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Distance Gala Weekly (April 19 - April 25)

Published by
Scott Bush   Apr 26th 2010, 12:46pm
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DGW


April 19 – April 25

With state championship action just around the corner, this past weekend could very well be dubbed “Relays Weekend.”  On the east coast, the Penn Relays took place, gaining national attention, while the Drake Relays took place in Iowa, showcasing outstanding talent as well.  The historic relays dominate this week’s Distance Gala Weekly.


The Top Five

With a nice mix of state series and relay action, this week’s Top Five shows how competitive the season is becoming, with some tremendous national performances shaping this week’s list.

5. Jacob Burcham (Fr., Cabell Midland, WV) While the Penn Relays and Drake Relays were the biggest meets of the weekend, the Eastern Relays in Kentucky hosted some strong competition, as well.  The most impressive performance of the day came from freshman Jacob Burcham, who placed second in the boy’s 1,600m event in 4:16.40.  That’s right, Burcham, as only a freshman, ran 4:16.40.  The running sensation lost in a kick to the University of Kentucky bound Ryan Eaton (Sr., Greenwood, KY), who won the race in 4:15.57.

4. Kathryn Fluehr (Jr., School of Naples, FL) – With state series action heating up, especially in the south, some great marks were put up.  One of the best performances of the weekend came at the FHSAA 1A Region 3 meet in Florida, as Kathryn Fluehr won the girls 3,200m in 10:18.29, while winning the 1,600m run in 4:54.38.  Fluehr’s two marks rank her in the US top ten of each event, while her twin sister Erika placed second in both races with marks of 10:31.51 and 4:54.89.

3. Shelby Houlihan (Jr., Sioux City East, IA) – Two US#2 performances give Shelby Houlihan the number three spot on this week’s Top Five.  Houlihan posted her two outstanding performances at the Drake Relays over the weekend, winning the girls 800m dash in 2:09.22, while coming back the following day to place second in the 1,500m run with a 4:31.21 mark.  Houlihan outran a loaded field in the 800m dash, edging Sioux City East H.S. teammate Ellen Dougherty, who placed second with a US#8 mark of 2:11.81.

2. Pat Schellberg (Sr., Delbarton, NJ) – While the boys 3,000m run stole all the attention at the Penn Relays, the boys mile was perhaps the best race of the weekend, as indoor mile star Pat Schellberg proved he could be the best outdoors, winning the event in a meet record time of 4:08.07.  Schellberg outkicked Issac Presson (Sr., Asheville, NC), who finished second in 4:09.16. 

1. Katie Flood (Sr., Dowling Catholic, IA) – The most decorated distance runner in Iowa state history earned a few more big wins over the weekend, as Katie Flood won three races at the Drake Relays.  The University of Washington-bound senior won the girls 3,000m run in a meet record time of 9:43.39 on Friday, while coming back Saturday to help her team win the 4x800m relay in a meet record time of 9:11.01, then doubling back to win the girls 1,500m event in a meet record and US#1 time of 4:28.30.  To top it all off, Flood placed third in a hyper-competitive 800m dash event Friday evening, running 2:12.71.


Penn Relays Recap

The historic and always remarkable Penn Relays took place this past weekend, showcasing some of the top distance talent the east coast has to offer.  There were many tremendous performances over the weekend, but none were more anticipated then the boys 3,000m run.

Heading into the competition, Alex Hatz (Sr., Fayetteville Manlius, NY) and Jake Hurysz (Sr., Eastern Alamance, NC) were considered the pre-race favorites.  Hatz’ presence on the track went up dramatically after his 4:05 indoor mile performance at NIN, while Hurysz was coming off of his US#1 3,200m mark at the Arcadia Invitational.

As the race started, Jamaica distance standout Kemoy Campbell raced to the lead, building a strong lead throughout the race.  With 800 meters to go, Hatz and Hurysz started to close the gap, but in the end it was not enough.  Campbell held off both charging competitors, winning in 8:20.14.  Hatz finished second in 8:21.01, while Hurysz finished third in 8:21.74.

Elsewhere, Pat Schellberg (Sr., Delbarton, NJ) ran a new US#1 mark for the mile, outlasting Issac Presson (Sr., Asheville, NC), as both runners broke the 4:10 barrier and showed they will challenge for the national title in the event this summer.  Schellberg crossed the finish in 4:08.07, while Presson finished a close second in 4:09.16.

