Updated girls preview with a list of top returners for every event. If we missed any (probably because we didn\'t know their grade) please let us know.

Updated boys preview. Breakdown of the top returners in each event.

The Woodlands Invitational was the highlight meet of the weekend. There was an incredible 26 Elite Performances.

PA State XC, Indoor Mile/3000 champ, and Foot Locker finalist Frances Koons has made a verbal commitment to attend and compete for the stories program at Villanova University this coming Fall.

If it wasn\'t for the remarkable Mile-3000 double by Allentown Central Catholic\'s Frances Koons with one meet record and a near-miss in the other, the two individual and two relay state championships by West Catholic\'s Nicole Leach would have stood alone as the best of the meet. But Koons got the nod as Female Athlete of the Meet, while Leach got her four titles and the state team crown. Koons moves on to Villanova (yes, she has made a verbal commitment), while Leach returns to chase state records and probably much more in her senior year. Not to be lost in this is Latavia Thomas\' US #1 800 of 2:08.47, breaking 24-year-old record of Upper Dublin\'s Kim Gallagher, 2:09.5h. More in the meet summary.

Coastal Carolina senior Amber Campbell (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) placed third in the 20lb. women\'s weight throw at the USA Track and Field Championships.

The first weekend of outdoor track and field meets start this Saturday with 10th Annual Relays in Beaufort, Greenville-Spartanburg Relays at Dorman in Spartanburg, and the Optimist Relays in Sumter. The GSP Relays is celebrating its fifth year.

Don called in some details on his way home from the meet. Papay and Radamacher share Boys Athlete of the Meet and Koons is Girls Athlete of the Meet. West Catholic takes Girls Team Title while Bensalem won Boys.

Photos from the awards ceremony at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls\' high jump, long jump, and pole vault at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls 3200 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls 1600 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls 1000 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls 300 and 500 meter dashes at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys shot put at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys 3200 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys 1600 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys 1000 meter run at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys 300 meter and 500 meter dashes at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the girls 4x800 meter relay at the 2004 Central Region Meet.

Photos from the boys 4x800 meter relay at the 2004 Central Region Meet

Various shots taken by Charlottesville coach Richard Lilly of the AA State Meet including field event, relay, sprint, and distance shots.

The state\'s best (at least most of them) are in State College for the 30th Annual PTFCA Indoor State Championships on the lightning-fast banked Mondo track that will help any athlete perform to their best. There are tons of great match-ups and individual performances to watch, but the key ones include:

After destroying the competition at their regional meet, there is no question that the Western Albemarle girls and Charlottesville boys are favored to win the state team championships at this weekend\'s VHSL Group AA State Indoor Track Meet. The meet will be held Saturday at Virginia Tech\'s Rector Fieldhouse in Blacksburg. The Western Albemarle girls are aiming to win their second consecutive indoor state title, while the Charlottesville boys are looking to improve upon their runner-up finish at last year\'s meet.

Former FPC miler Sam Vasquez had some adapting to do: going from winning every race to just being one in a crowd of top milers at the University of Arkansas. But now he\'s back on his way toward the top.

Princeton University is looking for a part time throws and/or sprint/hurdles coach to work with the Women\'s Track program. Anyone interested should contact Peter Farrell at 609-258-3522 or

Scott Hans today announced his decision to attend the University of Florida.

Perkiomen Valley took 2nd in the 4x800 at the Eastern States Championships at the New York Armory with a 9:33.21, the third fastest in PA this season. Sarah Roberts also got 8th in the Mile in 5:17.68, with teammate Carol Jefferson 12th in 5:19.02. Perkiomen Valley's Brittany Long went 2:26.87 for 800m. Chestnut Hill Academy Shot Putter Sean Plunkett was 12th with a toss of 51' 9", while teammate Tom Samph ran an 8.27 in the 55 Hurdles.

Seventh grader from Dresher runs with the best of \'em - And article in the 2/25 Philadelphia Inquirer by Ira Josephs

TSTCA Indoor Champs Action Photos

Photo Gallery of 2/21 TSTCA Champs @ Robert Morris University

Held on one of the best indoor track facilities in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the Prince George County's Sports and Learning Complex, four meet record breaking performances were found in this year's Northwest Region Meet.

Strength training and conditioning should be taking place year round, and it is just as beneficial to distance runners as it is to throwers.

Coastal Carolina tallied 175.50 points at the Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 21 at Rector Fieldhouse in Blacksburg, VA to capture the women\'s team title. The Lady Chanticleers took home six event victories on the day.

Spring Valley\'s 3200 meter relay team placed second at the University of Kentucky High School Invitational Saturday with a meet record of 8:05.23. The Vikings also set a dyestat indoor ranking standard in the process. Indiana\'s Carmel High School broke the eight-minute barrier with a 7:57.11, to seal the win.

