Non Penn Relays Recaps

Unionville Invitational

One of the breakout performers of the weekend was DT West’s Evan Kaiser. While the Whippets squad has always had a nice stable of distance talent, Kaiser was a bit buried on the depth chart behind the state medalists Sewall and Rollins. But Kaiser announced himself in a big way at this meet with a massive PB of 4:20.91. That was some 8 seconds ahead of his seed time and 5 seconds ahead of 2^nd place. Kaiser has now announced himself as a medal contender in the mile. DT West also had Kevin Long and Joseph Chamoun run well as they were 3-4 in the open 800. Lots of decisions to make for this team down the line as they try to spread their talent through individuals and the 4x8 (where they could be a factor for at least something in the 7:55ish range if not faster).

Josh Lewin was the 3200 champ at this meet, clocking a 9:37.29. As a frosh, he hit the state qualifying time at districts last year and I’d guess he’s looking for much more this time around. This was a very strong win against a nice field (5 sub 10, Sewall of DT West was second). Lewin has been very consistent this year which is impressive considering his youth. Kid runs above his age.

LHU High School Classic

Once again, Lock Haven’s track brought us some brilliant results. The first battle came in the 4x8 where the top 3 teams (all AA schools I believe) cracked the 8:10 barrier. Mifflinburg was first across the line thanks in part to a 1:55.34 (!) anchor carry. I believe that may have been Tyler Bailey (who ran 1:57.03 this year at Lock Haven), a name you will not want to forget as we get deeper into the spring. Mifflinburg also had a 1:58 split on their third leg to help close the gap to the leaders.

Elk County Catholic held solid ground with a 1:59 anchor of their own and Danville, perhaps the most balanced of the teams, was 3^rd across the line with a 2 flat anchor. Mifflin County (a AAA squad) popped an 8:15 time but featured two sub two legs (most likely Seth Phillips and Chayce Macknair).

The aforementioned Macknair was a victor at 1600 as he outdueled Loyalsock’s Quinn Serfass 4:27 to 4:28. Macknair was a state qualifier in this event last year and is fresh off a great XC season that included his first state medal. He’s still got room to drop off that 4:27, but it’s nice to get a win (during a double or triple) against a deep field. Small schooler Ethan Knoebel was also under 4:30 in this race, clocking a 4:29.90 for 4^th.

But ultimately, Tyler Leeser stole the show individually. The Milton senior dropped a 1:54.28 time, rolling to the front early and never looking back.  This is a lifetime best for Leeser, who has great 1600 strength as well (4:16 from last year). He missed time during the fall, but he looks at full strength right now. Leeser vs. Jihad in a fresh 800 at states would be a thrilling individual matchup and I hope we get to see it. It’s probably too early to talk about a meet record (Perretta took that thing down pretty far a few years back), but 1:51 is in play for sure. In second, Seth Phillips of Mifflin County put together an excellent race with a 1:56.70.

The 3200 was loaded with talent as Abington Heights indoor state qualifier Kyle Burke took down the win behind a 64 second final lap. He stopped the clock at 9:28 and set a meet record in the process. As part of a busy day, Chayce Macknair took 2^nd place (9:36) while General McLane’s stand out Nate price was third in 9:38. Burke seems to be really locked in at the longer stuff this year (last year he was more 16-8 I believe) which definitely feels like a smart move. He’s been rolling so far this year and is definitely a medal contender in the 32 outdoors. I think that race has the potential to be pretty wide open behind the obvious big names of Beveridge and Kujdych.

Loyalsock, AA last year for track, had three guys at 9:53 or faster. That core carried them to an awesome team finish in XC at states and those three guys are heating up as we get deeper into the season. Serfass medaled at 3200 last spring and this year, we could see 2 or 3 guys pull that off. The AA race is shaping up to be super deep as Ben Hoffman and Krystof Lapotsky also dipped under 10 minutes at this meet.

Westmoreland

The boys from Greensburg Salem left their stamp on this meet, starting things off with an impressive 4x8 victory at 8:06. They kept busy as Cameron Binda won the 3200 and the 1600 (4:28) and Mark Brown was 2^nd in the 160, 5^th in the 8. Dylan Binda was 4^th in a very tightly contested 800 final. Matt Busche won that for Franklin Region with at time of 2:00.03 while the next three competitors were all less than a second behind. I’m not sure Greensburg Salem will really go after the 4x8 (the individuals seem to make more sense), but they could definitely dip under 8 minutes for a second straight season behind a great core of guys. Cameron Binda seems to be the one to watch for now. He was an indoor medalist and has been rolling so far this spring.

Chris Fry

District 3 continues to give us some hotly contested 3200s. Nathan Grucelski of Conestoga Valley popped off an excellent 9:31 mark to barely defeat Connor Shields of Warwick. This is a big race for both guys as each runner’s best event may end up the 1600 this season, but it’s nice to see them within striking distance of Nate Henderson’s meet record. Shields has done it all from 800 through 3200 this season and is looking very dangerous in the state medal race. Both guys finished 4 seconds ahead of Ian Miller of Manhiem Township who clocked yet another strong long distance race with a 9:35. In total, 9 guys got under 10 minutes.

Manheim Township’s Gavin Mauerer continues to impress in the 800 as he picked up a victory in 1:58.28 over Penn Manor’s David Kramer.

Mars Invitational

Tristan Forsythe, the reigning AA 1600m state champion, returned to the track this weekend and impressed in his first major race of the spring. He ran a 4:20 to outduel Jonah Powell of Grove City. It’s going to be tricky for Forsythe to retain his title as the 1600 field is looking super deep in AA this spring, but Tristan is a proven winner at this point and a 4:20 plus a victory over someone like Powell is encouraging.

By the way, Powell wasn’t done after that 16. He went on to win the 800 with a time of 1:57 to roll through the field. I think this kid has a ton of potential. The speed is there (looks like he also had a 4x4 leg on the gold medal team), he proved the strength is there (3^rd at XC states). He’s got all the tools for a breakthrough. We’ve seen Jake Kildoo and Dan Jaskowak have huge state meets their junior years. I wouldn’t be surprised if Powell joins that list of Grove City alumni.

