This week’s notebook features the remarkable comeback of CB West senior Logan Mazullo and also highlights some of the SOL’s ‘unsung heroes.’ (Photo provided by CB West)
By DENNY DYROFF
The scholastic track and field season is speeding its way toward the championship season that starts with this weekend’s Suburban One League conference championships and continues with the District 1 and PIAA Championships over the next few weeks.
Athletes from the SOL will fare well at districts and states and familiar names will be grabbing headlines and dominating stories -- teams such as Cheltenham, Pennsbury, North Penn and Central Bucks West and individuals such as Cheltenham’s Chanel Brissett, Central Bucks East’s Jake Brophy, Central Bucks West’s Maddie Vilalba and Pennsbury’s Dasia Pressley and Olivia Sargent to name a few.
But, it should be noted that this season has a lot of other stories. These are stories that deal not with the standouts but rather with the unsung heroes -- athletes who have made this season a special season for what they have accomplished (even if it didn’t involve a gold medal.)
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There is the story of Central Bucks West’s Logan Mazullo.
“(Logan) had a collapsed lung a few months ago and is coming back nicely (4:51 to win the novice mile at the Neshaminy Invite on Saturday) but won’t make it into the varsity competition at leagues due to our league being so strong,” said coach Greg Wetzel. “He is a super kid.”
Mazullo, whose main sport is cross country, runs the 1600 and 3200 for the Bucks’ track team in the spring. This season did not turn out as expected for the C.B. West senior.
“Back in mid-February, I was running and my chest hurt,” said Mazullo. “At first, it only hurt while I was running. So, I stopped running. But, it still hurt. I went to my family doctor. He thought it was asthma and gave me an inhaler to use.
“He told me to give it a week and, if I didn’t get better, to go to the hospital. My condition didn’t improve even with the inhaler. So, I did what he said and went to the hospital.”
That visit was an eye-opening -- and a lung-opening -- experience for the young runner.
“When I went to the hospital, they did chest x-rays,” said Mazullo. “They found that my lung was 40 per cent collapsed and they immediately rushed me to the emergency room.
“An hour later, they were doing surgery on me. They inserted a tube into my left chest cavity. They wanted to suck the extra air out of the area outside of the lung. I spent six days in the hospital.
“On the sixth day, they turned it off but the tube was still in my cavity. They clamped it to see if it had corrected the problem. Fortunately, things were back to normal -- almost. My breathing was still difficult and there was still pain, but it was noticeably different. So, they took the tube out. It was only a small incision and it has already healed up.”
Mazullo then tried to resume normal activities.
“I went to classes starting in the beginning of April,” said Mazullo. “I began working out on a stationary bike 30-45 minutes a day. After two weeks, I started running one mile a day. Then, I moved up to two miles a day.
“By the end of April, I could run five miles a day. I’m consistently running five miles every day. There’s been no lung pain since I’ve been back and my breathing has been fine.
“I’ve run in two dual meets since I’ve been back. My first race was at a dual meet against Hatboro-Horsham and I did a 5:03 in the 1600. My next meet was a dual meet against Central Bucks East and I ran a 4:54. Then, I ran a 4:51 in the Novice Race at the Neshaminy Invitational.
“I was beyond happy with these times because I didn’t think I’d be able to race again this season. My p.r. (personal record) last year was 4:45. This year, my goal was to make districts -- but that didn’t work. Still, it felt really good just to be able to come back and run with the team.”
Even though he will not compete in any post-season meets this season, Mazullo’s running career is far from over.
“I’m going to Ursinus College in the fall to major in history and education” said Mazullo. “Before that, I’ll be training with the West team all summer. I’m definitely looking to be back in shape and run cross country for Ursinus in the fall.”
Mazullo is on his road to full recovery. But, there are some songs he probably should not put on his iPod -- songs like Berlin’s hit “Take My Breath Away” or Jerry Lee Lewis’s classic hit “Breathless.”
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The following is a nod to some of the SOL’s other “unsung heroes.”
Upper Moreland coach Doug Smith tipped his hat to seniors Phoebe Park and Abby Martelak.
“Phoebe is a senior thrower who through hard work and dedication has increased her personal bests in the javelin and discus this season by more than 15 feet,” Smith said. “She also picked up the shot put this season and is our top female thrower. She is attending Princeton University next year and has maintained her academic prowess while being a team leader, captain and possible team MVP.
“Abby will not make any top 10 lists in terms of her personal bests, but Abby is a student-athlete that I want on my team. Through the past year she has dropped her personal best in the 100 and 200, is willing and able to run whatever events the coaches ask of her (sometimes volunteering to the 3200 if needed).
“Abby is one of the first at practice and last to leave. She has been seen running with other Upper Moreland students that just want to get ‘in shape’ because of her work ethic and fitness level results.”
Pennridge coach Bob Hosier recognized several members of his boys’team.
