Running is our Valentine: Weekend Spotlight

Alex Fox, Caleb Gatchell, Sean Collins

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Another weekend, another series of big track meets. Despite the reputation indoor track has for being the “off” season of competitive running, this indoor season has seen a good amount of excitement and fast times. This weekend will be no exception, with meets at Iowa State, Washington, Boston, and others. With all these meets, what should you be watching? Here’s our take: 

 

***editor’s note: analysis from Fox is plain text, Caleb in bold, Sean in italics

 

Why the 3K at Iowa State is a Must Watch 

 

There are two names to watch in this race: Futsum Zeinasellassie and Sean McGorty. Sure, there are other big names in the race, including Morgan McDonald and possibly Justyn Knight (obviously if Knight is in this race, watch him, but at this point it appears he’ll run at BU). While there is a fair amount of talent in this race, the implications of McGorty and Futsum squaring off are huge. McGorty is coming off a dominant XC season and a stellar 3:55 split at Penn St; after red-shirting during cross country, Futsum appears to be in better shape than ever, running a mile PR at altitude that converts to 3:56. So, what will this primetime showdown illustrate to us? In my opinion, whoever comes out of this race on top will be first in the line in an attempt to take down King Ches.

 

​Futsum Zeinasellassie is obviously a talented runner. He has been since he began running in college. However, despite some incredible performances in cross country, he has never had the same level of success on the track. This season is different. After taking off this cross country season (NAU had a weak team, and will use Futsum next year as they look to rebuild), he has come out and ran 13:44 and 4:05 at altitude. He’s coming back, and with vengeance. Futsum has long been the biggest threat to Ches on grass, but what about on the track? Prior to this season, I didn’t think Futsum had it in his locker, but these times clearly show that something clicked with him. Given Futsum’spure distance chops and his new found speed (evident through his mile PR), he appears ready to turn the chapter on the track. However, in his way this weekend stands Sean McGorty. It’s been a pretty banner year for McGorty, who stepped up during XC to lead a talented Stanford team with a 7th place finish at Nationals. To open his track season, McGorty proved that his finishes during cross were no joke, splitting a 3:55 to help the Cardinal run one of the fastest times in NCAA history for the DMR. What was impressive about this run is how much work McGorty did on his leg. He grinded in the lead for most of the race, and despite this heroic effort, very nearly pulled off an epic comeback, finishing just a step back of Brandon Kidder. McGorty has the rare trifecta of speed, strength, and guts. This is the ideal build for a 3k runner. If the pace is quick, McGorty has the chops to stay with a lead pack and find an extra gear at the end. If the pace is slow, McGorty has some serious wheels that can win a distance race that comes down to a sprint. These two runners are some of the best talents currently in the NCAA, and seeing them battle will surely be a preview of what’s to come at NCAA. Although there is no lack of other talent in the NCAA among distance runners, including the likes of Pat Tiernan and Justyn Knight, both Futsum and McGorty are in form and will look to ride their momentum all the way to the finish. These are two of the best talents across the board in the NCAA, and both are in monster shape. While this race may not have the depth of the others this weekend, the battle between McGorty and Futsum will be one for the ages.  

 

Making the Case for the UW Mile

 

Let’s say you have a busy weekend staring you in the face right now. Homework’s piling up, projects are due, and you’re feeling swamped. You’re probably feeling pretty stressed not only because of all the work you have to do, but because you know it’s a huge weekend on the track as well. Crazy fast races will be going down at Boston, Iowa State, and UW, but you only have time to watch one race. Which race do you pick? That’s where I come in. I’m here to solve your problems and tell you why you should be watching the mile at UW, although, you should really watch the fastest two heats so you could argue it’s technically two races. Either way, semantics aside, here’s what makes that such a great race.

 

First of all, let’s look at the names. We’ve got former Kentucky standout Matt Hillenbrand, Cas Loxsom, Nick Hartle, Mike Tate, Matt Dorsey, and that’s just the second fastest heat. For the most part, these guys aren’t huge mile names admittedly. Hillenbrand would be the most notable exception to that rule. But, the talent on the track is undeniable. Cas Loxsom is one of the brightest 800 stars the U.S. can boast, and Nick Hartle has an impressive 1:47.51 on his resume. Any time an 800 guy moves up to the mile it’s anything but a sure thing. That extra 809 is tough, and I’m speaking from experience on this one. However, sometimes we see really special races, like Clayton Murphy running 3:57 last weekend. So, if for no other reason, watch the second fastest heat for the potential that’s there. At the very least, the last 400 will probably be blazing fast. 

 

Being completely honest, the fast heat is where the action’s at. We’ve got reigning D1 1500 champion Chad Noelle, rising star Will Kincaid from Portland, a potential huge talent in Jonah Koech, and reigning D2 1500/Mile champion Oliver Aitchinson from Adams State. And oh yeah, there’s also some guy named Jacob Burcham, Blake Theroux, Sam Prakel, and if you like dark horses we have PA’s own Ryan Gil and David Elliot. That’s a loaded field. Remember last year when Soratos ran 3:55 here to prove he was legit? Here’s a bold prediction for you: At least 2 people will run faster than he did last year. Kincaid has set the NCAA on fire this year running completely unafraid and closing in ridiculous fashion each time. Chad Noelle wins races, it’s what he does. He ran 3:38 outdoors last year, and he won’t be afraid to run fast here if that’s what it takes to win. And Oliver Aitchinson? Nobody knows who he is, but they just might after this weekend. He won Stanford outdoors last year and came back to place 7th at Payton Jordan. I think he’s as good as anyone out there, and I expect he’ll mix it up at the front. If there’s a race to watch this weekend, it’s the mile at UW. It’s gonna be the fastest mile of the year with a slew of guys eager to break under 4 for the first time, and another group looking to establish themselves as the best in the NCAA. And if you only care about the PA scene, watch the race because Ryan Gil is going to break 4, and you wouldn’t want to miss that.

 

The Lowdown on the PA Showdown 

 

 

While most people are probably looking West to UW Husky Invite and to the US Marathon Trials, my choice for this week’s race of the week is happening at the new Ocean Breeze Facility in Staten Island. This meet seems to be hiding the official entries sheet, but rumor has it that there will be some fast times flying. With a combination of pros and collegians and a blazing fast surface, expect nothing short of spectacular. In my opinion, the biggest race of the day will be the Men’s DMR featuring some big guns for all the major teams.

Again, there have been no official entry lists posted, but I can guarantee that there will be a repeat battle from Mid-Atlantic XC as both Penn and Villanova are entering. Tommy Awad has a 4:06 to his name this year at the Wesley Brown Invitational, but always kicks it into gear coming into championship type meets. He has an indoor PR of 4:00.20 and a 3:58 from Penn Relays outdoors. Backing up Awad is Chris Hatler who has broken out as the top miler in the Ivy League currently (and Ocean Breeze Facility Record Holder) with a 4:03 negative split from last week. With Awad having not raced as much recently, who knows who will take the 12/16 legs, but it’s tough to give up on Awadon anchor after some phenomenal 4xMile Penn Relay splits and his absolute dominance at HEPS over the last two years. Rounding out the Penn squad is likely to be Jeff Wiseman and Elias Graca (both PA alum). Wiseman has run in the mid-48s multiple times this season at 400 and Graca has joined a phenomenal group of 800m freshmen who have dropped into the 1:52s and below.

 

Penn’s major competition is the Villanova Wildcats. In fact, Villanova is easily the favorite. Villanova had the best top 3 of any team in the Mid-Atlantic in XC, but just couldn’t pull it together at 4-5 to make nationals. Now, they can utilize that strong top 3 at 12/16 (maybe even 800????) to try to make nationals. Both Jordy Williamsz and Robert Denault have sub-8 3ks under their belt this year from Penn State National and unless Patrick Tiernan decides to jump on the track, expect Williamsz and Denault to be the 12/16 respectively (especially since they have individual type qualifying marks at the moment). Villanova has tons of options for 800 legs as well with Elliot Slade running 1:49.9 last week and at least 3 others sub 1:52 should Slade be trying to drop time in an earlier running event. The 400 leg should probably be Ville Lampinen who ran 49.3 last week in the 400.

 

Other than these two teams, we don’t know who will be attempting to join the indoor qualifiers, however Penn State is scheduled to bring a team as well as Virginia, Columbia, Cornell and Princeton. Penn State is the current national leader in the event, so it is unlikely that we will see another attempt here, but that team might be looking for the national record and this meet might be a time to try. Columbia currently sits at 15thin the nation, a spot that will not stay past this weekend at their current 9:43, so a race here could make lots of sense. Virginia might be looking to run fast prior to Nationals and ACCs and with Henry Wynne having dropped a 3:58 already this season, if he gets the baton with a chance he could try to run away with the title. Cornell also has a 4:03 leg to throw on anchor with Mark Tedder and above average legs at the other position. All of these teams could break 9:40.

There is also the possibility of a pro team running at this meet. While you never know what this means, any grouping of major professional runners might drop a really fast time and pull the collegians to sub9:30 or even faster. Not knowing who might be competing we won’t assume there is a team, but if the occasion arises, it only makes this race even faster.

 

Prediction: We will only predict who we know if racing, but expect many sub 9:40 times regardless of who enters.

