HS Track Notebook: Fast starts, schedule changes, Week 1 Top Times
Blue Mountain's Chase Guers competes in the long jump during Tuesday's Schuylkill League Division I track and field meet against North Schuylkill at the Eagles' Nest (Photo by Brook Koch-Guers).
If the first week is any indication, it’s going to be a very successful season for Schuylkill League track and field athletes.
In last Tuesday’s league openers, three Schuylkill League boys’ sprinters posted times under 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash, which is very unusual for March.
North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller and Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers went head-to-head at the Eagles’ Nest, with Miller winning in 10.67 seconds and Guers finishing in 10.76. Those two times were among the top five fastest times in the state according to MileSplitPA.
Just up the road at Rotary Field in Schuylkill Haven, the Hurricanes’ Niko Carestia went 10.86, breaking Jason Killian’s school record of 10.88 set in 1992.
Those three times don’t include Minersville speedster Paiten LaPoint, who went 11.07 in the Miners’ win over Pine Grove.
WEEK 1 TOP TIMES: For a list of top times / distances so far this season, see below
Guers then posted a time of 21.73 seconds in the 200 meters, Schuylkill Haven’s Colton Reber went 22.31 and LaPoint ran a 22.43. Reber’s time broke Killian’s school record in that event, also set in 1992.
To put things in perspective, Guers was seventh at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in the Class 3A 200 last May in 21.87. LaPoint won the Class AA 200 state title in 22.16.
Other boys’ highlights: Blue Mountain’s William Shaner heaved the javelin 180 feet in his first meet, a distance that would have placed top 10 at states last year. Schuylkill Haven’s Ethan Kline established himself as the area’s top competitor in the shot put and discus.
On the girls’ side, Pottsville’s Alexa Giuffre won four events in the Crimson Tide’s win over Tamaqua, taking first in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and triple jump. North Schuylkill freshman Genevieve Dando has also been dynamite so far in the distance events.
When you think of the big picture, those times are off the charts when you remember it’s only the first week of April.
Stay tuned. There are faster times ahead.
Schedule Update
Today’s cold temperatures have prompted several schedule changes for today’s round of Schuylkill League dual meets:
Pine Grove at North Schuylkill — Moved to Wednesday
Shenandoah Valley at Schuylkill Haven — Moved to Wednesday
Weatherly, Panther Valley at Mahanoy Area — Moved to Thursday
Still on tap, as of this morning: Minersville at Tamaqua, Blue Mountain at Pottsville
Local Invitationals
The Schuylkill League schedule features dual meets every Tuesday. In addition to those contests, there are several local invitationals on tap this season.
Here’s a quick rundown, with the local teams scheduled to attend:
Saturday, April 11 — Tamaqua Invitational (Mahanoy Area, Marian, Nativity, Panther Valley, Pine Grove, Pottsville, Tamaqua), 10 a.m.
Friday, April 17 — Pine Grove Invitational (Mahanoy Area, Marian, Minersville, Nativity, Pine Grove, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Tamaqua), 3 p.m.
Friday, April 24 — Blue Mountain Invitational (Blue Mountain, Mahanoy Area, Marian, Nativity, Pine Grove, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven), 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 30 — Jim Thorpe Invitational (Blue Mountain, Marian, Nativity, North Schuylkill, Schuylkill Haven), 1:30 p.m.
As for the postseason:
Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships — Tuesday-Wednesday, May 5-6, at Blue Mountain
District 11 Track and Field Championships — Tuesday-Wednesday, May 12-13, at Whitehall’s Zephyr Complex
PIAA Track and Field Championships — Friday-Saturday, May 22-23, at Shippensburg University, 9 a.m. both days
Breslin Relays results
North Schuylkill and Panther Valley competed in the annual Breslin Relays at Mount Carmel’s Silver Bowl on Thursday.
The Spartans’ Luke Miller and Genevieve Dando captured gold medals, with Miller taking first in the boys’ 200 meters in 22.52 while Dando won the girls’ 1600 in 5:32.74.
