2000 Indoor Season Archive
2000 PTFCA Indoor Meet of Champions
Saturday, February 19, 2000/font>
Rodgers runs 2:15 By Don Rich
Date: 2/23/2000For many, it was a last chance to qualify or better position themselves for next week's state championships at Penn State University. Despite the reduced number of competitors and smaller crowd, there were some spectacular performances.
Once again, the weather failed to cooperate as snow and ice limited the number of athletes able, or willing to travel less-than-stellar roads to Lehigh University's Rauch Fieldhouse. For many, it was a last chance to qualify or better position themselves for next week's state championships at Penn State University. Despite the reduced number of competitors and smaller crowd, there were some spectacular performances.The highlight was an impressive, even scary domination of a strong 800 meter field by Penn Wood soph Danielle Rodgers. Running alone after opening a ten meter lead approaching the 400 meter mark, Rodgers ran virtually unchallenged to a new US # 2 2:15.11. The time was a meet record, and trails only the 2:12.88 by Neisha Bernard, a senior from NY Tilden, which was run December 27 at Brown University. Rodger's final 400 split of 69 showed a power and focus that should tell the nation that she is ready to race anyone. Second place was almost as impressive, as Conestoga's Ann Hansgate, doubling after a 2:17 split in the DMR in the night's opening event, came back against the field to run a 2:19.18 NIC qualifier. William Penn's Madonna Patterson, who also led off the winning 4 x 400 relay and anchored the winning 4 x 800, ran a 2:19.68 for third, also an NIC time.
Conestoga High School's distance program has been building an impressive national reputation that will only be aided by its 12:25.42 DMR. The quartet of Ann Hansgate, Lindsay Renninger, Kristin Mutzig, and Katie Turner boasted (observed) splits of 2:17, 59, 3:54 and 5:13, easily outdistancing Nazareth Academy by 10 seconds. Archbishop Prendergast, running without the team's leading miler Tara Johnson, who has been injured, ran a gutsy race to come back from the pack for third with a 12:59.55.
William Penn lowered their US #3 4 x 800 by a second to 9:28.61. Laquisha Anthony, Tiffany Smith, Tyeshia Thomas and Madonna Patterson set a meet record by over four seconds. William Penn used a strong third leg to take the lead. NSI times were also run Council Rock (9:41.51) and Upper Darby (9:42.79). Council Rock's previous season best was a 9:56 run at Lehigh on January 7. Upper Darby's anchor, Erin O'Dougherty, picked up spots the whole way, gaining on Council Rock until running out of track, and time. The mark was 2 1/2 seconds under their season best run just last week. NIC times were run by Villa Maria Academy (9:48.39), Strath Haven (9:53.13), and Upper Merion (9:53.63).
The closest race of the night had to be the 4 x 200 relay. Chester's Ruby Jackson had a great night, anchoring the winning 4 x 200 (1:44.26) to a come-from-behind-in-the-last-40-meters win over Simon Gratz (1:44.53) and William Penn (1:44.56). Chester's first three legs were Farren Benson (who also won the Triple Jump), Crystal Conquest, and
Regina Minter.Jackson also doubled in the 200 meter dash, getting a close second with her 25.92 to William Penn frosh sensation Christina Smith (25:89), both NIC times. Simon Gratz's Ebonye White ran a Dyestat Elite 26.30.
Smith didn't disappoint the William Penn faithful, anchoring the 4 x 400 with teammates Madonna Patterson, Tyeshia Thomas, and Tiffany Smith to a winning 3:57.15, four seconds over their season best. West Catholic also ran an NSI time with their 4:01.14. Chester was third with an NIC 4:07.72.
In the 60 meter dash, Milissa Mastrangelo of Nazareth Academy, won in the new event with a 7.88. William Penn's Juanita Broaddus was second with her 7.91, beating West Catholic's Tiffany Bradley by .01.
Bradley couldnít quite break through into the win column, but she did get a second in the 400 meters with an NSI time of 58.24. She was exactly a second behind winner Stacey Holmes of Simon Gratz, who ran a new US #9 57.24. West Philly's Nija Pasture ran a Dyestat Elite 59.51.
The 60 meter hurdles was won by William Penn's Tyeshia Thomas in the new event, with a 9:49, a nice warmup to her winning 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 performances. Daniell Bobo of Penn Wood, with one of the nation's best (#5 9.2), was second in 9.50. Colleen Donnelly of Nazareth Academy was third, with 9.59.
In the shot put, William Tennent's Pam Kessler improved on her NSI throw of a week ago at the Track Carnival, with a toss of 39'10".
Council Rock's Tara Larzelere improved to US #14 with a long jump of 18' 1 1/4".
Farren Benson won the triple jump for Chester with an NSI leap of 36' 9 1/2". Phoenixville's Diane Bonds was second with her NIC 36' 0 1/2".
Ann Kolter of Phoenixville won the pole vault with a 9'6" jump. Second and third were both 9', by Springfield Delco's Sara Dougherty, and Upper Darby's Michelle Ezzie.
The high jump winner was an NSI leap of 5'6" by Tychelle Rudolph of William Tennent.
The girls' next and final PA indoor meet is next Saturday, February 26 at State College.