Villanova: 9:31.70

Penn 9:34.02

 

Show Me The Money: Indoor Edition

By: Garrett Zatlin

For those of you who have actually clicked and read the "Contributor" section, you'll know that I'm very interested in economics and the stock market. I think it's fascinating that we can gage the performance of a company when given so many different pieces of information. So I figured, why not do this for runners? The process is surprisingly similar...

I actually already did a post like this last spring (which you can find here) and it got a solid amount of attention. So why not do it again? With the NCAA now at the unofficial half-way point of the season (maybe slightly over) it's time to break down all the information we have and analyze it.

Of course, I'll have to include some Wall Street terminology. Here are the three quick indicators that are typically used on a stock (and now runners) when analyzing performance...

• Bullish- There is a lot of confidence in the stock and we should look forward to future success
• Bearish- There are many doubts about the stock and the outlook for success is negative.
• Neutral- The stock not swinging one way or another. It is simply stuck at a point of no decision.

BULLISH: The 800 Field
If you have read any of the weekend reviews, you know that the 800 field this year is insane. The average 800 cutoff time for nationals is typically around 1:48.4 to 1:48.5. The cutoff time now is already at 1:48.35 and a grand total of 42 runners have broken the 1:50 barrier. The record for the most runners under 1:50 in an indoor season came in 2011-2012 when a grand total of 72 runners clocked a time of 1:49.99 or faster*. That record could potentially fall during the upcoming month with many of the fastest meets in the nation taking place.

What makes this whole thing even better is that there isn't a true favorite for the title. In my mind, it's between a World Champ qualifier (Murphy)**, the 1k record holder (Kidder), one of the fastest 800 runners ever (Brazier), and an under-the-radar stud (Walker). One of these four is going to win a national title, but it's just a matter of who.

Yet, maybe what makes this field even more interesting is the potential behind those top guys. Carlton Orange and Isaiah Harris are a pair of freshmen that could get All-American, but have been left out of the spotlight thanks to Donavan Brazier. What about Eliud Rutto? He was one of the fastest 800 runners in the nation two years ago, and now he's an afterthought***. Other guys like Capwell and Arroyo have proven themselves against the biggest names in the nation, but haven't had much attention this season.

Before this section gets too long, my deep sleeper to get an All-American spot is Daniel Kuhn of Indiana.

*According to all available TFRRS results
**Murphy hasn't actually qualified for the NCAA 800 yet. If he doesn't pursue the 800 for the rest of the season (even though he will), he'll end up running the mile at nationals.
***Rutto redshirted both last winter and spring seasons

BEARISH: Milers
The mile this year has been a bit underwhelming (so far). It wasn't until January 21st when we had our first sub-4 mile by Patrick Corona. The day after Corona ran his sub-4 mile, Koech ran a sub-4 of his own. The problem? Both of those times were given altitude conversions and weren't actually run under four minutes. Fans didn't get to see their first actual sub-4 mile until the 29th of January when multiple people broke the 4 minute barrier.

What's even more odd is that iconic meets like Penn State National and the Meyo Invite failed to put anyone under four minutes despite being known for their fast mile fields. At this point in the season, only 14 men have broken 4 minutes in the mile.

The weaker mile field is also opening up opportunities to guys we typically wouldn't see. Futsum Zienasellassie is the second fastest miler in the nation right now with a 3:56 (thanks to a very generous altitude conversion). Half-mile star Clayton Murphy may stop pursuing the 800 (the event that got him into the World Championships) in favor for the mile after he clocked a 3:57 this past weekend.

Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of time for this mile field to improve. We still have to see what guys like Jordy Williamsz, Chad Noelle, and Julian Oakley can run. There are also many guys hovering around the 4 minute mark that are eager to take advantage of a lighter mile field. However, with Cheserek likely to run the mile at nationals and teams needing their aces for the DMR, the mile field at NCAA's may not be as deep as it usually is.

BULLISH: The New Guys- PA Alumni Freshmen
Right now, there is a very good chance that PA won't send an alum to nationals. However, there are a lot of positive signs from the guys that just entered the NCAA that we should be excited about.

Remember some guy named John Lewis? The Clemson Tiger has faced some very fast fields and has done quite well against them by going under 1:50 twice this season (he holds 1:49.39 SB). His 800 counterpart, Alek Sauer, also recorded a 1:49 split in the DMR (split recorded by Dylan Jaklitsch). Then there's Elias Graca who has improved his 800 throughout the season and holds a season best of 1:51. Clearly the 800 is not lacking in talent.

Then there is the 3k where Casey Comber just ran 8:18 and Colin Abert just ran 8:13. It looks like those two could be the stars of their respective programs in the future, maybe as soon as next year. Keep in mind that Casey Comber has now redshirted his cross country and indoor seasons, meaning that we get to see him race for four more years (rather than just three). Let's also not forget about Sam Webb who has been killing it on his own by dropping times like 4:12 and 8:24.

Right now, PA alumni haven't really had an impact on the national scene and we are patiently waiting for them to do just that (looking at you Ryan Gil). However, there is a lot of potential and excitement in these news guys and it might not be long until they are contending for All-American spots...or more.

BEARISH: Matt McClintock & Thomas Joyce
This past fall Matt McClintock defeated some of the best names in the nation and ended his season with a ranking of 13th in our ET Top 50 Rankings. Thomas Joyce, on the other hand, found more success on the track where he had a miraculous breakout season last spring and was 7-0 at one point. His PR's indicated that he would be a true contender this year.

Unfortunately, neither of those men have done anything too exciting lately. McClintock has run two 3k's so far and has run 8:22 and 8:21 in both of those races. The man has 8:03 and 13:53 PR's so clearly this is not his best. He placed 4th and 7th in those races against guys that he has easily beaten before. I understand that XC fitness doesn't necessarily translate to fast track times, but I thought McClintock would at least be in the conversation of possible nationals qualifiers.

As for Thomas Joyce things have not been good. Joyce has run two races so far this season and they've both been poor showings. His first race was a 3k and it ended with him running an 8:38 to place 6th. Later, he would run his mile in 4:21 for 15th overall. This is obviously far from what Joyce is capable of and it makes me wonder if he's sick or injured. What happened to the 3:39 (1500) guy we all used to know and love?

NEUTRAL: Indiana University
Indiana is a very talented team. They haven't really been a powerhouse, but they produce very solid runners that can get wins. Matthew Schwartzer and Daniel Kuhn are leading the middle and long distance runners on their team with times such as 1:48 (Kuhn) and 7:59 (Schwartzer). Other guys like Kyle Duvall and Rorey Hunter have been grinding out tough race after tough race and currently hold times that are a bit outside the cutoff of making nationals. Long story short, Indiana is a very talented team.

However, their racing schedule has me worried. Some of these guys have run in six different meets and have doubled in said meets. Owen Skeete and Kyle Duvall are leading their team in the number of races run this season with a grand total of eight. Most NCAA runners don't hit that many races in an entire season, let alone two months. Eventually, burnout and exhaustion become a factor and I have to wonder what the goal is for racing so often.

The Hoosiers have been running well, there's no doubt about that. They get credit for having an insane amount of depth and runners that can do well at nearly every distance. Unfortunately, at this point, there's a pretty solid chance that none of these guys go to nationals despite having the talent to do it (including the DMR). After racing that hard, you can only improve so much. And with the cutoff times becoming faster and faster, I don't see anyone from Indiana making the nationals field*.

*With the exception of Daniel Kuhn who is more 400/800 based and isn't affected as much by the number of races

BULLISH: Boston University 
If someone asked me who the best up-and-coming program was, I would tell them Boston U. The Terriers have been making some noise this season and it's not just from one single runner.

Let's start at the 800 which is led by junior Ethan Homan. Homan currently sits as the 17th fastest 800 runner in the nation with a time of 1:48.35. Although Homan does focus more on the middle distances,
 it's important to note that he has a 2:22 1k PR to his name.

The mile is probably where the best runner on the team lies. Alex Seal has been tearing apart the track recently with two 4:01 performances. The catch? This kid is a TRUE FRESHMAN. The Australian runner has done some amazing things at Boston U. and it would be great to see him go under four minutes this season. Watch out for Seal to be a future NCAA champion.

Finally, Kevin Thomas and Alec Olson have taken over the duties at the longer distances. Thomas has run a respectable 8:03 3k while Olson has thrown down a 14:15 5k.

It's not going to be easy, but there is a very real possibility that Boston U. ends this season with a sub-4 miler, a sub-8 3k runner, and a sub-14 5k runner. This team is one of the most underrated teams in the NCAA and deserves your respect.

BEARISH: Someone Upsetting Cheserek
Not really sure if I need to explain this one, but Cheserek will simply not lose this season. After reading the Flotrack article about Cheserek nearly running 3:58 in a workout, I couldn't really imagine someone beating him. We saw last indoors season that he was unstoppable and that he eased up at the line to give his teammate Eric Jenkins the gold in the 3k during winter*.

At nationals, Cheserek will most likely be given the task of maximizing points for his Oregon teammates. His best chance of doing that would be the same thing he did last year (3k, mile, DMR). The competition this year doesn't seem to be any more difficult than what he had to face last year. It also doesn't hurt that he has a sub-4 miler on the 1200 leg to help that DMR stay in contention. If Cheserek is close enough, he will close for the win.

The possibility is still there. Cheserek could be the victim of an upset. However, the chances of that happening in my eyes are slim to none.