Here are top-eight results for the Spartans and Panthers:
BOYS
100 — 6. Daniel Brake (NS) 11.36
200 — 1. Luke Miller (NS) 22.52, 4. Daniel Brake (NS) 23.99
400 relay — 3. North Schuylkill (Brake, Nelson, Mengel, Miller) 44.01
1600 relay — 4. North Schuylkill (Torres, Rader, Kacilowicz, Nelson) 3:40.73
GIRLS
400 — 5. Tatiana Salefski (NS) 1:04.84
1600 — 1. Genevieve Dando (NS) 5:32.74
3200 — 4. Genevieve Dando (NS) 12:42.36
300 hurdles — 4. Olivia Greblick (NS) 52.54
1600 relay — 5. North Schuylkill (Ossman, Holmes, Rockwell, Salefski) 4:45.41
Long Jump — 5. Mia McDonald (NS) 15-1.5, 8. Morgan Orsulak (PV) 14-7.5
Top Times / Distances
T102 Sports Now will publish the top times and distances by Schuylkill League Track and Field athletes in each event every Monday or Tuesday throughout the season.
Here’s the Week 1 edition:
T102 Sports Now
Schuylkill League Track and Field
Top Times / Distances List
(Through meets held April 6)
BOYS
| Event | Athlete | School | Time/Dis | When |
| 100 | Luke Miller | North Schuylkill | 10.67 | 3-31 at BM |
| 200 | Chase Guers | Blue Mountain | 21.73 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 400 | Brody Moyer | Blue Mountain | 53.70 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 800 | Tyler Buchman | Blue Mountain | 2:07.06 | 3-25 at Exeter |
| 1600 | Shane Meyer | Nativity | 4:51.90 | 3-31 at SH |
| 3200 | Grayson Meck | Blue Mountain | 10:43.18 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 110 hurdles | Donovan Durham | Pottsville | 14.75 | 3-31 vs. Tam |
| 300 hurdles | Rafael Liranzo | Blue Mountain | 40.24 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 400 relay | North Schuylkill | 43.49 | 3-31 at BM | |
| 1600 relay | North Schuylkill | 3:37.27 | 3-31 at BM | |
| 3200 relay | Blue Mountain | 8:51.03 | 3-31 vs. NS | |
| High Jump | Xavier McNally | North Schuylkill | 6-0 | 3-26 vs. PV |
| Long Jump | Chase Guers | Blue Mountain | 21-1.75 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| Triple Jump | Chase Guers | Blue Mountain | 42-3 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| Shot Put | Ethan Kline | Schuylkill Haven | 46-9.5 | 3-31 vs. Nat |
| Discus | Ethan Kline | Schuylkill Haven | 141-4 | 3-31 vs. Nat |
| Javelin | William Shaner | Blue Mountain | 180-10 | 3-25 at Exeter |
| Pole Vault | Dalton Minnick | Blue Mountain | 12-6 | 3-31 vs. NS |
GIRLS
| 100 | Sophia Spolski | Blue Mountain | 12.79 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 200 | Sophia Spolski | Blue Mountain | 26.80 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 400 | Ava Terefencko | Schuylkill Haven | 1:03.71 | 3-31 vs. Nat |
| 800 | Emma Lazarchick | Blue Mountain | 2:35.90 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| 1600 | Genevieve Dando | North Schuylkill | 5:32.74 | 4-2, Breslin |
| 3200 | Genevieve Dando | North Schuylkill | 12:42.36 | 4-2, Breslin |
| 100 hurdles | Alexa Giuffre | Pottsville | 15.35 | 3-31 vs. Tam |
| 300 hurdles | Alexa Giuffre | Pottsville | 47.65 | 3-31 vs. Tam |
| 400 relay | North Schuylkill | 51.53 | 3-26 vs. PV | |
| 1600 relay | Blue Mountain | 4:06.70 | 3-31 vs. NS | |
| 3200 relay | Tamaqua | 11:07.77 | 3-31 at Potts | |
| High Jump | Evangelina Fisher | Blue Mountain | 5-2 | 3-25 at Exeter |
| Long Jump | Alexa Giuffre | Pottsville | 18-3 | 3-31 vs. Tam |
| Triple Jump | Alexa Giuffre | Pottsville | 36-2 | 3-31 vs. Tam |
| Shot Put | Arianna John | Minersville | 34-6 | 3-31 vs. PG |
| Discus | Sophia Woll | Blue Mountain | 104-4 | 3-31 vs. NS |
| Javelin | Avery Miller | Minersville | 113-4 | 3-31 vs. PG |
| Pole Vault | Alyssa Cook | Minersville | 9-6 | 3-31 vs. PG |
— Compiled by Leroy Boyer, T102 Sports Now
