Like a good number of coaches, fans and athletes, North Schuylkill jumping coach Tony Chatkiewicz spent a good part of Friday's Olympian Invitational standing under something to keep dry.
In Chatkiewicz' case, it was an umbrella, only his was unique: It was a multi-colored, oversized beach umbrella, large enough to fit two or even three people under.
"People always appreciate it when I bring this," Chatkiewicz said.
He had just watched the Spartans' Carly Gregas win the girls' high jump in a downpour with a winning height of 5 feet. When I caught up with him, Chatkiewicz was watching warm-ups for the girls' long jump.
"I've never seen it this bad," he said about the weather this spring.
Indeed, the weather has been a big topic of conversation so far during the track and field season. From the leftover snow and bitter cold of March to Friday's on-and-off rain, the weather has been hard to ignore.
It seems as if some athletes can't get a break. Ten of the teams that competed during last Saturday's bitter cold at the Tamaqua Invitational, which was originally supposed to be the day before but postponed by rain, competed Friday in Jim Thorpe.
"It's been pretty crappy to say the least," Blue Mountain boys' coach Al Yackenchick said.
The repeated snows of January and February, followed by March's long run of cold weather - which has lasted into April and followed by days of more cold and rain - made getting outside to practice a challenge for everybody.
Yackenchick talked Friday about how, during the second of scheduled practices last month, he had his athletes bring shovels to school one day - he figured around 75 - and had them spend over an hour getting the track at the Eagles' Nest cleared off so they could practice.
Tamaqua coach Tom Kanger said his coaches worked on trying to come up with ideas to try something new during practices when the Raiders were stuck inside.
"This has been the worst season for us just to get outside," Kanger said.
Both Yackenchick and Kanger are fortunate, since Blue Mountain and Tamaqua have all-weather tracks. It's been even harder for those schools that have dirt surfaces.
The lack of practice time has no doubt set some athletes back in their training this season. It is true in all events, but is certainly the case for any events that require technique work, like the field and hurdles events. It is possible to do some drills inside, but almost impossible to practice those events in a gym or a school hallway.
Yackenchick feels that training for the pole vault has been the most affected by the bad weather this spring. Kanger felt that it is toughest on the hurdlers.
Still, the athletes have persevered and are coming around. Blue Mountain's Colton Cryts and Pottsville's Patrick McDonald, two of the top returning pole vaulters from last season, both hit 13 feet this week - McDonald did it last week, too.
As is always the case, performances are getting better as the season moves on. Fifteen of the 18 performances on this week's boys' honor roll were improved from last week, while 13 for the girls.
Perhaps if we get some genuine spring weather - it is supposed to happen today - the awful weather so far this spring can become a memory.
Cards, 'Canes provide unique finishes
It's common for a dual meet to come down to the final event, the 1,600-meter relay. But it is rare for it to occur for the both the boys and girls during the same meet.
That's what happened last Thursday between Schuylkill Haven and Pine Grove at Cardinal Stadium.
In both cases, the team that won the event was losing the meet before the event was contested.
On the boys' side, the Hurricanes were down 68-67 before the start of the 1,600 relay until Joe Brennan, Josh Mairose, Owen Pothering and Adam Seltzer won the race with a time of 3:54, lifting Schuylkill Haven to a 72-69 victory.
The Hurricanes girls had a 70-66 lead, but Pine Grove's Emily Weaver, Meagan Rittenbaugh, Kelli Readinger and Jess Fath won the 1,600 relay in 4:42, giving the Cardinals a 71-70 victory.
The week ahead
As we enter the third week of the dual-meet season, there are nine teams in the Schuylkill League with undefeated division records.
This week's big Division I meet is today when Jim Thorpe travels to Blue Mountain. There are a pair of key meets in Division II on Wednesday, with Schuylkill Haven traveling to Mahanoy Area and Pine Grove trekking to Marian.
By the end the week, the true division contenders will emerge, or the races will tighten up.
(Carnahan is the track and field beat reporter for The Republican-Herald. Read his blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/)
Schuylkill League Track and Field Honor Roll
For the week of April 6-12 BOYS
100 - Nico Agosti (Marian) 11.34
200 - Nico Agosti (Marian) 23.24
400 - Nico Agosti (Marian) 52.64
800 - Humza Hnesh (Pottsville) 2:00.78
1,600 - Jake Saxon (Jim Thorpe) 4:41.15
3,200 - Derek Mosteller (Blue Mountain) 10:12.05
110 HH - Billy Robbins (Pottsville) 16.34
300 IH - Jason Wilson (Schuylkill Haven) 42.14
400 relay - Blue Mountain (Colton Cryts, Tristan Dickey, Colin Richards, Dakota Roberts) 45.34
1,600 relay - Blue Mountain (Colin Richards, Cameron Greenawalt, Dakota Roberts, Tristan Dickey) 3:33.76
3,200 relay - Minersville (Wesley Yutko, Eric Smack, Clement Rushanan, Ben Hinkel) 8:36.03
High jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 6-0
Long jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 21-6.5
Triple jump - A.J. Stevens (Pottsville) 45-6.25
Shot put - Tyler Cavenas (Mahanoy Area) 48-8
Discus - Tyler Cavenas (Mahanoy Area) 138-6
Javelin - Jim Thomas (Mahanoy Area) 156-1
Pole vault - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) and Patrick McDonald (Pottsville) 13-0
GIRLS
100 - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 13.04
200 - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 26.94
400 - Devon Matz (Jim Thorpe) 1:03.94
800 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 2:19.33
1,600 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 5:00.83
3,200 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 11:56.44
100 H - Madison Sherakas (Pottsville) 16.84
300 IH - Devon Matz (Jim Thorpe) 48.97
400 relay - Pottsville (Brianna Lotz, Alyssa Kondrack, Madison Sherakas, Sarah Lombel) 52.54
1,600 relay - Blue Mountain (Shelby Whiteash, Kayla Tracy, Aubrey Abel, Katie Thompson) 4:27.47
3,200 relay - Pottsville (Paige Stoner, Gabrielle Direnzo, Lauren Howell, Gabrielle Evans) 9:58.95
High jump - Carly Gregas (North Schuylkill) 5-2
Long jump - Kelsey Sisko (Schuylkill Haven) 16-6.5
Triple jump - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 34-0
Shot put - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 35-0
Discus - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 133-3
Javelin - Carissa Lorimer (Blue Mountain) 125-8
Pole vault - Paige Demetriades (Tamaqua) 8-6
NOTE: Honor roll based on results reported to Republican-Herald. All times have been adjusted to FAT.