*Some will argue that he didn't let up but that's a different story

BULLISH: Transfers
It's not easy being a transfer. If you're a transfer you move to a completely different area and receive completely new coaches, teammates, training methods, schedules, climates etc. However, those issues don't seem to be a problem for the guys who switched programs this year.

Mississippi has to be the biggest benefactor of the transfer switches. Ryan Manahan and Craig Engels have been dominating the 800 field and both are qualified for nationals as of right now (they will most likely stay qualified). Ole Miss also has to be happy about receiving Ryan Walling and MJ Erb who have run 8:00 and 8:01 in the 3k this year. How on earth did Mississippi get these recruits?

NC State won't complain either as they took in Luis Vargas who has now become one of the fastest 3k runners in the nation with a banked track conversion time of 7:48.81 (for the nation lead). It also doesn't hurt that Vargas has a 13:49 5k this season which puts him at 5th in the nation.

If we look deeper into the 3k, other individuals like Colin Leibold (Stanford) and Dylan Lafond (Illinois) have also had solid marks of their own running 7:59 and 8:00 respectively.

The mile is no different with Adam Palamer enjoying success at Syracuse after he ran a 3:58 and Ryan Gil (Oregon) grabbing a huge PR with a time of 4:02 a couple weekends back.

NEUTRAL: DMR's
The DMR is always the trickiest event to gage mainly because you never know who's running it. That's why I have the DMR's as neutral. There are so many questions as to who will run the relay and right now we don't have those answers.

Here are just some of those questions...

• Will McGorty even be on his relay at all? 
• Are we going to see Fisher on there? 
• What about Georgetown? They have four guys under four, so which of those four will be on the DMR? 
• Will Bile still be the anchor? 
• What about Cheserek's triple? Will the DMR be a part of his plans? 
• Or will he go for the mile/3k/5k triple and leave the DMR to fend for themselves? 
• The same could be said about Chad Noelle and his relay. Will Chad go for the open mile and double on the anchor or will he focus on just the DMR after already securing the 1500 title last spring? 
• Is Villanova going to run a D-Med? They could put something very quick together...

All of these are questions that we wont have answered for a very long time. The only thing I feel confident about is Penn State's DMR. They will be completely fresh except for Kidder who will be doubling back from the 800.

You Might Have Missed It, But ....

By train, e

So a lot has happened since I did my weekend recap and released my updated state performance list projections. It's kind of unfortunate actually because I feel pretty far behind the times already. My role as the people's champion is in question. I don't even know what that means, but it's how I feel.

So I'm going to try and do a super efficient recap of what you may have missed since the weekend recap. Keep your fingers crossed I don't get carried away.

Youngstown

Dom Peretta is really fast. Ran a sick 1:54.14 to win the slower section of the 800 (how'd he end up there?) and claim PA #1 honors. I He's running another 800 next weekend, so he certainly seems more focused on this event than the mile. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed he tries the mile because I think that could be an unreal race (and the 800 will be loaded either way you gotta think). But if he goes fresh 800, can you make him anything but the favorite?

Meanwhile, with competition, Mike Kolor and Nick Wagner each ran very quick 1:55s. That puts them into the fast heat at states (although Kolor was already there) and reaffirms their contender status. Wagner is one of the top returners from last year's state meet and ran 1:53 last summer as a rising junior. Kolor meanwhile will have some decisions. He ran this 1:55 on the double off a 1:54 split on the 4x8 (where Seneca Valley ran a sick 8:11 to tentatively punch their ticket to states). He's already hinted he might lean 800 over mile this year indoors and, considering the 4x8, maybe he leans towards doing the relay+the 8. He's running Boston this weekend so we will see how he bolsters his mile seed against top competition. Last two years, PA's top finisher in this meet has run 4:11 and 4:10 so, if he catches a good ride, it's not crazy to imagine Kolor around 4:15 or faster.

Other notes: Ryan Thrush with a sick 400 to win, Logan Caruso gets another W with a big gold (still probably wants another chance at a fast time) and just to restablish, Seneca Valley ran 8:11 in the 4x8. That's a real solid run. Could they swing a DMR before the season ends? How many TSTCA meets are left these days? 

TFCAofGP #6

The postponed meet at Glenn Mills didn't get a huge turn out, but what would you expect on a Tuesday night at Glenn Mills track no less. Still, some dudes managed nice times/performances. The big takeaway is Upper Dublin jumping into the 4x8 mix, running well under 8:20 in the relay (I'm assuming without their best 400 guy McMullen). That puts them just ahead of CRN and firmly in the bubble spot for states. They will 100% need to run it again, but UD is having themselves a strong year in the mid distance relays. Dink and Ames now how to coach mid distance guys so I could see this team challenging like 8:12ish at MoC or something. Of course I'm incredibly biased seeing as I attended Upper Dublin for the first (and last) 4 years of my high school career. But other than that ...

Wolfgang Schanbacher of Cheltenham and Noah Falasco of Upper Merion both clocked strong mile wins (more suburban one American love), Upper Darby cut some nice time off their 4x8 in 8:28 and Abington continues to just run fast in the 4x8 no matter where they are or what the meet is. This time it was an 8:20 for silver.

Slippery Rock

Bryce Descavisch (or someone running unattached with a remarkably similar name) tripled in the mile, 800 and 3k winning all three events. This is almost the exact same triple we saw out of Nick Wolk at this venue (times and golds) and Wolk is now a sub 4:30 miler. Watch out for Bryce if he gets in the right race (SC Invite maybe?). Shout out to Central Cambria.

Varsity Classic

A team by the name of Downingtown West finally put their cards on the table, unleashing a sick DMR on the state. The quad ran 10:16 with reported splits of about 3:08-51-2:00-4:15 (+/- a second). Looks like the order was Josh Hoey, Alleyne, Barton, Jax Hoey. Not too shabby, especially considering they ended up getting the victory (looks like Jaxson threw down a big kick for the W). This puts them about even with where Henderson was this time two years ago before they ran the second fastest DMR Pa has ever seen indoors (behind O'Hara's absurd performance which still mesmerizes me) and won Penn Relays. That's a good place to be right now and, if the team is even reasonably fresh, they have catapulted themselves comfortably into state title favorite position. I think it's going to be very hard to beat Jax on the anchor leg (similar to KJ last year) and the rest of his relay likely can keep it close against the other top teams. That being said, I still think it's only a 50-50 shot they contest this relay (4x2 and 4x4 sandwich the DMR, individual points a plenty, etc) and I'm not ready to count out GFS in this one. 

Speaking of Henderson (scroll up like 5 sentences, we were indeed talking about them), they ran a sick DMR time of their own, clocking a 10:36 and putting themselves into the top 5 or so relays in the state. Apparently it's a team of all underclassmen, including sophomore Spencer Smucker, who anchored the team around 4:27. Quietly the team that already has 3 state championships in the event is lurking once again. I feel like this team could do something along the lines of Conestoga a year ago if things click and that's not too shabby company.

HGP also improved on their DMR time with a 10:44, Sappey ran 4:27 and Smucker doubled back for 4:30 (assuming I've got the order right). PJ Murray ran a very nice 3200 as well, running around 9:45. 

And yes, Dominic Hockenbury was also invoked on Monday night. The Lake Lehman Senior and 4 time state champ, made his bid for PA #1 status, crushing the field in 9:12, shortly after Brophy stole PA #1 honors in the 3k. Considering Hock was solo (word is he lapped everybody, shout out to our commenters) and this was a full 3200, you could make a pretty good argument that Hock's mark is actually more impressive than Brophy's was, but I also feel that Hock may be a more natural time trailer than Jake so who knows.

All I know is, if these two face off at states it could be unreal. Imagine Dom setting a suicide pace to break Brophy and watching the two dual down towards the meet record. You think Hock has gotten over getting outkicked last year? I doubt it. Gotta imagine the kid is ready to run something fierce this year and that could make for an all-time type race. Throw Dahl in there (unlikely I think, but worth noting) and break out star Jeff Kirshenbaum and we are heading towards the fastest top 4 finishers in a while (2013 debatably I suppose, but not quite as deep that year). 

Coming Up

We got the Carnival this weekend (preview below) at Lehigh. In case you missed it, I came up with a really silly title for the post. If anyone understands the full title, you have my utmost respect.

We got Mike Kolor representing PA in Boston. Gonna be sick and I'm thinking we could see a huge breakthrough. Don't think he's lost since December and has made a habit of running 4:18/1:55. If he keeps his head under the bright lights, I think Kolor makes a big statement.

We got There's going to be a big meet at Spire in Ohio prominently featuring some big PA studs (again shout out to our commenters). I heard talk of a performance list. If somebody has a link or something, feel free to throw it up and spread the word on the action. 

We got Millrose Games are coming up in two weeks and PA will be nicely represented. And hey, yours truly will also be there. Live and in person! I'll actually probably be there for the first event as my girlfriend's sister is racing it so from 12 o'clock on, if you need me, I'll be at the Armory. If you're there and want to talk running, feel free to get in touch. I'm hoping to preview the action on all levels (high school, pro and maybe Zat will help in the NCAA realm) next week so be on the look out for that.

We got And the Olympics may not be til this summer, but the first big Olympic trials race is coming up this Saturday. I can't say for sure, but my guess is it will be on USATF.tv similar to the Armory Invite and US XC Champs (shout out to Craig Lutz on the dub). I'm hoping to put together a preview (although I don't know much, I'm super excited for the event). Apparently, Galen Rupp is going to run, but the odds on him finishing are a bit less certain. I'll discuss more if I get the chance, but if you like people running at a moderate pace for a long time, you won't want to miss this!

