If I went to every area track and field coach and asked them about the injuries their athletes are battling right now, I could likely compile a long list.
Most would be the small, nagging type that everybody goes through during the course of the season.
Unfortunately, there would be major ones, too, like one Blue Mountain's Dakota Roberts suffered during last Tuesday's dual meet with Pottsville when he pulled his hamstring during the final leg of the 400 relay. It is hard to say if he will be back this season.
Marian's Nico Agosti, the reigning Schuylkill League champ in the 200 and 400 and an eighth-place finisher at states last year in Class AA in the 400, is also working through a pulled hamstring and trying to get back for the postseason.
So when athletes return from injuries, it is a good thing. That is the case for Tamaqua's Tyler Hope and North Schuylkill's Chris Karlonis, who both returned to action this week after missing most of the season so far.
Hope, a two-time District 11 champ in the javelin (Class AA in 2012, Class AAA in 2013) and state runner-up in the event in Class AA in 2012, has been battling a lower-back injury since football season last fall. When I talked to Raiders head coach Tom Kanger in March, he wasn't all that optimistic that Hope would be back.
But April 18, Hope, a senior, got the go-ahead to return.
"I was uncertain," Hope said Friday after he competed in the javelin at the Pine Grove Invitational. "I didn't want it to haunt me for the rest of my life. I just wanted to make sure it was OK before I did something."
In his first competition back in a dual meet with Minersville last Tuesday, Hope took first with a throw of 166 feet. At the Pine Grove Invitational, Hope won the event with a 171-10.
"It's a good feeling," Hope said. "It's been a while and I am pretty rusty. I've haven't been able to practice. I am hoping to make a run here."
During his road to recovery, Hope wasn't able to do much of anything except to do therapy for his back. He said Friday he doesn't feel comfortable on the runway and knows he has a lot of work to do before the postseason begins with the Schuylkill League Championships on May 7 at Tamaqua.
In the case of Karlonis, the Spartans senior had high hopes for the 110 hurdles this spring and in his first meet against Blue Mountain on March 31, he won the event with a time of 15.7 seconds. He also won the 100 that day in 11.4. But later in the meet during the long jump, Karlonis injured his right knee.
At first, it was feared it was an ACL tear. It turned out to be a hyper-extended knee.
Karlonis got clearance last Thursday to return and worked on the hurdles in practice.
"I asked him to show me he can clear three hurdles," Spartans coach Lafay Hope said. "He did and then I asked him it he could clear 10. He said 'Yes.' "
In his first meet back at the Pine Grove Invitational, Karlonis ended up with a time of 16.38 seconds in the 110 hurdles preliminaries. He went on to finish second overall in the event with a 15.98. Juniata's Nick Gilbert (15.97) took first.
Both Hope and Karlonis will have an impact in their respective events at the league meet.
Strong week for Tide druing Penn Relays
In case you missed it - and it is worth repeating - Pottsville had two athletes turn in fourth-place finishes during the annual Penn Relays Carnival last week.
Thursday, Paige Stoner ran a 9:37.81 in the high school girls' 3,000 meters as Hannah DeBalsi (9:34.57) from Staples in Westport, Conn., won the event. Then on Saturday, AJ Stevens reached 48-0 in the high school boys' triple jump. Clayton Brown from Jamaica College in Kingston, Jamaica, took first with a 50-4.5.
Since I started covering track and field here at The Republican-Herald 2008, it is the first time I can remember two athletes from the same school earning medals at the relays in the same year.
Hey, it had to rain for the Pine Grove Invite, too
Friday was the 10th running of the Pine Grove Invitational. I've covered every one since 2008 and something happened Friday that's never happened before: It rained.
The invite was dry at the start but around 4:30 or so, it started to rain. Finally, with the meet almost over, it let up and then stopped.
If it was to finally rain for the Pine Grove Invitational, this would be the year, considering the weather we've had this winter and spring. It was also the third area invitational that was affected by bad weather. It was cold and windy for the Tamaqua Invitational on April 5 - the meet was originally scheduled for April 4 but postponed by rain - and then it rained for the Jim Thopre Invitational on April 11.
