PA Nats Recap

Although PA wasn't the flashiest state at New Balance Nationals this weekend, the state did still throw down a slew of strong marks. 

Perhaps the most impressive event for PA was the 5000m, where Casey Comber led a redemption fueled PA crew across the line, breaking 15 minutes and earning All American status. For Comber this yet another impressive mark on the national scene and he left the meet as arguably the best (but probably 2nd or 3rd) performer of the meet yet again. Comber is a stud and his outdoor season is going to be very compelling. He's next in line with Hibbs and Quinn, a couple state champs, and quite frankly he's better than those guys were. Unfortunately, the 32 is loaded and your guess is as good as mine how that madness is playing out.

Hockenbury had an excellent showing running close to 15 minutes and getting his own AA mark. Gebhart was right with him as well, 3 seconds back in 15:11. Hock heads into outdoors as a dramatic favorite in AA (barring a Molino resurgence) while Gebhart comes in buried down a roster of studs. But don't forget about Geb who ran 9:16 a year ago and was a well fought 4th indoors. 

Kev James continued an excellent season, notching a 4:10.62 split on the anchor 1600m leg of the DMR. Amazingly, that time was barely making up ground on the stacked anchor legs from the other squads. OH still finished as top PA squad in 10:17 and Rob Morro had a gutsy run in the 1200m leg. KJ's split is a PR indoors or out when you convert his Henderson mile and two days later, even in a slightly disappointing finish, his sub 9:20 2 mile marked a PR for the indoor 3k/2 mile. So James is continuing to steadily improve each season and climbing the all time lists. His 2 mile puts him close to or faster than McGoey's 3k at states and that doesn't account for the 4:10 in his legs. KJ probably has favorite status for the outdoor 3200m as of now, but there is a ton of talent in the event, keeping things very exciting.

Sub 9 is in play if the right people go to Henderson for their in season invitational. 

Really nice run by St Joe's Prep in the DMR as john Daly hung tough to blast a second straight 4:15 split. That's impressive and makes him a serious sleeper to do damage outdoors in the event (think Billy Caldwell 2014 type upside, but without quite the raw speed). Prep is going to be an intriguing 4x8 team outdoors. If Fisher returns to the form he showed last year as a sub 2 leg, he and Daly make a solid 1-2 punch. But the x-factors are the young guns for Prep: Green and McClellan. Green won the indoor frosh 400m in 50. while McClellan was clocked around 1:58.0 at nats as just a soph. It's not outrageous at all to think of this team clocking splits in the 1:55-1:57-1:57-1:58 range to be sub 7:50. Last year they ran 7:54.

Sam Ritz was likely the highlight of the meet for PA with a gutsy 2nd (technically 3rd) in the mile, lowering his state record for the third time this year. He now owns the 3 fastest marks indoors in state history and moves to #4 all time for indoors or outdoors behind 3 of the best to ever do it: Vandegrift, Lowry and Craig Miller. He jumped the two fastest guys from my near decade of commentating this past weekend in Magaha and Vince McNally, making Ritz the fastest man I've blogged about. Not absurd praise but a cool achievement id say.

But now things get tricky. Ritz is on fire, but he has a long way to go until outdoor nationals and, unfortunately, his chance for a fast race at states again is not in play because he will be competing in the independent league. Hopefully he can stay sharp and I expect some in season state record attempts before the big shot at MoC and Outdoor Nationals (and the dream mile I guess, has a PA boy ever been selected for that event?). I'd love to see Ritz break the state record live at the same place I watched Mallon tie Grift's 800m record in West Chester, but we will see how things play out. I'd also like to see him in a loaded 2 mile with the best of PA. And oh yeah a fresh 800m against John Lewis and Elias Graca. No pressure Sam.

Some may be surprised by a few PA performances, but there were lots of commendable efforts even in shaky times. Gotta be impressed with Alex Milligan's 1:57 split, Wisner running another high quality 800 at 1:55 and John Lewis and Chelt breaking the state record again and winning a national title.

Keep in mind Lewis splitting another 1:51 gives him 4 sub 1:53 marks this indoors and 3 sub 1:52s. Plus a sub 1:51 for good measure. It's the most impressive collection of 800m performances since Mallon in 2010 outdoors. Amazing year for Lewis, should be fun to see how he transitions outdoors.

For the record Graca got screwed in that fast heat 800m final. First off they loaded up the heat with way too many kids, adding in people last minute, then the pace dawdled. That's trouble. But great experience for a man who ran 1:50.8 this indoor season, a massive PR. I'm also keeping an eye on a possible quick mile time from Graca. He was sneaky good during cross and ran 4:26ish indoors. Graca v McGoey would be fun.

As for the Brehm thing, I'm not too surprised. Runs 4:24y off a slow pace in his firs race back. Remember how he started last outdoors? Remember how he ended last outdoors? He ran a top 10 time in the state for indoors without racing Til the week after states. I'm still holding out hope for an epic Ritz, James, Brehm, Perretta, Molino, whoever else is willing to lay it on the line, mile at Meet of Champs. It could be legen ...

I'm willing to wait for it.