamaica (3:11.91). Lodge of Barbados was third, the only non-Jamaican team. U.S. entrants Gardena Serra (Calif.) and Trenton Central (N.J.) were both disqualified.

Earlier, in the 4x100, Wolmer’s Boys (Jamaica) went 40.34 and led a 1-2-3 sweep for the island nation. The huge Jamaican presence in the stadium included prime minister Portia Simpson Miller, who sat in the grandstand and also took part in a ceremony on the Franklin Field infield.

Jamaica’s high school excellence extended to the field events, too. Clive Pullen of Jamaica College won the long jump with 24-3, edging Anthony Averett of Woodbury (N.J.), who went 24-0.25. Christoff Bryan of Wolmer’s won the high jump with a clearance at 6-11.50.

The U.S. got victories from Michael Jensen of Appoquinimink (Middletown, Del.), who went 16-4.75 and PR’d by more than a foot.

And in the triple jump, Anaquan Peterson of Lakeland (Suffolk, Va.) took the title with a wind-aided mark of 50 feet even.

Eric Futch, one of Pennsylvania's top high school athletes, also had a big day. In the morning, he won the 400 hurdles in a US#1 time of 51.77. And later, he split 48.5 to help Penn Wood win the Philadelphia Area boys 4x400 title.

PENN RELAYS INDEX | RESULTS

PHILADELPHIA – There isn’t another high school in the U.S. that travels 2,400 miles for a “home” meet, but then again, there isn’t another Long Beach Poly.

At the Penn Relays, Poly doesn’t just represent a school on the Pacific Coast. It stands up for the entire country, plays the role of America’s last best hope against the otherworldly fast Jamaicans.

For the second year in a row, the Long Beach Poly girls rose up and beat the best of Jamaica in the 4x100 relay, this time coming from behind on sophomore Ariana Washington’s stirring anchor leg.

“I did what I was trained to do,” said Washington, who took the baton in third or fourth and then flew beneath a roaring wall of noise down the home straightaway to victory in 46.35. “I’m trained to get the baton and go and that’s what I did. I had no thoughts. I knew there was a lot of pressure and I couldn’t let my team down.”

It takes a meet with the enduring stature of Penn Relays to provide the intersection for Long Beach Poly and the Jamaican teams like Vere Tech, which has won here 15 times, or St. Jago, which has won four, or Holmwood Tech (3) or Edwin Allen (2).

Incidentally, Kingston is closer to Philadelphia than Long Beach – by about 900 miles. In a meet that loves to bill its “USA vs. The World” program, it often starts informally with the Jamaicans vs. Poly and the appreciative crowd has come to expect great moments to arise from the competition.

“The feeling you get when people respect you like that, it’s awesome. You can’t put it into words,” said longtime coach Don Norford, architect of the Long Beach Poly dynasty.

Carrying the burden of trying to defend the title, with three newcomers to the lineup, Poly ran the fastest time in qualifying on Thursday. And then in the final, the quartet quickly fell behind on the lead-off. There was a risk of getting buried at that point.

“I was really scared,” said Traci Hicks, making her third appearance in the 4x100 championship. “Diamond (Thomas) and I had a bad hand-off (between legs 2 and 3). I was really worried. But when Ariana got, I felt confident. She doesn’t like to lose.”

Washington erased any mistakes with a scorching anchor.

“It was probably the fastest 100 of my whole life,” she said.

Washington was an alternate for Poly last year. Next year, she will try to help her school win it again. The anticipation of 2013 began before Friday’s celebration died down.

“Just like this year, next year’s team is already ready,” Norford said. “It’s the way we coach them. We know what to do here, what to tell them, and what not to tell them, so they’re physically and spiritually prepared.”

Cheserek too much for CBA

In the highly anticipated distance medley showdown between St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) and Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.), there was a changing of the guard.

CBA , the reigning champ, built a 10-second gap on St. Benedict’s entering the 1,600-meter anchor legs. But senior George Kelly played the first lap too conservatively and Edward Cheserek caught up with a fast 57.

Then Cheserek settled on Kelly’s shoulder for two laps and patiently waited for the 300-to-go mark, where he flew into the lead and began to sprint for home. Kelly had saved something, but not enough to respond to the Foot Locker champion and 4:02 miler.

Cheserek split 4:06.2 to Kelly’s 4:17.6.

“I was thinking stay with the leader all the way,” he said. “I wanted to take off with 300 meter to go.”

Cheserek anticipated that he might need to make up as much as eight seconds after he got the stick.

“When the announced said (my first lap was) 57, I knew that’s too fast for me,” he said. “I slowed down.”

St. Benedict’s plan was to keep CBA within eyesight on the first three legs.

CBA’s Tim Gorman gained a three-second lead on Darien Edwards (3:06.2 to 3:09.2), the 400s were essentially a tie (48.7 for StB, 49.0 for CBA), and CBA padded seven more seconds onto the lead with Clark Mangini’s 1:56.2 for the 800 leg.

Against Cheserek, 10 seconds wasn’t enough cushion.

In the boys mile, Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland (Ona, W.V.) appeared to be coasting toward victory with 400 meters to go but his 15-meter lead wasn’t safe. Craig Engels of Ronald Reagan (Pfafftown, N.C.) closed the gap on Burcham and then pulled out a narrow victory in 4:09.42 to 4:09.49.

Both Burcham and Engels had participated in their schools’ 4x800 relays eight hours earlier.

To kill some of the time, Engels went to a hotel near Franklin Field that he wasn’t staying at and took a nap in its lobby.

Not only did Engels take down the pre-race favorite, he also outkicked most of the kickers in a race that included 800-meter standouts Ben Malone of Pascack Valley (N.J.), Drew Magaha of Upper Moreland (Pa.) and Zevon Watkins of Liverpool (N.Y.), plus Ahmed Bile of Annandale (Va).

“With 400 to go I was working on cutting down (Burcham’s) lead,” Engels said. “I knew I had some speed and I tried to give everything I had in the last 100. It’s the biggest deal race I’ve ever won. Those guys are better than me. I just got lucky. Burcham would probably win any other day.”

In the 3,000 meters, Thomas Madden of Skyline (Front Royal, Va.) demonstrated his fitness with a fine time of 8:25.54, winning by almost five seconds. In a race supposedly lacking a big-gun talent, 12 runners broke 8:40. Madden, a junior, was 18^th in last year’s race.

In the girls 4x800, Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) fell off the hot pace of Edwin Allen (Clarendon, Jamaica) and was seven seconds back half way through.

Edwin Allen cruised to the title in 8:52.97, anchored by Marleena Eubanks’ 2:09.3. F-M, which won the DMR last year, was second in 9:04.22, roughly the same time it ran in qualifying. Holmwood Tech of Jamaica was eight seconds further back, taking third.

F-M anchor Katie Brislin split 2:12.7.

“I was looking up and looking at (Eubanks) trying to catch up the best I could,” Brislin said. “We wanted to go faster than we did in qualifiers, but we did the best we could.”

Heather Martin led off in 2:18.5, Katie Sischo ran 2:15.8 and Jillian Fanning ran 2:17.2.

“Last year our relay won the DMR and if we’d done that we could have been one of the top contenders,” Brislin said. “We wanted to challenge ourselves in the 4x8 and even though we didn’t win it was a good experience.”

Jamaican schools went 1-2-3 in the girls 4x400 relay, led by winner Edwin Allen (3:42.06). Junipero Serra (Calif.) was fourth in 3:46.43 and Wakefield (N.C.) finished fifth in 3:51.88.

US#1 for Mattis in discus

Breezy conditions may have had something to do with slowing runners down a bit, but it didn’t seem to have an adverse effect at the throwing venue near Franklin Field.

Sam Mattis of East Brunswick (N.J.) hurled a PR 211-11 for his first Penn Relays crown and a new US#1 for 2012.

“I don’t think the wind really helped anyone today,” he said. “It wasn’t particularly wind on that (big) throw.”

Mattis had finished second in the discus in 2010 and 2011.

