The two-day PIAA track and field championships open Friday in Shippensburg.
Many District 10 athletes will compete, and a good number are highly seeded. Here’s a link to a post featuring the PIAA performance lists and heat sheets.
Click below for a look at the prospects of some D-10 athletes at the state meet:
District 10 athletes enter this weekend’s PIAA track and field championships in Shippensburg seeded No. 1 in eight events.
North East’s Ryan Smathers, the Hickory girls and Wilmington’s John Yohman lead the way.
Smathers, a junior, is one of just two District 10 top seeds in running events among all four classes. He’s No. 1 in the Class AA 1,600 meters with a time of 4 minutes, 14.74 seconds. Smathers placed second in the state in the 1,600 in 2011.
Meanwhile, West Middlesex junior Clay Allen is seeded No. 1 in the Class AA 100 meters (10.78). Several other D-10 runners are ranked among the top five in an event.
• Hickory girls are seeded No. 1 in three field events, and the Hornettes have two No. 2 seeds and two No. 3s as well.
Hickory’s Corrin Regginello earned the top seed with her high jump of 5 feet 4 inches. Regginello will go for Hickory’s second consecutive state championships in the event after teammate Lauren Lubarski won the Class AA title in 2011. Lubarski did not clear a height in the D-10 meet Saturday, so she will not defend her title this weekend.
Incidentally, D-10 dominates the PIAA Class AA girls high jump seedings. North East’s Alexandra Schriefer (No. 2, 5-4) and Laurel Shickler (No. 3, 5-2), Greenville’s Linda Roldan (No. 6, 5-2) and Lakeview’s Courtney King (No. 8, 5-2) all are seeded among the top eight. (The PIAA does not list ties among seeds; when ties occur, the PIAA lists performers according to their finish at districts.)
Although Lubarski didn’t advance in the high jump, the Hickory senior should be a top contender in two other events. She is seeded No. 1 in the discus with a throw of 142 feet 3 inches, and she’s seeded No. 3 in the javelin with a 147-9.
Rounding out Hickory’s top seed is Jennifer Neider in the shot put with a distance of 45-4½. Teammate Taylor Woods is the No. 2 seed in both the shot put (41-8 ½) and discus (141-5).
• Meanwhile, among Class AA boys, Wilmington’s Yohman claimed No. 1 seeds in the shot put (60-3 ¾) and discus (171-11). Don’t overlook Hickory’s Matt Bell, who ranks No. 2 in the shot put (60-3) and No. 4 in the discus (155-9).
D-10 also has the favorites in the AA boys high jump. Two-time D-10 champion John Mudrey of Hickory is the top seed with a height of 6-8. D-10 runner-up Jeremy Jancso of West Middlesex is seeded second, also at 6-8. Jancso, also drew a No. 2 seed with a long jump of 22-5 ¾, tying the top seed’s distance in the event.
• Among D-10’s Class AAA qualifiers, Corry’s Jaynee Corbett is a No. 3 seed in the shot put (40-11 3/4). Franklin’s Abby Jones in the high jump (5-5) and Meadville’s Paige Kassab in the triple jump (37-10 3⁄4) both drew No. 4 seeds.
Central Tech hurdler Greg Miaczynski leads D-10’s AAA boys with a No. 8 seed in the 300 hurdles (38.86). He’s the only AAA boy from District 10 to be seeded among the top 12 in an event.
• District 10’s best chance for a state title in a relay appears to be in Class AA boys events.
Mercyhurst Prep’s 3,200 relay team of Paul Cancilla, David Benczkowski, Sean-Patrick Brady and Phil Martone is seeded No. 3 with a time of 8:05.05. Titusville is right behind with a No. 6 time of 8:06.71.
D-10 also has two top teams in the 400 relay: West Middlesex is seeded No. 3 (43.01) and Hickory is No. 4 (43.21).
• District 10’s best chance for a state title in a relay appears to be in Class AA boys events.
Mercyhurst Prep’s 3,200 relay team of Paul Cancilla, David Benczkowski, Sean-Patrick Brady and Phil Martone is seeded No. 3 with a time of 8:05.05. Titusville is right behind with a No. 6 time of 8:06.71.
D-10 also has two top teams in the 400 relay: West Middlesex is seeded No. 3 (43.01) and Hickory is No. 4 (43.21).
• How good is PIAA Class AAA in the 3,200 relay? Grove City’s time of 8:00.51 would be tied for Class AA’s No. 1 seed with Christopher Dock. In Class AAA, the Eagles’ time is good for No. 16 in the field.
• Mercyhurst Prep’s David Benczkowski has a chance to win a state medal in a relay for the second time this year. Benczkowski, more known for his swimming talents, was a member of the Lakers’ fourth-place 200-yard medley relay at the PIAA Class AA swimming and diving championships in March. He also placed second in the 100 backstroke.
Now, he will look to add a 3,200 relay medal to his collection Saturday.
• Benczkowski isn’t the only standout Mercyhurst swimmer who will go for a track and field medal this weekend. Senior Catherine Stark is a distance specialist in the pool and on the track.
She is a four-time District 10 champion in the 500-yard freestyle for the Mercyhurst swim team. She also qualified for the state track meet in the 3,200 meters and the 3,200 relay this weekend.
During the winter, Stark was a member of the 400 freestyle relay team that won a silver medal at the state swim meet. She also was a member of the fourth-place 200 medley relay team.
Stark finished third in the 3,200 run (12:04.50) at Saturday’s District 10 Class AA meet, but second-place Jessica Bennett of Slippery Rock will not compete in the 3,200 at states. That allowed Stark to move up one spot and gain the state berth.
• The Hickory girls finished second in the PIAA Class AA team race in 2011 and should be a top contender for the title this year.
The Hornettes have eight top-four seeds going into the weekend and several other medal contenders.
West Catholic is the defending champ after compiling 59 points to Hickory’s 41 in 2011 West Catholic again should be strong led by top sprinter Jada Steward, the top seed in the 100 meters and 200 meters. However, a new team that has emerged is Philadelphia’s Swenson Arts & Technology, which has the top seeds in the 300 hurdles, 400 meters, 400 relay and 1,600 relay.
– from staff reports
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