As was the case with the first two invites, there were no meet records broken Friday, but Jim Thorpe's Khaaliq Lynch did tie the meet record in the long jump at 19-7, contested when it was still dry. However, the Pine Grove girls' 1,600 relay team of Jess Fath, Maddie Frew, McKayla Lally and Kelli Readinger did set a school record in the event with a 4:19.09.
Division titles to be decided this week
Pottsville (4-1, 4-0 Division I) wrapped up the Schuylkill League Division I title with its 78-72 win over Blue Mountain last Tuesday. The Crimson Tide boys (5-0, 4-0) can win the division championship with a victory today at Jim Thorpe (3-2, 3-1).
Both Division II races will be decided Wednesday when Schuylkill Haven (4-2, 4-1 boys; 4-2, 4-1 girls) travels to Marian (6-0, 5-0 boys, 5-1, 5-0 girls). Wins by Marian will give them the division titles.
The week concludes with the 44th annual Schuylkill County Relays on Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
(Carnahan is the track and field beat writer for The Republcan-Herald. Read his blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/) Schuylkill League Track and Field Honor Roll
April 21-26
BOYS
100 - James Close (Pottsville) 11.34
200 - James Close (Pottsville) 23.04
400 - Tristan Dickey (Blue Mountain) 50.39
800 - Humza Hnesh (Pottsville) 1:59.46
1,600 - Humza Hnesh (Pottsville) 4:36.84
3,200 - Jonathan Condly (Jim Thorpe) 10:03.13
110 HH - Bayne Keitsock (Blue Mountain) 15.84
300 IH - Jason Wilson (Schuylkill Haven) 41.63
400 relay - Pottsville (Aaron Kuperavage, AJ Stevens, Jed Dunkel, James Close) 45.14
1,600 relay - Blue Mountain (Cameron Greenawalt, Colin Richards, Rhody, Tristan Dickey) 3:31.84
3,200 relay - Minersville (Wesley Yutko, Eric Smack, Clement Rushanan, Ben Hinkel) 8:31.62
High jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain), Rayan Green (Jim Thorpe) and Larry McNeil (Mahanoy Area) 6-0
Long jump - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 21-1
Triple jump - AJ Stevens (Pottsville) 48-0
Shot put - Tyler Cavenas (Mahanoy Area) 48-11
Discus - Jason Sylvester (Tamaqua) 128-0
Javelin - Tyler Hope (Tamaqua) 171-1
Pole vault - Colton Cryts (Blue Mountain) 13-6
GIRLS
100 - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 12.64
200 - Alyssa Kondrack (Pottsville) 26.44
400 - Jess Fath (Pine Grove) 1:02.84
800 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 2:22.14
1,600 - Gabrielle DiRenzo (Pottsville) 5:23.99
3,200 - Paige Stoner (Pottsville) 11:58.64
100 H - Heather Skinner (North Schuylkill) 16.64
300 IH - Devon Matz (Jim Thorpe) 48.63
400 relay - Pine Grove (Ciera Geiger, Baylie Schneck, Kelli Readinger, Maddie Frew) 51.14
1,600 relay - Pine Grove (Jess Fath, Maddie Frew, McKayla Lally, Kelli Readinger) 4:19.09
3,200 relay - Tamaqua (Chelsea Frantz, Victoria LaBar, Rachel Jones, Monika Shimko) 10:08.87
High jump - Carly Gregas (North Schuylkill) 5-2
Long jump - Cassie Woleschok (Blue Mountain) 16-6.75
Triple jump - Sarah Lombel (Pottsville) 34-3
Shot put - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 37-0
Discus - Carter Green (North Schuylkill) 123-5
Javelin - Morgan Boyle (Tamaqua) 116-10
Pole vault - Rebecca Minehan (Tamaqua) 9-6
NOTE: Honor roll based on results reported to Republican-Herald. All track times have been adjusted to FAT.