“Winning here is incredible,” he said. “I don’t know how to describe it.”

Billy Stanley of South Park, Pa. unleashed a meet record throw of 223-3 to win the javelin competition by 22 feet. (The meet record was for the “new” javelin implement that went into use in 2002). It was also a huge personal best for Stanley, who threw 208-8 as a sophomore.

Braheme Days of Bridgetown (N.J.) won the shot put with a mark of 68-8.50, building on what was already a five-year win streak for New Jersey in the event (including the last four by Nick Vena).

PENN RELAYS INDEX | THURSDAY RESULTS

PHILADELPHIA – Haley Pierce and Mary Cain continued to cement their status as legends at the historic Penn Relays on Thursday at Franklin Field.

During an electric evening of racing for some of the country’s premier girls distance runners, Pierce and her Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) teammates smashed the Penn Relays record in the distance medley relay by more than five seconds, clocking 11 minutes, 28.86. That’s No. 3 all-time, trailing only the times Harvard-Westake (Calif.) and Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) posted at last year’s New Balance Nationals.

Pierce, who anchored the victory with a 4:42.8 split, had made the difficult decision to push her chips in with her teammates rather than try to duplicate her stunning 3,000-meter victory over Aisling Cuffe last year.

She had no regrets.

“It was kind of a hard choice at first,” Pierce said. “I thought I could really go after the 3,000, but the more I thought about it, the relay had such strong competition this year and we had three or four girls in position to run that (and win). It wasn’t that hard to decide once I thought about it. I’m really happy.”

North Shore (N.Y.) threw down the gantlet early, with Brianna Nerud gapping the field quickly and turning a scintillating opening leg of 3:26.7 for the 1,200 – and Penn Relays record split. Only four women in the college DMR championship race ran faster than Nerud did on the lead-off leg.

When she handed off the baton, Nerud had her team up by nine seconds.

But Tatnall’s Reagan Anderson ran a solid 3:35.7, and then Lindsey Voltz made up four seconds with a 57.8 split on the 400. Then, on the 800-meter leg, Julie Williams stalked North Shore’s Elizabeth Caldwell and ran 2:12.5, a whopping five seconds faster than her PR.

Williams put the baton in Pierce’s hand a half step behind North Shore’s Samantha Nadel. It was a perfect spot to be. North Shore’s lead and confidence were evaporated. Pierce remained tucked comfortably behind Nadel for a lap and then couldn’t resist going around her and pulling away.

“It was a perfect setup,” Pierce said. “At first I wanted to stay relaxed and just kick (at the end), but I felt good and I didn’t want to regret staying behind just because.”

North Shore finished second in 10:39.29.

A kick to ‘mess with’

As Tatnall celebrated its victory, Cain, the sensational sophomore from Bronxville, N.Y. dropped a devastating last-lap 62.5 to tear away from all contenders in a loaded girls mile. She finished in 4:39.28, breaking the meet record and moving to No. 7 on the all-time list. It is the fastest full mile ever for a sophomore, although Jordan Hasay ran a 1,600 that converts to 4:39.13 in 2007.

Cain bolted off the starting line and led the first lap but then two-time defending champ Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center (Homer City, Pa.) refused to yield and surged to the lead.

“Angel was amazing,” Cain said. “She was an angel to me. I wanted to go out and lead it, but she was going with me that whole time. She took the lead on the second lap and had it in the third. But with 600 (left) I was like ‘No, I want this so bad.’”

Cain ramped up her speed and sailed away from Piccirillo and everyone else.

“I got a kick to mess with,” Cain said. “That last 400, (I thought) just kill it.”

Piccirillo was second in 4:47.49 – running faster than she did in her wins in 2010 and 2011. Samantha George of Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.) was third in 4:48.11 and Ajee Wilson of Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) was fourth in 4:52.89.

Lake Braddock 1-3 in 3K

Right after Cain’s heroics, Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock (Burke, Pa.) ran a lifetime best 9:37.86 to win the 3,000 meters. And perhaps more surprising was that her sophomore teammate, Hannah Christen, was right behind her, finishing third in 9:42.97.

It was a seven-second PR for Chase, a junior, and a breakthrough 17-second PR for Christen.

“I’m so proud of her,” Chase said of Christen. “It was great experience for us to be able to do it together.”

Tori Gerlach of Pennridge (Perkasie, Pa.) nosed ahead of Christen for second, with 9:42.92.

LB Poly, Wakefield vs. Jamaicans

The bulk of the day’s action on the track was devoted to 4x100s and 4x400s, events that Jamaican schools have used to stamp their collective identity on the Penn Relays.

But a couple of U.S. sprints powers also were formidable during Thursday’s qualifying action. Long Beach Poly, the 2011 Penn champion, turned the fastest 4x100 relay of the day, clocking 46.39 seconds. Edwin Allen (Jamaica) ran 46.45 and Wakefield (N.C.) was third-fastest with 47.17.

Of the eight teams qualifying for the championship final, five hail from Jamaica, three from the U.S.
In the 4x400, Wakefield got a 54.7 anchor split from Ariah Graham and put together a US#6 time of 3:46.64. That was the second-fastest time of the day, trailing Jamaica power Holmwood Tech’s 3:45.58. The championship final will feature four U.S. teams and four Jamaican teams.

The split of the day belonged to Shaunae Miller of St. Augustine’s (Bahamas), who ran a blistering second leg of 51.7 for her team.

In the 4x800 relay, Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) clocked a US#1 9:04.21 to set up a championship showdown with Jamaica’s Edwin Allen, which led qualifying by winning its heat in 8:58.51.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Alexis Franklin of Old Mill (Millersville, Md.) won the first high school championship of the day by running US#1 59.05 seconds.

In the field events, there seemed to be a Pennsylvania vs. Jamaica theme. The home state collected three victories and Jamaicans four.

Rachel Fatherly of Williamsport, Pa. won the shot put with 47-5, Christine Streisel of Tamaqua, Pa. won the javelin with 154-11 and Larisa Debich of Hempfield Area, Pa. won the pole vault by clearing 12-5.50.

Meanwhile, Chanice Porter of Manchester won the long jump at 19-5.50, Shardia Lawrence of Vere Tech won the triple jump with 40-8.25, Danniel Thomas of Edwin Allen led a 1-5 Jamaican sweep in the discus with 167-4 and Kimberly Williamson of Edwin Allen leapt 6-0 to win the high jump.

PENN RELAYS INDEX



Everything about the Penn Relays is huge – from the crowd, the numbers of athletes, to the tradition. The 118^th Penn Relays features 33 hours of competition and an average of one race every five minutes.

Here is a closer look at 10 of the top high school storylines this week at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field.