Andrew Rademacher, Hickory, set the Indoor state record of 16-01 in the Pole Vault earlier this season, and broke it again 2/21 at Penn State. The new mark is an inch higher, 16-02. Glen Mills took the 4x400 in a US#4 3:21.98 and the 4x200 in 1:30.47. Central Dauphin\'s Ryan Whiting upped his PA #2 Shot Put to 62-05.25. Harriton\'s Kevin Baidoo took over the top spot in the 200 in 22.28, and also won the 60 Dash in 7.06 seconds. The PA #2 200 athlete, Shadeed Akbar of Glen Mills, won the 400 with a 50.61. Cumberland Valley\'s Jon Fulginite broke in the favorites with his 1:57.94.

The state cut-offs for qualifying for the PTFCA State Indoor Championships 2/28 at Penn State. Winners at the two Philly-area Meets of Champs, and the TSTCA Champs are auto qualifiers.

TFCAGP Meet of Champs Action Photos

Photo Gallery of 2/21 TFCAGP Meet of Champs @ Lehigh University

DVGTCA Meet of Champs Action Photos

Photo Gallery of 2/20 DVGTCA Meet of Champs @ Lehigh University

TFCAGP and DVGTCA Photo Galleries are on, action pix Sun+Mon. Most of the highlights are on from the girls and boys meets of champs in Philly, plus TSTCA in western PA and New York. Still no Penn State.

From all parts of PA, former PA high school starts scored points for their college teams on the first day of competition at both the ACC and Big East Championships.

Behind five event wins, the Seminoles defend their conference title in grand fashion.

The meet was exciting and the weather was great (hot) today at Lyman High School. Many Central Florida area teams unofficially started their outdoor season today.

Two meet records, one in the field and one on the track. Juan Cave, St. Joseph\'s Prep, cleared 6-10 on his 3rd attempt, and got a good look or two at 7-0. (Ryan Fritz, Octorara, 6-8). Hatboro-Horsham senior Mike Kenny pulled away over the last few laps to an 8:54.96 3k win. Cardinal O\'Hara, behind a 4:18 anchor by recovering Steve Hallinan, went a US#3 10:25.08 DMR (Greg Thomas 3:12.5, Pete Maynard 54.1, Mike Callanan 1:59.4, Steve Hallinan 4:18.8). LaSalle was 2nd in 10:27.41 (Chris Ross 3:08, Neal O\'Connell 53.2, Pat O\'Neil 2:02, Joe Fedorowicz, 4:22 - six second PR). Plymouth-Whitemarsh\'s Ozzie Brown leapt 22-6 for in the Long Jump. In the Triple Jump, Bensalem\'s John Thompson went 44-8.50, to hold off Coatesville\'s Clarence Smith by 1.5 inches. Nate Tussey, Boyertown, won the 60 Hurdles in 8:15. Central\'s Mike Wray was DQed. A close 60 Dash as Steve Slaton, Conwell-Egan, held off Phoenixville\'s Quenton Boyer 6.98-7.02. Matt Gould, Hatboro-Horsham, held off charging Eric Bowles, Upper Dublin, and Greg Williams, Henderson by less than a second, going 1:58.58. Williams also helped their 4x400 win in 3:29.24. In the next-to-last heat, Bensalem\'s LaMonte Lewis won in 22.62.

Florida State\'s men\'s team captured their fourth consecutive ACC title and second straight indoor championship with four individual wins and one relay victory at Clemson University. North Carolina\'s women\'s team won its second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference team championship title following the two-day meet that started on Feb. 20 and concluded on Feb. 21.

The sprinters showed some nationally ranked stuff at Robert Morris College. Bethel Park\'s Bobby Staten ran a top five US 6.1 55 and doubled with a 22.7 200. Ambride\'s Elyse Goode sent a US#2 6.7 55 and also won her 200, going 26.0. Mycaiah Clemons, Valley, easily captured the 55 Hurdles in 8.2. Erica Moody, Oakland Catholic, won the 400 in a strong 57.9. The Shot Put belonged to Allyn Laughlin, Center, with a toss of 41\'1\". Alexandra Acker of McDowell won the Pole Vault, clearing 11\'9\". Butler\'s Zach Vavro went 1:57.3 in the 800. State-leading Auston Papay warmed up for States with a Shot Put win of 58\'6\". Jon Crosse, Central Catholic, triple-jumped 44\'1\".

