Over the years, Pennsylvania has established itself as one
\nof the best high school track and field states in the country.<\/p>\n
It seems only fitting then for Keystone state athletes to
\nperform at or near end-of-season form in the oldest and largest meet in the U.S.,
\nthe Penn Relays, even though it is a full four weeks before the PIAA state
\nmeet. <\/p>\n
Vaulter leads way for
\nPA champions <\/p>\n
Now a freshman at the University of Washington, Veronica
\nVacca had a career record at the Penn Relays that couldn’t be topped by a high
\nschooler and has been matched by just three others in meet history. The former
\nMount Saint Joseph Academy standout claimed four consecutive pole vault titles
\nbeginning in 2022 at Franklin Field, a feat duplicated only by New Jersey’s
\nCarol Lewis in the long jump from 1978 to 1981, and Garden State shot putters
\nNick Vena from 2008-11 and Nicole Sims from 1990-93.<\/p>\n
Vacca’s winning jumps of 13 feet, 3 inches in both 2024 and
\n2025 are the second highest ever for a high schooler in the Penn Relay Carnival.
\nVacca isn’t the only Pennsylvania girl to top the pole vault competition in
\nlate April as a home state product has won 13 times since 2004, with Lindsey
\nRegan and Abigail Schaffer of Easton Area both having a pair of Penn Relays
\nvictories during this title run.<\/p>\n
Jordan Geist, Pennsylvania’s all-time leader in the shot,
\ndiscus and hammer throw, also had virtually unmatched success in Philadelphia.
\nHe was 3-for-3 in the high school shot put and owns the two longest puts as a
\nprep at the Relays – 74-9 as a senior in 2017 and 73-0.75 the previous year.<\/p>\n
In his only trip back to Philadelphia as a collegian, Geist
\nnotched a win for the Arizona Wildcats in meet-record fashion, tossing the
\n16-pound ball 68-7.75 (20.92 meters) in 2023. He has five of the 10 longest
\nthrows in college meet history and earlier this year was the world indoor
\nsilver medalist in a 2-3 performance for the American men.<\/p>\n
Skylar Ciccolini of Mifflin County holds the girls javelin
\nrecord of 184-2 from 2019 and is a two-time winner of the event along with
\nChristine Streisel (2012-13) of Tamaqua. Including HS national record holder
\nMadison Wiltrout of Connellsville in 2017, Pennsylvania has won 16 girls javelin
\ntitle, including six in a row from 2009-14. <\/p>\n
Friends’ Central’s Avery Lewis also has several Penn Relays
\nwatches in her collection, claiming the girls long jump crowns in 2022-24.<\/p>\n
Middle distances
\nstars shine at Penn <\/p>\n
Current middle distance superstar Josh Hoey started a run of
\nPA victories in one of the marquee events each year at Franklin Field, the boys
\nmile. Running for Downingtown West in 2016, the indoor 600- and 800-meter world
\nrecord holder led the field in 4:11.90.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to 2022, then Archbishop Wood ace and now
\nVirginia standout Gary Martin brought Franklin Field to its feet as he set the
\nmeet record in pursuit of sub-4 in his hometown, finishing first in 4:01.04.
\nHatboro-Horsham’s Brian DiCola topped the milers the following year in 4:11.23,
\nwhile Drew Griffith of Butler also had his sights set on the mile milestone in
\n2024, eventually providing a highlight moment with a 4:03.35 victory.<\/p>\n
On the girls distance side, the late Kim Gallagher was a
\nmulti-time 1,500\/mile winner, dominating the fields in 1979 and 1981. State
\nCollege great Lynne Strauss won the HS 3,000 meters in 1981-82 before returning
\nto Franklin Field the following year for another 3K win as a member of the
\nNorth Carolina State Wolfpack.<\/p>\n
More recently, Angel Piccirillo wore Homer-Center colors to
\nmile victories in 2010 and ’11 before starting an All-American career at Villanova.
\nAs a Wildcat, Piccirillo collected nine watches as a member of championship
\nrelay quartets.<\/p>\n
Pitted against the powerhouse programs from Jamaica in the
\nrelays, victories on the track at Franklin Field have been elusive but ever so
\nsweet. The greatest successes for Pennsylvania squads have come in the boys
\ndistance medley relay as Henderson has the most recent victory at 10:03.77 in
\n2014. Five other PA boys DMR squads have reached the finish first since 2002.<\/p>\n
Although he was not a watch winner as a high school track
\nstandout at Youngsville, Mike Shine stands amongst the leaders in Penn Relays
\nhistory as a hurdler. Shine won a pair of 110 titles and a 400 hurdle crown in
\nthe mid-’70s for Penn State before winning again in the 110s and four
\nconsecutive times in the 400s from 1978-81 in Olympic Development competition,
\nmatching the exploits of just three others in Penn Relays history with at least
\neight individual victories. <\/p>\n
In addition to his successes at Franklin Field, Shine is
\nknown for chasing legendary Edwin Moses across the finish line in a USA 1-2 at
\nthe 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Moses registered his first world record in
\n47.64 seconds in his international debut, while Shine recorded his lifetime
\nbest of 48.69 for the silver medal.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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