The indoor season pretty much wrapped up this weekend, while outdoors continued to press forward, creating numerous national highlights. In this week's Monday News & Notes, we discuss the growing rivalry between Rachel Laurent (LA) and Shade Weygandt (TX) in the girls pole vault, the last results of the Michigan indoor season and a few more tidbits.
News & Notes Highlights
- Laurent (LA) v. Weygandt (TX) pole vault rivalry continues
- Foot Locker finalists Appel (CO) v. Nicolls (CO) at 3200m in CO
- Pennsylvania & Texas weekend wrap-ups
- Preview of the exciting week ahead
Monday News & Notes (3/31)
Laurent (LA) v. Weygandt (TX) Rivalry Carries On
Since last season, Rachel Laurent (Vanderbilt Catholic, LA) (pictured left winning NSIC, photo by Don Rich) and Shade Weygandt (Mansfield, TX) have had a budding rivalry. This season that rivalry has gone one step further. During the indoor season it seemed like these two traded U.S. #1 spots each week, one topping the other only a few days after the other would accomplish a top spot. While Laurent has pulled away the past few weeks starting with her NIN/NSIC double national title weekend and closing with her 14-00 performance less than two weeks ago.
However, Weygandt is far from conceding the top spot and took force this weekend with a 13-09.5 performance at the Bobby Lane Arlington Invitational (TX). That mark gives Weygandt the national junior class record in the pole vault, adding to her freshman and sophomore national records. However, Laurent posted her own great mark of the weekend with her 13-10 performance at the Braves/Tigers Invitational in her home state of Louisiana.
Runner's Roost of Fort Collins Invitational (CO)
Runner's Roost Meet Page / Runner's Roost Results
Runner's Roost Article (CORunner.com)
A few of the top athletes in Colorado took part in the Runner's Roost of Fort Collins Invitiational this past weekend. The highlight event was the boys 3200m which featured Foot Locker finalists Evan Appel (Dakota Ridge, CO), Bobby Nicolls (Regis, CO) and top miler Charles White (Cherry Creek, CO). Nicolls (pictured right leading Appel and White, photo by Beth O'Neill) and White took the race out fast, running a torid pace at the high altitude of Colorado, however, after nearly a mile and a half White dropped and Appel stayed on the shoulder of Nicolls. Into the final lap Appel drew next to Nicolls and in the two athletes final kicks Appel passed Nicolls to win the race 9:15.20. Nicolls placed second in 9:19.00, while White placed third in 9:32.79.
Two other performances stood out at the meet as well. Chase Cooper (Smoky Hill, CO) vaulted 16-00 in the boys pole vault to easily win the event. The other top performance was Matt Butcher's (Longmont, CO) 400m win of 49.19. Butcher beat a strong field that included four other athletes under 51 seconds.
Texas Weekend Wrap-Up (TX)
Reports from TXRunning.com - Distance Notebook / Sprint Notebook
All season long fans of the sport can expect big time results out of Texas. This historically strong track and field state posted some huge marks this past weekend, led by the best distance double of the year. Colby Lowe (Southlake Carroll, TX) posted an amazing 3200m/1600m at the Fossil Ridge Relays. Lowe ran 8:55.62 for the longer race, while winning the 1600m race in 4:12.20. Meanwhile, the top girls performance in the distance events was easily Chelsey Sveinsson's (Greenhill, TX) 1600m win at the St. Marks Invitational. Sveinsson ran away from the competition early on, crushing the field with her 4:55.74 time.
In the sprints, superstar Robert Simmons (Fort Bend Hightower, TX) ran a stellar 200m dash at the Rice Relays, winning the event in 21.43. Also at the Rice Relays, Donald Monroe (Angleton, TX) won the 100m dash in a speedy 10.46, ranking him number three in Texas currently. The top girls performance at the Relays was Diamond Dixon's (Houston Westside, TX) 400m dash win in a fantastic time of 54.58, which is the second fastest time in the state this season.