On the girls side, a heavily anticipated showdown between Emily Lipari (Sr., Roslyn, NY) and Aisling Cuffe (So., Cornwall, NY) didn’t disappoint.  Lipari and Cuffe both ran strong races from start to finish, but it was Lipari’s big-time kick that stole the show, as the Villanova-bound senior won in a US#1 performance of 9:34.52.  Cuffe finished second in 9:36.84.

Another top performance came from Angel Piccirillo (So., Homer City, PA), who outran Haley Pierce (So., Tatnall, DE) to win the girls mile.  Piccirillo won in a new PR of 4:53.41, Pierce finished second in 4:54.39, while Madelina Chambers (Sr., Magnificat, OH) finished third in 4:55.46.

In the relays, Long Beach Poly (CA) finished third in a very competitive girls 4x800m relay, taking the bronze in 9:00.72, while four more American teams dipped under 9:09.  On the boys side, Warwick Valley (NY) won the 4x800m relay, taking home the crown in 7:41.77, while Long Beach Poly (CA) finished second after running 7:43.00 in the prelims. 

Meanwhile, Blacksburg (VA) continued their historic season, as their girls DMR won in a US#8 all-time mark of 11:38.69, while Saratoga Springs (NY) finished second in 11:43.79.

Event Website / Results: Thursday / Friday / Saturday


Drake Relays Recap

While the Penn Relays stole much of the weekend attention, the Drake Relays were putting on their own strong competition.  With only Iowa prep athletes taking part in the high school races, the Hawkeye State showed their talent at a very high level.

No runner competed with more guts and tenacity, while coming out victorious, than Katie Flood (Sr., Dowling Catholic, IA).  Flood, who is headed to the University of Washington in the fall, won the girls 3,000m on Friday in a new meet record of 9:43.39, while coming back to place third in a loaded 800m dash in 2:12.71.  She then came back Saturday to help guide her team to victory, and a new meet record, in the 4x800m relay with a 9:11.01 finish, while finishing off her weekend with a US#1 and meet record mark of 4:28.30 in the 1,500m.

While Flood’s performances led the way, Shelby Houlihan (Jr., Sioux City East, IA) had a weekend to remember.  The middle distance standout set a new meet record with her US#2 performance in the 800 meters, cross the finish tape in 2:09.22, while besting her teammate Ellen Dougherty (Sr., Sioux City East, IA), who finished second in 2:11.81.  Houlihan then came back to place second behind Flood in the 1,500m run, beating Morgan Casey (Sr., NE Goose Lake, IA) for the runner-up spot, 4:31.21-4:31.77.

On the boys side, Johnny Fuller (Jr., Glenwood, IA) put on a show, winning both the 3,200m and 1,600m events.  Fuller won a close 3,200m race in 9:12.34, besting Brogan Austin (Sr., Boone, IA), who finished second in 9:14.88.  Fuller came back on Saturday to win the 1,600m event over Austin, 4:15.66-4:17.04.

In other top performances, Indianola (IA) won the boys 4x800m relay in 7:50.62, with Cedar Rapids Washington (IA) coming in second at 7:52.04.  In the girls 3,000m run, with Flood winning the race, her teammate Ashlie Decker placed second in 9:52.44, while Iowa State-bound Morgan Casey (Sr., NE Goose Lake, IA) placed third in 9:52.73.

Event Website / Results


Articles of Interest

Penn Relays Coverage: MileSplit / Dyestat / FloTrack

A Brief Chat with Jenny Barringer (Runner’s World)

A Brief Chat with Jen Rhines (Runner’s World)


To submit an article or results to Distance Gala Weekly please contact Scott Bush at: [email protected]
The Midwest Distance Gala is one of the premier post-season high school track competitions in the United States. Through strong competition and a professional environment, the Midwest Distance Gala has continued a steady rate of growth and success. The fifth edition of the event takes place on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. For more information please visit the Midwest Distance Gala website at www.midwestdistancegala.com. To receive more Midwest Distance Gala info follow us on twitter.
Distance Gala Weekly Copyright © 2010 Midwest Distance Gala, Inc. Printed with permission.



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