Penn Relays: CB West boys surge to seventh in 4×8 COA

PHILADELPHIA >> Blake Ewaskey was ready to make his move.

“I just knew that coming around that last turn, this was gonna be the last big race I was going to have before states,” the Central Bucks West senior said on this sunny afternoon at the 125th running of the Penn Relays. “It was my first time running here and I wanted to go out with a bang. First time and last time…”

The Bucks’ anchor leg, motoring twice around the Franklin Field track in 1 minute, 54.05 seconds, pushed West into seventh place in the 4×800-meter Championship of America.

Owen Shields (1:59.48), Luke Fehrman (1:57.28) and Christian Crabtree (2:01.61) took care of the first three legs and Ewaskey finished things off.

“I knew if I could just pick off one, I could get a couple at the same time,” Ewaskey said of surging from 11th to seventh.The Bucks, the only PA team to qualify, were making their fifth straight appearance in the 4×8 COA. On Friday they got into the race by running a 7:49.72, still tops in the state this spring.

On Saturday, they combined their efforts to go 7:52.40, outracing Chopticon of Maryland (7:52.41), North Hunterdon of New Jersey (7:52.92), W.T. Woodson of Virginia (7:53.53) and Ridge of New Jersey (7:54.21).

Two Jamaican squads took the top two spots and three of the top four — Calabar was first in 7:36.61, Kingston College second in 7:40.96, and Jamaica College was fourth in 7:42.41.

St. Benedict’s Prep of New Jersey was the top US team, taking third in 7:41.13. Weddington (N.C.) was fifth in 7:47.46 and Brookline (Mass.) was sixth in 7:51.67.

The top 12 teams out of a stacked field of 58 qualified for Saturday’s COA, and again, the Bucks were able to earn their way in.

“As a team, it shows how much work we put in together — at practice and throughout the offseason,” Ewaskey said. “This is something that not many teams get to compete in. It’s a testament to our program and our coaching.”

Also on the Track

The North Penn girls 4×100 team finished fourth in the Tri-State race, a foursome of Natalie Kwortnik, Ahliyah Allen, Alayna Faison and Anais Williams running a 49.77.

Also, the Knights pushed to third in the girls 4×4 Philly Area race, a team of Anais Williams (58.31), Megan Gambogi (1:00.30), Rachel Ahlmart (1:00.23) and Kwortnik (57.12) racing to a 3:55.94.

Cheltenham’s Brianna Smith (1:01.04), Cydney Wynn (1:00.10), Janelle Williams (1:01.39) and Bria Barnes (54.42) were fifth in 3:56.93, and CB West’s Katy Jenkins (1:01.27), Steph Hiltpold (57.28), Stephanie Hiltpold (59.84) and Kate Edenson (59.78) were seventh in 3:58.15.

The Lower Moreland boys 4×4 team of Andrew Buss (52.67), Josiah Wiggins (51.70), Shejin Shaju (55.45) and Shane Cohen (48.55) won the Suburban B race in 3:28.35.

Also, Norristown’s Ramir Wiggins (53.46), Austin Montgomery (52.92), Jordan Morse (53.31) and Silas Wharton (51.71) raced to seventh in the boys 4×4 Philly Area, finishing in 3:31.39.

Out in the Field

Upper Dublin’s Jaden Price-Whitehead placed 17th in the boys long jump, leaping 18 feet, 1.5 inches.