Also worth noting, home towner Zach Leachman (just a sophomore) was 3^rd in the 16 and 1^st in the 32 with times of 4:27 and 9:59. The sophomore class is loaded this year, so Leachman sometimes gets overlooked. But he was a monster at Footlocker Regionals, a consistent factor on the XC trails and is now quietly ascending on the track.

Jiminy's Week Three Rankings

Week 3 Rankings: 

1. Josh Hoey (Bishop Shanahan/Senior)
2. Rusty Kujdych (Neshaminy/Senior)
3. Noah Beveridge (Butler/Senior)
4. Liam Conway (Owen J. Roberts/Senior)
5. Jonah Hoey (Bishop Shanahan/Sophomore)
6. Tyler Shue (Ephrata/Sophomore)
7. Evan Addison (LaSalle/Senior)
8. Tristan Forsythe (Winchester Thurston/Senior)
9. Colin Ebling (Pottsville/Senior)
10. Tyler Wirth (Wallenpaupack/Junior)
11. Matt Eissler (Pennridge/Junior)
12. Joe Cullen (Wyomissing/Senior)
13. Kamil Jihad (Neumann Goretti/Senior)
14. Morgan Cupp (Mechanicsburg/Senior)
15. Tyler Leeser (Milton/Senior)
16. Isaac Davis (Jersey Shore/Senior)
17. Mitchell Etter (State College/Senior)
18. Seth Ketler (Seneca Valley/Junior)
19. Brenden Miller (Upper Dauphin/Senior)
20. Brian Baker (CB West/Senior)
21. Garrett Baublitz (Juniata/Sophomore)
22. Hudson Delisle (Quakertown/Senior)
23. Jonah Powell (Grove City/Junior)
24. Jacob McKenna (Spring Ford/Senior)
25. Elias Lindgren (Episcopal Academy/Senior)
26. Sam Owori (Seneca Valley/Junior)
27. Ethan Zeh (Radnor/Junior)
28. Jake Claricurzio (CB West/Senior)
29. Tyler Rollins (DT West/Senior)
30. Jack Wisner (Carlisle/Junior)
31. Brett Zatlin (Great Valley/Senior)
32. David Endres (CB East/Junior)
33. Connor Shields (Warwick/Junior)
34. Ian Miller (Manheim Township/Junior)
35. Zack Forney (Ridley/Senior)
36. Jack Baker (Cedar Cliff/Junior)
37. Aidan Sauer (Pennsbury/Senior)
38. Vincent Twomey (LaSalle/Sophomore)
39. Sam Snodgrass (South Fayette/Senior)
40. Alexander Ermold (Governor Mifflin/Junior)
41. Christian Fitch (Fox Chapel/Sophomore)
42. Cameron Binda (Greensburg Salem/Junior)
43. Matt Busche (Franklin Regional/Senior)
44. Alex Morales (Ephrata/Senior)
45. Brett Brady (Butler/Senior)
46. Le’Shawn Huff (New Castle/Senior)
47. Mitchell Forgash (Wyoming Valley West/Senior)
48. Zachary Leachman (Mars/Sophomore)
49. Spencer Smucker (West Chester Henderson/Senior)
50. Dan McGoey (North Allegheny/Sophomore)

Honorable Mention: Matt Maiale, Tyler Bailey, Andrew Healey, Linus Blatz 

Sorry for the delay. Penn Relays will tell us a lot about some of these guys in the top half, good luck to all those competing! As always, please comment to let me know where I went wrong.


-Jiminy Cricket

Penn Relays Relay Preview

4x800m

The qualifying round for the 4x800 is no easy task. Early in the morning on Friday, the relay hopefuls are crammed into the holding pen and then stuffed onto a crowded track with the hopes of someone being ready to run. The first two legs are hyper critical. You cannot get buried in a field this large or you have little to no hope of passing back to the front. Now, I’ve seen it done (the 2010 Henderson team overcame something like 2:05 lead off to get into the final), but if you’ve got a strong #1 or #2 to set the tone (I think Penn Wood or Pennsbury from last year) that could be a big difference maker for a borderline qualifying team.

Here’s a quick history of how PA has done qualifying-wise in recent years:

2017 – Seneca, State College, CB West

2016 – State College, CB West

2015 – Pennsbury, CB West, CB East

2014 – State College, Pennridge

2013 – Cumberland Valley, Bensalem

So 2-3 in any given year, with two being more likely. This year I’m a little nervous about our qualifying chances as I think it’s going to be a deep year and arguably our three best teams are not going to be in the qualifying position. Of course, you can’t always tell who your best teams will be. Seneca, CB East, Pennridge and Cumberland Valley from the list above all qualified after being non-factors in the 4x8 during the indoor season.

Let’s break down all the teams entered and then I’ll make picks on who I think is advancing.

Small School Heat 1

GFS – GFS qualified for indoor states in both the 4x8 and the DMR during the winter with a season best mark at 8:07 in the 4x8. They’ve got a solid squad with a potential stand out in Colin Riley to lead the way. I’m think Riley may be the lead off leg which could be a nice move that helps catapult this team into a sleeper position. That being said, GFS was just short of a pair of medals at the indoor state meet and will need a big season best to qualify for the Championship of America. The x-factor for this squad should be rising standout Alexander Blaylock. They will need him and Riley to dip under two minutes to factor into the front of this field.

Ephrata – The Purple People Eaters may be PA’s best chance to make the finals. It seems crazy considering they are not a traditional power, but Ephrata proved indoors they were game for a challenge. This squad took 3^rd at indoor states and has been rolling in every meet since. Tyler Shue, who in recent history has been the lead off leg, should get them out of traffic early and then it will be up to the rest of the relay to hold serve. Morales’s recent development (he’s at 1:57.0 in the open now) is very encouraging. That could provide a big lift as no one outside of Shue was under 2 on their state medaling squad. They’ll need all four legs to click to ensure a spot in the state finals, but I believe in these guys.

