by Dylan Jaklitsch
While my fellow writers around the Train Station are busy at school, and working big boy jobs (Train), I sit on a school break, during joyous President’s Week, working diligently on my student teaching lessons and portfolio. And what better way to procrastinate on my student teaching responsibilities than to write about the high school performances at this year’s Millrose Games. Before I get into it, I would just like to let all of you know that I do not know nearly as much as I should about the sprinters in these fields, so hopefully you don’t either!
Starting with the shortest event, the Boys 55m Dash brings in runners from three different states, hopefully to torch the Armory Infield yet again. Several runners from my home state of New York are entered in the race, including NY #2’s (both at 6.43) Kyree Johnson and Desmond Nicholas, NY #7 Quentin Holmes, NY #8 Carlos Hosten, and NY #10 Prince Forson. New York is very well represented by five of the top ten. If you’re reading this, it is likely that my next two runners represent YOUR home state of Pennsylvania. PA #2 Ade Jones-Roundtree of Imhotep Charter comes in with a 6.49 SB, and Jahvel Hemphill represents Bloomsburg with a 6.53 SB, good for PA #4 this season. Finally, we have our top seed in Tajh Gilchrist; the Bowie, Maryland junior enters the meet as the fastest man in Maryland, with a 6.37 season best, currently good for US #11 in the 55m. It seems that Gilchrist is the favorite in this race, but my biases will lead me to crown Kyree Johnson as my favorite to win. Johnson runs for Huntington HS, a school who has held NY #1’s at some point in this season in the 55m, 55mH, 300m, 600m, 4x200m and 4x400m races. Kyree Johnson enters the race with a 34.03 300m PR, and hopefully that little extra endurance Johnson possesses over Gilchrist will carry him to a victory in this race.
Next, we have the PSAL Boys 4x200m Race. This is a race run strictly by New York City schools in the Public School Athletic League. It wouldn’t shock me if you knew as little about these teams as I do, but here is our time to learn about them! While these teams are not quite national elites, it does appear that the race will be extremely close, with each of the first five teams separated by less than two seconds; the teams are ranked 22nd, 26th, 27th, 43rd, 48th, and 61st in NYS. The team who is ranked 61st appears to have much more left in their tank, with a seed time from their first meet of the year. Their anchor leg is none other than Carlos Hosten, of the 55m dash, and perhaps he will have multiple opportunities to show us his speed on the track.
In the Eastern Boys 4x200, several national elites will have the opportunity to showcase their speed. Noah and Josephus Lyles lead the T.C. Williams team from Virginia, hoping to improve on their U.S. #1 time at the Armory. New York remains well represented in this race, with three of the top four teams in the state racing. Newburgh (US #5), South Shore (US #9), and Kyree Johnson and Huntington (US #10) look to compete with T.C. Williams. Not to be outshined, East Orange of New Jersey (NJ #2, US #16) and Uniondale (NY #11, US #38) look to better their season bests.
Moving up to the two lapper, we have the Long Island 4x400, Suburban 4x400, and PSAL 4x400. Since these are largely New York teams racing, I have decided to combine them into one paragraph. In the Long Island 4x400, Huntington is the heavy favorite, with a seed time nearly four seconds ahead of second seeded Hauppauge. However, look for a fast race altogether, as each of the six seeds are under 3:30. Huntington has shown all the signs of a future state champion, with three of their runners running sub-50 quarter splits this season (49.17, 49.80, 48.56). The three teams which follow are all in the 3:24-3:25 realm, but have shown they can run slightly faster. In the Suburban 4x400, we have East Orange (3:20.83) battling with Newburgh Free Academy (3:19.16). While East Orange has shown they have four very strong 400 runners (48.91, 49.97, 50.56, 51.40), and beat NFA head to head in their outing at the Millrose Trials, Newburgh has shown serious depth this season, with 11 different runners taking part in their US #5 4x200, US #4 4x400, and US #1 & US #2 SMR teams! It is a mystery which four runners will toe the line in this race, but you can count on a fast showdown for sure. Finally, the PSAL 4x400 features several elite long sprinters who all run for similarly fast teams. Each team is capable of running between 3:22 and 3:26, and each team has at least one leg below the fifty second mark. South Shore and Boys & Girls are the likely favorites, with Theodore Westcarr (35.44 300m), and Keyshon Toussaint (49.41 split) battling against Shavanes Robinson (49.04 split, 1:20.37 600m) and Shayne Simpson (50.86 split) respectively. Franklin K Lane has a lethal anchor in Denzel Villaman (48.8 open 400 PR, 1:21.42 600m) who can close at any time, and Thomas Jefferson has three balanced runners who have all split under 51 seconds earlier in the season.