1. The Boys Distance Medley Relay: This has the makings of a classic, with two sensational New Jersey teams going at it. Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.), the consummate team (2011 NXN champion), led by senior George Kelly, is trying to become the first U.S. repeat champion since Bishop Loughlin’s four-year run from 1949-52. Meanwhile, St. Benedict’s has Foot Locker champion Edward Cheserek on the anchor leg, a prospect that throws CBA’s title defense into serious doubt. St. Benedict’s won the New Balance National Indoor title, with Cheserek going 4:07.4 on the anchor. A third New Jersey team, Piscataway, could be a factor with Tim Ball on the anchor leg.
2. The Girls Mile: On the face of it, Olympic Trials hopefuls Ajee Wilson of Nepture, N.J. and Mary Cain of Bronxvile, N.Y., are the headliners. They faced one another in the 800 meters at New Balance Nationals Indoor, with Wilson taking the title. Wilson ran 2:05.28 for 800 meters last week at Princeton. Cain is the sophomore class record holder in the indoor 1,500 and is coming in off a 2:05.90 800 meters at the New York Relays. But the homestate girl, Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center, cannot be overlooked. She is a two-time defending champion in this event and will do all she can to defend her turf. This fast lineup also includes Kelsey Margey of Friends Academy (N.Y.), a future teammate of Piccirillo’s.
3. The Boys Mile: This one could be a blockbuster, too. Cabell Midland (Ona, W.V.) standout Jacob Burcham is the top returnee after placing third last year as a sophomore. But this race could have everything to do with closing speed, and Ben Malone of Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, N.J.) and Drew Magaha of Upper Moreland (Willow Grove, Pa.) have shown raw speed. Malone ran 1:49.94 to win the NB Nationals Indoor title. Magaha is the hottest runner in the country right now, coming in off a 1:48.82 last week. How sweet would a win at Penn be for him? Magaha is a University of Pennsylvania recruit and Franklin Field is about to become home. Also, Millrose and U.S. Open champ Zavon Watkins (Liverpool, N.Y.) could be in the mix when the big push begins.
4. Boys 4x800 relay: Can Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) or Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) win another big championship? One of the biggest surprises of New Balance Nationals Indoor was Chariho, which won the 4xMile. B&G, meanwhile, won the 4x800 national indoor title. Challenges will come from Cabell Midland (W.V.), Pennridge (Perkasie, Pa.) and Jamaica’s Holmwood Tech.
5. Girls Distance Medley Relay: Two of the top distance programs in the U.S. go head-to-head with lineups chocked full of Division I talent. The Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) boasts Haley Pierce, the reigning Penn Relays 3,000 champ, and talented junior Reagan Anderson. North Shore counters with the one-two punch of Samantha Nadel, coming back from an injury, and Brianna Nerud.
6. Girls 4x100 relay: Defending champion Long Beach Poly (Calif.) is the only U.S. school to break the Jamaican hold on this event going back to 1982. Poly also won in 1995 and 2003. If there is another U.S. contender, it may be Wakefield (N.C.), which has senior anchor Ariah Graham and owns the US#1 4x200 (1:35.98).
7. Girls 4x800 relay: The reigning DMR champions, Fayetteville-Manlius is pushing its chips into the event it won at New Balance Nationals Indoor. The quartet of Katie Sischo, Jillian Fanning, Heather Martin, and Katie Breslin ran 8:58.18 at the Armory in March.
8. The 4x400s: There are hour upon hour of 4x4s, a spectacle unto itself. The girls from Vere Tech in Jamaica have won the event 10 times but could be pressed by U.S. teams from Wakefield, N.C. and Long Beach Poly (Calif). The boys event could be dominated by Jamaica yet again. Munro College has run 3:12.32 this season already. Calabar won the Jamaican championships with 3:10.19. Boys and Girls (N.Y.) and St. Peter’s (N.J.), featuring Najee Glass, are the top U.S. contenders.
9. Boys 3,000: This event doesn’t have a lot of marquee names, but there is an opportunity here for someone to seize a big moment. Adam Visokay of Albemarle, Va. has run 9:00.06 indoors for two miles and will face competition from Connor Rog (Ct.), Sam Parsons (Del.), Tom Awad (N.Y.) and Eric Holt (N.Y.).
10. Boys Shot Put: For four years in a row, Nick Vena won the boys shot put for New Jersey’s Morristown High School. This year, Vena will vie for his first college title at Penn (against the likes of Ryan Crouser), opening the door to a new high school champ. Braheme Days of Bridgetown, N.J. threw 70-8 indoors, won the national indoor title, and looks like the heir apparent to the Penn title.

When Tom McTaggart was invited to his own induction into the Rockland County, N.Y., Sports Hall of Fame last year, he had to inform the event’s organizers that he couldn’t make it. The date conflicted with the Penn Relays.

This year, the banquet has been moved to Sunday.

McTaggart and three other starters will engage in the weekend’s longest relay at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field (a fifth starter will handle the multi events and Thursday night’s races). There are more than 640 races this weekend at the Penn Relays and each one of them will begin with start commands and the pop of a starter’s pistol.

McTaggart has served as the starter at the Olympic Games (1996), numerous Olympic Trials, and almost every significant domestic track and field event. He works throughout the winter indoor season and then allows himself just two weekends off each spring. He will be the coordinator of the timing crew at the 2012 Olympic Trials in June. Even the handle of his email address is "MrStarter."

He began at Penn Relays – an event he calls “a well-oiled chainsaw” – in 1989.

At Penn Relays, the starters are like traffic cops. When the gun sounds, it’s time to go.

And with McTaggart, and the other veteran members of the starters’ crew, athletes at the Penn Relays are in expert hands.

McTaggart will enter the above-mentioned hall of fame not only for his status as a starter, but also for a long career at Suffern High School, where he taught and coached for 36 years (retiring in 2009). He started his first race in 1970, on a day when the regular starter failed to show up. He became one of the best in the business under the wing of Frank Bailey, the official starter of the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

What makes a great starter?

“Patience, confidence, and knowing what you’re doing,” McTaggart said. “An understanding of what athletes are going through, and an ultimate sense of fairness.”

McTaggart says each races begins with “the palpable moment of stillness,” a poetic description of the 1.5 to two seconds between “Set!” and the shot.

Last year, the starter’s crew kept track of the number of shells that were fired, including recalls: 659. Each starter does five races in a row (keeping one extra shell in case a re-start is required) and then rotates out to join the recall crew and reload.

For the 4x200s, with the enormous stagger, starters crack a .38 caliber gun (shooting blanks) for a louder sound that every competitor can hear above the din of the crowd. For the rest of the events, it’s a .32 caliber starter’s pistol.

The Penn Relays has remarkably few false starts. In 2011, McTaggart said there were only six.

“If a kid wiggles, we stand them up,” he said.

What advice does McTaggart have for this week’s newcomers to Penn? He ponders the question and the coach in him comes back to the surface.

• “On the 4x1s, hopefully you run a good turn, because you are almost running into the next one, so get used to handing off on a turn,” he said.
• “In any other race, run with your elbows wide. If you think you’re out and about to go down, fall before you get to the clock (for a re-start). I used to have my team practice a tuck-and-roll.”
• “The big thing is, don’t be afraid. It’s just another meet. Kids get nervous because of the crowd. Treat it like it’s just another meet.”

DyeStat Elites | Meet's Live Results Page


For the second time in three weeks, a small group of elite preps put up some super marks against collegiate and open competition at Princeton, New Jersey.

Two of them were victorious during Friday night’s Larry Ellis Invite. Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.) senior Cayla Hatton won the fastest of four sections of the 5,000 meters, clocking a US#1 16:14.99 that moved her to #7 all time. In the 800, Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee’ Wilson claimed the fastest section in a US#1 2:05.28. And in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Brianna Nerud placed sixth with a 10:27.61.

Hatton’s performance was the latest in a stunning string of long-distance races since she came back this year from injury. Taking the non-traditional route of competing beyond the high school level, she most recently (three weeks ago) had clocked a 33:17.28 for (a mixed) 10,000 meters at the Tufts Snowflake Invite, history’s #2 prep performance. She earlier had great races in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix prep mile (second to Haley Pierce) and the USATF cross-country championships (Senior race; 13th place).

Though Wilson competes for a major state association public school, she has also raced much of the indoor and outdoor seasons against elites. After ending her junior year last summer with a World Youth title at 800, she battled the pros in three major indoor invites with her greatest success coming at the Millrose Games where her 2:04.13 placed fourth and moved her to #2 all-time. However, she also defended her New Balance Nationals Indoor 800 title. Two weeks ago here at Princeton, in the Sam Howell Invite (also college/open), she ran a then-US#1 4:28.59 for 1,500.

Nerud also raced in the Howell meet two weeks ago as she continues to shoot for the Olympic Trials ‘B’ standard. There, she ran US#1 10:24.95 for fifth place – and history’s #2 prep time – and hoped to improve Friday night. Still, she beat 33 older runners in the race. Nerud also competes a busy schedule for North Shore in individual events and relays, and is coming off a summer where she ran the #2 time ever for the 2K steeple (6:29.56) at the World Youth Champs. This spring, with the current USR-holder Maddie Meyers (her World Youth teammate) still competing, she has the US#1 mark in the shorter race over barriers as well (6:49.30).

The high school 4x800 and distance medley relay acceptances for the 2012 Penn Relays were announced Sunday and fans will notice that one 2011 Penn champ is returning while another is going for a “wheel” in another event.