Bishop Shanahan – The wild card of the whole Relays is Shanahan. They’ve got the pieces to rocket off an unreal time. Start with the Hoey brothers who just last week clocked 1:48 and 1:54 respectively. Logan Yoquinto, if healthy, is another leg well under 2 minutes. Even past him Jon McGrory and Keaton Penney could be pieces that keep the team on sub 8 minute pace. However, Josh Hoey has the mile later in the night and he may opt to go fresh for that event which would mean he’s out on the 4x8. That move wouldn’t surprise me much. Now keep in mind Shanahan was a 10:27 DMR team without Josh (5^th at indoor states) so they can still be really competitive without him, but there’s a world of difference between a 1:51 guy and a 2 flat guy in a race like this.

Overall, if they could have gotten into the DMR, I think they probably would have preferred their chances in that event, but since they have to settle for the 4x8 I’m not positive we will see a stacked squad. Maybe they save up forces for a 4x4 with both Hoeys and Zink?

If it feels like I’m asking more questions than providing answers that’s because I just have no idea what to expect out of this squad.

Small School Heat 2

Owen J Roberts – One of the breakout teams from the 2017 XC season is now turning their attention to the 4x8. This group barely snuck into the state field with a time just a few seconds under 8:10. Like Bishop Shanahan, OJR has a decision to make with their 4x8. State champ Liam Conway could be a huge x-factor for them, having run 1:53 during the indoor season and 1:55 during outdoors. But he’s got the mile later (another event where he just won a state championship) and the senior has a chance to use his kick to spring an upset on a massive stage. To do so, he’d need every piece of energy he has.

My gut says that Conway will roll in the 4x8 and then try to double back for the mile. That could make this team a sleeper, but we will need to see what the #3 and #4 legs look like. Kyle Malmstrom could be a sub 2 piece, but beyond that they have a pack of guys from whom they will need at least one guy to step up. They have to make sure they get the stick around to Conway (assuming he anchors) in a position where he has a fighting chance or his speed will be neutralized running through a crowded pack.

Large Schools Heat 1

LaSalle – LaSalle really impressed me during their indoor campaign when they medaled at the state 4x8 without their best runner in Evan Addison. They may have to continue to excel without him as Addison is entered in the mile later in the day just like Hoey and Conway. Unsurprisingly, LaSalle is very deep and consistent across their line-up. They will have no week legs whether Addison is involved or not. They can even unleash guys like Twomey in this event, who indoors I believe they saved for the DMR (but am not positive). They’ve got so many options that I think they will be dangerous. However, I’m not sure they have the star power to pop off a low 7:50s time when their best to date is only around 8:02. If Addison runs, that statement may come back to haunt me.

CB East – I really like this team’s chances of posting a great time. Marc Motter has returned to the fray and, given his PRs, could be a 1:57ish leg on the right day (he was at 1:57 at this meet a year ago). CB East also has a star in David Endres who has clocked a 1:54 already in 2018. Throw those two legs together and the last two guys just need to hold serve. East has been on this stage before and they even pulled out a somewhat unexpected qualifying performance in 2015 behind Jake Brophy. They may be able to do it again. I think the key will be putting Endres in a spot to maximize his abilities. If he’s on the 2^nd or 3^rd leg, I think he could pop off something impressive that’s in line with his individual bests and that would be huge for East’s qualifying hopes.

CR South – I’d say CR South is the biggest wild card of this whole group. During the indoor season they took 4^th in the state with a 7:58. They put together an order that makes a lot of sense for the Penn Relays with their two fastest legs in the first two positions. I think Collin Ochs is a star waiting for a chance to breakout and could split something like 1:54ish on leg #2 to put them in contention. Ochs and Andrew Zawodniak ran in the prelims last year so they’ve got experience (Zawodniak delivered a solid lead off performance as well). That being said, I haven’t seen much from this team during the outdoor season to inspire me to pick them to make the finals. I think they will be good, but they need to be great to get to the COA.

Large Schools Heat 2

Pennsbury – On paper, Pennsbury is probably our best shot at the COA. They almost made it last year with a similar team, helped by an incredible 1-2 punch from Jed Scratchard and Aidan Sauer. Those guys split 1:56 and 1:54 last year as Pennsbury ran 7:50.23 (how the heck did that not make the finals?!). Sauer and Scratchard are back alongside Javier Linares (1:57 already in 2018 with great quarter speed) and the team looked ready to roll with a DMR victory at the CB West relays. However, Pennsbury pulled out of the relays at indoor states because of an injury to Jed Scratchard which could be a cause for concern here. They were the #1 team in the state before that injury so, if healthy (he looked it in recent meets), they will be a force. But that’s potentially a big if.

Ultimately, I think Ephrata and Pennsbury make the finals in the 4x8. Bishop Shanahan obviously could be a factor if they are at 100%, but my gut says they won’t be. I also think it’s very possible we end with no qualifiers. I’m doubting you Pennsylvania! Come through and prove me wrong!

Side note: I thought Mount Lebanon was entered in this event, but didn’t see them on this latest round of entries so I left them out of the preview. If someone could shine some light on that, I’d be curious. That’s a very balanced team that I would pick to dip under 8 minutes in this one.

DMR

A year ago, PA entered the DMR Championships with hopes of recapturing the wheel. We had awesome squads from Carlisle, GFS and CRN in the mix but ultimately, we were denied. Now a new crop of PA teams will hit the line. However, unlike our top teams from a year ago, this will be more of a long shot group. Let’s breakdown our squads and see who can make noise.

CB West – One of the biggest surprises to me was CB West opting for the DMR over the 4x8. The indoor state champs have qualified for the Championship of America in that event each of the past three seasons and this year’s team would have likely been in the mix to do it again. They are fresh off a 7:53 performance in that same event at their home relays. This makes me think West is confident in their potential in this longer event and perhaps we are going to see a breakout anchor performance from Brian Baker. He split a 4:19 at the indoor state championships in the DMR on the double from the 4x8. With fresher legs, he could maybe take things down closer to 4:15.

The key for West will be their 1200 leg. I’m not sure who it’s going to be (maybe they throw me for a loop and put in Baker) as their best 800 guys seem to be more speed specialized like Claricurzio and Fehrman. West will need to put themselves in a good spot in early in a crowded field at the Penn Relays and that means their 1200 guy needs to come to play. If they get a good leg their (something under 3:10 would be excellent), then they will factor in to the top 5-6 teams in a really deep field.