Archbishop Carroll, behind a 1:55 anchor split by Mike Tilger, goes US #2 (and definitely PA#1) 7:57.11 4x800 at the Coca Cola Hall of Fame Classic at the Armory (Ryan Kincade, 200.8, James Bucci 158.3, Mark Ellow 2:01, and Mike Tilger 155.6). West Catholic (N. Leach, K. Sheard, C. Lawson, L. Thomas) may have broken the US Catholic Sprint Medley record with their 3:59.81. Krista Simkins, Wissahickon, gets second to Natasha Hastings in 55:00 in the 400. Wissahickon\'s 4x200 also gets 1:42.47 (M. Crumlish, A. Baptiste, M. Kacher, K. Simkins). In the 4x400, Carroll\'s squad went 3:34.26, while the girls ran 4:06.77, one of the top times in PA this season (Emil Paffett, Devon Dupont, Rachelle Yankovich, Mollie Dugan ). Carroll\'s 4x800 ran 10:15.16. And Alex Baptiste, Wissahickon, triple-jumped 37\' 4-1/2\". Avon Grove posted a 10:22.06 4x800.

Radford University's track and field squad competed this weekend in the 2004 Big South Conference Indoor Championships. The men took third place and the women tied for fifth with Charleston Southern University.

Coastal Carolina

The VMI men

Virginia's McGavock Dunbar earned a second consecutive All-ACC designation with his third place finish in the 800m today, running a 1:53.90, just .01 out of second place. He then ran the anchor leg of the 1600-meter relay team , helping the Cavaliers to a second-place finish in a season-best time of 3:15.70. Overall, the Hoos finished sixth with 35 points.

The Virginia Tech men's and women's track and field teams wrapped up their final BIG EAST Indoor Championships with a fifth place finish for the men and a 12th place performance from the women. The men ended up with 57 points while the women scored 22 points. Connecticut won the men's competition with 160 while Miami successfully defended their women's title with 170 points.

The Prep League and LIS Championships held at Fork Union's Estes Athletic Center saw two of the most competitive team battles in recent history of the two meets. The St. Catherine's (170 pts) girls were able to hold off a challenge from Norfolk Academy (164 pts). Meanwhile, the Woodberry Forest boys went into Fork Union's house, the Estes Athletic Center, and took away the defending champs' team title as they won the Prep League Championships decisively with their 131.5.

Alexandra Brasington, the Upper Dublin 7th grader who has the 2nd best 3000 in PA this season, won the 3200 at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho in 11:13.44. Pocotello is at altitude.

Nicole Leach went wire-to-wire to win the 200 in a US#9 24.72. She also split 24.5 in the first spot to lead the 4x200 to a 1:43.96 win. Hatboro- Horsham (pictured) cruised to a 9:29.19 4x800 win as six teams went under 9:50. Perkiomen Valley won the DRM in 12:30.34. And Wissahickon took the 4x400 after a West Catholic DQ in 4:01.69. Angela Wells led an amazing group of Long Jumpers, going 18-10.25. Five other athletes bettered 17-4 with Strath Haven\'s Meredith Ryan 2nd at 18-02. Three athletes were over 33\'11\" in the Triple Jump, led by Kim Morris of Plymouth-Whitemarsh at 36\'4\". \'Tayvon Gray of Coatesville won the Shot Put by a ton with a throw of 41-0.75. More in the complete meet summary.

To make it easier for Teams and Organizations to subscribe to PennTrackXC, we will be able to add new team or group members any time of the year at the same special rate. Start with ten (or more) and we\'ll have an online method to add individuals, whose subscription will begin the day they sign on. Groups of ten or more that subscribe before March 15, get 15 months for $15/each/year.

Philadelphia Catholic League Championships Girls Action Photos

Philadelphia Catholic League Championships Boys Action Photos

PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival Girls Action Photos

PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival

The details for the third annual Florida Middle School Track & Field State Championships (presented by flrunners.com) are now available. The meet will be held on May 8th at Jacksonville Bolles. Don\'t forget there are also open events, for athletes of all ages.

The 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships is taking place this weekend at Clemson University. The meet, that is set for Feb. 20-21 is taking place in Clemson\'s new indoor track and field facility.

TSTCA Indoor Meet #5 Photos by Bill Rex

Following their victories at the Region II Meet, the Charlottesville boys and Western Albemarle girls have situated themselves as two strong favorites to win the team titles at the AA State Meet, which will be held on February 28th at Virginia Tech's Rector Fieldhouse in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Black Knights won the boys' team title with a combined team total of 156 to place themselves 110 points ahead of second place Turner Ashby, while the Lady Warriors took the girls' regional crown by nearly 30 points as they amassed 120 points.

Florida State received a verbal commitment from pole vaulter and decathlete Matt Frith.

We don' t always get the graduation years for athletes entered into our database with PTXC Elite Performances. If you see one you know, let us know. It helps. Thanks.