Both DMR races should be great showdowns. 2011 Penn champs Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) will face St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) in the boys' race. CBA’s distance crew followed up last fall with a Nike Cross Nationals title, and ran US#1 regular-season times in the DMR and 4x800. They came into New Balance Nationals Indoor looking for 4x1 Mile and DMR titles, but after a poor showing in the 4x1M, they scratched the DMR.

St. Benedict’s, on the other hand, won the NBNI DMR with a US#2 time (and also the 1,600 SMR) and they are also defending New Balance Nationals Outdoor champs. They were fifth at Penn last year, but with megastar Edward Cheserek anchoring and he and his crew running better than ever, they will give the defending champs all they can handle.

The girls DMR should come down to 2011 runner-up North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.), with returning anchor Samantha Nadel reportedly on the mend from a late winter injury and leadoff Brianna Nadel running well, and Tatnall (Wilmington, Del.) – US#3 this past winter. Tatnall put their forces, led by Haley Pierce, into the 4x1 Mile at NBNI – winning in history’s #2 mark – and won this event at Penn back in 2009 when Juliet Bottorff was the anchor. Pierce will not defend her 3,000 meters title, of course.

Meanwhile, the Fayetteville-Manlius (Manlius, N.Y.) will not defend their girls DMR crown, but rather go for the 4x800 – the event which they won at NBNI. It will be much tougher for them to win there, however, with Jamaican powers like Edwin Allen and Holmwood Tech possibly gunning for the 8:40 barrier.

With most of their stars graduating, Long Beach Poly’s boys will not defend their 2011 4x800 title, but this past winter’s US#1 and NBNI champion Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) will likely be the favorite.


Boys DMR
ID School
A Christian Brothers (NJ) – Defending champs, 2012 indoor US#1
B St. Benedict's Prep (NJ) – 2012 NBNI, 2011 NBNO champs
C Piscataway (NJ) - 2012 indoor US#3
D Stuyvesant (NY) - 2012 indoor US#5
E Arlington (NY) - 2012 indoor US#7
F Monsignor Farrell (NY) - 2012 indoor US#8
G Colonial Forge (VA) - 2012 indoor US#9
H North Penn (PA)
I Atlee (VA)
J Gilman School (MD)
K Port Jefferson (NY)
L Cardinal O'Hara (PA)
M Union Catholic (NJ)
N St. Anthony's (NY)
O Great Valley (PA)
P Ridgewood (NJ) – 3rd in 2011
Q La Salle College (PA)


Girls DMR
ID School
A North Shore (NY) – 2nd in 2011, 2012 indoor US#2
B Tatnall (DE) - 2012 indoor US#3 (won 4x1 Mile at NBNI)
C Saratoga Springs (NY) - 2012 indoor US#7
D Red Bank Catholic (NJ) – 5th in 2011, 2012 indoor US#8
E Lenape (NJ) - 2012 indoor US#9
F Mount St. Dominic (NJ)
G Sachem East (NY)
H West Morris Mendham (NJ)
I Ridgewood (NJ)
J Bernards (NJ)
K North Hills (PA)
L Pearl River (NY)
M Southern Regional (NJ)
N Warwick Valley (NY)
O Notre Dame (NY)
P Oakton (VA)
** Note: Defending champ Fayetteville-Manlius is running in 4x800


Boys 4x800
ID School
AA Holmwood Tech (JAM)
AB Pearl River (NY)
AC St. Jago (JAM)
AD Souhegan (NH)
AE Churchland High School (VA)
AF Bellefield (JAM)
AG Tatnall (DE)
AH Good Counsel (MD)
AI Lawrenceville School (NJ)
AJ Metuchen (NJ)
AK New Providence (NJ)
AL Georgetown Prep (MD)
AM Penn Hills (PA)
AN Pingry (NJ)
AO Morris Hills (NJ)
AP North Raleigh Christian (NC)
AQ Cranford (NJ)
AR Thomas Jefferson (NY)
AS Holmdel (NJ)
BA Pope John XXIII (NJ) - 2012 indoor US#5
BB Collegiate (NY)
BC Strath Haven (PA)
BD Penncrest (PA)
BE Columbus Academy (OH)
BF Henderson (PA)
BG Red Bank Catholic (NJ)
BH Bronxville (NY)
BI Northern Valley Regional (NJ)
BJ Munro College (JAM)
BK Ramsey (NJ)
BL Germantown Friends (PA)
BM Lafayette (VA)
BN Haddon Township (NJ)
BO Lower Moreland (PA)
BP Wantagh (NY)
BQ Monroe (WI)
BR Largo (MD)
BS Milford (DE)
BT Somers (NY)
CA Boys & Girls (NY) – 2012 indoor US#1, NBNI champs
CB Westfield (VA) – 2012 indoor US#6
CC Pennridge (PA) – 2012 indoor US#7
CD Cabell Midland (WV)
CE St. John the Baptist (NY)
CF Colonie Central (NY)
CG Monroe-Woodbury (NY)
CH Bellport (NY)
CI Cumberland Valley (PA)
CJ Randolph (NJ)
CK Altoona Area (PA)
CL Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
CM North Rockland (NY)
CN Spring-Ford (PA)
CO Chambersburg (PA)
CP Bensalem (PA)
CQ Thomas Edison (VA)
DA Cherokee (NJ) – 2012 indoor US#3
DB Kingston College (JAM)
DC Warwick Valley (NY) – 2012 indoor US#8
DD Chariho (RI) – 2012 indoor US#10 (NBNI 4x1 mile champs)
DE Oakton (VA)
DF Cornwall College (JAM)
DG Mount Tabor (NC)
DH Westfield (NJ)
DI Central Bucks West (PA)
DJ Ronald Reagan (NC)
DK Pleasantville (NJ)
DL State College (PA)
DM Syosset (NY)
DN Bronx Science (NY)
DO Downingtown West (PA)
DP Voorhees (NJ)
DQ Franklin Township (NJ)
DR North Babylon (NY)


Girls 4x800
ID School
AA Holmwood Tech (JAM) – 3rd in 2011
AB Bronxville (NY)
AC Notre Dame Academy (PA)
AD Suffern (NY)
AE Archbishop Spalding (MD)
AF Voorhees (NJ)
AG St. Catherine’s (VA)
AH St. John Villa Academy (NY)
AI Metuchen (NJ)
AJ Germantown Friends (PA)
AK Western Tech (MD)
AL Haddonfield Memorial (NJ)
AM Great Valley (PA)
AN Rumson-Fair Haven (NJ )
AO St. Dominic Academy (NJ)
AP Pottsville Area (PA)
AQ Villa Maria Academy (PA)
BA Strath Haven (PA) – 4th in 2011
BB Holy Names (NY)
BC Spalding (JAM)
BD Henderson (PA)
BE Nanuet (NY)
BF Northern Highlands (NJ)
BG Benjamin Banneker (NY)
BH Morris Hills (NJ)
BI Pope John XXIII (NJ)
BJ Westwood (MA)
BK Friends Academy (NY)
BL Cornwall (NY)
BM Summit (NJ)
BN St. Basil Academy (PA)
BO Ursuline School (NY)
BP T.C. Roberson (NC)
BQ Thomas Stone (MD)
BR Eastport South Manor (NY)
CA Edwin Allen (JAM) – Defending champs
CB Port Richmond (NY)
CC Green Hope (NC)
CD West Springfield (VA)
CE Downingtown East (PA)
CF Garnet Valley (PA)
CG Pennsbury (PA)
CH Central Bucks South (PA)
CI Northwest (MD)
CJ Bethesda-Chevy Chase (MD)
CK Colonie Central (NY)
CL Council Rock North (PA)
CM Colonial Forge (VA)
CN North Penn (PA)
CO Cardinal O'Hara (PA)
CP Shenendehowa (NY)
CQ Hunterdon Central (NJ)
DA Fayetteville-Manlius (NY) – 2012 indoor US#1, NBNI champs
DB Cosby (VA)
DC West Potomac (VA)
DD Columbia (NJ)
DE Lake Braddock (VA)
DF Pennridge (PA)
DG Methacton (PA)
DH St. Anthony's (NY)
DI W.W. Plainsboro North (NJ)
DJ Northport (NY)
DK Massapequa (NY)
DL Washington-Lee (VA)
DM Westwood (NJ)
DN Hereford (MD)
DO Ridge (NJ)
DP Cherokee (NJ)
DQ Monroe-Woodbury (NY)
DR Padua Academy (DE)

Ethan Cochran pumped out an impressive PR at the Arcadia Invitational last weekend but it's hard to argue with No. 4 all-time in the boys hamemer, and that's what Rudy Winkler of Averill Park (N.Y.) achieved last weekend at Princeton's Sam Howell Invitational.

