By Scott Huff
Wissahickon boys’ track and field head coach Don Betterly is also a chess master of sorts as the veteran coach prepares for the stretch run of the outdoor season.
“You have to be able to move the pieces around,” said Betterly. “You have to go into a meet – whether it is a league meet, district meet, or state meet – with a game plan. Where are we going to be able to get the most points – where can we get a medal for a kid? It takes some time, and you want to be able to make the best choice.
“We have the (Suburban One League American Conference) meet coming up this week, but we really are a big fish in a small pond in that meet,” added Betterly. “Not to take anything away from the other teams in our league, but we really have been talking to the kids about winning districts this year.”
The PIAA District One Meet will be held at Coatesville beginning on Thursday, May 19, 2011 – and ending of Saturday May 21, 2001.
“We have the ability to do very well in the districts,” said Betterly. “Last year we took third, and we really had a great chance to finish second. The facility at Coatesville is great, and the kids are really looking forward to the challenge.”
Junior Max Hairston had two wonderful performances in the Trojan Track Classic held last week. Hairston qualified for districts in both the 300 and 110 hurdles. Hairston stopped the watches in 38.75 in the 300 hurdles, and in 14.96 in the 110 hurdles. His time in the 300 hurdles was a National Elite Performance.
“Max is running with much more confidence this season,” said Betterly. “He has the maturity and the consistency that you have to have to be an elite hurdler. He is attacking the race, and I think that his 48.9 split at the Penn Relays has a lot to do with it.
“Max and his dad (Malcom – former hurdler at Wake Forest University) have been working out together,” continued Betterly. “And he has continued to improve with every race.”
Another district qualifier for the Trojans was freshman Dave Stellato who ran the 400 meters in 50.14.
“That time was a personal best for Dave,” said Betterly. “But he is one of those kids that we will look at and see if he can help us more in a relay, or running the 400 at districts. That is something we will have to figure out the week of the district meet.
“There are a lot of freshman who would rather be part of a relay team than to run an individual race in a big meet,” added Betterly. “Some wait until their senior year until they feel that comfortable.”
The Wayne Helman Invitational was held at Pennridge High School for the first time without the venerable legendary coach patrolling the infield. Helman passed away last October, but his presence was still felt last Thursday.
“Coach Helman was around the track program all the time as a starter, and we have missed him greatly since the very first meet of the season,” said Pennridge girls’ track and field coach Bill Smith. “Not having him there at the meet that honors him was different, but he was missed by everyone way before that.
“His son (Mark) and his grandson were there announcing the events, and that was special,” added Smith. “He will not be forgotten.”
The girls’ team is in preparation for the upcoming SOL Continental Conference championship meet to be held this week at Central Bucks South High School.
“This is really what I consider the start of the outdoor season – league, districts, and then states,” said Smith. “Right now, we are behind both North Penn and Central Bucks West in points that have been accumulated during the dual meet season. North Penn is going to be very tough to beat, but anything can happen.”
Defending state high jump champion Anne Holland – who won the event with a leap of 5-foot, 8-inches – has been doing 5-6 consistently, but now the restrictions are gone.
“Anne has been winning the high jump and then stopping,” said Smith. “We have been very conservative with her, but from now on she will be pushing for greater heights.”
Holland is known for her standout performances as a high jumper, but she also is an excellent hurdler.
“It is not her # 1 event, but she is the best hurdler in the league behind Kayla Charles of North Penn,” said Smith. “She has qualified for districts as a hurdler, but a lot will depend on how her foot and ankle feel.”
Holland has battled a stress fracture in the foot area for more than a year.
“Her injury never really healed properly,” said Smith. “She qualified for states in the indoor hurdles, but we decided not to have her run in the finals. We will just have to wait and see how it goes for the rest of the season as far as her competing in the hurdles.”
