The 117th annual Penn Relays will be held Thursday through Saturday at Penn University's Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Once again, the Schuylkill League will be well represented at the meet as 20 athletes from four schools are scheduled to compete.
In fact, in the seven years I've been covering track and field for The Republican-Herald, this weekend will feature the most athletes I can recall from the league qualifying for the meet.
Here's a look at who will be competing from the league at this year's Penn Relays:
- Topping the list is North Schuylkill's Carter Green, who will be competing in the high school girls' discus for the third time at 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Green medaled in the event as a sophomore, finishing seventh, and she was 11th last year.
- Pottsville is sending two competitors this year - A.J. Stevens in the high school boys' triple jump at noon Saturday and Paige Stoner in the high school girls' 3,000-meter run at 5:45 p.m. Thursday. It is the first trip for Stevens and the second for Stoner, but her first as an individual as she competed in the 3,200 relay as a sophomore.
Stoner, who is headed to Lipscomb University in the fall, is also going to compete against her soon-to-be college roommate, Kayla Montgomery, in the event. Montgomery, from Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, N.C., was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago and won a state title in the 3,200 last month. Her story has been featured in the New York Times and on the Today Show.
- Another first-timer for this year's Penn Relays is Blue Mountain's Carissa Lorimer, who is taking part in the high school girls' javelin at 4:45 p.m. Thursday. Lorimer is coming off a school-record performance of 141 feet, 3 inches in the javelin last Thursday at the Breslin Invitational.
- Marian has the most athletes going as the Colts and Fillies are each sending down 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. For the Marian boys, Sam Tomlin, Lukas Damian, Nick Sully and Chris Bruno will run the high school small-school 400 relay at 10:40 a.m. Friday, and Dom Mussoline, Mike Grega, Tomlin and Bruno run the high school 1,600 relay at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
For the Fillies, Sadie Kosar, Emily Pulaski, Maureen Kloap and Grace Boyle are scheduled to run in the small-school 400 relay at 10 a.m. Friday and Christy Digiandomenico, Emily Sofranko, Pulaski and Kloap will run the high school 1,600 relay at 2:10 p.m. Thursday.
Leftovers from Thursday's Breslin Invitational
In addition to Lorimer's school record in the javelin, Pottsville won the boys' team title at the Breslin Invitational last Thursday, finishing with 89 points. Host Mount Carmel (75) came in second. It was the second invitational team title for the Crimson Tide this season after they won the Tamaqua Invitational on April 5.
The Pottsville girls came in second at the Breslin Invitational with 65 points. Selinsgrove ran away with the championship with 112 points.
The week ahead
Both the boys' and girls' Schuylkill League Division I titles will likely be decided today when Blue Mountain (5-0 overall, 4-0 D-I for both boys and girls) travels to Pottsville (4-0, 3-0 boys; 3-1, 3-0 girls) for their annual clash at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Today is the division finale for Blue Mountain, and if the Eagles' boys win, they will win the division. It is the same case for the girls.
For Pottsville, wins today coupled with victories at Jim Thorpe next Monday will clinch the division title.
Blue Mountain won last year's meeting 78-72 to take the division. The girls' meet finished in a 75-75 tie and the two teams ended up sharing the title.
The week concludes with the annual Pine Grove Invitational on Friday with Jim Thorpe, Mahanoy Area, Minersville, Nativity, North Schuylkill, Pine Grove, Tamaqua and Upper Dauphin among the area teams scheduled to take part. Blue Mountain and Pottsville will take part in the William Allen Invitational on Friday.
(Carnahan is the track and field beat writer for The Republican-Herald. Read his blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/) Schuylkill League Track and Field Honor Roll
April 14-19
Boys
100 - Chris Bruno (Marian) 11.44
200 - Tristan Dickey (Blue Mountain) and Khaaliq Lynch (Jim Thorpe) 23.07
400 - Tristan Dickey (Blue Mountain) 50.25
800 - Humza Hnesh (Pottsville) 2:01.07
1,600 - Jake Saxon (Jim Thorpe) 4:40.84
3,200 - Johnathan Condly (Jim Thorpe) 10:00.98
110 HH - Bayne Keitsock (Blue Mountain) 16.38
300 IH - Jason Wilson (Schuylkill Haven) 41.74
400 relay - Jim Thorpe (Justin Saltz, Deonte St. Hill, Samuel Gilkes, Khaaliq Lynch) 45.14
1,600 relay - Blue Mountain (Dakota Roberts, Cameron Greenawalt, Colin Richards, Tristan Dickey) 3:29.86
3,200 relay - Blue Mountain (Cameron Greenawalt, Derek Reber, Derek Mosteller, Tristan Dickey) 8:27.60
High jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 6-0
Long jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 21-9
Triple jump - A.J. Stevens (Pottsville) 45-0
Shot put - Tyler Cavenas (Mahanoy Area) 48-7
Discus - Grayson Umbenhaur (Blue Mountain) 134-3.5
Javelin - Jim Thomas (Mahanoy Area) 151-3
Pole vault - Colton Cryts (BM) and Pat McDonald (Pottsville) 13-6
Girls
100 - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 12.76
200 - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 26.83
400 - Jess Fath (Pine Grove) 1:03.24
800 - Monika Shimko (Tamaqua) 2:28.88
1,600 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 5:09.57
3,200 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 11:37.24
100 H - Kelli Readinger (Pine Grove) 17.14
300 IH - Devon Matz (Jim Thorpe) 47.43
400 relay - Pottsville (Brianna Lotz, Alyssa Kondrack, Madison Sherakas, Sarah Lombel) 52.29
1,600 relay - Pottsville (Shelby Hahner, Alysia Centano, Gabrielle DiRenzo, Paige Stoner) 4:23.57
3,200 relay - Pottsville (Gabrielle DiRenzo, Gabrielle Evans, Lauren Howell, Paige Stoner) 9:57.06
High jump - Carly Gregas (North Schuylkill) 5-0
Long jump - Cassie Woleschok (Blue Mountain) 15-5
Triple jump - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 35-3.5
Shot put - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 36-6.5
Discus - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 134-0
Javelin - Carissa Lorimer (Blue Mountain) 141-3
Pole vault - Rebecca Minehan (Tamaqua) 10-6
NOTE: Honor roll based on results reported to The Republican-Herald. All track times that were hand-held have been adjusted to FAT.