Winkler scored a massive PR of 248-5 and moved into elite company. That's 34 feet farther than he threw last year at New Balance Nationals Outdoors, when he won the national title.

DyeStat Elites | Sam Howell Results | First Howell Invite Blog


PRINCETON, N.J. -- He wasn't mentioned in the official scoring, but Averill Park (Averill Park, N.Y.) junior Rudy Winkler was yet another prep who had a killer performance against collegians and open athletes at the Sam Howell Invite this past Friday and Saturday.

Though his foes were throwing the collegiate/Olympic 16-lb. implement, Winkler was permitted to throw the 12-lb. prep hammer in this competition. He responded with a massive US#1 248-5 on his third throw, rocketing him all the way up to #4 on the all-time prep list. He trails only USR-holder Conor McCullough, Walter Henning, and Jake Freeman -- previous US record-setters, all.

Winkler's series began with a foul, then 242-0, 248-5, foul, 245-8, 245-1.

This past winter, Winkler won the New Balance Nationals Indoor weight throw with a US#1 80-11. Last year as a soph, he represented Team USA at the World Youth Champs (he placed ninth) and won NBN Outdoor, recording a best of 224-4.

The Penn Relays has released its high school entry lists for this month's meet in Philadelphia (April 26-28), and the girls mile field is shaping up as a good one.

Joining defending champion Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center (Pa.) are the top two finishers from the New Balance Nationals Indoor 800: Ajee Wilson of Neptune (N.J.) and Mary Cain of Bronxville (N.Y.).

The boys mile field also is a good one, with Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland (W.V.) going up against Craig Engels of Ronald Reagan (N.C.), Ben Malone of Pascack Valley (N.J.), Zavon Watkins of Liverpool (N.Y.) and Ahmed Bile of Annandale (Va.).

A total of 1,047 schools have entries for this year's meet, including 985 from the U.S. The remaining 62 schools come from a variety of locales but it is the strong Jamaican contingent that has made a major impact in recent years at Penn Relays.

