D-11 Boys’ Track: Miller, Guers grab 3A golds with record-breaking runs
Blue Mountain's Chase Guers stands atop the podium after winning the boys' Class 3A 200 meters in a District 11 record time of 21.24 during Wednesday's District 11 Track and Field Championships at Whitehall's Zephyr Complex. North Schuylkill's Luke Miller, left, was third (Photo by Brook Koch-Guers).
Minersville’s McGovern, Pottsville’s Durham also golden at district meet
WHITEHALL — The Schuylkill League’s top boys’ sprinters left their marks on the District 11 track and field record book Wednesday.
North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller and Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers captured gold medals in record-breaking performances during Day 2 of the District 11 Track and Field Championships at Whitehall’s Zephyr Complex.
Minersville’s Grady McGovern and Pottsville’s Donovann Durham also climbed to the top of the medals stand with gold-medal runs as the Schuylkill League qualified nine individual boys and a pair of relay teams to the PIAA Track and Field Championships set for Friday-Saturday, May 22-23, at Shippensburg University.
Miller and Guers will both compete in three events at states after awesome performances Wednesday.
The Class 3A 100-meter dash was a repeat finish of the Schuylkill League finals as Miller edged Guers at the line by one-hundredths of a second. Miller was clocked in 10.62, Guers in 10.63. Both times beat the previous District 11 record of 10.64 set by Wilson’s Damon Simpson in 2022.
Guers got his revenge in the 200, breaking the District 11 record in that event with a winning time of 21.24. Parkland’s Radnor Rowlands was second in 21.43, with Miller third in 21.68.
Guers’ time smoked the previous district mark of 21.60 set by Nazareth’s Julian Liaci in 2017. Miller’s time was fast enough to qualify him for states as the qualifying standard is 21.99. In Tuesday’s prelims, Guers was first in 21.98, with Miller second in 21.99.
Both standouts then anchored their respective relays to medal-winning runs that qualified them for states.
In the 4×100 relay, Miller combined with Daniel Brake, Julian Nelson and Caden Mengel to finish fourth in 42.61. Jim Thorpe won the race in 42.12, with Emmaus (42.12) second and Stroudsburg (42.44) third.
The Spartans’ time was faster than the state qualifying standard of 42.88, booking the team a trip to Shippensburg.
Guers teamed with Rafael Liranzo, Francesco Carr and Brody Moyer to break the Blue Mountain school record in the 4×400 relay with a silver-medal-winning time of 3:19.18.
The time was more than three seconds faster than their Schuylkill League-winning time of 3:22.94 and is the eighth-fastest time in Pennsylvania this season, according to the Lexicon Timing system that scored the district meet.
Southern Lehigh won the 4×400 in a District 11-record time of 3:17.38. Blue Mountain’s time was also faster than the previous district record, which was 3:21.17 set by Southern Lehigh in 2004.
The silver medal in the 4×400 relay capped a big district meet for Blue Mountain, which placed second in the team standings with 70 points. Parkland won the boys’ team title with 109 points.
Here’s a look at the rest of the Schuylkill League’s standout boys performances Wednesday:
Hurdle Rivalry
Pottsville’s Durham and Blue Mountain’s Liranzo have battled back and forth in the two hurdle races all season long. They continued that Wednesday in the 110 high hurdle finals.
Durham captured gold in 14.56, with Liranzo second in 15.06. By finishing first and second in the 110 hurdles, both runners qualified for states in both hurdle events.
Durham had posted the fastest time in Tuesday’s prelims (14.79) and maintained that Wednesday. Liranzo was fifth in the prelims, shaving .26 seconds off his Tuesday time while climbing three places.
The only other Class 3A medal won Wednesday was by Pottsville’s Colin McGinley, who took fourth in the 800 meters in 2:00.34.
AA Roundup
McGovern added to Minersville’s superb showing at districts (see girls’ story) by winning the 800 meters. The Schuylkill League champion in the event, McGovern was clocked Wednesday in a season’s-best 1:59.18.
Marian’s Jacob Tom and Schuylkill Haven teammates Brody Walchak and Ethan Kline all garnered silver medals, qualifying them for states.
Tom was second in the triple jump with a best leap of 44 feet, 2 inches. Tom also qualified for states in the long jump Tuesday.
Minersville’s Chase Zimerofsky was third in the triple jump at 43-7, just missing the state qualifying standard of 44-0. Salisbury’s Steven Lozada took gold at 45-2.
Kline was second in the shot put with a top throw of 54-1.75. He’ll compete in two events at states after qualifying in the discus Tuesday. Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Joshua Scherer won the shot put at 55-11.25.
Walchak, a freshman, was second in the 110 high hurdles in 15.76 seconds. Walchak came in seeded second, was second in Tuesday’s prelims in 16.11, then went faster in Wednesday’s finals. Catasauqua’s Joshia Lafond won gold in 15.28.
The Schuylkill League’s final Class AA state qualifier was Nativity’s Kyle McCormick, who took third in the 400. McCormick’s time of 50.57 just beat the state qualifying standard of 50.70. Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Alexander Pirog (50.13) and Catasauqua’s Cadeo Estronza (50.46) claimed the top two spots, while Nativity’s Robert McDonald (51.97) was fourth.
State Qualifiers
On the boys’ side, the Schuylkill League qualified 14 individuals in 20 events and four relay teams to the PIAA Track and Field Championships:
Boys’ AA — Kyle McCormick, Nativity (400); Grady McGovern, Minersville (800); Shane Meyer, Nativity (3200); Brody Walchak, Schuylkill Haven (110 hurdles); Nativity boys 4×800 relay; Minersville boys 4×800 relay; Aidan Ryan, Minersville (high jump); Dane Hannevig, Pine Grove (long jump); Jacob Tom, Marian (long jump, triple jump); Ethan Kline, Schuylkill Haven (discus, shot put)
Boys’ 3A — Chase Guers, Blue Mountain (100, 200); Luke Miller, North Schuylkill (100, 200); Donovann Durham, Pottsville (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Rafael Liranzo, Blue Mountain (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); North Schuylkill 4×100 relay; Blue Mountain 4×400 relay; William Shaner, Blue Mountain (javelin); Noah Lechleitner, Blue Mountain (pole vault)