Pennsylvania Weekend Wrap-Up (PA)
Pennsylvania Weekend Report (PennTrackXC.com)
(Report by Don Rich) It was windy, cold and not raining or snowing... so all in all, not a bad way to kick the outdoor season into higher gear on the last Saturday in March. The Simon Gratz boys are on a mission this season. And it has everything to do with Memorial Day weekend and a certain meet in Shippensburg. Part of the plan is senior Frank Wainwright, who will be expected to contribute in four events, two of them involving hurdles and definitely the 4x400. As prep for such a busy meet, Wainwright ran on Gratz' winning 4x100 (43.59), 4x400 (3:23.65) and took the individual title in the 300 hurdles in 39.31. He also ran a leg on the 4th place 4x800. For his efforts, Wainwright was named the meets Outstanding Male Track Athlete. It was no surprise that Methacton senior Ryann Krais was named the meet's Outstanding Female Track Athlete after she won the 100 hurdles in 14.36 (14.34p), and 300 hurdles in 43.89. Krais also anchored her 4x100 and 4x400 relays teams to come-from-behind medals when the took 4th on one lapper and 5th in the four lapper. The Central Bucks East girls surprised a few people with their state title in the 4x200 during indoor... but came out of the starting blocks and went 50.04 for the 4x100. Shippensburg's Neely Spence started her final high school outdoor season with a meet record at the Tim Cook Memorial at Chambersburg HS, going 10:43.00 in the 3200. Waynesboro's Terrell Rickard in the high jump (6-07, PA#1). At Baldwin's South Hills Classic, moved up this year a couple of weeks, Christa Rogers of Quaker Valley got off to a quick start, running 12.70 to win the 100. At the Altoona Igloo Invitational, speedster AJ Alexander of Altoona knows what it was like two years ago when he was challenging older runners in the sprints. Now it's his turn to be pushed, and he responded with a 10.87 100 over sophomore Alex Kenney of State College, who was second in 10.98. Kenney did capture the 200 in 22.23. Alexander helped his 4x100 set a meet record of 42.67, which is PA#1. The javelin is always hot at any Altoona meet, and defending AA state champ Eric Skedel did not disappoint. His 186-09 was good for the win. He threw a lot farther earlier in the week. Central Cambria sophomore Kelsey Seymour was a double winner, taking the 800 and the 400. North Penn usually takes in the Oxenreider Relays to kick of their outdoor season. The boys swept through the relays, setting three meet records. The North Penn girls didn't win as many relays as the boys, but they were nearly as effective. At the Pirate Invitational at Palisades, Brandon Ellis of Norristown went 10.9 to win the 100. Teammate EJ Hadrick won the 400 in 50.9. Tamaqua's Casey Wagner started her season in the jav with a throw of 132-07. At the Jerome Benway Invitational at Saint Basil Academy, Swenson's Anthonia "Mouse" Ballard was a double individual winner in the hurdles. At the Chichester Relays, the Penncrest boys and Strath Haven girls showed their depth.
The Week Ahead
MileSplit's National Calendar
One of the best indoor rivalries this season came from the state of New Jersey where senior Mike Alleman (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and freshman Nick Vena (Morristown, NJ) traded victories over each other in the shot put all season long. Well, these two get their first chance outdoor to square off at the Kearny Relays (NJ) this weekend. While the start lists have to be released, both schools have this on their schedules and you can bet both athletes will want to face each other.
Perhaps the best all around meet will be in Florda, as the annual Florida Relays take place in Gainesville. Many of the states top sprinters, jumpers, distance runners and throwers will compete against one another, which should once again produce some great marks. Last year athletes such as Jeff Demps (South Lake, FL), Peter Dorrell (Blacksburg, VA) and Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity, FL) took part, as well as powerhouse sprint program Miami Northwestern (FL).
Closing out the indoor season, the W/TFA State Indoor Championships (WI) take place at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Many of the top athletes in the state will be apart of the meet. However, one athlete that won't be competing is Andrew Perkins (Watertown, WI) who chose not to compete for his high school squad this senior season of his. Perkins will be competing during the outdoor season but will be coached by his father and will pick and choose his own competitions.