National Elite Performances
@ Trojan Track Classic
Girls:
North Penn Knights:
Kayla Charles – 100 meter hurdles – 14.95
Meghan McGovern – 1600 meters – 5:06.77
Kayla Charles – 300 meter hurdles – 45.79
Heather Selheiner – 800 meters – 2:13.46
Quakertown Panthers:
Alicia Evans – 400 meters – 57.30
Boys:
North Penn Knights:
Jack McCauley – 1600 meters – 4:22.48
Chris Trimble – 800 meters – 1:55.26
Wissahickon Trojans:
Ben Ravetz – 1600 meters – 4:23.36
Max Hairston – 300 hurdles – 38.75
Hong Cho – 800 meters – 1:52.82
Sam Brooks – 800 meters – 1:57.91
Cheltenham Panthers:
Matt Gilmore – 200 meters – 21.48
Matt Gilmore – 400 meters – 48.11
National Elite Performaces
@ Rob Thomas Memorial – Neshaminy Invitational
Boys:
Council Rock North Indians:
Chris Campbell – 3200 Meters – 9:30.48
Truman Tigers:
Quinton Bryant – Discus – 152-2
Pennsbury Falcons:
Jay Jabat – High Jump – 6-7
Trojan Track Classic District Qualifiers
Boys:
300 Meter Hurdles
Max Hairston – Wissahickon – 38.75
Derek Newsome – Hatboro-Horsham – 39.72
Nick Swan – North Penn – 40.36
Nafis Spence – Cheltenham – 40.37
Blair Alston – North Penn – 40.43
4 x 800 Relay
Hatboro-Horsham – (Burns, Dempster, Hibbs, Clark) – 8:06.03
1600 Meters
Jack McCauley – North Penn – 4:22.48
Ben Ravetz – Wissahickon – 4:23.36
4x 100 Relay
Wissahickon (JH Park, JY Park, DeLegall, Dixon) – 44.10
110 Hurdles
Max Hairston – Wissahickon – 14.96
400 Meters
Matt Gilmore – Cheltenham – 48.11
Tom Scott – North Penn – 49.71
Dave Stellato – Wissahickon – 50.14
800 Meters
Hong Cho – Wissahickon – 1:52.82
Chris Trimble – North Penn – 1:55.26
Sam Brooks – Wissahickon – 1:57.91
200 Meters
Matt Gilmore – Cheltenham – 21.48 *** Meet Record**
3200 Meters
Dillon Farrell – Wissahickon – 9:28.13
Francis Ferruzzi – Upper Dublin – 9:36.71
Connor Quinn – Hatboro-Horsham – 9:39.01
Long Jump
Joey Smith – Norristown – 21-6
Pole Vault
SeJin Jeong – Wissahickon – 13-0
Girls:
300 Meter Hurdles
Kayla Charles- North Penn – 45.79
100 Meters
Taylor Williams – Hatboro-Horsham – 12.39
1600 Meters
Meghan McGovern – North Penn – 5:06.77
4 x 100 Relay
Quakertown – 48.52
North Penn – 50.51
Wissahickon – 51.36
100 Meter Hurdles
Kayla Charles – North Penn – 14.95
Ebony Grasty – Wissahickon – 15.53
Kim Musey – Wissahickon – 15.90
400 Meters
Alicia Evans – Quakertown – 57.3
800 Meters
Heather Selheimer – North Penn – 2:13.46
Sara Holl – Upper Dublin – 2:20.03
Lynne Deckel – North Penn – 2:21.97
200 Meters
Jody Ann Evans – Quakertown – 25.42
Taylor Williams – Hatboro-Horsham – 26.12
3200 Meters
Rachel Brown – North Penn – 11:30.49
4 x 400 Relay
Quakertown – 4:04.82
Norristown – 4:12.81
Shot Put
Tina Stewart – Upper Merion – 35-4.5
Taylor Harkins – North Penn – 33-0.5
Discus
Taylor Harkins – North Penn – 104-10