Spring Ford – This spunky squad has risen to the moment on the big stage at each of the past two state championships. The Rams came within 1.5 seconds of shocking the field in the DMR at indoor states with a 10:23.11 time. They haven’t slowed down in recent weeks as Jacob McKenna continues to show excellent strength in the longer distances like the 3200. I’ve also liked what I’ve seen from Milan Sharma. The middle legs for Spring Ford made the difference indoors and they will rely on them again during the spring. Again, the 1200 leg will be meaningful. Senior leader Zach Smith should be in charge there.

Seneca Valley – On paper, this our best team. That’s not exactly a bold statement considering these guys are the state champions in the DMR. They ran a 10:21 during indoors and I’d wager they can improve a couple seconds on the anchor alone for Penn Relays. Seth Ketler has looked excellent over the past two seasons and just clocked a 1:56.24 victory at 800. I’d guess Sam Owori will be the key to SV’s success. He ran an awesome 3:07 indoors and handed off in first place to set the stage for a victory. Historically, if you can post a 3:07 type lead off time at Penn, that’s a really strong leg that gets you at or near the front. Also watch for Alex Dixon on the 800. He clocked a 1:57 split indoors which was the fastest time of any DMR.

Back with the Recaps

Sorry about last week friends, I was out of the office in Boston and didn’t have enough time to throw together recaps for all the meets. I may put up what I had drafted out later this week underneath this post if people want to see it (although it’s somewhat old news at this stage). Anyway, enjoy these more recent recaps …

CB West Relays

It’s amazing to think that neither of the two 4x8 powers from this race will contest that same relay at the Penn Relays. Pennridge dropped a 7:50.16 to outlast the defending state championships from CB West, who ran 7:53.32. Pennridge hung right with their inter-conference rivals and had two huge splits on the back end of 1:56.7 and 1:54.3. I would assume Matt Eissler brought things home and used his superstar speed to outlast a balanced CB West attack (1:57 for each of their last three legs). LaSalle had a pretty nice showing with a time of 8:02. I’d be interested to know if they ran this with or without Addison as that could change their Penn Relays odds. They had a 1:58.1 anchor carry.

All that being said, Pennridge’s big win sets the stage for an epic state championship battle. Once again this program is peaking at the right time and is ready to get that coveted 4x8 outdoor gold that they’ve been knocking on the door of in recent years. They’ve moved into the favorite position for now, but I’m not ready to count out CB West, Pennsbury or Ephrata. Hoping this relay stays this competitive and fun.

Speaking of Pennsbury, they knocked off CB West to win the DMR with a time of 10:38 to West’s 10:49. The key legs ran 3:15 and 4:29 for Pennsbury. I’m interested to know who was the 1200 leg for West (3:11) as that seems to be the biggest question mark in mind as we look ahead to their DMR chances at Penn Relays.

CB East is a team to keep an eye on. They won the 4x1600 in a time of 18:27, holding on against a late charging LaSalle squad that was anchored in 4:23.

Shippensburg

AA

Garrett Baublitz is back and as good as ever. The Juniata sophomore rolled to a 10 second victory in the 1600 with a time of 4:23.41. In the process he defeated a red hot Ethan Knoebel who edged out Zach Kohler for the silver. Any doubts about Baublitz’s health after his end to the indoor season should be silenced at this point. At this stage, Baublitz may be the one to beat in this event even if Forsythe, Cullen and Leeser all return ahead of him. He’s trending that well.

Andrew Stanley kept pace with some hot 3200s this weekend, taking the 8 lap title in 9:43. XC stand out Logan Horst of Lancaster Mennonite was 2^nd and Ethan Knoebel was 3^rd, both under 10 minutes. Stanley also won the 2,000 steeplechase in a mark of 6:18.

Danville threw their name on the list of 4x8 contenders, winning that relay (8:16) and the 4x4 on the future home of the state championships. Both victories came by impressive margins.

AAA

The Ephrata boys are looking impressive, just in time for the Penn Relays. After a 7:59 run last week, they came to Shippensburg and won another 4x8 title. Then Tyler Shue stepped up for gold in the open 8 at 1:55.17. However perhaps the bigger development was Alex Morales clocking a 1:57.05 in the open. They will need someone to couple with Shue if they are going to compete alongside the great D1 programs. Morales is stepping into that role perfectly.

In a battle of XC super stars, Morgan Cupp and Tyler Wirth went toe to toe in the 3200. Cupp came out on top as he continues to be superb this outdoor season. He ran 9:34 to beat out Wirth’s 9:37. I really feel like Cupp has a chance to run something quick at states in a month. I’m not sure he is on the Beveridge-Rusty level, but he’s got sub 9:10 in site in my eyes. I like Wirth’s day as well. A 9:37-1:56 double is pretty impressive for two off events. I’m excited to see him get in a mile and chase something fast. Can he get to Conway’s level before the season is over?

Jack Wisner ended up winning the 1600 at this meet by a nose over Connor Shields. Wisner had a really strong XC season despite the fact that he lost his core training group. This program knows how to produce champions and Jack has been speedy since his freshman year. No one expected Isaac Kole to be state champion in the 1600 last year, but he started his quest with a win at this meet. How will Wisner do? That comparison, of course, may be unfair pressure for the junior, but he’s got a chance to make waves this season with his combination of strength and speed. Shields also has great speed. We haven’t heard the last of him in the state medalist talks.

The breakout star of this meet, however, was Mitchell Forgash of Wyoming Valley West. The senior popped off a 50.57 and then a 1:56.10 for 4^th and 2^nd in the two events. That 1:56.10 is a big PR after his 1:58 last year and Forgash goes from off the radar to state medal contender in a blink. That 4-8 double is really, really hard (although Collin Ebling is making that look like a weak statement) and Forgash still excelled in the 8. At the big meets, I think he will have to choose between events if he wants to reach his full potential, but for now Forgash is making a well-deserved name for himself.

