Bonus coverage of White Rose Invitational

What wind? His time of 9:47.80, not only won the 3,200, but broke a meet record as well.

“It definitely hampered my time, my mile time was terrible because of the wind,� Jon said. “The two mile would have been better. But we all had the same conditions, so we were able to do as best as we could.�

For Matt, who ran a 10:00.90 in the 3,200, the biggest affect might have been getting bumped around by the gusts while trying to draft behind his brother. They even discussed it during the race.

“I couldn’t get the spot where it was going and I got behind him. He has an amazing stride-line,� Matt said.

Despite battling back from foot injuries, Matt is quick to say that Jon has always been the faster one. The siblings went 4:40.10 and 4:43.30 in their one-two in the 1,600.

The distance events weren’t the only one’s affected by the high winds. One of the javelin competitions was delayed because of it, as was part of the long jump when the javelin was resumed -- as a precaution in case one of the spears got away.

William Penn felt similar effects in the boys’ large school 4x100 relay, but the foursome of Joseph Pressoir, Richard Dayhampton, Shamar Jones and Tony Dennis blazed past Milton Hershey down the stretch.

With seniors, Pressoir and Dennis on the front and back ends, the Bearcats were able to overtake the Spartans. Dennis was especially impressive securing and holding the lead as the anchor.

“I wasn’t letting it go,� Dennis said. “I knew I could catch him. I knew I had to pick my knees up because I am a light person so I have to really push through the wind to get there.�

“I leaned over a little more, opened up my stride and really carried through to get the baton to my second leg,� Pressoir said.

The freshman Dayhampton was strong in his first big varsity competition. Jones said he felt great and really likes being able to hand off to Dennis at the end.

Painter wins boys’ small school MVP: York Suburban’s Ryan Painter dreams of one day being a NASCAR crew chief. However, before he begins making calls on two- or four-tire changes on pit stops, he has to finish his senior season.

Painter got off to a good start Saturday with a personal-best 11 feet 3 inches in the small school boys’ pole vault. He also won the discus competition with a throw of 128 feet 5 inches, to earn the MVP honors.

“I felt really good today,� said Painter. “I was concerned with the wind for a while, but it ended up being a nice day to be vaulting.�

The wind might have actually helped the vaulters some.

“It was against our backs, so it wasn’t that big of a deal,� West York’s Andrew Allen said.

Painter and Allen, who finished first and second respectively, were the only vaulters to clear the 10-foot mark.

“It’s interesting,� Painter said of his rivalry with Allen. “Yeah, we’re rivals. But it’s nice to compete against someone and still be their friend.�

Vican ties meet mark: Eastern York’s Katie Vican (pictured) got a great welcome back to track as she tied a meet record with her high jump of 5 feet 2 inches to won the girls’ small school competition.

The senior is back on the Golden Knights’ track and field team after playing basketball last spring and losing most of her sophomore season because of illness.

“It just kind of clicked,� Vican said. “I hadn’t really high jumped since I was a freshman. I am trying to make my way back.�

Evans getting used to surroundings: Central York’s Steph Evans seemed to enjoy her first invitational at the new Central stadium.

Evans won both the long jump with a 16 feet .25 inches and the triple jump, going 35 feet 1.5 inches.

Haywood strong: Red Lion thrower Keesha Haywood fought the conditions to win the girls’ large school discus.

“The weather was definitely a factor,� Red Lion thrower Keesha Haywood said. “The wind knocked down some throws. I can’t complain though.�

Haywood, the defending YAIAA discus champion, had no room to complain as she won the large school discus event with a throw of 100 feet, 11 inches.

Patterson surprises herself: Jessie Patterson didn’t even think she would make the top six in the small school girls’ pole vault.

The Kennard-Dale senior surpassed her own expectations by winning the event by virtue of a jump-off with Eastern York’s Kendra Blessing and York Catholic’s Kamber Schrann.

“I’m very surprised to get first,� Patterson said of her 7-foot vault. “I’ve never placed this high before.�

Patterson admitted she was tense before the jump-off.