Photo Galleries of 2/15 Philadelphia Catholic League Championships @ Lehigh University

Two Photo Galleries of 2/14 PTFCA Track Carnival @ Lehigh University

California University of PA hires Two-Time Olympic Champion Roger Kingdom as assistant track and field coach.

Moise Joseph has left a lasting impression on the state\'s distance scene. The two-time high school state champion is now a senior at UF and is not holding back: he wants the NCAA title!

The pre-subscription sale is underway through March 15th. It\'s $18 a year for an individual subscription, and groups (teams, schools, etc) are $15 each a year with a minimum of ten subscriptions. Subscribe before March 15th, and get 15 months for the price of 12.

West Catholic\'s Nicole Leach took the 60 Dash, 60 Hurdles, 200 and 400, while Steve Slaton, Conwell-Egan, captured the 60 Dash, 200, 400 and the a US #6 Long Jump. Leach set three meet records, breaking two of her own, including the 60 in 7.83 and the 200 in 24.96. She also set the new 60 Hurdles record of 9.31 seconds. Slaton posted a US#6 and meet record 23-3.50 Long Jump; and took the 60 in 7.07 (7.05t), the 200 in 23.17, and the 400 in 51.36. Cardinal O\'Hara repeated (comfortably) as the boys\' Team Champs, while Archbishop Ryan repeated as the girls\' Champs by seven over St. Hubert\'s and ten over West Catholic.

Back-to-back individual state cross country championships, a trip to the Foot Locker National Cross Country Meet, and solid finish at the US Junior Cross Country Championships have solidified Tampa King High School\'s Laura Bowerman as one of the best high school distance runners in the country.

Lewisburg Coach Mark Sundberg reports that Chris \"Key\" Spooner finished 4th in an amazing field of high school milers at the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas on Saturday in a time of 4:12.98.

The Knoxville Track Club hosted the Volunteer Indoor Classic at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville on Valentine

What a meet for Krista Simkins and Wissahickon. Simkins posted a 24.69 200 (a new meet record), offered a 24.1 come-from-behind split to win the 4x200 in 1:45.61, and contributed to the 4:02.62 4x400 win. Angela Wells of Simon Gratz unleashed the US#2 Long Jump, a 19-05.50, and a new meet record. Harrisburg\'s Brianna Flagg took the top spot in PA with a Shot Put of 43-04. Mike Wray of Central posted a US#6 8.03 60 Hurdles (new meet record) after an 8.11 in the trials. Bensalem\'s LaMonte Louis also had a great day, going 50.13 in the 400 and anchoring the 4x200 to a 1:32.46 win. In other action, Brianna Flagg of Harrisburg had a battle with Coatesville Junior Tayvon Gray in the Shot Put, with both over 40\'. Flagg has a new PA #1 and US#3 at 43-4, while Gray threw 40-05.50. Jannea Bridgeford, Upper Darby, took over US#4 in the 60 Dash at 7.61, a new meet record. Wilson\'s Shawn Smith set a meet record in the Long Jump, going 22-6. And Central Dauphin\'s Ryan Whiting set a meet record in the Shot Put, with a throw of 60-1. And the boys 800 had four guys within a second, with Central\'s Mike Syrnick going 1:59.23, holding off Matt Gould, Hatboro Horsham (1:59.43), Eric Bowles, Upper Dublin, 3rd in 1:59.73, and North Penn\'s Haibo Lu, 4th in 1:59.87.

Lewisburg's Chris Spooner is in the elite boys Invitational Mile at the Tyson Foods Invitational at the University of Arkansas this Saturday. None of the entrants has yet posted a Dyestat Elite time this indoor season. However, the outdoor times of the four Texas entrants from last spring will test Spooner's fitness as well as his experience. (see story for those times)

Auston Papay, Sharon has pulled away from the state throwers with a toss of 65\' 2\", US#2. It\'s also a new PA state records, eclipsing the 64-11 throw by Baldwin\'s Ron Semkiw in 1972. Highlands\' Tom Slosky (in pix by Bill Rex) blew away a quality field that included Mike Booth, West Mifflin, and Josiah Leuenberg, West Middlesex, in the boys\' 3000 at the University of Pittsburgh Wednesday night, going 8:49.7. The 4-lane spike-friendly 220 yard oval is fast, and the times showed it. Center\'s Allyn Laughlin took the girls\' Shot with a throw of 41-2. Erica Moody, Oakland Catholic, stepped up to the 400 and won in 59.3. Hickory\'s Andrew Rademacher won the Pole Vault, clearing 15-7. Teammate Eric Sparks was 2nd with a leap of 14-8; matched by Baldwin\'s Ron Walter. Indiana\'s Kristen Morean won the girls PV at 10-6.