State College quietly runs 8:12 in the 4x8 for second. I think their absurd streak of low 7:40s type marks is over, but this team may be able to make a run at sub 8 before all is said and done. You can’t count out this program.

Hermitage Invite

Defending WPIAL 1600 meter champ Le’Shawn Huff continued his winning ways with a 4:25 victory over Nate Price of General McLane (4:26). Jonah Powell won the 3200 in 9:43 after his strong 1600 run at Butler the night before. District 10 is going to get multiple qualifiers out of that 1600 for states I’ve got to imagine (or maybe multiple guys in the 32 depending on where the talent goes). Price and Powell are studs. The jury is still out on whether Huff can repeat in the 1600. The WPIAL mile field is looking a lot deeper this time around. Worth noting, Reynolds ran 8:19 to win the 4x8. I believe they are a AA school for the spring and had a real nice XC season that could carry some momentum.

Butler Invitational

Rusty Kujdych soloed a 9:18 for 3200, but Noah Beveridge may have had the top PA performance this weekend with his 4:12.58 win in the 1600. Beveridge showed some serious wheels during the indoor campaign and mixed it up for a state title in the mile. Now he adds a 4:12 mark to his resume, winning by almost 8 seconds over an impressive field that includes past state qualifiers Jonah Powell and Sam Owori. I am very excited for Beveridge to get in a fast 3200 and I think the Kujdych-Beveridge rematch could be one for the history books. Of course, maybe Beveridge will consider an event change if the 1600 continues to go this well (or a double).

For Powell, this is a big run as well. A 4:20.07 gets him in the top tier of runners and he’s proven he can hang under the bright lights. Jonah was 3^rd at the AA XC State championships this year in a very quick time. He’ll face AAA competition this spring, but I think he’ll be up for the challenge. Josh Lewis, a AA track athlete from North East, clocked a 4:23.59 to insert him among the leaders in that event in his classification. I think his best work will come in the 3200, but that speed is very impressive. The kid has huge talent.

As I alluded to a meet earlier, the WPIAL’s 1600 depth is growing. Brett Brady and Sam Owori are at 4:23 already this year, Cameron Binda medaled indoors and ran 4:25 this meet, Beveridge is a proven force and there’s lots of long distance guys who make look to move down. In the 3200, Sam Snodgrass led all competitors with a 9:30, edging out sophomore Christian Fitch’s 9:31. Binda, Zach Leachman (another youngster) and Dan McGoey (yes, another youngster) all broke 9:40 as well. The 3200 could get awfully crowded meaning the 1600 may be a more worthwhile move for some of these top guys. Only time will tell.

I think Seth Ketler could be the WPIAL’s next big thing. I’d be interested to see him go toe to toe with Beveridge in a 1600. He dropped a 1:56.24 at this meet and knocked off a big time speedster in Matt Busche (1:57.52). It was a deep 800 field, but Ketler handled it well. We will see the junior try to continue his hot streak at the Penn Relays on anchor duties for the DMR.

I’m still waiting on the WPIAL 4x8s being unleashed. Seneca Valley obviously looks impressive, Greensburg Salem needs one more piece (but will likely lean individuals), Butler is sneaky good, Indiana Area has some rising stars and you can never count out North Allegheny. Plus, the team that may end up better than all of them who I’ll touch on further down the post.

Butler was the winner at this meet with an 8:11.88 to edge out Indiana Area.

Blue Jay Invite

Manheim Township showed flashes of some serious 4x8 potential with Gavin Maurer and Timothy Antonacci running 1:58.93 and 2:00.95 in the open. Plus the team added a 3:25 victory in the 4x4. They have Evan Dorenkamp (hasn’t raced in a while) and Ian Miller (more of a long distance guy) on the roster as well and could potentially get into the 7:55 range sooner rather than later. They were state qualifiers last year in that event. Speaking of Miller, he won the 3200 in a time of 9:45, setting a meet record.

ASD

Collin Ebling is approaching superstar type stuff. I can’t stress enough how difficult the 4-8 double is, but Ebling is cruising through it like it’s a cake walk. After posting blazing times in both events last weekend, he decided to take it up another notch with marks of 49.62 and 1:55.98 for double gold (comfortably) at ASD. Ebling’s Pottsville team was also the 4x4 champs in 3:33. Keep in mind Collin was a state qualifier at 1600 last year so the kid has monster range.

With Hoey looking more and more like a collegiate and Conway’s double attempt uncertain (what will OJR’s 4x8 do to Liam’s schedule?) is Ebling suddenly the favorite for state gold in the 800?

Leonard Stephan

The AA 4x800 state championship race may have had a preview this weekend with Wyomissing going head to head with Schuylkill Valley. I’ve been impressed by the way SV has handled their business to date and they delivered with an 8:09. However, the XC state championships had another gear as they dropped an 8:05.06 for the win. Wyomissing’s Ben Kuhn was the winner in the 3200 (9:54) and Matt Driben was the runner-up in the 1600 (4:33 behind Nate Grucelski’s 4:30) while the Valley’s Ben Reisenweaver was the 800 individual champ.

Mount Lebanon Invitational

The Mount Lebanon 4x8 core may be the deepest we’ve seen. They had three guys on their indoor squad who were at 2 flat or under and I don’t think that counted sophomore Patrick Anderson (who ran the open mile). Well now Anderson’s 2:00.01 victory in the open 8 over a great 1-2 punch of Sam Snodgrass and Silas Mays makes him a factor on the relay. They are scheduled to compete at Penn Relays and need to be on your sleeper radar if they can handle the pressure on the big stage. This Patrick Anderson is a star.

Lock Haven

This may have been the best meet of the weekend – certainly relative to expectations. At a smaller meet, some of the lesser known schools had their chance to shine. AA stand out Brenden Miller rolled to a big win in the 2k Steeplechase, clocking 6:07 for the victory and a sizable meet record. He topped Sam Williams who was a 9:12 3200 guy at his best.

As Miller was making his presence felt, Isaac Davis was countering. His Jersey Shore team clocked an 8:14 to win the 4x8 over fellow district 4 squad Warrior Run. Jersey Shore had two sub 2 800 legs and ended up making a pass on the anchor to take gold. Davis was also the gold medal winner in the 1600, taking the title with a 4:28 to outlast Quinn Serfass of Loyalsock, a familiar foe, by 4 seconds.

