Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Hoey breaks national record in 800
Bishop Shanahan’s Josh Hoey broke the national high school record in the 800 meters on Sunday, opting to go to the Boston University Last Chance Meet instead of the PTFCA Indoor State Championships.
Hoey shattered the previous record, running an incredible 1:47.67 to finish second in his race and break Robby Andrews’ 2009 time of 1:49.21. The Bishop Shanahan senior would have been the heavy favorite at the indoor state meet in both the mile and 800 meters, but decided to chase the record in Boston instead.
Hoey ran 1:51.49 at the State College Invitational #3 without wearing spikes last week, and it set the stage for his record run. It also, of course, breaks the Pennsylvania state record of 1:50.55, set by Kyle Francis of Bensalem in 2014.
PTFCA CHAMPIONSHIPS » Great Valley’s Brett Zatlin finished fourth in the 800 meters at Sunday’s PTFCA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Penn State. The result qualified Zatlin for the New Balance Nationals next month and ranks him 15th in the nation.
Coatesville’s Erik Kirk finished eighth in the 200 meters (22.43), while teammates Jared Elters (60 meter hurdles) and Naheem Moore (triple jump) posted seventhplace finishes.
The Coatesville 4x200 relay of Erik Kirk, Roland Miles, Malaki Harris and Artie Burgess was third with a time of 1:31.55.
On the girls side, Coatesville’s Ammie Miller was eighth in the 800 meters (2:16.86)) and Great Valley’s Amy Willig was 12th (2:18.04). Coatesville’s Arianna Eberly was eighth in the 200 (25.20), while the Red Raiders’ 4x200 relay of Eberly, Porsha Miles, Miller and Patty Rokins finished eighth (1:43.27).
College Baseball
WEST CHESTER 12, INDIANA (PA.) 5 » Coming off a sweep of Indiana University (Pa.) Saturday, the No. 2 West Chester University baseball team dropped a tough loss to No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas College in a battle of nationally ranked squads on the final day of the Division II Baseball Challenge in Dinwiddie, Va.
Despite holding a 5-1 advantage after four innings of play, the Golden Rams were dinged for 11-unanswered runs over the next five innings.
The defeat brings West Chester’s record to start the season to 2-2, while the Spartans remain unbeaten (4-0) following the seven-run victory on Sunday.
On the mound for WCU, Joe Peluso (0-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in relief of starting pitcher and Avon Grove graduate Michael Deitz.
Women’s Track & Field
WCU FINISHES SIXTH IN PSAC » The Rams finished the weekend with a score of 57 points, with the first three places going to Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and East Stroudsburg respectively.
The 4x800 team took first place with a team of Diana Dunn, Allison Lewis, Laura Slavich and Bridget Walt with a time of 9 minutes, 24.68 seconds.
Dunn also took second in the 3,000 meters, with a time of 10:00.89.
Allison Lewis took third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:16.61.
The women’s distance medley took fourth place with a team of Allison Hoey, DeJanee Fells, Jasmine Cisco, and Dunn compiling a time of 12:17.96
Men’s Track & Field
WCU FINISHES FIFTH IN PSAC » The Rams finished fifth, with Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and East Stroudsburg finishing in the medals.
West Chester senior Justus Norman was named Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the meet, placing first in the long jump, with a distance of 7.12 meters and first place in the men’s triple jump, with a distance of 14.37 meters, scoring a total of 20 points for WCU.
The distance medley took second place with freshman James Jacobson, freshman Gerry Grace, senior Colin McClusick, and junior Josh Coakley, with a time of 10:29.90
Women’s Softball
WCU WINS TWICE IN N.C. » The Golden Rams opened Sunday morning in Murfreesboro, N.C., with a 6-2 win over University of the Sciences, and finsihed the weekend with a 12-2 win over Salem.
Against USciences, Cat Hammer opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning.
Avon Grove grad Alyssa Herion added an RBI later in the game and then scored herself on a single by Downingtown East grad Sara Ercolani to complete the scoring against the University of the Sciences.
Against Salem, the Golden Rams finished things off in just five innings with a 12-2 win.
Emily Maseth hit a tworun homer to give WCU the early lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Herion added an RBI double in the third and Ercolani scored another run later in the game.
Kennett grad Brooke Harner started in the circle against Salem and went 1 2/3 innings before being replaced by Amanda Houck, who finished things off.