“Jeff Espinal was part of last season’s 4x800 team that won the silver medal but was overlooked in most write-ups,” the Rams’coach said. “He is also a good 300 hurdles runner who has placed in the last two SOL meets -- and has qualified for the 800 in the district meet.
“James Masgai has come out of nowhere in the 800 and is poised to break 2:00 in the SOL meet He has improved over 10 seconds in the 800 in the last two weeks. Ryan Benner, who is in only his second year in track, has recovered from a winter injury to qualify for the district meet in the 100 and 400.
“Ed Bracken has gone from not clearing a height in the pole vault all winter to clearing 12-0 in the spring. John Nash, as a sophomore, has quietly qualified for the district meet in the 200 and 400.”
Central Bucks South coach Jason Gable cited several of his team members -- seniors Adam Moluk, Jasmine Noble and Lydia Fielding.
“Adam Smoluk has been on the team for four years,” said Gable. “He’s the team captain and a great example of work ethic and having ‘track smarts’ to know when and how and why to analyze his very technical events.
“He is a district qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles and triple jump. His time in the 110 hurdles is in the top three in the league and very close to district mark. He is ranked top five in District 1 and top 10 in state (both for AAA ranking) in the 300 hurdles.
“Jasmine Noble is on the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams -- both have district-qualifying and top five marks -- and has district-qualifying and top five marks in the 100 and 200. She has been on the team four years and is the team captain. Jasmine is quiet but is a leader by example and work ethic out on the track.
“Lydia Fielding is another captain and member of this squad. She is the outspoken leader of team by both understanding of the sport and example in both practice and competition. Her times in the 100 and 200 are right behind Jasmine’s times.”
Another hurdler of note in the Suburban One League this season is Rachel Smith.
“Rachel is a four- year varsity letter winner in both the 100 and 300 hurdles,” said Quakertown coach Jason Anderson. “We have been keeping records since 1997 of the top six in each event and she is on the list for both hurdles every year since ninth grade. She is a classic hard working Quakertown girl, earning dual meet points in pretty much every meet in both hurdles for as long as anyone can remember.
“She has never made districts, but has always been a consistent force on the track for her team. At the Lady Hatters Invite, she led the team with four medals as she and some underclass girls reset the Shuttle Hurdle Relay record here at Quakertown. Same thing at the Palisades Pirate Invite -- we joked that she needed a truck to bring home all her medals.
“She is a captain this year and it has been more of the same -- except this year she got strep throat, once-twice-three times! Her mother and her coach have sat her and kept her off the track as much as possible, but Rachel always finds a way to run her hurdles and earn points for her team. Rachel will go down in Quakertown Girls Track and Field history as one of the toughest and most understated hurdlers we have ever had.
“Additionally, Rachel works 20 hours a week in a restaurant in food prep and clean-up. She is the only girl as a middle child of six. Rachel is a tough young lady who works hard and balances school, work and sports.”
Gerry Stemplewicz, the Central Bucks East boys’ track coach recognized Evan Becker, a senior jumper.
“There are many ways to contribute to the success of a team besides one’s performance in a meet, and Evan has been a tremendous asset in many ways, mostly by the example he sets and by the growth he has shown in his mental approach to competition,” the Pariots’ coach said.
“Evan won a sixth-place medal in the triple jump at Indoor States and has qualified for sistricts in the triple jump this spring. But his contributions to the team behind the scenes go much farther. His teammates must have sensed he would be a good leader as he was elected team captain for both winter track and spring track.
“When a team has 80 athletes for winter and 130 athletes for spring, having seniors who can teach the younger athletes and lead by their demeanor and by their approach to training and competition is very much appreciated.
“Evan has been one of our top horizontal jumpers for the last two years, and he has improved not only in his distances in the long jump and triple jump, but also in his consistency and ability to bounce back from sub-par jumps earlier in a competition, thus showing improved confidence and mental focus as well as skill.
“Evan has also shown that one can balance scholastic, extracurricular, (theatrical leading roles, instrumental musical performances, etc.), and athletic excellence with uncommon discipline and a positive attitude.”
Quakertown’s boys’ track coach Sean Stetler talked about senior Ron Jon Cubbage, who has been making nice music for the Panthers.
“Ron Jon is a four- year varsity letter winner who specializes in the pole vault,” Stetler said. “He has consistently been one of the top performers on the team, scoring 23 points this year in dual meets, and qualifying for two straight District 1 Championships. His vault of 13-3 seeds him sixth in the district and he will look to advance to the state championship this spring.
“He maintains a GPA of 4.15 while having taken seven Advanced Placement courses throughout his high school career. Ron Jon’s success extends to his musical classes as well, as he is one of the top singers in the state and nation. This year he accomplished something no other singer in the history of Quakertown has—a perfect record of being selected for the State and National choir in every year eligible.
“This winter he was the first chair in the All-State Chorus, as well as a featured soloist at the National Chorus Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. He will attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University next year and plans to participate in Track and Field as well as the university choir.”
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