HSB Mile Run
ID	Athlete	School
1	Jacob Burcham	Cabell Midland (WV)
2	Craig Engels	Ronald Reagan (NC)
3	Ben Malone	Pascack Valley (NJ)
4	Sean McGorty	Chantilly (VA)
5	Zavon Watkins	Liverpool (NY)
6	Ahmed Bile	Annandale (VA)
7	Christian Delago	Shaker (NY)
8	Everett Price	New Providence (NJ)
9	Jack Huemmler	Strath Haven (PA)
10	Logan Miller	Chantilly (VA)
11	Adam McIe	Brewster (NY)
12	Brendan Robertson	Westborough (MA)
13	Michael McNamee	Oakton (VA)
14	Steven Flynn	Edison (NJ)
15	Drew Magaha	Upper Moreland (PA)
16	Brent Coulter	Landstown (VA)
HSB 3000m
ID	Athlete	School
1	Adam Visokay	Albemarle (VA)
2	Orane Wint	Bellefield (JAM)
3	Sam Parsons	Tatnall (DE)
4	Thomas Awad	Chaminade (NY)
5	Eric Holt	Carmel (NY)
6	Kris Moran	North Babylon (NY)
7	Connor Rog	Fairfield Prep (CT)
8	Kevin Bishop	Monta Vista (CA)
9	Matthew Schwartzer	Princess Anne (VA)
10	Marc Violone	Byram Hills (NY)
11	Mitchell Kun	Sheepshead Bay (NY)
12	Dustin Wilson	Chestnut Hill (PA)
13	Matthew Nelson	Barnegat (NJ)
14	Nick Tuck	Lake Braddock (VA)
15	Harry Warnick	Fairfield Warde (CT)
16	Austin Lane	Greenwich Central (NY)
17	Thomas Madden	Skyline (VA)
18	Jonathon Harper	Phillipsburg (NJ)
19	Paul Gates	W.T. Woodson (VA)
20	Mike Libruk	Shaker (NY)
21	Ronnie Calkins	Douglas Freeman (VA)
22	Christian Costello	Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
23	Sam Hibbs	Hatboro-Horsham (PA)
24	Michael Wegner	Loyola Blakefield (MD)
25	Billy Bragg	Christian Brothers (NJ) (NJ)
HSB 400m Hurdles
ID	Athlete	School
1	Javarn Gallimore	Jamaica College (JAM)
2	Tsegofatso Mathopa	Uitsig (RSA)
3	Eric Futch	Penn Wood (PA)
4	Ronald Levy	St. Elizabeth Technical (JAM)
5	Jermaine Collier	Trenton Central (NJ)
6	Brandon Benjamin	St. Augustine (TRI)
7	George Flaviano	Digital Harbor (MD)
8	Divontte Dennis	Kingston College (JAM)
9	Kyle Robinson	Jamaica College (JAM)
10	Kadesh Roberts	Bay Shore (NY)
11	Jeremiah Obeng-Agyapong	DeWitt Clinton (NY)
12	Orwell Maylor	Wolmer's Boys (JAM)
13	Jermaine Smith	Queens College (BAH)
14	Brandon Gregory	North’n Valley Old Tappan (NJ)
15	Fabian McCausland	Kingston College (JAM)
16	Brandon Hill	Trenton Central (NJ)
17	Dondre Echols	Potomac (MD)
18	Edward Wagner	Xavier (NY)
19	Stefan Fennell	Kingston College (JAM)
20	Evan Johnson	Ewing (NJ)
21	Max Hairston	Wissahickon (PA)
22	Aaron Willett	Coatesville (PA)
23	Todd Townsend	West Catholic (PA)
24	Chris Guerrero	Governor Livingston (NJ)
25	Dario Scantlebury	Queen’s College (BAR)
26	Andre Hewitt	Transit Tech (NY)
27	Marcus Williams	Delsea Regional (NJ)
HSB High Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Christoff Bryan	Wolmer's Boys (JAM)
2	Rashaan Jones	South Lakes (VA)
3	Damar Robinson	Calabar (JAM)
4	Ashani Wright	Jamaica College (JAM)
5	David Hall	Kingston College (JAM)
6	Nick Simmons	J.R. Tucker (VA)
7	Errin Baynes	Wheeling Park (WV)
8	Xaiver Mc Allister	Newburgh Free (NY)
9	Jason Lewis	Wolmer's Boys (JAM)
10	Ibn Short	Milton Hershey (PA)
11	Robert Cardina	Conestoga Valley (PA)
12	Hakiem Horton	Trenton Central (NJ)
13	Kenyon Wright	St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)
14	Xavier McIntosh	Columbia (NJ)
15	derek dawson, Jr.	Ridley (PA)
16	AJ Vance	Egg Harbor Township (NJ)
17	Brandon Roberts	Nansemond River (VA)
18	James Overby	Phoebus (VA)
19	Brian Russell	St. Joseph by the Sea (NY)
20	Dashawn Putman	St. Peter's Prep (NJ)
21	Isaac Williams	Willingboro (NJ)
22	Jalen Ramsey	Norristown (PA)
23	Antwan Dickerson	Pennsauken (NJ)
24	Mark Jackson	Longwood (NY)
25	Andrew Brandt	Marple Newtown (PA)
26	Jordan Carr	Howard (MD)
27	Julian Coiner	Linganore (MD)
HSB Pole Vault
ID	Athlete	School
1	Patrick Anderson	Kane (PA)
2	Ryan Steinbugl	Altoona Area (PA)
3	Chris Williams	Strath Haven (PA)
4	Greg Gallagher	Iona Prep (NY)
5	Tim Murphy	New Fairfield (CT)
6	Austin Vegas	East Forsyth (NC)
7	Jared Allison	Dallastown (PA)
8	Michael Brunoforte	St. Anthony's (NY)
9	Michael Jensen	Appoquinimink (DE)
10	Alexandru Barker	Conrad Weiser (PA)
11	Craig Hunter	Robbinsville (NJ)
12	Xavier Boland	Kingston College (JAM)
13	Dylan Parmly	Fluvanna County (VA )
14	Mike Cyphers	Lebanon (NH)
15	Brandon teribery	Bradford (PA)
16	Corey Smith	Central Bucks West (PA)
17	Sean Daugherty	Lake Braddock (VA)
18	Eric Geider	Northern Valley Regional (NJ)
19	Robert Mercer	Crossland (MD)
20	Skylar Johnson	Point Pleasant (NJ)
21	Logan Besougloff	Langley (VA)
22	Austin Miller	Herndon (VA)
23	Matt Urbano	Iona Prep (NY)
HSB Long Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Clive Pullen	Kingston College (JAM)
2	Tatenda Tsumba	Eaglesvale (ZIM)
3	Keneil Grant	Kingston College (JAM)
4	Alec Peabody	Abington Friends (PA)
5	Cody Minnig	Neshaminy (PA)
6	Anthony Averett	Woodbury (NJ)
7	Gavin Gibson	Jamaica College (JAM)
8	Tyrek Edwards	Archbishop Ryan (PA)
9	Adoree Jackson	Junipero Serra (CA)
10	Nicholas Phynn	Jamaica College (JAM)
11	Christopher Crawford	Western Branch (VA)
12	Jamal Williams	Teaneck (NJ)
13	Richard Gatewood	Roman Catholic (PA)
14	Adam Cummings	Wolmer's Boys (JAM)
15	Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye	Munro College (JAM)
16	Derrick Ingram	Uniondale (NY)
17	Ian Miles	Mount St. Joseph (MD)
18	Michael Francis, Jr	Digital Harbor (MD)
19	Chris Armour	Uniondale (NY)
20	Liam Vogt	St. Joseph by the Sea (NY)
21	Charlie Kerr	Lawrenceville School (NJ)
22	Khiry Twyman	Girard College (PA)
23	Jabari Gray	Queen’s College (BAR)
HSB Triple Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Dume Dube	Christian Brothers (ZIM)
2	Tawanda Washaya	St. Johns (ZIM)
3	Imani Brown	Reading (PA)
4	Fitzroy Dunkley	Jamaica College (JAM)
5	Thomas Johnson	White Plains (NY)
6	Jarred Posey	William Penn (PA)
7	Wellington Zaza	Strath Haven (PA)
8	Carlington Benjamin	Kingston College (JAM)
9	George Freiberger	Westchester CDS (NC)
10	John Landis	Father Judge (PA)
11	Anaquan Peterson	Lakeland (VA)
12	Justin LIttle	Westfield (VA)
13	Owen Smith	Calabar (JAM)
14	Raphael Jordan	Queen’s College (BAR)
15	Chris Rogers	Manchester (VA)
16	Cody Israel	Chaminade (NY)
17	Aaron Worrell	Woodside (VA)
18	Ryan North	Southern Regional (NJ)
19	Demetrius Hazly-Ward	Westlake (MD)
20	Mark Cohen	Cardinal Hayes (NY)
21	Racheed Davis	Ocean Lakes (VA)
22	Jonathan Pitt	South Brunswick (NJ)
HSB Shot Put
ID	Athlete	School
1	Braheme Days Jr.	Bridgeton (NJ)
2	Ashinia Miller	Calabar (JAM)
3	Christopher Staton	Franklin Township (NJ)
4	Kyle Felpel	Cocalico (PA)
5	Emmanuel Onyia	Munro College (JAM)
6	Praduman Singh	Upper Darby (PA)
7	Dontaye Rivera	Pleasantville (NJ)
8	Kofi Yamoah	Egg Harbor Township (NJ)
9	Chadrick Dacosta	Kingston College (JAM)
10	Tevin Kirby	Hatboro-Horsham (PA)
11	Mark Ramsey	John F. Kennedy (NJ)
12	Will Pope	Iona Prep (NY)
13	John Lowery	Boonsboro (MD)
14	Travis Gallardo	Bayonne (NJ)
15	Ian McGinnis	Father Judge (PA)
16	Chris Cook	Lawrenceville School (NJ)
17	Shaquelle Lewis	Jamaica College (JAM)
18	Curtis Fitzpatrick	Egg Harbor Township (NJ)
19	Matt Koh	River Dell Regional (NJ)
20	Nadim Elhage	Winston Churchill (MD)
HSB Discus Throw
ID	Athlete	School
1	Sam Mattis	East Brunswick (NJ)
2	Kyle Long	Hempfield (PA)
3	Fedrick Dacres	Calabar (JAM)
4	Rudy Winkler	Averill Park (NY)
5	Dominik Kosar	St. Joseph Collegiate (NY)
6	Chaz Wilks	Cardinal O'Hara (PA)
7	A.J.Wolf	Hackley School (NY)
8	Ryan Hart	Downingtown East (PA)
9	Jevaughn Shaw	Munro College (JAM)
10	James Plummer	Egg Harbor Township (NJ)
11	Bryan Pearson	Bangor (PA)
12	Julian Pinnix-Odrick	Montclair (NJ)
13	Josh Awotunde	Delsea Regional (NJ)
14	Sam Cherney	Ithaca (NY)
15	Noah White	Jericho (NY)
16	Andrew Trumbetti	Northern Valley Regional (NJ)
17	Cole Stout	Atlee (VA)
18	Evan Arnott	Schuylkill Valley (PA)
19	Jong Min Youn	North’n Valley Old Tappan (NJ)
20	Andrew Romeo	Bangor (PA)
HSB Javelin Throw
ID	Athlete	School
1	Billy Stanley	South Park (PA)
2	Michael S. Shuey	Johnsonburg (PA)
3	Stephen Burk	Parsippany (NJ)
4	David Reinhardt	Bradford (PA)
5	Jonathan Strauss	Lehighton Area (PA)
6	Rajae Gayle	Munro College (JAM)
7	Blake Rankin	Bloomsburg (PA)
8	Chris Mirabelli	Holy Cross (NJ)
9	Bobby Smutsky	Northern (PA)
10	Perry Hopkins	Unionville (PA)
11	Cole Proffitt	Manheim Central (PA)
12	Anthony Seidel	Hasbrouck Heights (NJ)
13	Rolando Reid	Munro College (JAM)
14	Tommy Myers	Coventry (CT)
15	Brandon McCleese	Cherokee (NJ)
16	Madison Miller	Wilson (PA)
17	Harry Sullivan	Ramapo (NJ)