And yes the we got's were all intentional. I'm trying to be funny, it's just not necessarily one of my stronger attributes. 

Hope you guys appreciated the shout outs.

Sincerely yours,

Train 

The Weekend Review: Georgetown Put's 4 Under 4; Mile Field Begins To Heat Up

By: Garrett Zatlin

Although this weekend was  as fast, there was still plenty of exciting action to take note of. As usual, the PA Alumni section is at the bottom.

Finally, be on the lookout for a 'Mid-Season Breakdown' type post during this week.

Scarlet and White Invite
800
Georgetown's freshman Spencer Brown was the top collegiate posting a time of 1:50.24 while Harvard's Jonas Aranda was the second collegiate through the line with a time of 1:50.82.

1000
Joe Gioielli (Central Connecticut) put another solid 1k on his resume. He ran 2:23 to get the win by over three seconds.

Mile
The event of the week had to be the Georgetown Four who all ran under 4 minutes for the mile. Ahmed Bile led the pack winning in a time of 3:57.84 which barely edged his teammate Cole Williams who was 3:57.88. Junior's Amos Bartelsmeyer and Michael Lederhouse ran 3:58.22 and 3:58.42 respectively.

Georgetown seems to be in the spot they were last year with a slew of guys under 4 minutes (as well as 1:50). They have a lot of options now with these mile times and the DMR. I will also say that I was pleasantly surprised with Cole Williams. It's one thing to break four minutes, but it's another thing to run 3:57 and nearly beat Ahmed Bile. I'll be eager to see him race in the future.

Right now, those four hold the spots six through nine in the national mile field currently. It's tough to say if they will make it, but my gut says they will.

While Georgetown was getting all the spotlight, Alex Seal of Boston U. finished another excellent mile placing fifth with a time of 4:01. That is the second week in a row that the true freshman has run a 4:01. Clearly, he's the real deal. I would love to see him break four, and I think he might have one more good shot at it.

Navy vs Army Meet
Stephen Schroder completes the two-win double running 2:26 (1k) and 4:08 (mile). It seems like he was more focused on just getting the work in and prepping for another hard run at the mile later in the season.

Villanova Invite
800
Elliot Slade (Villanova) got a nice win over his teammate Josh Lampron with a time of 1:49.90. Lampron's time was 1:51.22.

In third place was PA alum Elias Graca who improved on his season best last week running a time of 1:51.44. The man continues to improve and lead this Penn 800 squad.

Mile
In the mile we saw Penn's Christ Hatler get the win with a very nice time of 4:03. He's been running better and better with each passing week. Watch out for him come outdoors.

A couple spots behind Hatler was Villanova freshman Logan Wetzel who ran 4:05. Obviously he's redshirting this season, but watch out for Wetzel next year where he could tear apart the competition.

3000
PA alum Casey Comber wasn't the winner, but the Villanova redshirt freshman ran a killer 8:18. His XC season was impressive and this 8:18 shows that it was no fluke. Just think that this kid still has four full years left...

*see more in PA alumni section

Meyo Invitational
800
Daniel Kuhn of Indiana continues to impress me with his consistent times and wins. Kuhn took home his fourth open win of the season with a time of 1:48.41. While Kuhn has stuck around that 1:48 spot, it's important to note that he hasn't finished lower than second in any of his races this year (and Indiana races a lot).

Behind Kuhn was Peter Archibald of Loyola Illinois who ran 1:48.90. Michigan's Brennan Munley got a big PR with a time of 1:48.94. Ethan Barnes of Grand Valley State was fourth running 1:49.51.

Mile
The iconic "Meyo Mile" wasn't as exciting as it usually was. No one broke 4 minutes with three individuals hovering at the 4-flat mark. David Timlin of Indiana State got the dub with a time of 4:00.42. ISU has to be happy that they seemed to have found a guy other Mascari that can compete against the top names in the nation. I'm we'll be seeing Timlin go for the sub-4 mark later this season.

In a close second place was the Michigan senior Mason Ferlic who ran 4:00.50. Less than a step behind Ferlic was Rorey Hunter who settled for a time of a 4:00.82. These top three guys all have the talent to make nationals. However, I think Ferlic and Hunter are in the wrong events and should make an effort at the 3k or 5k.

The top five was rounded out by Indiana's Kyle Duvall and Georgia Tech's Jeremy Greenwald. They ran 4:01.66 and 4:01.85 respectively.

3000
After a rough cross country season filled with letdowns, MJ Erb has begun his comeback process. The Mississippi junior was the top collegiate in the race and ran 8:01 to earn that honor. Illiass Aouani (Lamar) and Ben Flanagan (Michigan) rounded the top three with times of 8:02 and 8:04.

5000
Michigan's Aaron Baumgarten made a statement this past weekend running 14:08 FTW. This 14:08 compliments his 4:08 mile and 8:07 3k very nicely. Unfortunately, Baumgarten is the first man out right now at the 17th spot and more names will most likely push him back from that coveted 16th spot. However, a faster race and some scratches could get this guy into NCAA's.

41st Annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invite
Mile
Former D2 star and current Illinois runner Dylan Lafond is continuing to search for his place on the track. Lafond ran 4:04 to be the top collegiate in the race. While Lafond could have a potential shot at breaking four if he was put in the right race and trained solely for that event, he's probably better off running the 3k where he has an 8-flat season best.

Army Track Invitational (College)
800
Open
Sacha Smart of Toronto is the first collegiate through the line clocking a 1:50.37. However, the top NCAA eligible collegiate (did that make sense? Because Toronto isn't part of the NCAA) was Austin Mudd of Wisconsin who ran 1:50.69.

Invite
Although Robby Andrews got the win, Collins Kibet (Arizona) and Dylan Capwell (Monmouth) finished tied with a time of 1:48.85 (with the placing favoring Kibet). Unfortunately for Kibet, his time won't be good enough to make NCAA's. Capwell has run 1:47 and currently sits as the 10th fastest in the nation. Kibet has put some good races together, but he needs to figure out how he's gonna drop time and get qualified in one of the deepest fields the NCAA has ever seen.

1000
Brandon McBride made his debut and ran 2:23 for the win. However, that was not the storyline. The real story was the news that McBride would not be running at indoor NCAA's this season. In an interview with Flotrack, McBride states that "a lot of [his] weaknesses were shown last year so [he's] got to get used to running from the back".

In all honesty, I don't think that's a terrible idea. The 800 field this year is incredibly deep and trying to be a national contender after being trounced at his last two national championships might be too much pressure for a guy that is trying to get his head back in the game.

Mile
Invite
Remember Morgan McDonald? The first man out of the Great Lakes region this past fall? The guy who essentially carried a disastrous Wisconsin squad throughout all of November? Well he just ran a 3:57 (fourth overall) this past weekend in a loaded field that is filled with top-tier pro's. This is a huge race for McDonald who now has to be a threat in the mile field. You also have to wonder how much faster he can go...

Akron Invite
Mile
Clayton Murphy, what can you not do? The man that has put Akron on the map continues to keep them relevant with a 3:57 mile performance. He won by over four seconds which basically indicates that the field didn't push him too much. With this 3:57 mile, we have to start questioning what he's going to run at NCAA's. Right now Murphy is not even qualified for the 800 so if he is looking for the path of least resistant in regards to a national title, the mile might be more his race. I guess we will have to see, but if I'm Clayton Murphy I'm set on running the mile.

Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
800
Isaiah Harris was someone that all the writers told me I should watch out for. Despite their praise, I dismissed Harris as someone who was a bit overhyped and didn't have much to prove that he would make a impact in his first year...then he got on the track and proved me completely wrong. After a 1:48 performance at Penn State National (alone), Harris came back this week to run a monster 1:47 and get the win. This kid just doesn't stop and he is on a roll right now. Harris now sits as the fifth best runner in the nation and is currently one of the three freshman qualified for NCAA's in 800. Harris is for real.

Behind Harris was Eric Holt of Binghamton who ran 1:50. He's no Jesse Garn, but it seems like Binghamton doesn't run short of talented half-milers.

Mile
Dawson Connell (William and Mary) barely edged Mark Tedder (Cornell) to get the victory with a 4:03.41. Tedder settled for second with a 4:03.47.

Penn State sophomore's Bobby Hill and Jordan Mankins ran 4:06 and 4:09 respectively.

3000
Omar Hassan (UMBC) had his first solid race of the season with a time of 8:05 for the win. He was followed by PA alumni Ean Disilvio and Colin Abert (both of Penn State). Disilvio ran 8:07 while Abert ran a very impressive 8:13.

Colin Abert is having an incredible season and running times that not many freshman could ever reach. Maybe, just maybe, Colin Abert could be the next PA alum to contend for an All-American spot...or more.

Charlie Thomas Invite
800
Donavan Brazier (Texas A&M) returned made his first race back since dropping an incredible 1:45. While he didn't run as fast, he still got the win and did it with an excellent time of 1:47.80. He beat out his teammate Hector Hernandez who ran 1:48.02. In third place was UTEP's Jonah Koech who made his 800 debut with a time of 1:49.14. Rumors say that Koech had run a 1:46 at altitude at some point in his running career. If that's true, I imagine he'll get another shot at the 800. However, I would like to see him in a 3k where I think he could really thrive.