As we move up to the 4x800m relay, quite possibly my favorite race, we look into six teams from the most storied section in New York State. This section lays claim to past stars, such as Matt Centrowitz Sr., John Gregorek Sr., and Paul Moser; current studs, such as Thomas Awad and Payton Hazzard; and future stars, such as Michael O’Leary, John Rice, and Conor Lundy. Unfortunately, Lundy’s 4x800 team did not qualify for this race, as their 8:07 4x800 performance was only good for seventh! The six teams in this race are St. Anthony’s (7:59), St. Peter’s (8:02), Archbishop Molloy (8:02), Chaminade (8:04), St. Joseph’s by the Sea (8:04), and Xavier (8:04). While these teams are all bunched together, hovering at or above eight minutes, they have shown by PR’s that they can all break eight minutes if they run the right race. While Chaminade has two runners who have split 1:59 and two who have split 2:00, St. Joseph by the Sea and Xavier have been much less even, with 2:02-2:00-2:07-1:54 for SJS and 2:04-2:00-2:02-1:56 for Xavier. Archbishop Molloy has two runners who have raced exceptionally well, as Kevin Garabito has run a 1:22 600m and a 1:58 relay split, while Michael Reddy has run a 1:56 relay split and a 2:31 1000m. St. Peter’s is fortunate to have three runners very close to the two minute mark, and Dennis Farley has a 1:56 relay split. Finally, St. Anthony’s has been training for longer distance events, but have been able to run faster 800’s as a result. Ryan Kutch has run numerous fast 3200m/2 mile races this season, his fastest being a 9:08 over two miles. Fred Buckholtz ran a 4:21 1600m this season, as well as a 9:19 3200m; it seems that both runners have split under two minutes this season. The third leg varies week to week, from Sean Vierling, who has been stuck at the 2:01-2:02 mark, and 4:19 miler Chris Langer, who ran 2:00.07 last month. Finally, Ryan Dearie, their anchor, has been focused on the mile, specifically the Millrose Mile he will be racing; he has also split 1:56 this season, hopefully prepared to double back.
For my last race, one the PA folks have likely been waiting for, we have the Eastern Boys 4x800. This race includes eight elite teams from four different states, each team looking to further a season best. Newburgh will be racing in all three relay distances at the meet, and may struggle to hold their 8:00 form; however, Abington and State College will be running entirely fresh. These two teams, in my opinion could each push Arlington and West Islip (my favorites to go 1-2) for all 3200m. Abington’s Jake Goode and Cameron Mitchell have both broken 2 minutes this season, running 1:57 and 1:59; Keion Broadhus is not far behind at 2:00. Harpreet Singh and Josh Coleman have each run 2:03, and of the five runners listed here, I think they will all split faster being pushed on the big stage. State College has three elite runners in Anthony Degleris, Nick Feffer, and Alex Milligan. According to eTrain’s 4x800 Relay Archive, Degleris split 1:56.89, Feffer split 1:54.73, and Milligan split a blazing 1:53.86; while these boys have yet to run this fast during the indoor season, I think their first time being pushed in the relay this season will yield excellent results. Glen Allen’s Story, Carrico and Witt look for fast times at other distances to translate to quick fractions in the four lap race; 2:35 1k for Story, 2:36 for Carrico, and a 4:24 mile for Witt. They bring in a 7:59 4x800m SB, where I recorded their splits as 1:59.mid, 2:03.mid, 1:58.high, and 1:57.high. For Ridgewood, 1:55 man Michael Thurston looks to pull his 8:01 squad under 8 for the first time this season. Finally, my three New York teams. Warwick Valley has seven guys who have run 2:03 or faster, but have only had one guy break 2:00. Nick Pacelli hopes to better his 1:55 speed on the big scene, and pull Warwick Valley under eight like they have every year for the last decade (or more). Arlington lost anchor James Asselmeyer to graduation, but they return Reece Ragusa and Eric Sbrollini, who have each split 1:56 this season. Joe Morrison has dropped a big 4:21 1600 PR (8 second PR I believe), and hopes to better his 1:57 PR split. Last, but certainly not least, West Islip HS hopes to better their US #1 time of 7:50.01. I have a strong feeling that the 7:50 barrier will be broken at this meet, and clearly they have the best chance to do it by seed time; however, all four runners ran a personal best split in that race (1:55-1:56-1:57-1:59), making me wonder how much better these guys could truly get.
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