District 1 Track & Field: Falasco fights through pain in quest to reach states
CALN TWP. — Dante Falasco grimaced slightly after he won his heat in the Class 2A boys 200-meter dash trials at the District 1 Track & Field Championships at Coatesville High School Friday.
That’s par for the course for the junior sprinter from Delco Christian. The fact that he is running is nothing short of amazing. He’s been running in pain for the last two years.
As a sophomore, Falasco suffered a hip injury and competed in the outdoor season despite stress fractures in both legs.
In January, the Broomall native learned that he has compartment syndrome, a painful condition that occurs when pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels. This pressure can decrease blood flow, which prevents nourishment and oxygen from reaching nerve and muscle cells. Compartment syndrome can be either acute or chronic.
His doctor advised him not to run and told Falasco that he needed surgery on both legs to alleviate the problem. His surgery is scheduled for June 12, the day after school ends, and he is expected to be laid up for several months.
As for the not running part … unlike Falasco, it was a non-starter.
“Being my junior year I knew it was important to come out and see what I can do,” Falasco said.
The pain, which can be excruciating at times, limits him to one practice a week, yet he still managed to set personal bests in the 100 (11.33 seconds), 200 (22.45) and 400 (52.42) this season. Friday, he qualified for Saturday’s final in the 200 with a time of 23.19.
“I just can wait for this season to be over, but there’s still so much to run for,” Falasco said.
At the top of the list is a trip to Shippensburg for the PIAA Championships.
“Last year I came so close,” Falasco said. “I ran the time (22.88) in the prelims, but in the final I was like a tenth of a second off (23.02).”
In other Class 2A action, John Finnell of Delco Christian was 10th in the javelin (118-1).
• • •
A slow start did not keep Haverford’s Chasen Wint of achieving his goal of qualifying for the state meet in the Class 3A discus.
The junior finished fifth with a throw of 141-3 on his third attempt to punch his first ticket to Shippensburg.
“I wasn’t as aggressive as I wanted to be until the end, but I pushed through and I made it,” Wint said. “It gives me another opportunity to get after it. It keeps me alive. It’s fun going to states for the first time.”
Wint chalked up the slow start to his strategy.
“I was concentrating on my form, staying back and trying to be relaxed because I was too fast,” Wint said. “I wanted to pace myself so I kind of put that aggressiveness aside. And then I combined them and put them together.”
Wint has a chance to make the state meet in two events. He’s seeded fifth in Saturday’s shot put.
Chichester’s John Lavin earned an eighth-place medal with a throw of 132-6.
• • •
Garnet Valley’s Larry Coaxum felt a twinge in his back following his second attempt in the Class 3A triple jump and decided to call it a day. His leap of 46-6 ½ was good enough for the senior to finish third and qualify for the PIAA championships. And with the long jump Saturday, Coaxum decided not to take any chances.
He said he was going to see a chiropractor after the meet.
“I’ll be fine,” said Coaxum, who is headed to High Point University in North Carolina.
Strath Haven’s Jason Stone was 11th in the triple jump, followed by Chichester’s Xander Squire (13th), Penn Wood’s Tayvon Williams (14th), Ridley’s C.J. Mills (15th) and Chi’s Anthony Billops (16th).
Chichester’s Zaquan Bruton tied for 11th in the high jump.