North Allegheny\'s\'s Shannon Yon cleared 5-04 to take the TSTCA High Jump Jump-Off @ Montour HS. Juston Nock, Seneca Valley, won the boys\' competition with a jump of 6-02.

On Tuesday Feb 3rd, North Penn took over the #1 spot in the 4x400 with their 3:29.44 @ Glen Mills. Glen Mills went to New York Feb 9th and returned the favor, getting the top spot in PA with a 3:28.5 clocking, good for 4th place. Shadeed Akbar went 22.3 in the 200 for a PA#1, getting 3rd in his race. He also went 50.7 for 12th in the 400. Harriton\'s Kevvin Baidoo won the 55 in 6.4 and was 6th in the 200 in 22.6. In the High Jump, Walter Brown and Baeshon Johnson both cleared 6-06 to go one-two in the High Jump. More highlights in the Summary.

Clarenchell Tate, running for Mt. Airy TC, posted a 6.99 win in the Championships Meet held Feb 8, but it wasn\'t her best time of the series. That was a 6.88 in the prelims of teh Feb 1st meet at Lehigh. The Mid-Atlantic USATF Indoor series consisted of four meets held January 4th and 11th, and February 1st and 8th, the lastest date the Championships. All were held at Lehigh University. From a quick glance, there were some excellent performances. Those making PA elite status are noted. Additionally, PhatBack Athletics notes the following performances by their team in thee 2/8 Championships.

Adriene Beltz of Hamburg took over the top spot in the PA girls\' 3000 from middle school phenom Alex Brasington, going 10:06.12 for the win. Maria Truskey, Central Dauphin, was 2nd in 10:31.51, while Christa Plummer, Palisades, took 3rd in 10:41.93. Truskey also took 3rd in the 1600, going 5:19.58 for the difficult double. Perkiomen Valley\'s Sarah Roberts was the 1600 champ at 5:13.64, while Kate Thaeder, Unionville, was 2nd in 5:16.24. In the boys Long Jump, Central Dauphin\'s Jamal James was 2nd with a PA #2 21-10.75. First went to Vineland NJ\'s Jamal Byrd, with a 22-01.25 leap. Read more highlights in the complete meet summary.

Lewisburg\'s Chris Spooner finally got a chance to race after not getting into the field at the New Balance Games earlier this month, and went 4:20.83 by himself. His 4x800 squad also won easily with an 8:17.84 victory. In the 800, Cumberland Valley\'s David Little won with a 2:00.17. In girls\' competition, Cumberland Valley\'s Jen Gray was 2nd in both the 800 (2:26.52) and the 1600 (5:22.63). Lewistown\'s Jordan Bauman won the 800 in 2:23.75, while Muhlenberg\'s Andrea Florida won the 1600 in 5:21.45. In the 3200, Chambersburg\'s Kylee Schuler took the win in 11:29.80. Also getting a couple of strong distance showings was Janelle Young of Cedar Cliff in the 3200, 2nd in in 11:50.15, and the 1600, 4th in 5:23.68.

You can tell they\'re cranking it up for the championship portion of the season. LaSalle\'s Joe Fedorowicz took over the top spot in PA in the 800 with a 1:57.3, just a nose ahead of PCL rival Steve Halllinan. St. Joseph Prep\'s Juan Cave cleared 6-8 again in the High Jump. Coatesville\'s Clarences is PA #2 with a Triple Jump of 44-06.75. In the 60 Hurdles, Boyertown\'s Nate Tussey went 8.0 for the win. In the 3000, another runner broke 9:00, with Tim O\'Neill of St. Joe\'s gong 8:57.6. Hatboro-Horsham\'s Mike Kenny was 2nd in 9:03.8. In the Shot Put, Andrew Dubs of Council Rock South set a meet record with a throw of 58-03.50. And North Penn won the DMR in 10:45.8.

Tuning up for States, Wissahickon and Upper Dublin went toe-to-toe and went 8:15 and 8:15.3 respectively. Upper Merion thrower Steve Tyson threw 56\' 1-1/2\" to win the Shot Put. Ryan Fritz, Octorara, cleared 6-4 for another victory. And a nice 3000 by Matt Gillin of Springfield (Montco), going 9:19.6.

Clarenchell Tate of the Imani School in Philadelphia, made it a perfect 6-0 as she took first in the 55 dash in 7.06 at Madison Square Garden in the Colgate Women\'s Games finals. In High School action, Mycaiah Clemons of Valley HS in New Kensington, was 2nd in the 55 Hurdles with an 8.37 clocking, and Lavaughn Jones, HS Eng & Science, 3rd in the 1500 in 4:48. Alex Brasington was 3rd in the MS 1500 in 4:52. Another notable performance, for which there is not yet an official time, included Jonae McAllister of GAMP, winning the MS 400 in 61:05. Complete PA performances (with times where provided) in Meet Summary.