But the moment of the meet came when Davis and Miller went head to head in the 3200. Davis led through the first 800, but Miller came right back to press the pace. Over the final 800, Davis found another gear and pulled away with an impressive 9:24 to knock off Miller’s 9:29. Davis competes in AAA for track (unless something’s changed) so we won’t see these two head to head at states, but Isaac Davis is making a compelling case for inclusion in the top tier of 3200 guys. His XC season was in the same league as the big names and his dominant performance at Hershey last fall was jaw dropping. Don’t sleep on this kid just because he isn’t from a power district.

By the way, a grand total of 9 different guys broke the 10 minute barrier in this meet’s 3200 including Penns Valley freshman Colton Sands (9:43!) who will compete in AA this spring. Also in the AA ranks were Quinn Serfass (9:43), Carter Kauffman (9:49) and Serfass’s teammates Ryan Sullivan and Alejandro Quintana (9:56-9:57).

And if that wasn’t enough to get you excited, Tyler Leeser told everyone he was back. The Milton senior rolled to a 1:55.48 victory in the 800, pulling away on the second lap after Griffin Sites of Towanda set off at a blazing pace to start things off (56.1). Tyler Bailey of Mifflinburg had a heck of a day with a 1:57.03. I think he may be in the AA field this spring which would make him an instant medal contender. Micah Worth of Jersey Shore, a sophomore, may have been one of the sub 2 splits on their 4x8. I think this kid could have a big result the next time he gets in a fast race after getting a taste of things at this meet. Keep an eye out for him in future results.

Hoka One One Warrior Invite

Yes, I made my Ches-mont friends scroll all the way down the page for this one (probably 95% of the readership at this point), but it was the last tab I opened so I apologize for that.

Liam Conway doesn’t seem to have lost a step after his indoor campaign. The senior clocked a 1:55.56 to roll to the gold medal in the open 800 over 2 seconds ahead of his next closest competitor. Conway heads to the Penn Relays next weekend for the individual mile, but he also may be racing the 4x8. OJR got into the field with a sub 8:10 time and could be a sleeper to do some damage with a superstar type anchor (if he doesn’t save up for the individual event). Kyle Malmstrom was 5^th in the open 8, posting a time of 2:00.71. That time came from Heat 5 out of 6, where Malmstrom was 1^st place overall. That’s a pretty nice one-two punch.

Of course the biggest performance from this school came in the 3200. Linus Blatz, a solid contributor during XC, turned himself into a household name this weekend. Blatz dropped a 9:35.91 in the 3200 to win against a strong field that included Tyler Rollins (9:36), Payton Sewall (9:37) and Noah Dusseau (9:38). Rollins was 3^rd at indoor states for the 3k and Sewall was an XC state medalist, both for DT West. Blatz enters an elite crew as OJR continues to surprise me.

An out of stater won the 1600, but Elias Lindgren led the PA contingent well. The independent leaguer dropped a 4:23 for 2^nd overall and the only top 5 spot. Haverford’s Aidan Tomov was next for the Keystone with DT West’s Evan Kaiser and Isaac Valderrabano breaking under 4:30 as well.

Jiminy's Week Two Rankings

Week 2 Update

1. Josh Hoey (Bishop Shanahan/Senior)
2. Rusty Kujdych (Neshaminy/Senior)
3. Liam Conway (Owen J. Roberts/Senior)
4. Noah Beveridge (Butler/Senior)
5. Evan Addison (LaSalle/Senior)
6. Tristan Forsythe (Winchester Thurston/Senior)
7. Tyler Shue (Ephrata/Sophomore)
8. Joe Cullen (Wyomissing/Senior)
9. Tyler Wirth (Wallenpaupack/Junior)
10. Kamil Jihad (Neumann Goretti/Senior)
11. Colin Ebling (Pottsville/Senior)
12. Morgan Cupp (Mechanicsburg/Senior)
13. Jonah Hoey (Bishop Shanahan/Sophomore)
14. Mitchell Etter (State College/Senior)
15. Brian Baker (CB West/Senior)
16. Matt Eissler (Pennridge/Junior)
17. Tyler Rollins (DT West/Senior)
18. Spencer Smucker (WC Henderson/Senior)
19. Jake Claricurzio (CB West/Senior)
20. Hudson Delisle (Quakertown/Senior)
21. Aidan Sauer (Pennsbury/Senior)
22. Brenden Miller (Upper Dauphin/Senior)
23. Seth Ketler (Seneca Valley/Junior)
24. Brett Zatlin (Great Valley/Senior)
25. Garrett Baublitz (Juniata/Sophomore)
26. David Endres (CB East/Junior)
27. Ian Miller (Manheim Township/Junior)
28. Jacob McKenna (Spring Ford/Senior)
29. Ethan Zeh (Radnor/Junior)
30. Zack Forney (Ridley/Senior)
31. Sam Owori (Seneca Valley/Junior)
32. Will Merhige (Haverford School/Senior)
33. Jack Baker (Cedar Cliff/Junior)
34. Alexander Ermold (Governor Mifflin/Junior)
35. Isaac Davis (Jersey Shore/Senior)
36. Elias Lindgren (Episcopal Academy/Senior)
37. Andrew Healey (Holy Cross/Sophomore)
38. Jarnail Dhillon (Upper Darby/Senior)
39. Dan McGoey (North Allegheny/Sophomore)
40. Jed Scratchard (Pennsbury/Senior)
41. Avery Lederer (Penncrest/Senior)
42. Le’Shawn Huff (New Castle/Senior)
43. Talus Gaymore (Penn Wood/Senior)
44. Cameron Binda (Greensburg Salem/Junior)
45. Sam Snodgrass (South Fayette/Senior)
46. Matt Maiale (Wissahickon/Senior)
47. Frank Brown (Radnor/Sophomore)
48. Max Steffey (Pittsburgh Central Catholic/Junior)
49. Matt Busche (Franklin Regional/Senior)
50. Collin Ochs (CR South/Junior)

Honorable Mention: Vincent Twomey, Jack Zardecki, Connor Shields, Brett Brady


Quick Notes:
-I tried to reward those who have gone out and run fast so far this season.
-However, I kept proven guys like Delisle and Smucker high up, even if they've lost to some other guys early on.
-Rough cutoffs: 1:58/4:28/9:45. Interested to see how these numbers move. 
-I'm a fan of those who run multiple events, which hurts the guys who focus on just one event.
-I feel like I'm lowballing the pure 3200 guys and maybe overrating the 800 guys. 


