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PHOENIXVILLE BOYS TRACK 2008
Phoenixville Area High School captured its fifth straight Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at Boyertown High School.
The Phantoms, who finished a perfect 9-0 in dual meets, amassed 181 championship meet points to win the title going away over Owen J. Roberts and Boyertown.
The five straight championships is an unprecedented, amazing feat the Phoenixville boys have accomplished under 31-year coach Jack Kraynak and his capable staff of assistant coaches, almost all of whom have performed for Kraynak at Phoenixville during his long tenure on the staff.
It is also amazing because Phoenixville remains one of the smallest schools in the PAC-10 and there are so many events to perform in in order to succeed at track & field.
The Phantoms always manage to find a way to pile up points in the running events, sprints, middle distances and long distances, as well as the jumping events and the throws. Even when they do not finish in first place, the Phantoms figure in the placing to earn medals and still score big in the overall picture.
Kraynak says part of the success is the tradition of Phoenixville track. Many of the current student-athletes have had older brothers, uncles or fathers who competed at Phoenixville as well as mothers, aunts, cousins and other relatives.
Previous Phantoms from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have helped perpetuate the success and enhance the work ethic of the current athletes in the first decade of the 21st century.
Phoenixville set two league and school records at the championships as Tony Shirk won the pole vault at 15 feet, 4 inches to win his second straight individual title in the event, and the 4x800-meter relay captured first place in 7:58.30 with juniors Joel Flott, Emeka Nwosu, Travis Stokley and Duane Stanton handling the splits on the relay.
The Phantoms previously set the mark at the Great Valley Relays. Phoenixville has the fourth-best time in the state currently and is aiming to place in the District One meet at Coatesville this coming weekend and in the PIAA State Championships at Shippensburg University the following weekend.
Phoeniville has snapped the 4x800 record that stood from 1988 of 8:01.4, which was established by Jeff Gowman, Chris Fulmer, Matt Paster and Andy Tiefenthaler.
The Phoenixville girls also did well this season. They finished 7-1-1 in dual meets with a loss to Spring-Ford and a 75-75 tie against Boyertown. The Phantom girls had won the past two league championships but came in second to Spring-Ford this spring after what transpired Saturday.
Phantom sophomore Courtney Kedra still captured four gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as a leg on the winning 4x100 relay. Kedra also came through with a first-place gold medal in the long jump after winning three gold medals as a freshman last year.
Posted by
Barry Sankey
The Phantoms, who finished a perfect 9-0 in dual meets, amassed 181 championship meet points to win the title going away over Owen J. Roberts and Boyertown.
The five straight championships is an unprecedented, amazing feat the Phoenixville boys have accomplished under 31-year coach Jack Kraynak and his capable staff of assistant coaches, almost all of whom have performed for Kraynak at Phoenixville during his long tenure on the staff.
It is also amazing because Phoenixville remains one of the smallest schools in the PAC-10 and there are so many events to perform in in order to succeed at track & field.
The Phantoms always manage to find a way to pile up points in the running events, sprints, middle distances and long distances, as well as the jumping events and the throws. Even when they do not finish in first place, the Phantoms figure in the placing to earn medals and still score big in the overall picture.
Kraynak says part of the success is the tradition of Phoenixville track. Many of the current student-athletes have had older brothers, uncles or fathers who competed at Phoenixville as well as mothers, aunts, cousins and other relatives.
Previous Phantoms from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have helped perpetuate the success and enhance the work ethic of the current athletes in the first decade of the 21st century.
Phoenixville set two league and school records at the championships as Tony Shirk won the pole vault at 15 feet, 4 inches to win his second straight individual title in the event, and the 4x800-meter relay captured first place in 7:58.30 with juniors Joel Flott, Emeka Nwosu, Travis Stokley and Duane Stanton handling the splits on the relay.
The Phantoms previously set the mark at the Great Valley Relays. Phoenixville has the fourth-best time in the state currently and is aiming to place in the District One meet at Coatesville this coming weekend and in the PIAA State Championships at Shippensburg University the following weekend.
Phoeniville has snapped the 4x800 record that stood from 1988 of 8:01.4, which was established by Jeff Gowman, Chris Fulmer, Matt Paster and Andy Tiefenthaler.
The Phoenixville girls also did well this season. They finished 7-1-1 in dual meets with a loss to Spring-Ford and a 75-75 tie against Boyertown. The Phantom girls had won the past two league championships but came in second to Spring-Ford this spring after what transpired Saturday.
Phantom sophomore Courtney Kedra still captured four gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as a leg on the winning 4x100 relay. Kedra also came through with a first-place gold medal in the long jump after winning three gold medals as a freshman last year.
Posted by
Barry Sankey
posted by The Phoenix Files at
10:45 AM
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