Center sophomore Allyn Laughlin\'s 42-8 SP @ the West Virginia Flyers Meet #3 @ West Virginia University is a new PA #1. Penn Hills\' Sha-tira Snell took the 60 Hurdles in 9.36 seconds. Bethel Park sprinter Bobby Staten was fastest in the Prelims of the 60 dash with his 7.02. He won the final in 7.06 seconds. His 22.81 won the 200. And two Penn Hills sprinters, Renee Johson and Jasmine Cottle were 7.86 and 7.91 respectively in the 60m prelims. For more performances of note, read the summary.

Former Wyomissing runner and 2001 PIAA AA State Medalist in the 1600, John (Pete) Janson of the University of Colorado, won the Men\'s Junior 8km at the USA Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis, going 24:14, ten seconds better than future Buffaloes teammate Ryan Deak. Wyo Indoor Head Coach Matt Babiarz reports that Janson set the school record his sophomore year, and then his family moved to Texas. His 2nd place 4:25.31 in 2001 was just behind State Champ Andrew Diffenderfer of Greencastle-Antrim. Janson went on to post a high school career best of 04:10.52 at the Texas Relays in 2003. \"It hurt to lose him,\" Babiarz understated. Janson will now represent the US as part of the men\'s Junior XC Team racing March 20-21 in Brussels, Belgium.

J.C. Koziel is a sophomore at Northwestern High School. The Trojan has a 16:03 5K personal best and is the brother of senior Trojan Heather Koziel.

Cedar Crest grad, Altoona native, and 1990 PA AAA State XC Champ Nick MacFalls, finished 18th in the Men's 4km at the USA XC Championships during Saturday's race. MacFalls, a 1995 graduate of the US Air Force Academy, represented the U.S. Air Force, and posted a time of 11:49. He currently runs for Team Air Force, and has also run as member of the Nike Farm Team. For his PR's, read the story.

Several Texas athletes competed in USATF Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. The race qualifies the top six individuals to compete in the World Cross Country Championships held in Brussels, Belgium

The two post-season indoor championship meets are the Nike Indoor Classic in Landover, Maryland, and the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the Armory in New York City. We have included the links you\'ll need for information on both meets, including Entry Guidelines, Schedules, and Entry Information.

UF sent its squads two different directions this weekend: one to the Verizon Millrose Games in New York City and the other to the Husker Invite in Lincoln.

Three individuals and one relay team best the highly competitive field at the Husker Invite hosted by the University of Nebraska.

Jennifer Barringer of Oviedo High School proved on Saturday that she could not only compete with the best high school runners in the country

Vanderbilt freshmen Debbie and Amy Huss went 14th and 28th respectively at the USATF XC Championships in Indianapolis in the Junior Women's 6 km. Debbie was timed in 22:16, while Amy was clocked at 23:25. Click here for pix.

TSTCA Indoor Meet #4 Boys\' Photos by Bill Rex

TSTCA Indoor Meet #4 Girls\' Photos by Bill Rex

Frances Koons of Allentown Central Catholic has had a dream season. And an invitation to the Millrose Mile would seem like enough. But Koons wanted to do well there. Nothing diffferent that she stated before her 9th place finish at Foot Locker nationals in December. Koons shares her Millrose experience in an email she sent PennTrackXC late Friday night 2/6 after returning home from another very special day. (FYI, her next race is the 2/14 PTFCA Track Carnival at Lehigh in the 4x800). As she always does, Koons says a prayer before every race, and as always, she says at Millrose, \"a calm came over me right at the line.\"

Three girls cleared 5-05 in the High Jump, with North Allegheny\'s Shannon Yon getting first on misses. She and 3rd place finisher Nicole Smith of McDowell have both already cleared 5-06. Joining the 5-05 club was 2nd place finisher Jessi Cooper of Laurel. Smith did get an individual win, the Triple Jump with an effort of 37-06. North Allegheny Shot Putter Andrew McMillen won with a toss of 55-10.25. In the Pole Vault, Hickory senior Andrew Rademacher cleared 15-0, while teammate Eric Sparks took 2nd, clearing 14-06. Baldwin vaulter Ron Walter cleared 14-0 for 3rd. In the sprints, West Mifflin\'s Montel Williamson went 6.4 for 1st. Other notable performances included the girls Pole Vault, with McDowell\'s Alexandra Acker clearing 10-9. Riverside\'s Nicole Pitchford was 2nd at 10-03, while Greater Latrobe\'s Kaitlin Hewitt also cleared the same height. And Erica Moody of Oakland Catholic took two events, the 400 in 61.7 and the 200 in 26.9.