-Jiminy Cricket

College Freshman (2010-2011): Part II

Best “The 11” Story

Unionville’s Champions

In 2009, Unionville had a sneaky good XC team. They were real contenders out of District One and ended up posting two state medalists in Matt Fischer and Glenn Burkhardt (TRD fans may notice those names look familiar). At the time, Fischer was a better known name than Burkhardt, but neither were considered truly elite until the time track season finished up. Fischer battled injuries for a good portion of his senior year, but when it clicked, I’d say he was happy with the results. He clocked one of the biggest jaw-droppers in state history-a 9:03.01 3200. But we talked about that in last year’s post. Let’s take a look at Glenn.

Now Glenn had the chance to follow in Matt’s footsteps and was one of the prime contenders for the XC state title out of District One behind the top returner in Chris Campbell. But an injury kept him out of action for all of XC and indoor track. You kind of forgot about him as so many other things started to happen in the distance running universe. But when Glenn finally came back, he was legit from day one. He absolutely dominated the District One Championships, grabbing a second straight gold (look up how many guys have won back to back D1 3200s sometime) and then he knocked off Zach Hebda in Shippensburg keeping the golds in the family at Unionville. The school was responsible for three different state champions in the spring’s longest distance between 2006 and 2011 (see Paul Springer). That’s a pretty remarkable stretch that would have made for a cool story.

CB South DMR

This is another fun story. In 2010, Tom Mallon graduated and officially ended the “Tom Mallon” era at CB South (thank you captain obvious). But that didn’t mean his legacy was over. The CB South boys had picked up a few things from Mallon (and they have a pretty good coach as well) so they were ready to attack the season. Austin Gregor became a state medalist and the team’s 800 core excelled (they grabbed another 4x8 state medal for the trophy case). But I think the coolest story is their DMR.

Now the DMR had some skills the prior year (state medalists, impressive in the TFCAofGP), but Mallon was largely credited with their success. In 2011, they proved that this was a complete team effort. At the Meet of Champs, South stacked a DMR and managed a 10:50.30 mark. They had been hoping for more as that time wasn’t quite under the state qualifying guideline. As fate would have it, the PTFCA decided to expand the field to 13 teams, giving CB South a chance to compete in a race they otherwise would not have been able to. As the #11 seed, South overachieved, taking 5^th overall and posting a time of 10:32.05. They were just 4 seconds out of the gold medal position, despite the fact that their two best legs were on the double. Shortly thereafter, at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York they lowered their time to 10:31.03 which may have been just enough to sneak into the Penn Relays field. They were the last squad accepted into the 19 team field.

After a 7:53.78 4x800m performance at the CB West Relays, South had to feel confident. But could they knock off the great that had run history making times at indoor nationals? Let alone the other top PA squads? Don’t worry, of course I’m going to tell you.

Joey Waddington set the tone with a brilliant 1200 leg. He clocked a time of 3:07.53 and put CBS in a crowded front pack. No other PA squad was within 8 seconds of the team at that point. I’ve said it before, but Waddington has to be one of the best pure 1200 guys we’ve seen. He was legit in other events (low 4:20s in the mile, 1:56ish in the 800), but in the 12 the guy was a natural from day one. After Joey, the middle legs were manned by Ryan Hynes and Ryan Dickson. The Ryans combined for 51.11 and 1:58.06. While neither leg was mind-blowing in and out of itself, they came against a bunched and crowded group. Ultimately, when both Ryan’s handed off the baton, South was in 2^nd place and only trailed the NJ super power Christian Brother’s Academy.

In a pack of near four, Austin Gregor got the baton for South. While Gregor had been solid to date, he didn’t have any Millrose appearances or national qualifying marks individually. But he was a strong, tough miler who was ready for a fight. As the other runners failed to hang on the pace, Gregor stayed at the front and even challenged CBA for the lead before the battle finally ended with CBA edging away on the final lap to win 10:13.04 to 10:15.46. CB South ran a massive relay best and one of the best times we had seen within the decade. It was one heck of a performance.

What’s crazy is that many of those same teams ended up competing at the national championships at year end. St. Benedict’s (anchored by Ed Cheserek) went from running 10:22 at Penn down to 9:51 in Greensboro to win the national championship over West Windsor (9:54 from 10:25 at Penn). Also involved were Ridgewood (10:18 to 10:06), Warwick (10:34 to 10:02), Shaker (10:37 to 10:19).

The top PA DMR squad at Nationals ended up being Chesnut Hill Academy (who didn’t even medal at indoor states) who won the slow heat behind a 4:13.24 anchor leg by Dustin Wilson and helped lead CHA to 10^th overall with a 10:15.49. CB South was 11^th in 10:18.41 after racing in the fast heat.

Tommy Gruschow

The Trinity senior was dominant during his final year of high school. As a junior, Gruschow was just 41^st at the state championships in XC making him the #17 returner within his classification. That race was a strong performance for him as well-he had been 21^st the previous week at districts. But as a senior, Gruschow turned it up a notch. After placing 31^st at Carlisle in 16:58, Gruschow won the Cumberland County, District 3 and then the State Championships. He saved his best for last with a 16:30 over the Hershey hills. Tommy was sitting in 4^th place at two miles but timed his kick perfectly and stole the championship over the last stretch to outduel AJ Limongelli by a second.

Despite his gold medal on the trails, Gruschow’s real legendary status came on the track. Tommy was consistently busy over the stretch run of the season. At Mid-Penns, racing against large school competition, Gruschow helped lead his 4x8 to second place in a AA meet record of 7:56.88. Gruschow also took second place in the 1600 with 4:19.66 and 3^rd place in the 3200 at 9:31. Finally, Trinity capped off the meet with a 3:23.89 4x4 that was good enough for another bronze in the trophy case. The AA program scored 51 points in the ultra-competitive Mid Penn.