Of course we can't forget about our PA alumni, John Lewis. The Clemson Tiger finished four in the event and broke 1:50 for the second time this season with a mark of 1:49.93. It's not a PR, but it's good to see Lewis staying consistent.

3000
Dusan Makevic (UTSA) put up another solid performance with an 8:08 PR to get the win.

Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
800
Yes ladies and gentlemen, I was on sight for this meet and it was a fun one to watch. The Wake Forest duo of Simon Holden and Robert Heppenstall ran 1:49.15 and 1:49.51 respectively. WF doesn't typically make much noise indoors, but they are doing quite well (better than last season) and will probably be setting up for a monster spring season. Watch out for them come April, May, and June.

Unfortunately, sub-4 miler and sub-1:50 runner, Patrick Joseph (Virginia Tech), did not have a good race at all falling all the way back to 18th with a time of 1:55. I might be bias considering that he's a Hokie, but I'll give him a pass for this off race. He should be able to run a fast time very soon.

Mile
While I am a huge running nerd and a big fan of the sport, I had never seen a sub-4 mile in person...until this weekend. Virginia Tech's Neil Gourley thrived off of a fast pace (thanks to the pacer) and threw down 3:59 to get the win. It was extremely exciting to watch and it was great to see the crowd get so into it

This is a big time for not just Gourley, but Virginia Tech. With Joseph not running his best yet, Gourley is stepping up and making things interesting. However, we also can't forget about PA alumn Dan Jaskowak (Virginia Tech) who was second in this race with a time of 4:04. This 4:04 came a week after an 8:11 win at the Camel City Elite 3k (open). Jaskowak is in contention for the best PA alumni this season and I'll be eager to see what race he runs next.

3000
This race was also the first sub-8 I've ever seen in person. Tommy Curtin (Virginia Tech) went through the 3k (with the pacer) at 4:14 and continued to grind out a hard pace to get through the line in 7:55. That race was done completely alone and he seemed pretty smooth for the most part (Paul can attest to that). The possibilities of what Curtin could do in a faster field (i.e. NCAA's) could put him under 7:50.

PA ALUMNI SECTION
The results where there was simply too many to type out...
Villanova Invitational Results
Crusader Classic Results
12th Annual Giegengack Invite Results

The more notable PA alum results are mentioned in the recaps above!

800
Andrew Stone (Notre Dame): 26th- 1:53.50 @ Meyo Invitational
Caleb Gatchell (Hillsdale): 4th- 1:56.67 @ Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic
Haneef Hardy (Morgan State): 35th- 1:57.21 @ Army Track Invitational
Will Cather (Penn State): 12th- 1:54.64 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
Mason Post (Penn State): 15th- 1:55.47 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
Billy Caldwell (Pittsburgh): 11th- 1:54.62 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
Andrew Koryak (Pittsburgh): 20th- 1:56.52 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite

1000
Ryan Smathers (Army West Point): 6th- 2:29.80 @ Navy vs Army Meet
Kyle Francis (Duke): 4th- 2:28.19 @ Army Track Invitational
Alec Kunzeweiler (Duke): 7th- 2:28.89 @ Army Track Invitational
James Chappell (Lehigh): 19th- 2:37.02 @ Army Track Invitational

Mile
Ryan Smathers (Army West Point): 4th- 4:15.10 @ Navy vs Army Meet
Alex Moran (Michigan): 35th- 4:11.46 @ Meyo Invitational
Seamus Collins (Cincinnati): 51st- 4:15.63 @ Meyo Invitational
Caleb Gatchell (Hillsdale): 3rd- 4:17.00 @ Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic
Alec Kunzeweiler (Duke): 19th- 4:14.99 @ Army Track Invitational
James Beflatto (American): 16th- 4:21.26 @ Army Track Invitational
Dan Lowry (BAA): 10th- 4:15.66 @ Army Track Invitational
Nico Metzler (Georgia Tech): 15th- 4:17.56 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
James Hare (Pittsburgh): 25th- 4:22.16 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite


3000
Ryan Mahalsky (District Track Club): 1st- 8:09.66 @ Army Track Invitational
Max Norris (Columbia): 5th- 8:28.78 @ Army Track Invitational
Ryan Cooney (Lehigh): 6th- 8:35.51 @ Army Track Invitational
Seamus Roddy (George Washington): 15th- 8:44.45 @ Army Track Invitational
Sam Hibbs (Liberty): 16th- 8:50.10 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup


5000
Brent Kennedy (Notre Dame): 11th- 14:32.92 @ Meyo Invitational
Patrick Reilly (Lehigh): 5th- 14:33.98 @ Army Track Invitational
Sean Burke (Lehigh): 15th- 15:24.69 @ Army Track Invitational
Alex Archer (Pittsbrugh): 1st- 15:36.20 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite

Ryan CarniVall .... Not Your Best Work, Ian

By Jarrett Felix

You know we are getting into prime time when you are allowed to wear spikes at Lehigh. It started with the TFCAofGP Meet this past weekend and now things will ramp up another notch when the PTFCA takes over this coming weekend. The meet is set up to be something of a state meet preview (it has the same order of events, not necessarily the same level of talent) and should give teams a chance to size up any doubling ideas they may have for PSU. It also, unsurprisingly, will give us a look at some of the best talents in PA distance running. I gave a rough stab at a preview below, listing things in order of events.

Don’t trust me? Prefer the penntrack version? You can catch the full list of accepted entries by clicking here.

Also, I'll be referencing the state cut-offs a lot based on my own personal projections. So if you are in to that sort of thing, here's a look at where I currently project the state cut offs to be. Feel free to use your own intuition to guess at the cut offs yourself.

4x800m

The relays don’t have names listed and, to further complicate things, the 4x8 is now first in the order, meaning you have even less of a chance of guessing which teams will size up an Ed Sheeran style “A” team on Saturday. Some of the top teams by season best include Abington, Easton, Germantown Friends, Penn Wood, Perkiomen Valley and State College. All these teams have key pieces slated to run later in the meet and a few of them (GFS, Perk Valley and Penn Wood) just ran huge 4x8s last weekend. Out of those three, however, Perk Valley has the most to gain by throwing out an “A” squad this weekend. They are very much on the state bubble and might want to take as many chances as they can to push their seed down to make sure they aren’t bumped out at the last minute. Of course they will have Last Chance and MoCs to do it as well. Worth noting, GFS doesn’t have Dahl entered in any individual events and they aren’t in the DMR either. Could mean a fast relay, could mean they are keeping things chill before Millrose. I lean towards the later.

Easton could be a real sleeper here. They have run in the low 8:30s this year and have yet to take a shot at the relay in a fast meet on a fast track. Kraus had one of his best races of the season last weekend and Lapsansky is a proven stud (although his specialty appears to be long distance skewed).

Also in the mix could be teams like Harriton, Owen J Roberts, Spring Ford and Boyertown. Owen J Roberts and Boyertown seem like intriguing bets in this one. Owen J is not in the DMR later so this relay would be there focus (same is true for Boyertown). Boyertown has a nice history in the relays and has put together a nice young team with upside. I’m thinking Spring Ford ends up in the DMR later in the day so my bet is they don’t throw down in event one. A few other intriguing entries include Wyomissing, Unionville, Radnor and West Chester East. Wyomissing doesn’t have DiCintio or Cullen entered in any individual events (unless I missed them) and is the defending state champs in this event for AA. However, we haven’t seen DiCintio in an open event since December so hopefully he is healthy. Radnor has a sub two talent in Cooke and Unionville has a sub 4:30 miler (although I think Unionville may be leaning DMR this weekend). East is intriguing after their 10:53 DMR, but I don’t know how their distance legs translate speed wise. Would be fun to find out.

Mile

Currently, the mile is absolutely loaded in the great state of PA. All signs indicate it will take sub 4:30 to get into the state meet and quite a bit quicker to secure a spot in the fast heat. This heat will feature a variety of runners trying to either move into qualifying position or improve their seeding to run second at PSU. And of course there will be the guys like me just trying to get out there and run a strong race and PR. Shout out to those guys.

Here’s a crop of guys who I’d characterize around the state championship “bubble”: Noah Falasco, Patrick Donahue, and Ryan Paradise. Falasco ran 4:32 in a big early season run, but has been quiet at this distance since. Donahue and Paradise are fresh off impressive runs under the 4:30 barrier, but in this competitive bunch, no time seems safe. One of these guys could be sitting on a breakthrough performance in this marquee invitational. Falasco might be my pick as the other two have had plenty of races at this distance already under their belt.

Now speaking of breakout performances, there is a nice contingent of talent hoping to do just that on Saturday. This group includes guys like Will Alpaugh of Freedom, Jack Carmody of Rustin, Jesse Cruise of Cedar Crest, Sam Signor of East Pennsboro, Owen Ritz of GA, Jack Zardecki of Dallas, Nate Becker of Ephrata and Jeff Montgomery of Perkiomen Valley (among others believe it or not). All of these guys are mid to low 4:30s right now, but many have lacked the right opportunity to make that drop under the state guidelines. I really like what I’ve seen in Carmody’s last couple races, both sandwiching this distance, and think he could make serious noise. Alpaugh is one of the biggest talents in this group with low 4:20s ability and his best XC season to date in his rear view mirror (an object closer than it may appear). Cruise is a strong candidate for a nice run (he’s run low 4:20s as well), although I think of him more as an 800m specialist and would have been curious to see him focus there (he’s currently slated to double). Signor is coming off a serious sounding surgery apparently (via penntrack’s nice write up on Susquehanna), but he looked phenomenal in his return last time out.