18	Chris Connors	Hasbrouck Heights (NJ)
19	Andrew Scanlan	Spring-Ford (PA)
20	Curtis Thompson	Florence Township (NJ)
21	John Olson	Upper Perkiomen (PA)
HSG Mile Run
ID	Athlete	School
1	Angel Piccirillo	Homer Center (PA)
2	Mary Cain	Bronxville (NY)
3	Alexis Panisse	Benjamin Cardozo (NY)
4	Ajee' Wilson	Neptune (NJ)
5	Kelsey Margey	Friends Academy (NY)
6	Katie Fortner	Cave Spring (VA)
7	Carolyn Bethel	Hidden Valley (VA)
8	Maria Seykora	Notre Dame Academy (PA)
9	Samantha George	Millbrook (NC)
10	Kennedy Weisner	Elk County (PA)
11	Kimberley Ficenec	Mountain View (VA)
12	Audrey Batzel	Ocean Lakes (VA)
13	Jackie Choucair	Hockaday School (TX)
14	Sarah Gillespie	Northwest Catholic (CT)
15	Caroline Alcorta	West Springfield (VA)
16	Sara Sargent	Pennsbury (PA)
17	Cayla Del Piano	South Brunswick (NJ)
HSG 3000m
ID	Athlete	School
1	Sophie Chase	Lake Braddock (VA)
2	Megan Lacy	Cherokee (NJ)
3	Hannah Christen	Lake Braddock (VA)
4	Colette Richter	Mountain Lakes (NJ)
5	Jaimie Phelan	St. Mary’s (ONT)
6	Caroline Kellner	W.W. Plainsboro South (NJ)
7	Amanda Rickert	Wilmington Charter (DE)
8	Meghan McGovern	North Penn (PA)
9	Tori Gerlach	Pennridge (PA)
10	Dina Iacone	Washington Township (NJ)
11	Margaret Drazba	St. Marys (WV)
12	Gianna Frontera	Newburgh Free (NY)
13	Caitlin Bungo	Sewickley (PA)
14	Allie Klimkiewicz	Oakton (VA)
15	Catherine Maloy	Holy Names (NY)
16	Hannah Oneda	Winters Mill (MD)
17	Elizabeth Caldwell	North Shore (NY)
18	Jessica Donohue	North Shore (NY)
19	Eliza Dekker	Durham (NC)
20	Holly Biscof	Bishop Eustace Prep (NJ)
21	Isabel Amend	Washington-Lee (VA)
22	Amy Darlington	Liberty (PA)
23	Kate Zendell	Suffern (NY)
24	Katie Treichel	Saratoga Springs (NY)
25	Nicole Park	Ocean Lakes (VA)
26	Regan Rome	Dallas (PA)
HSG 400m Hurdles
ID	Athlete	School
1	Adriana Brown	St. Elizabeth Technical (JAM)
2	Alexis Franklin	Old Mill (MD)
3	Autumn Franklin	McDonogh School (MD)
4	Jessica Gelibert	Bay Shore (NY)
5	Vamonie Boddie	Phoebus (VA)
6	Kiah Seymour	Archbishop John Carroll (DC)
7	Kernesha Spann	St. Francois Girls (TRI)
8	Jennifer Esposito	Mansfield (MA)
9	Racquel Moses	Milford Mill (MD)
10	Tanaya Yarde	Mount Vernon (NY)
11	Brittney Adams	DeWitt Clinton (NY)
12	Christina Zelenoy	Monroe-Woodbury (NY)
13	Gwen Shaw	Wootton (MD)
14	Stey'ce McNeil	Winslow (NJ)
15	Chistine London	Howard (MD)
16	Taylor McDonald	Nordonia (OH)
17	Alexis Murry	Lackey (MD)
18	Ashley Woodards	Delsea Regional (NJ)
19	Helena Leyrer	Buena Regional (NJ)
19	Alvonna Blakney	West Mecklenburg (NC)
21	Sylvia Deppen	Wootton (MD)
22	Latazah Coleman	Appoquinimink (DE)
23	Kayla Coley	Cheltenham (PA)
24	Chantel Ray	Hampton (VA)
25	Marilyn Allen	W.W. Plainsboro North (NJ)
26	Heather Smith	Great Bridge (VA)
27	Tichina Rhodes	Swenson Arts & Tech (PA)
HSG High Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Kimberly Williamson	Edwin Allen (JAM)
2	Shanice Hall	Wolmer's Girls (JAM)
3	Maddie Morrow	Hoover (OH)
4	Krista-Gay Taylor	Alpha Academy (JAM)
5	Megan McCloskey	Germantown Academy (PA)
6	Hannah Stone	Catoctin (MD)
7	Brianna Hayes	Matoaca (VA)
8	Kyaira Wright Harmon	Franklin Township (NJ)
9	Noel Jancewicz	Robbinsville (NJ)
10	Nakita Gray	Friendly (MD)
11	Taylor Morgan	Upper Dublin (PA)
12	Brionna Singleton	Essex County VoTech (NJ)
13	Megan Kirschling	West Deptford (NJ)
14	Hansen Sashane	Herbert Morrison (JAM)
15	Emily Godwin	Buckhannon-Upshur (WV)
16	Erika Hurd	Manchester Valley (MD)
17	Kelly Clifford	Douglas MacArthur (NY)
18	Cyre Virgo	Fleetwood (PA)
19	Christina Solomon	Bishop McNamara (MD)
20	Elly Wardle	Toms River South (NJ)
HSG Pole Vault
ID	Athlete	School
1	Larisa Debich	Hempfield Area (PA)
2	Chelsea Vaughan	Southern Regional (NJ)
3	Kristen Lee	Wakefield (NC)
4	Hannah Meador	Fluvanna County (VA )
5	Emma King	Oakdale (MD)
6	Virginia LaMacchia	Central Columbia (PA)
7	Kara Snyder	Colonie Central (NY)
8	Felecia Majors	South County (VA)
9	Malena Sabatino	Hillsborough (NJ)
10	Amanda Benninghoff	Council Rock South (PA)
11	Emily Shipley	Hillsborough (NJ)
12	Maddesen Weekes	Shenendehowa (NY)
13	Kennedy Shank	Northern (PA)
14	Rayna Yvars	Green Hope (NC)
15	Grace Giampietro	Villa Maria Academy (PA)
16	Lauren O'Connell	Newtown (CT)
17	Lexi Masterson	Hempfield Area (PA)
18	Maggie Rampolla	Maryvale Prep (MD)
19	Olivia Loy	Cedar Cliff (PA)
20	Lexie Schachne	Staples (CT)
21	Erin Knabe	Voorhees (NJ)
HSG Long Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Sha'Keela Saunders	Nansemond River (VA)
2	Chanice Porter	Manchester (JAM)
3	Danielle Gibson	St. Augustine’s (BAH)
4	Dennisha Frazier	Dunbar (DC)
5	Alexis Faulknor	Junipero Serra (CA)
6	Shamia Lassiter	Western Branch (VA)
7	Traci Hicks	Long Beach Poly (CA)
8	Keturah Orji	Mount Olive (NJ)
9	Opal James	St. Elizabeth Technical (JAM)
10	Jordan Matthews	Abington (PA)
11	Octivia Booker	Hodgson Vo-Tech (DE)
12	Janel Francis	O’Connell Copiague (NY)
13	mobolaji Adeokun	DuVal (MD)
14	Cidae'a Woods	Winslow (NJ)
15	Jessicca Noble	The Queen’s School (JAM)
16	Tatiana Wolfe	Alpha Academy (JAM)
17	Ariana Washington	Long Beach Poly (CA)
18	Danielle Hale	South Lakes (VA)
19	Sara Ronde	Northport (NY)
20	Amani Newsmith	Swenson Arts & Tech (PA)
21	Kimberly Golding	Alpha Academy (JAM)
HSG Triple Jump
ID	Athlete	School
1	Shardia Lawrence	Vere Technical (JAM)
2	Bryanna Grant	Cranford (NJ)
3	Melodee Riley	Riverhead (NY)
4	Molly Shapiro	Emma Willard (NY)
5	Carina Peter	Herndon (VA)
6	Adefunke Sonaike	Montgomery Township (NJ)
7	Antonique Butler	St. Augustine’s (BAH)
8	Anna Williams	Thomas Edison (VA)
9	Mollie Gribbin	South Burlington (VT)
10	Jessica Caldwell	McDonogh School (MD)
11	Tiffany Ellick	Western Branch (VA)
12	Brielyn Rogers	Bishop McNamara (MD)
13	Shenelle Mckay	Alpha Academy (JAM)
14	Iana Amsterdam	Essex County VoTech (NJ)
15	Diamond Hodge	Girls' (PA)
16	Shaya Wilkerson	Lenape (NJ)
17	Shedya Khodeai	Hayfield (VA)
18	Paige Lumley	Richland (PA)
19	Olivia Jebb	Cornwall (NY)
20	Cidni Ford	Wakefield (NC)
21	Sydney Hausman	Brearley (NY)
HSG Shot Put
ID	Athlete	School
1	Theresa Picciallo	Immaculate Heart (NJ)
2	Antonella Taylor	Bowie (MD)
3	Alexus Scott	Eleanor Roosevelt (MD)
4	Rachel Fatherly	Williamsport (PA)
5	Chioma Onyekwere	Robinson (VA)
6	Adaora Nwodili	Longwood (NY)
7	Briyah Brown	New Rochelle (NY)
8	Andrea McKenna	St. John Vianney (NJ)
9	Isabella Stuopis	Souhegan (NH)
10	Urina Harrell	Junipero Serra (CA)
11	Alexis Kennedy	Millville (NJ)
12	Julie Kerber	Lakewood (NJ)
13	Lisbeth Lopez	Randolph (NJ)
14	Carrie Wasdyke	Jefferson Township (NJ)
15	Mariame Fadiga	W.W. Plainsboro South (NJ)
16	Kadijah Doughty	Cape Henlopen (DE)
17	Zakiya Rashid	Nansemond River (VA)
18	Tara Belinsky	Manhasset (NY)
19	Allison Wethey	Bayard Rustin (PA)
20	Taylor Martin	Hackensack (NJ)
21	Sarah Talmadge	Mount St. Dominic (NJ)
HSG Discus Throw
ID	Athlete	School
1	Tara-Sue Barnett	Edwin Allen (JAM)
2	Danniel Thomas	Edwin Allen (JAM)
3	Sasha-Gaye Marston	Edwin Allen (JAM)
4	Fayon Gonzales	St. Jago (JAM)
5	Devene Brown	St. Hugh's (JAM)
6	Jess Woodard	Cherokee (NJ)
7	Gleneve grange	Holmwood Tech (JAM)
8	Tamara Ovejera	Gov. Johnson (MD)
9	Mackenzie Leigh	Buckhannon-Upshur (WV)
10	Venique Harris	St. Andrew Girls (JAM)
11	Ashli Weems	Millville (NJ)
12	Ashleigh Stallings	Maryvale Prep (MD)
13	Jordan Collins	Bayport-Blue Point (NY)
14	Jennifer Slagus	North Pocono (PA)
15	Kylie Siemanowicz	Manchester Township (NJ)
16	Sarah Fairbanks	Elizabethtown Area (PA)
17	Mary Newell	Villa Joseph Marie (PA)
18	Taylor Hojnacki	Central Bucks South (PA)
19	Carter Green	North Schuylkill (PA)
20	Kimberly Alfaro	Toms River South (NJ)
HSG Javelin Throw
ID	Athlete	School
1	Christine Streisel	Tamaqua (PA)
2	Megan Glasmann	Park City (UT)
3	Shaunteriah Douglas	Garfield (NJ)
4	Olivia Hassler	Parkland (PA)
5	Maria Jimmenez	Vineland (NJ)
6	Kelsey Carlsen	Northeast Bradford (PA)
7	Katie Johnston	Haddonfield Memorial (NJ)
8	Sarah Firestone	Mercersburg Academy (PA)
9	Chrissy Rickert	Hempfield (PA)
10	Alejandra Willequer	Cumberland Valley (PA)
11	Jeanne Berry	Delsea Regional (NJ)
12	Ellie Gravitte	Ridgefield (CT)
13	Kelsey Hay	Palmerton (PA)
14	Valarie Orth	Arthur P. Schalick (NJ)
15	Lisa Sesink-Clee	Holy Angels (NJ)
16	Solveig Loeken	Randolph (NJ)
17	Adriana Vukmanic	Bishop McDevitt (PA)
18	Bridget Coffey	North Penn (PA)
19	Kelly Yanucil	Bordentown (NJ)
20	Jessica Helmstetter	Raritan (NJ)