Then came districts. With Gruschow leading the charge, Trinity was dominate. They won the 4x8 in 8:04.29 and the 4x4 in 3:25 (without Tommy this time) while Gruschow added 3 individual gold medals with wins in the 3200, 1600 and 800.

What would Tommy have for an encore? At states, he opted for the 4x8-16-4x4 triple (he tried to add the 8 but was too tired to pursue all 4). Things started with a blazing 4x800 race. Lewisburg Area, who had run 7:57 in the prelims, pushed the pace with a balanced attach. But Gruschow poured everything he had into his anchor carry. Running about 1:53, he carried Trinity through the line in 2^nd place with one of the best AA relays of all time at 7:51.46 to Lewisburg’s 7:50.66. After that race, Gruschow seemed very tired for his 1600 run. Would he have anything left? Tommy almost toppled to the track mid race before making a late surge and kicking away from future two-time state champ Ryan Smathers with a 4:17.90 for the gold. Trinity then capped off the meet with a 3:24.90 victory in the 4x4, getting some vengeance on Lewisburg by 0.36 seconds.

Fun side note, Gruschow’s running mate on those relays was Derek Pawlush, a very talented 800 runner, while the Lewisburg relays were led by the Olenginski twins. Those three runners ended up all attending Franklin & Marshall, a D3 school in my conference the next year and went on to rewrite the record books in the 4x8 with those three guys leading the charge.

Best Race

I’m going to be honest, I’ve rolled through pretty much every state championship race from this year. My personal favorites were the 4x800m outdoors (Manley runs down Abington), the indoor 800m (Endress on the double) and the AAA 1600m. That last one hasn’t been touched on quite yet, but I’m saving it for the next post because (spoiler alert) it has a pretty significant name at the front of the results.

Biggest “What If”

Injuries

Man, the injuries sucked this year. Endress was banged up and, after a brilliant indoor season, wasn’t quite at full strength for outdoors. Wade still took 4^th and 3^rd in the 16 and 8, but you wonder if he could have pushed Cho (a 1:50 guy) or Magaha (a 4:07 guy) to faster times or even won the race himself and dropped a better mark on his own. Meanwhile, Kyle Moran of Abington was dinged up and, although he ran incredibly clutch in the big moment, it would have been cool to see Moran mixing it up at the front of the open 800 fields the same way he was indoors (and have him and Manley both anchor head to head). Then there’s Mike May from the state champs at CB West. If they had kept him in the fray, could West have made a better push at the state record? Or at least Wissahickon’s old record of 7:36?

The spin off to this would be-what if we saw Connor Manley race fresh head to head against Hong Cho? They raced head to head at districts and Cho dropped a 1:50.92 to Manley’s 1:51.50, but Connor had already anchored West to gold earlier in the day (although he could somewhat coast in that one). Would have been cool to see if those guys could have maybe challenged the 1:50 mark.

Spinning off that, it was pretty windy at the state championship final for 800 meters. Cho “only” ran 1:52 to pick up the win and nobody else was under that. Hong had been running 1:52 with his eyes closed by that point, so you’d have to imagine in better conditions this race could have been a 1:50-1:51 type race with faster performances from a lot of state medalists.

My Personal Best Running Moment

I’m not sure there was any one moment that stands out from my freshman year of college. There were definitely some cool moments, including my first time trial under the lights after a good summer of mileage, but I’m not sure there was a signature highlight. I think the biggest thing for me was the transformation of being a high schooler who didn’t really know much about how training and mileage all worked to taking my training (and my thoughts about training) up to a whole other level. It’s tricky because you have to balance that newfound knowledge with the tendency to obsess about every little thing.

PA’s Fastest Seniors

800m (1:55.00)

1. Hong Cho, Wissahickon 1:50.41

2. Luke Lefebure, Henderson 1:51.08*

3. Connor Manley, CB West 1:51.50

4. Wade Endress, Altoona 1:51.73i

5. Kyle Moran, Abington 1:52.81i

6. Andy Flynn, Cumberland Valley 1:53.36

7. Brandon Krszal, West Allegheny 1:53.65

8. Mato Bekelja, Hershey 1:53.70*

9. Alex Sheltzer, Friend’s Central 1:54.31

10. Nate McClafferty, Conrad Weiser 1:54.65

11. Evan Gomez, Butler 1:54.82

12. Matt McGarvey, CB West 1:54.8h

1600m (4:17.00)

1. Nate McClafferty, Conrad Weiser 4:11.37

2. Wade Endress, Altoona 4:11.87ic

3. Ryan Gil, North Allegheny 4:12.24c

4. Ed Schrom, Central Dauphin 4:14.66

5. Chris Campbell, CR North 4:14.93*

6. Glenn Burkhardt, Unionville 4:16.02c

7. Matt Dallago, Perkiomen Valley 4:16.15

8. Mahdi Koliso, Glen Mills 4:16.23

9. Matthew Groff, Hempfield 4:16.77

10. Logan Mohn, Governor Mifflin 4:16.87

3200m (9:20.00)

1. Ryan Gil, North Allegheny 9:03.87*

2. Glenn Burkhardt, Unionville 9:07.53

3. Zach Hebda, North Hills 9:07.93

4. Jacob Kildoo, Grove City 9:09.41*

5. Reece Ayers, Tunkhannock 9:12.47*

6. Joe Kush, North Hills 9:12.91*

7. Juris Silenkis, North Hills 9:15.11*

8. Ian Barnhill, DT West 9:15.48

9. Paul DeGregorio, Baldwin 9:16.12

10. Tom Trainer, LaSalle 9:16.72*

11. Evan Gomez, Butler 9:17.09

4x800m (7:47.00)

1. Abington 7:37.79

2. CB West 7:38.97 (May, McGarvey, Bee, Manley)

3. CB West 7:41.51 (Metzler, McGarvey, Bee, Manley)

4. LaSalle 7:47.93