But despite a couple sizable paragraphs, I likely haven’t mentioned the race’s gold medalist thus far in my preview. I’d bet that honor will go to one of Jeff Kirshenbaum, Alex Milligan or Cooper Leslie. I’d say Leslie has the most consistent resume to date at this distance with a variety of runs in the front of competitive fields, including his own low 4:20s mark this year. But Kirshenbaum is coming off a jaw-dropping 9:19 mark in the 2 mile to assert himself as an early title contender in the event. Plus, Kirsh has a bit of extra motivation at Lehigh. Last time he competed in a big invite here (Burdette), he ended up being out lasted in the mile and finished out of the medals. This time he will look for a little revenge.

But Milligan, assuming he won’t be in the 4x8, could be the game changer. He’s got excellent speed (1:53 split last outdoors), a strong win under his belt (Kevin Dare) and a 4:17 PR for 1600m (last outdoors, on the double from the 4x8). I still don’t have a read on whether Milligan will try the 4x8-Mile double this year indoors, but he has proven he is capable of pulling off similar doubles. And if he gets a win in a low 4:20s kind of time, SC will have to consider trying to maximize their points with Milligan competing for a medal at states. Or putting him on the anchor leg of a dangerous DMR to close things out in front of the home crowd fans.

Of course they have a 4x4 to worry about that overlaps with the DMR guys so I mean, I don’t know. This guessing thing is hard guys. Just everybody shoot me a text about what you are running at states? Thanks.

800m

The 800 meter state cut off is headed down near 2 flat and the list of 1:54-1:55 type guys is steadily rising. So what does that mean for this 800m show down? Hopefully he means some fast times. Although guys like Matt Wisner and Grayson Hepp are slated to cut this distance in half this weekend (i.e. the 400 for those not interested in doing math), there is still a strong crop of lead runners in this event. David Fletcher of Mount Caramel, who ran 1:57 at Kevin Dare, is likely the favorite after the aforementioned Kevin Dare performance. He also dominated his section of the 800 meters at this meet a year ago so he has some good experience on the Lehigh oval.

But Penn Wood’s Dennis Manyeah, who hasn’t raced a marquee open 800m since December’s 1:56, is lurking as a challenger for the title. Manyeah is fresh off an excellent lead off leg at the Armory (some say 1:51 split, official results have it slotted at 1:58) and, in case you forgot, beat 4:18/1:55 man Mike Kolor the last time he took the track for an open 8, one of the best scalps you can take (sorry if the word “scalps” is a little much, but it’s the official track term). Manyeah has been forgotten about with fast times by Hoey, Desko, Peretta, Kolor, Wisner, Wagner … can you see how he may get overlooked? But he can remind everyone just how fast he is with a big win at Lehigh, on a flat track no less.

James Abrahams from Haverford (sub 16 and sub 2 in the last 12 months), Liam Conway form Owen J Roberts (sub 9 down to to 2 flat range), Tony Degleris of State College (1:56 split last outdoors) and Jonnie Plass (2:02 man for GFS) are all guys who could potentially run close to the two minute barrier and have established themselves well thus far this indoor season. Of course we also have guys like Matt Town (1:57 open last year), Calvin Schneck of Whitehall and Greg Jaindl of Emmaus (excellent District 11 mid-distance guys). Keep an eye on Luke Everidge of CD East. He’s my sleeper pick in this one. He has great wheels and could potentially have the strength to drop a big time at this point in the year.

If anyone is going to topple Fletcher or Manyeah, it might be Abington sophomore Cameron Mitchell. He ran 1:59 at Glenn Mills recently and has a little extra fire after the team’s 8:09 at the Armory last weekend.

Jeff Kirshenbaum of Methacton is slated to double back as is Jesse Cruise of Cedar Crest/ Chris Hershberger of Ephrata is not doubling back, but I haven’t mentioned him yet and he’s good at running the 800 so he earns a mention in this paragraph as well.

3,000m

I’m not sure of the exact wording (and after nearly 1800 words in this post, I’m not about to go check), but I believe in my weekly recap I hoped that the guys from the Wyomissing Challenge would get a chance at a bit faster of a track before the season was over. Well guess what? Almost the exact same field (no Kent Hall) is lining up at Lehigh with a few extra fun pieces, ready to chase down some fast times. Honestly, this field might be my favorite one of the day.

5^th place finisher from the XC state meet Nathan Henderson will look to better his terrific 8:57 victory from Kutztown against this loaded field. I believe Nate is undefeated on the year (2016), but he has yet to face a field quite as stacked as this one. Seth Slavin and Liam Galligan, both ahead of Henderson on the PTFCA standings, will toe the line hoping to break Henderson’s winning streak in addition to guys like Zach Lefever and Kevin Lapsansky who are looking for revenge after their run at Kutztown. I like Lefever as a sleeper pick in this one as he continues to round into top form after what I believe was appendicitis to close out XC.

This field will also include some bubble contenders for states like Rob Moser (9:03 at Yale), Connor McMenamin (9:03 at Burdette, but just ran a strong mile at Lehigh in a statement run) and Jakob Jorgensen (9:07 victory at Glenn Mills to earn the meet record). McMenamin seems like the best bet for a big drop in this race, but Jorgensen has been really impressive as of late. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him click under 9 minutes if things break right.

Two District two runners could be the biggest wildcards in this field. The first is Jacob Toczko of Tunkhannock. Toczko rocked a very quick 3k at the end of last indoor season (in the low 9 minute range) and trained with state medalist Jack Tidball a year ago. Tunkhannock has produced two medalists in the 3k already in recent years and Toczko could be a sleeper pick for #3. Also worth keeping an eye on is Matt Kravitz of North Pocono. This kid is a tremendous talent who has run around 4:17 for 1600m and broke 16 minutes at Hershey this fall. The last time he was on site at Lehigh, Kravitz finished 2^nd at Paul Short, earning top PA finisher honors. I believe he just committed to Lehigh for next fall which means he will have a little extra motivation to run a huge race here.

The 3k is quite wide open right now in my opinion, although Dahl, Brophy and Kirshenbaum have made names for themselves, at least one of those guys could easily end up a scratch. And the last few medals spots are anything but decided. Liam Galligan, who is fresh off a 4:19 mile, will have a chance to assert himself in the title discussions if things break right this weekend. But Henderson, Slavin and maybe Kravitz (who knows where his fitness is?) will be legit challengers. If Kravitz wins this one, be sure to look up Bobby Micikas in the history books. Then tell me if the comparison seems logical.

By the way, Jacob McKenna, Jacob Underwood vs. Dan Filler, Dan Kyvelos who will win the battle of the names? Did that really make sense? No. But did those guys deserve a mention considering their excellent XC seasons and potential to shine in this 3k? Yes. So sometimes you gotta get inventive.

DMR

They kept the entries for the DMR small, so I have to imagine the teams slated to run it are at least leaning towards putting out fast squads. Abington has Smith and Mitchell in open events, but I didn’t see Jake Good or Keon Broadus, so that could mean the Ghosts are leaning towards a fast DMR. They haven’t really chased one since the opening weeks of the season when they crushed a sub 10:50 mark. They already have PA #1 in the 4x8 (3:19 last weekend) so there isn’t a huge need to save for that either if they would rather focus on this longer event.

Of course even a stacked Abington team will have their hands full in this one. Neshaminy, one of PA’s breakout teams in the relay, appears to putting all their chips in the pot for this event. No Rusty or Conway in any event that I noticed and those guys are likely the 12-16 punch on one of PA’s other sub 10:50 teams. I’m very excited to watch these guys race and I hope they get some nice push. They have to be in the conversation for All-State in this relay as things currently stand and I wouldn’t rule out even more. This is a strong team on the rise who, if they choose to go fresh again at states, will be a handful for the other top teams in PA. Keep an eye on their middle legs to see who steps up to help the team try and break 10:40.

Also keeping a fresh DMR for the afternoon is Cheltenham. The usual 4x4 powerhouse has transitioned brilliantly to the long stuff (perhaps using John Lewis’s success as a catalyst?) and has quietly put together an awesome team. They are well balanced with quality at all spots and some underrated talents like Crosby and Griffen will be key in this one. They broke 11 early on this year at the Armory, but now need to lower that mark to keep a spot on the starting line at states.

Then there are a couple very intriguing sleeper teams. It looks like Unionville, Spring Ford and Quakertown have all left their top two milers off the performance list in this one. That means they are likely loading up a team that could break 11. I think this Quakertown team has the potential to really kill. Wolfinger has already run 1:57 this indoors and Delisle just ran 1:59 at Glenn Mills to beat a record held by Jason Weller (for those of you who don’t know Jason Weller is really good at running). Those are two brilliant end legs for the Q, now it’s just a matter of piecing the rest together. Spring Ford as their own impressive duo of milers with Conner and Smith (also a senior and a sophomore) and Unionville will likely throw down DelVecchio and everybody’s new favorite runner Kent Hall.