DyeStat Elites | Sam Howell Results


PRINCETON, N.J. -- Three prep distance stars – each already among the all-time prep greats in their specialties – worked on extending their range Friday night (all with some degree of success) against college and open competition at the Sam Howell Invitational.

North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Brianna Nerud is already #2 all-time in the 2,000-meter steeplechase off her performance last summer in the World Youth Champs. Friday, she placed fourth of 16 runners in the 3,000 steeple with a US#1 10:24.95 – also elevating her to #2 all-time in that event. Only Marie Lawrence (10:15.26 in 2006) has run faster. Part of Nerud’s motivation for competing in the event was to get the Olympic Trials ‘B’ standard of 10:15.00, but she was nearly 10 seconds short of that.

St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J) junior Ed Cheserek, the Foot Locker and New Balance Indoor Nationals champ who has already had great success at the track 5,000 meters (and many other events), both indoors and out, decided to take a run at double the distance. He placed seventh of 22 runners in the elite 10,000 with a 29:42.31. That effort makes him #8 all-time among preps.

Cheserek’s effort comes almost a week after another big 10,000 mark on the girls’ side: Cayla Hatton’s 33:17.28 that was second best ever.

Ajee' Wilson, the Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior, has made her mark primarily at 800 meters – where she was the 2011 World Youth Champ and where she ran 2:04.13 this past winter, #2 all-time. But she has also dabbled at 1,500, 1,600 and the mile. Here, she was in the second section of the 1,500 and clocked a US#1 4:28.59 in beating a field of 13. It’s perhaps unfortunate she wasn’t in the fastest section, where 4:18.84 was the winning mark.

POWERADE FAB 50 Presentation Gallery | POWERADE FAB 50 Presentation Video


They had won a national record 315 consecutive dual meets. They had collected a state best 17 New Jersey Meet of Champions titles. They’d been a Northeast power for years and three times previously had made the Nike Cross Nationals Finals, placing as high as sixth – guided by veteran mentor Tom Heath and sharp assistant Chris Bennett.

But in 2011, the Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) boys cross country team reached the top of the mountain. For sustained excellence all fall long, and for their record-low score in taking their first NXN title in December, the Colts earned the 2011 POWERADE FAB 50 national championship. The team was recently presented with their awards at a ceremony at the school’s gymnasium – packed with wildly screaming students, as well as school staff, administrators, families, and local media.

Coming into 2011, CBA had lost their top man from the previous fall – Mike Mazzaccaro – to graduation. But the returning varsity mainstays, bolstered by some seriously improving newcomers, knew they could be even better. “Going back to right after NXN last year, we sat down and we realized we had enough guys that we could come back and really do something special,” said senior George Kelly.

They were the Preseason #1 in the FAB 50 rankings to start and never lost focus, with a perfect season that included victories at the prestigious Eastern States in Manhattan and the Shore Coaches Invite, Group and Meet of Champions titles, and an NXN Northeast triumph that set the stage for Portland.

Although Kelly was the team’s number one man for almost every meet – including a runner-up finish in 15:37 at the Meet of Champs – one of the strengths of the Colts is that several were capable of stepping up for No. 2. For many of the races, it was super soph Mike McClemens, but at NXN Northeast and Finals it was junior Jack Boyle, and at the Shore Coaches Invite, senior Tim Gorman was actually the team leader. Senior Conrad Lippert, junior Billy Bragg, and junior Aaron Libertore also played key roles all season long.

In Portland, with Kelly, Boyle and Gorman finishing within five seconds of each other, they held off the charge by Southlake Carroll to top the podium for the first time. The margin of victory was just four points, so no one knew who won until the announcement of Carroll’s runner-up finish, which led to a celebration on the stage rendered even more memorable by Kelly’s bounding up and down like a pogo stick. There was truly joy in Lincroft.

Kelly, Gorman, and Lippert depart, but returnees like Boyle, McClemens, and Bragg are more than capable of leading CBA to national prominence again next fall – a fact not lost on the Colts’ grizzled mentor.

“Our long range goal is to make sure they (POWERADE FAB 50 award presenters) come back next year,” Coach Heath said to Colt Crazies in the gym, “because we want to be the first (boys) team to win this title two years in a row.”