“I was nervous, very nervous,� Patterson said. “I said a lot of prayers before my turn.�

Patterson also placed fifth in the high jump.

Red Lion boys win team title: The Lions won the final event, the 4x400 relay and the points were enough to garner the boys’ large school team title.

Gary Taughinbaugh, Zac Tassone, Josh Menges and Ed Kiser ran a 3:33.50 to win the race and best Milton Hershey by one point for the team title.

Menges did his part for the team, winning both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles and Kiser won the 400 dash.

The Lions were the only YAIAA school to win team titles as Milton Hershey won the girls’ large school. Trinity won both of the small school awards.

Brown sets mark: Even though Milton Hershey’s Ruth Brown set a White Rose large school girls’ record in the 300-meter hurdles, it wasn’t her career best time.

Ruth ran a 46.24-second time Saturday to wipe out Lower Dauphin hurdler Allison Brown’s mark of 47.40, set in 2002. But Ruth’s career best is 45.50, which she hopes to get down to a 44-second flat mark this season.

"It’s not going to determine the rest of the season,� Ruth said about the record. “It’s just one day of the season.�

But, for Ruth and her Class AA Milton Hershey teammates, it wasn’t a typical day as they competed against mostly Class AAA teams.

“It was different, but definitely more competition,� Ruth said. “It’s going to prepare us more for the rest of the season.�

Central York’s Brittany Zuver finished second in the event.

MVPs: Joining Painter on the MVP award stand was Harold Clark of Susquehanna Township. The sprinter won both the 100 and the 200 dashes with times of 10.90 and 22.50 respectively to capture the boys large school honors.

Abigail Johnson from Milton Hershey brought home the award for the girls large school competition, winning the 200 dash with a time of 25.20 and the 400 in 59.90.

Behind wins in the discus and shot-put, Susquenita’s Steph Harrison won the small school girls’ prize.

All MVP received jackets acknowledging their accomplishments.

Long distance: Glouchester Catholic from Glouchester, N.J., made the trek to York for the White Rose.

It was supposed to be the second year in a row for the school from just south of Camden to come to York, but bad weather forced a rescheduling of last year’s event at the old Central High School and the team couldn’t make it the following week.

One of the advantages for Glouchester is that Pennsylvania uses the original steel-tipped javelins, that have been outlawed in its home state.

It seemed to a good idea too, as the visitors finished first and second in boys’ small school javelin.

YAIAA WINNERS:
Small School Boys: 3,200 relay, York Suburban; 100 dash, Mark Foley, Kennard-Dale; 1,600 run, Jon Grey, Kennard-Dale; 200 dash, Wyatt Eaton, Eastern York; 3,200 run, Grey Kennard-Dale; Discus, Ryan Painter, York Suburban; Pole vault, Painter, York Suburban.

Small School Girls: 3,200 relay, Eastern York; 110 hurdles, Rebekah Arbogast, Eastern York; 1,600 run, Elicia Anderson, Eastern York; 800 run, Amanda Parshall, Northeastern; High Jump, Katie Vican, Eastern York; Pole vault, Jessie Patterson, Kennard-Dale.

Large School Boys: 3,200 relay, Susquehannock; 110 hurdles; Josh Menges, Red Lion; 1,600 run, A.J. Kareis, Red Lion; 400 relay, William Penn; 400 run, Ed Kiser, Red Lion; 300 hurdles, Menges, Red Lion; 800 run, Brett Kirchner, Susquehannock; 1,600 relay, Red Lion; Discus, Jake Haines, Dover; Pole vault, Jon Harris, Susquehannock; Javelin, Mike Stough, Dover.

Large School Girls: 3,200 relay, New Oxford; 1,600 run, Wendy Hutchinson, Dover; 3,200 run, Jordan Jenkins, New Oxford; Discus, Keesha Haywood, Red Lion; Triple jump, Steph Evans, Central York; Long jump, Steph Evans, Central York; High jump, Maggie O’Tanger, New Oxford; Pole vault, Rachel Weigle, Red Lion.