PIAA Track & Field: A little change does Radnor relay good in run to silver
SHIPPENSBURG —The switch was a subtle one, so much so that most people probably didn’t notice it when Radnor changed its order for the final of the boys Class 3A 4 x 800-meter relay Saturday at the PIAA Track & Field Championships.
In the District 1 champs and first day of the state meet, the order was the same: Luke O’Malley led off, Chris Belz ran second, Frank Brown third and All-Delco Ethan Zeh on the anchor leg.
For the final, however, Ted Woolery and his staff decided to switch it up. Belz was moved into the leadoff spot followed by Brown, O’Malley and Zeh.
“We knew we had to switch it up to have any shot at C.B. West,” Zeh said.
It was a medal-winning and record-breaking formula.
Belz, Brown, O’Malley and Zeh ran 7 minutes, 43.48 seconds to shatter the school record and finish second behind Central Bucks West.
“Wow,” Brown said when he saw the time on the scoreboard at Seth Grove Stadium.
The rest of the team had the same reaction.
“We knew if we finished in the top five, we would break it,” Zeh said. “We didn’t expect to demolish it. I’m ecstatic.”
Radnor’s silver medal was one of two won by Delco on the day and the first of two medals won by the Raiders. Zeh came back later to take fourth in the 800.
For Radnor, the strategy in the 4 x 800 was to get to baton to Zeh in a good position and let the chips fall where they may. Belz, Brown and O’Malley did that, keeping the Raiders in the hunt and Zeh within striking distance of West anchor Blake Ewaskey.
Zeh gave it a go. He made a late surge in the final 70 meters to finish less than a second behind Ewaskey. Zeh ran a 1:52.1 anchor leg to secure the silver medal for the Raiders.
“He’s good,” said Zeh, who will run at Virginia. “He’s really good. I tried to catch him but he was just too strong.”
Radnor’s goal coming in was to finish in the top five. The school record, which was 7:51, per Woolery, was icing on the cake.
“No. 2 is terrific,” O’Malley added.
The best news is that Zeh is the only senior. Brown and O’Malley are juniors and Belz is a sophomore.
“We have a bright future,” Zeh said.
Zeh wasn’t done. Several hours later he came back to take fourth in the 3A 800-meter run in 1:54.76. That’s two spots better than he finished a year ago.
“I would have liked to done better than fourth, but honestly, I was giving it my all,” Zeh said. “That PR earlier in the day (on the anchor leg of the 4 x 800) came back on me. My legs really couldn’t go much faster, but fourth place at states is something that I’m proud of and a good way to end my senior year.”