Lurking just behind these teams in the spotlight will be Carlisle and State College. Actually, considering how much I have floated out the idea of a stacked Carlisle DMR, you guys probably will not consider them lurking below the radar, but all the same I will continue. Carlisle has never contested a relay at indoor states (at least in my memory), but this year’s team with the Wisner’s and Kole is more than capable. They are relatively fresh, with Matt only doing the 400 (harder double than you think actually) and could really run something fast if things break right. I wonder if they will anchor Wisner or lead him off? Either way it is going to be fun.

State College is running Milligan and Degleris in open events, but Nick Feffer is absent (Joey Feffer is in the 400). Hopefully Nick is healthy and racing (he ran 4:25ish at Kevin Dare and was likely a leg on their sick 4x8-4x4 double at Susquehanna) which would mean they want him fresh for a run at one of the relays. Maybe that means SC will go after a 4x8-4x4 double here, or maybe they will bring back Milligan and another guy to try and steal gold in the DMR. I’d love to see a Feffer-Wisner 1200m show down (check out some of their recent XC battles as back up) and I honestly feel like SC could be title contenders in both the 4x8 and the DMR if they focus all their energies on those two events. So getting a victory in a top flight invite would be a nice first step towards achieving that goal.

As Bane would say, “Let the games begin.” But also not yet because it’s only Monday.

PS 443,427 vs. 475,100

Dahl to Millrose, Brophy 8:36 and CR Souh Makes a Statement

The weekend recap is coming, I assure you. But in the meantime, I figured I'd set up this post so you guys could discuss the action! Also, I figured I'd let you know my estimated state cut offs as of 8:28 PM.

4x800m: 8:16.97
Mile: 4:29.78
800m: 1:59.87
3,000m: 9:03.90
DMR: 10:51.02

Keep in mind all times are converted to the bank track equivalents for the sake of seeding/ranking. I'll get the full lists up shortly once I'm sure I have all the weekends results. We are getting down to the wire!

Enjoy the night friends. Don't do anything Ben Havleck wouldn't do. Well actually, that's probably not a great idea. Mark Miller seems like a bit more reasonable of a fellow.

EDIT: Here's the recaps!

TFCAofGP #8
Division II
In the 800m, Peter Cooke from Radnor took the title, running 2:00.12. That beats his previous season best from Ocean Breeze last weekend and shoots him up into the top 24 for states. As things stand, he's in if he wants the spot. The Junior is putting together a nice season and is the third different high quality 800m runner to come out of the Radnor program after Connor Holm and Andre Kelly who ran 1:56 and 1:55. Holm medaled out of the slower section at states back in 2013 so maybe Cooke can duplicate the mark with a well-timed peak.

Cameron Christopher of Wissahickon ran 2:01.59 for 2nd and Seamus Fromhartz of the up start Bishop Shanahan team took 3rd at 2:02.87. Christopher's time of 2:00.99 converted would have put him in the mix a year ago for a state qualifying position, but as things currently stand the state has had 36 guys run faster than him with a few more nipping at his heels. 48 guys in total are currently rocking seeds at 2:02.39 or faster for states. Last year, Kevin Hong got in with a 2:02.54 seed for reference (although I think that was at least in part due to people not entering athletes because they did not understand the rules, 2:01.31 was the next best time in).

Really nice run from Jack Carmody of West Chester Rustin in 4th place. He ran 2:03.70 in what is likely an underdistance for a mile/3k type. After this mark and his 9:07 at Glenn Mills, I could see Carmody challenging 9 minutes in the right race.

Ryan James ran away from a solid field in the open mile, winning by almost three seconds with a 4:34.95. Second place was sophomore Logan Yoquinto of Shanahan and third was Lukas Marcelis of Wissahickon, both guys breaking 4:40. For James, this is a great win and the second straight mile victory for O'Hara. Ryan is probably best suited for the 3k, but the underdistance victory should give him confidence going forward in either event. I'm looking forward to the O'Hara vs. LaSalle distance show downs at PCLs.

In the 3k, Matt D'Aquila really impressed. He ran 9:05 to win the race by roughly 16 seconds, just a week after he ran a big indoor PR at 2-miles at Ocean Breeze. He took another couple seconds off his seed time for the state meet and sets hmself up nicely for a late season run at a top 12 spot in the event. Ian Reid of Strath Haven took 2nd in 9:21.

I speculated about O'Hara's potential 4x8 run in a recent post, and they came out firing this weekend, ready to show the state just how good they really were. An 8:13 mark for a runaway victory in the relay was impressive. They didn't have Ryan James either (although I'm not positive he would have been in their top 4 800 guys). With Morro a clear medal contender in the 3k, the 4x8 may make more sense for this team than the DMR (although they could excel in that event as well). However, the 4x8 is pretty darn deep as is (Penn Wood and GFS made huge statements this weekend as did LaSalle) so maybe O'Hara will opt for the DMR once they run it at meet of champs (I should say if, but it's almost an annual tradition at this point).

Springside comes up big with an 8:26 for second to throw themselves into the mix for a late 4x8 run. I was very surprised by their performance and didn't see this kind of mark coming from them, but it's a great time and hopefully a sign of continued success to come this spring. The Haverford School, likely featuring 800 stand out Charlie Scales, took 3rd in 8:29. They have had an under the radar program in recent years, producing some nice 4x8s and some stand out mid distance guys like Tom Hopkins (probably more sprinter) and Lucas Elek.

Bonner will make another serious run at the DMR this year. After turning it on for the season's final couple meets in 2015, Bonner is looking to duplicate that recipe for success in 2016. They picked up a narrow victory in a stacked race that featured two other teams at 10:53 (Penncrest and West Chester East). As things currently stand, I have these three teams firmly on the bubble for states. But considering how wide open I think the DMR is (most teams focusing on individual events or 4x8s in some way or another), if any of these teams get in they are instant medal contenders.

Worth noting, Glenn Mills got the huge victory in the 4x4, running 3:30, despite the fact that likely their best runner was in the open 400m (and set a meet record over a dynamite runner in Drew Eckford). The 4x4 is beginning to become much more than the two horse race it looked like earlier this year with Abington and Penn Wood.

Division I
North Penn is one of the most decorated 4x800m schools in state history. Although they have yet to drop a killer relay on us this winter, we were reminded again about their abilities when Dante Watson stepped up and earned the gold in a very quick 1:59.00 at Lehigh today. He defeated Matt Kraus of Tennent (1:59.49) and both runners clocked the all so important sub 2 marks needed to push them up the state rankings. This was Watson's first big moment at 800m and considering his 400m speed he has showcased in the past, he may be a real sleeper to watch as his strength continues to improve this season. Kraus has been pretty darn solid in his own right (excuse my language) and I think he might have some family history to support him. Not sure if this is the same family, but I was looking through some old results and another Kraus from William Tennent had a 4:16 1600m PR and earned an indoor medal at 800m back in the mid 2000s. Small world ....

Meanwhile, the hits kept on coming as Pennridge's Matt Eissler and St. Joe's Prep's Stephen McClellan each clocked 2:00.4 marks at Lehigh for 3rd and 4th. Eissler is just a frosh and has been dynamic this year. I guess he and Luke Eissler are twin brother, both freshman, and both running really fast at 800m. Luke is around 2:03 in the open and Matt just ran 2 flat. Combine that with Howell, Desko, Espinal and one more 2:06ish guy in the open and Pennridge is sitting on a nice pile of depth. Considering Desko is an individual contender, Howell could be in the mix for the 4 and their 4x4 is coming on very, very strong, does Pennridge have realistic team title chances? I don't follow that sort of thing closely enough, but they gotta be in the mix for a team trophy right? Somebody who is knowledgeable about this sort of thing kindly drop some knowledge for us.

Tim Hogan and Luke Doughty also added a second straight quality performance in the 800m, both running 2:02s on a flat track. Jack Duffy of Horsham added a 2:03 to round out a loaded top 7 in the event. Also props to Collin Ochs of CR South who ran a strong 2:06.93 to win the slower section of the 800m. Considering South likely stacked their DMR, that's a very good 4th piece for them to have on the roster. I like this CR South team.

In the mile, Connor McMenamin of Souderton had a huge run, clocking a 4:26.94 for the victory. McMenamin seems to really be hitting his stride, and it might be coming just in time. The 3k is starting to creep up and become quite a bit deeper, so I'd expect to see him go after the 9 minute barrier in the coming weeks. He could definitely get there. This also gives him a high quality mile result and could put him in the mix in that event (although his 4:26 is amazingly only 20th in the state right now with conversions). Matt Scarpill of CB South, in what I believe is his first open event of the winter, clocked a huge 4:27 for second. This guy is a special talent who has been a clutch performer since his freshman year and also broke 16 this year at 5k. I wouldn't be surprised if CB South comes up with a barn burner in the DMR in coming weeks. You heard it hear first.

8th place in this mile was 4:35. 4:35! That's crazy. Rusty Kujdych finished 3rd at 4:30, Sean Brown had a big run for 4th in 4:31 and Will Griffen of Cheltenham added a 4:32. The top 4 guys all got the SQG, but as of now, I don't know if any of them will actually make it into the state meet. It's a shame because I'd really like to see these guys in the event. If Kujdych doesn't make the mile cut off, he has some decisions to make with regards to the 3k-DMR (could he try the double?). Sean Brown and Will Griffen are both having killer indoor seasons, especially Griffen who has had a big breakthrough in the longer distances like the 2 mile.

Eddie Goebel added a season best of 4:33.07 for LaSalle. Amazingly, a 4:33-9:05 type guy isn't in the mix on LaSalle's 4x8 and, I'm assuming, not on their DMR either. That's crazy and speaks to how loaded this team is. From top to bottom, they gotta be the deepest group in the state. But can they get that star they need to create relay greatness?

