Salesianum, Padua break state records at Penn Relays: How it unfolded
PHILADELPHIA – In national-class fields an hour apart Friday night, Salesianum and Padua rode the fervor of Penn Relays to break state records in the distance medley and 4x800 relays.
In between, Tatnall finished second in the girls distance medley, and Isabelle Walsh of Middletown and Carlita Kaliher of Tatnall produced individual finishes of historic measure. With Delaware athletes competing in five of seven consecutive high school championship races, here is how the 5 o'clock hour played out at Franklin Field.
5:10 p.m. Ethan Walther took the baton in ninth place for his 1,600-meter distance medley anchor leg. Two runners passed the Salesianum junior and together they worked up to a group of a half dozen athletes in a chase pack behind the two race leaders. Walther pressed the entire final lap and found an extra gear in the last 200 to pull Salesianum into fifth place with a time of 10:12.28.
Walther ran 4:10.65, the fastest 1,600 split of the race. Jimmy Kennedy battled traffic early on the 1,200-meter leg, then gave way to Bishop Lane, the heat's fastest 400-meter runner with a split of 49.19, and 800 runner Vance Barbato.
Salesianum broke the state record of 10:17.28 set by Delcastle's Cornelius Jones, Robert Richardson, Gua-wan Smith and Anthony Stewart in a third-place finish at the 1989 Penn Relays. Until this year, no Delaware team had come within 10 seconds of the record.
Was breaking 10:17 the goal entering Friday?
"It was either that or win," said Walther, who ran roughly nine seconds faster than Stewart's reported 4:19 anchor leg. "And we got one of them so, that's not too bad."
5:20 p.m. "Tatnall" echoed through the loud speakers as the public address announcer narrated the Hornets early lead in the girls distance medley.
Running the 1,200 for the first time, Katie Payne mentally split the race into two 600 segments. The strategy worked as the senior put Tatnall ahead from the first lap, running 3:31.70. Malana Neal held a two-second cushion on the 400 leg before handing to Abby Downin.
Downin, a sophomore, only recently returned to running after breaking her toe on spring break the week after Tatnall's indoor season concluded. Her training has consisted of a lot of aqua-jogging and biking. Downin said her 57.53 in Thursday's Northern Delaware 4x400 left her a little sore for Friday's distance medley. She ran the 800 leg in 2:16.72.
"She's been so dedicated," teammate Ruby Schwelm said. "It's been really inspiring to see her get through this injury."
Emily Bush of Saratoga Springs (New York) took the lead from Schwelm about halfway through the 1,600, fending off a couple surges attempted by Schwelm. The Tatnall junior latched on, but Bush created separation with about 500 to go. Schwelm split 4:53.19, about four seconds faster than her indoor personal best.
Tatnall finished in 11:40.72, four seconds behind Saratoga Springs and 17 seconds ahead of the third-place team. It is the second-fastest time in state history, behind Tatnall's winning 2012 Penn Relays team (11:28.86).
"That's pretty exciting," Schwelm said. "That is a big improvement from indoor. We're pretty happy about that."
5:40 p.m. An illness slowed the early part of Isabelle Walsh's outdoor season, but the Middletown senior looked to be in rare form in Friday's mile championship.
Walsh improved on her state-leading time with a new personal best of 4:43.51 while placing third. When converted to 1,600 meters, it will be second on the state's all-time performance list. Tatnall's Haley Pierce ran the state record of 4:41.19 at the 2011 New Castle County Championships.
The race went out slower than Walsh anticipated with the first 809 meters clocked at 2:25 for the lead group of 11.
"I just tried to keep myself calm, tried to adjust," Walsh said. "I knew that the second half of the race, I had to pick it up. There were going to be some kickers in the race."
The pace quickened in the third lap and Walsh went with it, tucked in on the rail in third. She held that position with a 68.3-second final quarter. Winner Dylan McElhinney of Hunter (New York) ran 4:40.82.
