All-Delco Boys Track & Field: Abrahams’ dive, Glen Mills’ throws highlighted of season
In addition to Athlete of the Year Dennis Manyeah of Penn Wood, the All-Delco team includes:
Dayo Abeeb, Strath Haven: Abeeb began his season by winning the triple jump at the Haverford Invitational and continued that medals haul through the PIAA Championships, where he was fourth, the highest finish by a Delco athlete since Wellington Zaza won the title for Garnet Valley in 2013. Abeeb had his best jump of the year in a fourth-place finish at the District 1 Class 3A championships (46-3¼). He won the Delco title and was 16th at Penn Relays.
James Abrahams, Haverford High: Abrahams will be best remembered for his head-first dive at the finish line that helped the Fords finish eighth in the 4 x 800-meter relay at the District 1 Class 3A championships and earn a trip to the PIAA Championships. That, though, was not his only accomplishment. He also was the 800-meter champ at the Delco Championships, where he turned in a personal best time of 1:55.99.
D’Amonte Bell, Glen Mills: A newcomer to track, Bell continued Glen Mills’ rich tradition in the shot put and discus. He was sixth at the District 1 Class 3A championships in the shot put with a heave of 49-9½. That earned him trip to PIAA championships, where he was 23rd. He won the shot put title at the 47th Track & Field Coaches Association meet with a personal best-heave of 53-4½.
Read: Full list of All-Delco honorees
Braheem Bishop, Chester: He battled Manyeah for county supremacy in the high jump. Bishop capped his season with a seventh-place finish in the event at the PIAA Championships, the first Chester athlete to medal in the event since Jalil Clayton in 2014. Bishop’s best outdoor jump came at the District 1 championships (6-5), where he finished second to Manyeah. He finished in the top five at Delcos four years in a row.
Ethan Cook, Bonner & Prendergast: Cook followed up a strong indoor season with an equally impressive outdoor campaign. The senior was eighth in the 200-meter dash to become the first athlete from Bonner & Prendergast to medal at the PIAA Championships since Malik Jones in 2012. Cook won the Catholic League title in the 200 and was second in the event at the Delco and District 12 championships.
Peter Cooke, Radnor: Cooke capped his senior season with a seventh-place finish in the 800 at the PIAA Class 3A championships. He ran a personal best time of 1:54.30 to become the first Radnor athlete to win a medal at the state meet since Connor Holm placed eighth in the 1,600 in 2014. Cooke placed third in the 800 at the District 1 championships and second in the event at Delco champs.
Cooper Driscoll, Strath Haven: This was a breakout year for Driscoll in the javelin. He won the title at the Delco Championships, Kellerman Relays and Haverford Invitational and took second at the District 1 Class 3A championships. His best day, though, came at the Penn Relays, where Driscoll unleashed a personal best throw of 171-3 to place 17th. Driscoll also competed in the shot put and discus for the Panthers.
Liam Galligan, Springfield: A year that began with a hip injury during the cross country season ended with Galligan on the medals stand in Shippensburg for the second straight year. The two-time All-Delco pushed through fatigue to medal in the 1,600 at the PIAA Class 3A championships for the second straight year with an eighth-place finish. He was fourth as a junior. Galligan also won the Central League title in the 1,600 for the second year in a row.
James Jackson, Chester: The Clippers had a number of versatile athletes and Jackson was one of them. His specialty, though, was the hurdles. He had the best time (14.79) and was the Delco champ in the 110-meter high hurdles and a state qualifier in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. The junior ran a personal best time of 39.66 seconds to take sixth in the 300 hurdles at the District 1 Class 3A championships to earn a trip to Shippensburg.
Ryan James, Cardinal O’Hara: Like Cooke, Ryan saved his best for last. He ran a personal best time of 9:09.86 to take seventh in the PIAA Class 3A 3,200-meter run. That wasn’t the only accomplishment on his resume in the metric two-mile. He also won the District 12 and Delco championships to earn All-Delco honors in outdoor track for the first time. He also was the two-time Daily Times Runner of the Year in cross country.
Sam Lindner, Haverford School: Linder was a valuable to the Fords in the hurdles and as a member of the 4 x 100-meter relay team. The junior won the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association title in the 300-meter hurdles nine days after setting a personal best (38.88 seconds) in a second-place finish at the Inter-Ac League championships. He was second in the Inter-Ac championships and third in the PAISAA championships in the 110 hurdles.
Keon Rantin, Glen Mills: No one in the county could top Rantin in the 200. He was third at the PIAA Class 3A championships for the second year in a row to earn All-Delco honors for the second time. Rantin and ran a personal best time of 21.54 seconds to place third at the District 1 Class 3A championships. He was a two-time Delco champ in the 200, the top 400-meter runner in the county and a key member of the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400-meter relay teams at Glen Mills.
Semaj Robinson, Glen Mills: Robinson teamed with fellow All-Delco D’Amonte Bell and Quadir Gibson to dominate the discus and shot put. He finished fifth at the District 1 Class 3A championships in the shot put to earn a trip to the PIAA Championships, where he finished 21st. Robinson won the Delco title in the discus with a career-best throw of 152-7 to help the Bulls win the team title for the second year in a row. He also won the discus at the Springfield Invitational.
Philip Shovlin, Springfield: From Day 1, Shovlin was the best 100-meter sprinter in the county and one of the best in the state. He placed fifth in the Class 3A 100-meter dash at the PIAA Championships to become the first Delco athlete to medal in the event since Cardinal O’Hara’s Corey finished fourth in 2009. Shovlin placed third at the District 1 championships, ran a personal best 10.77 seconds to win the Delco 100 championship and is a two-time Central League champ in the event.
Evan Wildermuth, Penncrest: A two-time All-Delco selection, Wildermuth earned his first trip to the PIAA championships with a second-place finish in the long jump at the District 1 Class 3A championship. The senior jumped a personal best 22-2½ to place second. He was a two-time champ in the long jump at the Delco Championships and had three top three finishes at the Central League championships.