Speaking of relay greatness, while CB East decides which relay they want to run, Jake Brophy decided to unleash one of the best performances in Lehigh track history. In 2007, with spikes, Paul Springer of Unionville clocked an 8:32.07 at the PTFCA Track Carnival at Lehigh to defeat Boyertown's Jason Weller (8:45.78). Although Springer chose not to run the 3k at indoor states, he went on to run 4:12 and set the meet record, before clocked the 8:52 full two mile that still stands as the state's all time record. Now, 9 years later, Jake Brophy took center stage to clock an 8:36.71 (in flats?) and win over Tucker Desko (8:51.80) for a huge statement at the state lead.

Other than Springer and Brophy, I can't think of anyone who has found their way under 8:40 at one of these meets. That might be because there has not been anybody or it is because I'm forgetting someone, but this is a sick win for Jake and proves he is not afraid to do some running by himself if duty calls (and do it pretty darn well). If he runs the 3k, can anybody beat him? If he runs the mile, I think there are a ton of dudes with the potential to beat him, but the 3k it would be very difficult (although I'd love to see Hock try and run his legs out if healthy). That makes me hard pressed to imagine CB East will go with the DMR over the 4x8 for the second straight year. But I've been wrong before ....

Tucker Desko, by the way, has shown some sick range this year. His 8:51 paired with his 1:54 and 4:20, make him an all-state contender in all 3 individual events. Wow. I'm sure other guys have been in those shoes, but this is one of the sicker ranges I've seen in recent years. Kinda like super Will Cather who was the last guy I remember being famous for his range across the three events. And Liam Conway is heading down that road as well. Just a sophomore, but has clocked 2 flat, 4:26 and now 8:56. I was super excited to see Conway finally contest the 3k which I still feel could end up his best chance at a state medal (although he has really good speed).

Ben Ryherd of DT West clocked a solid season best at 9:14 just ahead of Hatboro's Matt Allen with Bryton Henry of Boyertown finishing off 6 sub 9:20.

LaSalle grabs gold in the 4x8 with a monster 8:09.97. Right when I was beginning to think they might have been too long distance oriented to run a fast 4x8, they make a big statement with a sub 8:10. I still am keeping my fingers crossed that they go fresh for the DMR, as I think they could potentially get a title there (especially because I'm leaning more and more towards a GFS 4x8/individual events). But they went 4x8 last year and there's no reason they can't just do both relays at states and excel. Lots of questions still left to be answered in the season's final month.

Really nice run from Perkiomen Valley in 8:17 that shouldn't go over looked. Perk Valley has a nice team this season and finally gets the chance to piece the talent together for an SQG. Could see a big DMR out of them as well perhaps, although I like their 4x8 a bit more at this stage. CB East runs 8:21 without Brophy and whoever they included on their 3:34. They've been very strong in the relay, whoever they trot out, it seems they find a way to get the SQG. DT East runs 8:25 despite having Hogan in the open 8 (very intriguing run by that squad) and North Penn runs 8:29 with Watson, O'Toole and a 3:28 prominently featured in other events. And oh yeah, they were in the slower section! Oh my. Something is brewing there. Also props to Central for cracking the 8:30 barrier with an 8:29.

One of my favorite stories of the year is the success of this CR South team. Joe Maguire is one of the more underrated stars in the longer distances and the past two years he has run huge legs on CR South's DMRs. They are now down to 10:43 which converts to #4 in the state. They are clearly very focused on the DMR and have this as an important long term goal. We (and whenever I say we, I guess I really mean me as you guys don't share your thoughts as detailed as I do) don't think of them as title contenders, but why not? Could they turn the tables on the state this year? Will the new indoor relay rules help open the door for an upset?

Meanwhile, CR North got a big run for second in 10:51. I have been a big fan of this team's relay potential, but they currently are just a tier below the elite tier in both the 4x8 and the DMR. However, we know this team can peak at the perfect moment. They did it during XC and they may be ready to do it again this year. Haverford runs a strong 10:56 and CB West adds a 10:59 for 4th to give the meet 4 sub 11. Curious who was on the relay for CB West. I'm interested to see if they are interested in running a DMR in the not so distance future.

The 4x4 was absolutely sick. Upper Dublin runs 3:30 to win the slower section and then North Penn and Pennridge unleash 3:28s! Pennridge is such a good relay school, just coaching up 4x4 and 4x8 contenders year after year. But North Penn suddenly looks like serious title contenders in the 4x4. I know Abington ran 3:19, but North Penn runs 3:28 on a slower track without Dante Watson who likely would be an extra leg knocking on the door of sub 50. Sign me up!

Wyomissing Team Challenge
The 3k was a loaded race at Kutztown as Nathan Henderson took his first shot at a fast time in the winter's longest race. He clocked an 8:57.93 to jump up to 11th on the indoor list as of right now, putting him in the mix for a state qualifying spot. If he hangs on and gets in, he will be a very dangerous competitor in the race. In this one, he bested Kent Hall, Zach Lefever and Kevin Lapsansky, among others, all of whom are some of the most talented distance runners in the state based on this past fall. Kent Hall clocked a 9:06 in his indoor 3k debut with Lefever at 9:10 and Lapsansky 9:15. I'm not sure if any of these guys plan to run at something like the PTFCA Carnival, but I think these guys could go a good chunk faster still. Kutztown is a nice facility with solid turns, but it's not a particularly fast surface.

Spring Ford took the victory in the 4x8, running 8:37. Considering the strong mile performances from Smith and Conner in recent weeks, I would expect Spring Ford to take a legit shot at a sub 10:50 DMR in the coming weeks, hopefully joining the crowded group of 10:50ish squads and getting through to states.

In the 1600m, Henderson continued a dominant performance with a 4:33.37, beating out Michael Delvecchio of Unionville (4;37) and Jesse Cruise of Cedar Crest (4:38). Brian Delaney of Manheim Township also broke the 4:40 mark. Cruise had is own strong double, running 2:05.65 for a narrow victory over Collin Ebling of Pottsville who ran 2:05.77. Ebling has been very impressive this season in the mile/8 type events and I'm excited to see how he continues to improve through outdoor.

Armory Invitational
Although the highlight of the meet was very clearly Andrew Hunter's absurd 3:58 high school record for the mile (a mind-blowing mark that I suggest any track fan watch online), PA did hold their own at the meet. Abington clocked a PA #1 3:19 well a balanced approach beating out fellow sub 3:30 teams Penn Wood and St. Joe's Prep. I liked Abington's decision to lead off Isaiah Smith and get a lead early with their best open 400 runner. Seemed like a very smart strategy that I would say paid off.

In the 1k, PA's Jaxson Hoey clocked a 2:28.31 for 4th place overall, finishing behind a pair of Millrose favorites in Aidan Tooker and Conor Lundy. He was about a half second off the lead and very competitive in the race, so I wouldn't count him out of the Millrose title chase, but he won't be the favorite. Sometimes that's not a bad place to be, however. I'm picking Tooker as of now, but I expect Hoey to represent PA well. For the record, Ritz ran 2:27.28 for 1k last year before running the PA state record in the mile.

But Hoey won't be PA's only Millrose participant. Nick Dahl took the victory in the mile, earning himself a spot in the prestigous event. He won the race by over 2 seconds and he did it with an impressive 2:01 close. I didn't see that speed display coming from Dahl, who hasn't proven his mile ability in the same way as his two mile and certainly doesn't have the same speed reputation as someone like Hoey or Brophy. But this performance was a big statement and now sets up Dahl to be competitive in not only the Millrose field, but also, perhaps, in the individual mile field at states. That could mean he will be running the mile-DMR double at states to optimize rest, but still give himself a shot at a well deserved individual state title.

But that GFS team has plenty of options. In the 4x800m, GFS became the first PA team to crack 8 minutes, running 7:58.40 and beating top programs Penn Wood and Abington. After a bit of a disappointing finish in the 1k the previous night, GFS's senior leader Grayson Hepp dropped a massive bounce back race with a 1:55 anchor leg. With the top times in the state, it's possible GFS could win either relay at this point even though I still believe their DMR is in a better position. Of course they have the individual races to consider for Dahl and Hepp as well as their 4x4 which is pretty solid (and features the same guys from the DMR). After the race, they said their focus is on the DMR for indoors and they want to break 10:20, so that's where I'd imagine they are leaning right now. But there's still plenty of time to change your mind.

Meanwhile, Penn Wood ran a huge season best in the 4x8. Dennis Manyeah and Seck both clocked sub 2 splits and the team dropped all the way to 8:02. They ran their two fastest legs first, an aggressive strategy, but it kept them in the mix in a fast field. Manyeah can still go faster (I believe he was the 1:58 leg) as he has run 1:55 outdoors and 1:56 indoors (in the open). Assuming Seck was the second leg (and split 1:57.0) this team has two of the top guys in the state at 800m. Not many teams have two guys who are already in the 1:57.0 or faster range (in fact, does any team?).

Abington ended up 10th in 8:09, but they did have 2-3 guys doubling back off the 4x4. They have 3 guys at 2 flat or faster in the open 8 and have at least a 2:04 for their 4th leg if not faster. They won't go quietly from the state title race. Especially considering their 8:01 from earlier this year is still PA #1.