5:55 p.m. Carlita Kaliher ran the first 400 meters of her 3,000 at a blazing 4:45 mile pace, but it somehow didn't feel that way for the Tatnall senior.
"I felt so smooth," Kaliher said. "I do think that kind of hurt my race in the middle of it. But, basically the whole race — that was the easiest two-mile I've ever done. I felt really good, really smooth. I pushed myself."
Kaliher closed the final 400 in 74 seconds and picked up three places to finish 10th. She credited her kick to the 150s that close out many Tatnall practices.
Kaliher ran 9:47.85, the third-fastest the seldom-contested 3,000 has been run by a Delaware high school girl. It's a comparable effort to the fourth-best 3,200 in state history.
6:10 p.m. The Padua team of Anna Bockius, Sophia Holgado, Kelsey Wolff and Molly Flanagan hopes Friday night was just the first time they break the 4x800 state record.
"That was definitely a goal heading into the season," Wolff said. "So having that being done the first time we did our 4x8 [this spring] just makes me happy. I just know we can keep cutting [time] off and make it faster and faster."
Padua ran 8:55.59 to place fourth and break the state record of 8:59.73 set by the Tatnall team of Pierce, Lindsey Voltz, Julie Williams and Reagan Anderson at the 2012 New Castle County Championships.
In a win at the Millrose Games in February, Padua set an indoor state record of 8:49.86.
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Top Delaware 4x800 teams approach 8-minute barrier
Three Delaware teams competed in the first event of the day, the high school boys 4x800.
The highlight was the Caesar Rodney anchor leg run by Ian Cain. Cain took the baton in third-to-last place. He then overtook six teams. He ran the second-fastest split of the 276 high school athletes that competed in the four sections of the 4x800: 1:53.60.
Cain might not run an open 800 fresh until Meet of Champions. His abilities will be needed in multiple events next month as Caesar Rodney vies for team titles at the Henlopen Conference and state championship meets. But an effort similar to his Penn Relays performance would vault him up the state all-time performance list. After the race, he mentioned his coach Bruce Harris' 800 state record, the subject of a recent Delaware Online/The News Journal story.
Caesar Rodney finished tenth in its heat of the large schools division in 8:05.32.
In the small schools division, Saint Mark's ran a state-leading time of 8:02.93 and Sanford ran 8:08.76.
With two athletes below 1:58 in the 800 and two under 4:32 in the 1,600, Sanford has one of its strongest boys distance groups in school history. Friday anchor Tegan Kovacs credited the team's improvement to coach Gavin Gibson, who communicates well with his runners and focuses on individual development.
"He's just so savvy with our training," Kovacs said.
In the open heats of the 4x100, the Middletown team of Anai Burney-Green, Amir Jones-Branch, De'jon Wilson and Zamir Miller ran 43.27, the fastest time in Delaware this year.
Delaware standouts provide spectacle in field events
Cape Henlopen's Bailey Fletcher finished tied for sixth in the pole vault. Fletcher was down to his final attempt at the opening height of 14-2, then cleared the next height, 14-8, on his second try. It's the best mark in Delaware this year by more than a foot and places Fletcher seventh in state history.
In the high jump, Smyna's Elijah Williams stalled after clearing 6-4 and placed 12th.
"It was just mental," said Williams, who approached the bar but didn't jump until his last attempt at 6-6.
In March, Williams cleared a personal best of 6-9. As he attempted a jump at 7-0, his left ankle rolled over. Approaching from the right side, that left leg is most responsible for launching him over the bar. Williams said he feels he's close to getting back to his best.
The top two discus throwers in Division II competed in a field of 16 throwers Friday. With a toss of 166-7, Laurel's Brandon Rife finished ninth. Tatnall's Max Martire placed 12th with a throw of 160-0.
Dover's Jaheim Cole finished 11th in the long jump with a leap of 21-2.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Salesianum, Padua, Tatnall have standout races at 2024 Penn Relays
