WK#2 4/3: Piccirillo, Nugent get 2 each at Bruce Dallas|DiFlorio 1:54.15 800|CRN 7:54.38 US#5 4x8

Summary and Photos by Don Rich

In the first eight years of the Bruce Dallas Invite, athletes, coaches and fans tolerated everything from heavy rains and tropical force winds, to thunder- storms, and even snow. So the sun-drenched day that greeted the teams as they arrived was a welcome change. Crisp in the morning for the 4x800, and comfortably warm in the afternoon for those tender early-season hamstrings of the sprint crew.

With great weather - and even with a slightly reduced field due to the holiday weekend - many of the record marks of the first nine years were toppled. 15 in all.

The first indication that marks were going to change in the record book came in the quick prelim times by Abington's Leah Nugent in the 100 Hurdles and by emerging sophomore sprint star Ronnie Gillespie in the 100 Meter Dash.

Nugent's 14.78 cruisin' prelim was over a half second ahead of the next best qualifier. And Gillespie looked equally as smooth, posting a rather impressive 'qualifier' of 11.12. In the finals of the 100/110 Hurdles and 100 Dashes, three meet records actually would fall.

Nugent was first with her PA#1 14.34, a tenth of a second better than her time a week earlier. In the boys' 110 Hurdles final, prelim leader Alex Eaton of Abington (15.13), was edged by a late-charging outside lane push by Brandon Harrison of Watkins Memorial (Ohio), who went 14.79 for the record. Eaton was 2nd in 14.86. And in the 100 Dash, expectations were met as Gillespie dipped under 11 seconds - in 10.98 to be exact - to take PA#1. There would be more from Nugent and Gillespie later in the meet.

But first, the 1600 Meter Run was the stage for PA indoor mile champ Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center. The sophomore is brimming with confidence, and set an honest, strong early pace that quickly separated the field, leaving her with just three quality competitors - Kelsey Seymour of Central Cambria, Kalyn Fisher of Lewisburg, and Kayleigh Perry of Eastern Lebanon County (ELCO). All four were hoping for times to get them into the Penn Relays Mile Championship of America (COA). With Piccirillo pushing the last lap, only Seymour was able to respond initially. But over the final 100, the four were close, and at the line all went under 5:01 - an incredible result for an early season meet. Piccirillo had her first title and meet record of the day in 4:57.65. Seymour was 2nd in 4:58.47. Fisher closed for 3rd in 4:59.96. And Perry fought through a 15 meter gap that had opened with 200 to go to take 4th in 5:00.90.

Watkins' sprinter Stephanie Robb captured another meet record for the Ohio school, going 59.78 in the 400 Meter Dash. But PA also had a 400 meet record to set, as Abington's Charles Ross cruised to a 48.69.

Two records were set in the relays, both by girls' squads. After an opening of 9:34.34 in the 4x800 Meter Relay, Lewisburg posted a meet record of 50.22 for the 4x100. And the Abington girls closed their meet with a 4:05.51 4x400.

Abington's Leah Nugent came back in the longer hurdles, running a 43.41 for the 300. And Watkins' Brandon Harrison added his 2nd win of the day, running 39.67.

It was Piccirillo meet-record-time again in the 800 Meter Run. Leading pretty much the entire way, she held off a hard-charging Kelsey Seymour (again) to win 2:16.29 to 2:16.94. And Cumberland Valley's Andy Flynn took the meet record for the two-lapper in 1:56.69.

The last individual record on the track for the day came from Ronnie Gillespie in a Finals-on-time 200 Meter Dash. Looking just as poised as he had in the 100, he went 22.99 for the win. The meet record he had been chasing in this event belongs to one Brady Gehret of Altoona (22.33)... but Gillespie has two years left on what looks to be a great track career.

Also attempting to use the great weather for a Penn Relays COA 3000 were Northwestern Lehigh's Lindsay Kerry and Leigha Anderson of host Cumberland Valley. The two quickly separated themselves from the rest in the 3200 Meter Run, with Kerr pulling away over the last 600 to win in 11:04.73 to 11:08.81.

The meet records in the field events were led by Abington sophomore Jordan Matthews, who jumped a record 18-02.25 in the Long, and also captured the Triple Jump with a leap of 37-01.25. Cumberland Valley's Alejandra Willequer threw the javelin 128-04 for a meet record. And Lower Dauphin's Brittany Whitmer clear 5-04 in the High Jump, also a meet record.

  
Reading's Imani Brown took the Triple Jump out 45-03.25 for his meet record.

A double winner on the track was Central Dauphin's Ed Schrom, who went 4:21.50 for the 1600, and came back in 9:46.85 to capture the eight-lapper.

And in the field, it was Penn recruit Jake Brenza of Trinity (Camp Hill) who won the Discus with a throw of 155-02 and then the Shot Put with a 52-foot toss.

In the team chase, it was the Lewisburg girls by a lot. Their 114 points was 42.5 points better than 2nd place Abington. And the host Cumberland Valley boys defended PA-honor by holding off the Watkins Memorial (OH) team 85-72.