Three Bryn Mawr Racing Team runners finish in the top 47 in the Open Mens\' 12km race at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis. Terrence Mahon was 20th in 36:38, former Millersville All-American Mark Stallings (Great Valley) was 24th in 36:50. And Cedar Cliff assistant coach and former Cedar Cliff and Shippensburg runner Matthew Wagoner was 47th in 38:08.

Will Steele explores the concept of high-mileage running and tries to understand what really helps build your abilities as a runner.

Vanderbilt freshmen Debbie and Amy Huss went 14th and 28th respectively at the USATF XC Championships in Indianapolis in the Junior Women\'s 6 km. Debbie was timed in 22:16, while Amy was clocked at 23:25.

Steve Hallinan of Cardinal O'Hara qualified for the prestigious Millrose Games high school boys mile, but had to withdraw the day before because of inflammation in his heel. "He held out hope that he would be able to race, but when we saw the MRI Wednesday, we decided it wasn't smart to race, especially on that track," said O'Hara coach Tom Kennedy. According to Kennedy, Hallinan had some pain in his heel after the Hispanic Games, that came and went. He even wore a boot around school for awhile. The MRI was negative for anything except inflammation. "He even ran yesterday without pain." Kennedy called the Millrose organizers to give them the news Thursday, the day after the MRI results. Plans call for Hallinan to return to action at the PCL Championships on Sunday, February 15th.

Walt Murphy\'s News & Results services reports that the Millrose Games will be on TV Saturday 3-4:30 pm EST on NBC. They may even be able to include some coverage of the USA Men\'s Marathon Olympic Trials being run today in Birmingham, Alabama.

Frances Koons of Allentown Central Catholic had one of her best races ever, finishing 3rd in 4:57.62 (photo by Dyestat). St. Hubert senior Amy Kelly also represented PA well, getting 5th in 4:59.75. Way to go PA! Steve Hallinan did not start due to injury.

Two new PA #1\'s as North Penn continued to solidify their spot as the team favorite for the February 28 PTFCA State Championships. In the Triple Jump, Dan Jacques leapt 44-10. His middle distance teammates went 8:09.07 to win the 4x800. And the North Penn 4x400 took 2nd, but in a PA-best 3:29.44 (Winslow Twp. NJ) 3:26.74). North Penn\'s 4x200 was 2nd to Camden by just over a half second in 1:33.76. Central\'s Mike Wray captured another 55 Hurdles, this one by .01 in 7.60. In the 55 Dash, Penncrest\'s Andrew McCloskey went 6.64 for the win. North Penn\'s Jim Casentano won the Shot Put with a throw of 51-04. And in the High Jump, Bashion Johnson of the host school, was 2nd with a clearance of 6-04.

Black and white photographs from aspiring photographer and Citrus High senior Caitlin Montgomery from the Gator Indoor Invitational last weekend.

LouisianaRunning.com\'s Will Steele examines a few basic scientific concepts underlying each of the approaches to running.

There aren\'t too many corn fields here in Florida, but we certainly have orange groves. And that is precisely where our version of the story took place: in the middle of nowhere they built themselves a world class track.

Lauren Austin answered some questions for us. She returns as one of the top sprinters in the state and a member of the very talented Oak Ridge squad. She signed with the University of Miami this fall.

Scott Catone of St. Francis University reports that Tom Carey, Altoona HS grad is undefeated in the 35lb Weight Throw this season.

TSTCA Indoor Meet #3 Girls\' Photos by Bill Rex

TSTCA Indoor Meet #3 Boys\' Photos by Bill Rex

Lyman High School will host the first large high school showing of the Outdoor season with the Hy-Ly Games.

Elyse Goode took care of business in the 60 meter dash with a 7.90 win, but also stepped up to the two-lapper and also ran away with a victory. Her 59.69 is 5th in PA. Andrew Rademacher continued his weekend living over 16\' in the Pole Vault, clearing that height for the win. Teammate Eric Sparks cleared 14\' for 2nd. And Shot Putters Auston Papay of Sharon, and Andrew McMillen of North Allegheny, and Papay\'s teammate Dylan Page, went one-two-three, Papay with a throw of 58-10.75, McMillen with a season-best of 54-04.50, and Page wi a throw of 52-10.75.

Lou Hulst reports on some college action this past weekend that included PA high school standouts Tom Parlapiano, Ryan Fennelly, Pat Nash, Adam Breisch, Tim Carroll and John Butler. Ryan Fennelly of La Salle (St. Puis) ran a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8:05.45 in the 3k in Boston at the Terrier Invitational at Boston University this past weekend. Also this weekend, his former HS teammate Tom Parlapiano, a senior at Villanova University, competed at the Boston Indoor Games, anchoring the team\'s DMR to an NCAA auto time of 9:34. His split for 1600 was an impressive 3:58. At the Armory in a meet hosted by Columbia and Princeton, Adam Breisch (Quakertown) ran 4:12.82 in the mile for 6th.