Kristen Morrison – North Penn – 99-9
Javelin
Nicolette Hill – North Penn – 119-8
Bridget Coffey – North Penn – 106-8
Long Jump
Kayla Charles – North Penn – 16-9
Triple Jump
Ebony Grasty – Wissahickon- 35-7.75
The ‘Best of the Rest’ @ The Helman Invitational
Meet held at Pennridge High School
Boys’ Results:
Central Bucks West Bucks:
Ian Kerr – 300 meter hurdles – 39.7
Raashad Williams – 100 meters – 10.6
Matt Sutorius – 110 hurdles – 15.0
Dan Ernst – 200 meters – 22.0
Pennridge Rams:
4 x 800 meter relay (Mike Rodriguez, Paul Detweiler, Joe Masgai, and Stefan Bruder) – 8:32.3
Joey Logue – 400 meters – 51.3
Jared Reed – 1600 meters – 4:26
Nick Olindo – 800 meters – 1:58.1
4 x 400 relay – (Chris Harling, Tyler Henry, Billy Lowrie, and Joey Logue) – 3:27.3
Council Rock North Indians:
Bobby Perepkzka- Pole Vault – 12-6
Drew Sauritch – High Jump – 6-2
Skyler Berry – Triple Jump – 41-7.25
Skyler Berry – Long Jump – 21-1
Matt Birk – Javelin – 167-0
Jon Raymon – Shot Put – 51-3.75
Mac Emery – 3200 meters – 9:54.4
4 x 100 relay – (Dan Ruth, Amo Ferguson, Austin Harley, and Josh Mindlin) – 42.2
Central Bucks East Patriots:
Sean Flemming – Discus – 128-0
Girls’ Results:
Pennridge Rams:
Lindsay Sheehan – 100 meters – 12.4
Casey O’Brien – 200 meters – 26.9
Jessye McGarry – 800 meters – 2:22.8
Tori Gerlach – 1600 meters – 5:02.4
4 x 100 relay – (Taylor Romeo, Natalia Pinkney, Sheehan, and O’Brien) – 50.1
Annie Holland – hurdles – 15.8
Annie Holland – high jump – 5-6
Council Rock North Indians:
Mary Kate Golding – 400 meters – 59.2
Kate Scott – 3200 meters – 11:05.1
Souderton Big Red
4 x 400 relay – (Kassandra Moyer, Allison Gallagher, Natalie Ross, Emily Dusellier) – 4:07.0
Emily Dusellier – Triple Jump – 34-4
Dana Billy – Pole Vault – 8-6
Central Bucks East Patriots:
4 x 800 relay – (Sara Romanus, Veronica Elder, Dara Lindsey, and Jackie Patterson) – 9:50.9
Kelly Knauer – 300 meter hurdles – 46.8
Danielle Kohn – Long Jump – 16-1
Devon Broglie – Shot Put – 36-11
Broglie – Discus – 92-10
The SOL ‘Best of the Rest’ @ Rob Thomas Memorial Invitational
Held @ Neshaminy High School
Bensalem Owls
4 x 400 Relay – 3:30.04
Brad Rivera – 1600 meters – 4:26.46
Council Rock North Indians
4 x 100 Relay – 43.07
Chris Campbell – 3200 meters – 9:30.48
Paul Wahlman – 300 meter hurdles – 40.00
John Raymon – Shot Put – 49-10.5
Council Rock South Golden Hawks
Tom Sternberg – Pole Vault – 13-0
Mike Spadaro – Triple Jump – 42-8
Neshaminy Redskins
Ryan DePinto – 100 meters – 11.09
Bryan Reice – 200 meters – 22.23
Bryan Reice – 400 meters – 49.57
Cody Minnig – Long Jump – 19-9.5
Pennsbury Falcons
Jay Jabat – High Jump – 6-7
Truman Tigers
Quinton Bryant – Discus – 152-2
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
4 x 800 Relay – 8:13.93
- Log in to post comments
0