The Shot Put is spectacular in PA this indoor, as evidenced by Rob Rankin of Upper St Clair going 60\'3\" to become the 4th thrower over 60\' this season. And the girls are just as talented. Center\'s Allyn Laughlin improved PA #3 with a toss of 40\'7.5\". Nick Ivancic of the Maple Leaf Track Club (OH) won the 55 Hurdles in 7.4. Two runners were at 7.5, Upper St. Clair\'s Tyler Orchowski, and Central Catholic\'s Charles Totten. Bobby Staten of Bethel Park blazed a 6.3 to win at 55 meters. Plum\'s Tracy Wilburn went 6.4 for 2nd. In the Pole vault, two Baldwin athletes went one-two, with Ron Walters clearing 14\'0\" and Shea Lydon clearing 13\'9\". In girls competition, the Penn Hills 4x200 posted a strong 1:46.2. Charielese Davis of Oakland Catholic (photo to left by Bill Rex) continued her strong season with a 7.0 to take the 55 Dash. Penn Hills\' Raquuel Bender was 2nd at 7.1 seconds. Sha-Tira Snell, Penn Hills, won the 55 Hurdles (8.5), while Oakland Catholic\'s Erica Moody went 59.1 to win the 400. Laurel\'s Jessi Cooper cleared 5\'3\" in the High Jump. A lot of strong pole vaulters, with soph Caitlin Hewitt of Latrobe clearing 10\'9\" for the win. Three athletes got over the bar at 10\'3\", Nicole Pitchford, Riverside,Kristen Moreau, Indiana, and Emily Pease, Moon Area.

Andrew "The Wolfman" Huston is a recent graduate of Episcopal High in Baton Rouge. He can now be found running Track/XC for LSU where he holds a pr of 4:13 for the mile indoors

Conestoga coach Ryan Comstock reports that Matt Sauls, who ran for Neshaminy and graduated in 1997, and had a HS PR of 1:59 (couldnt even qualify for districts), finished 4th in the 800 with a 1:51.91. Matt is now training with the Nike Farm Team. He was a three-time All-American at Lock Haven and was the 1999 DII National 800m Champ. (Read on for a link to an article in the Buck County Courier Times about Matt.)

Upper Merion\'s Steve Tyson set a Meet Record with his 55-10.75 Shot Put. Archbishop Carroll ran a strong DMR - Ryan Kincade (1200), Mark Ellow (400), James Bucci (800), and Mike Tilger (mile) - going 11:00.7 for the win.

Henderson\'s Greg Williams has the top 3000 time in PA by less than a second over Steve Hallinan of O\'Hara. In the process, he broke the 9:08.3 1998 record set by former Henderson star Ben Showers. Mike Wray, Central, also set a meet record, taking the 55 Hurdles in 7.6 seconds, bettering the mark of 8.0 set by Neshaminy\'s Tony LaRocco, set in 1998. In the 300 meters, West Catholic\'s Seth Mitchell won in 37.6 seconds, getting the nod over LaSalle\'s Drew Brandt, who was awarded the same time.

For Springfield (Delco) Pole Vault star Sara Dougherty cleared a personal best 13-05.25 in the Pole Vault to win the Penn State National Invitational over the weekend. The mark is an NCAA Provisional Qualifier, and currently ties her for the top mark in the US. The Penn State Vaulter is a senior. Other former PA HS PV stars in the competition included Pittsburgh\'s Marissa Dudek (St. Pius 2002), 4th at 12-06; Villanova\'s Michelle Ezzie (Upper Darby 2001), was 7th, going 12-00; and Pittsburgh frosh Leandra Golden (Hanover-2003 AA State Champ), was 9th, clearing 11-06.25. At the Bison Open at Bucknell University, Penn State\'s Dan Mazzocco was 11th in the 3000 with an 8:30.65; and former North Penn star Bradd DelMuto, a recent Penn State grad, ran 8:47.03.

Hickory Senior Andrew Rademacher cleared 16-0 in the Pole Vault for the 3rd time this Indoor. His 16-01 effort at January\'s Pole Vault Summit in Nevada stands as the state indoor record. Teammate Eric Sparks finished 4th in the competition, clearing 14-06 in a jump-off.

South Carolina high school track and field athletes competed at the Clemson High School Indoor Invitational on Jan. 31. Clemson University opened the new indoor facility next to Rock Norman Outdoor track and field facility on Dec. 5 with the Clemson Opener. The Clemson Opener concluded on Dec. 6.