Grayson Ruffner's goal is to own all three indoor distance school records. On Saturday he took 8 seconds off the 3000 record he set in December (8:52.83 down to 8:44.73). This weekend at the Indoor State Championships he'll go for the 800. His 1:55.45 is just .51 sec off Hong Cho's 1:54.94 from 2011. In a few weeks, he'll shoot for Nick Crits' Mile record (4:17.07) at Indoor Nationals. He's run 4:17.59 so far. Again, about half a second to go. Both should go down.

Along with Ruffner, other individuals competing at the State Meet are Dom Sheppard at 200 meters and Jaylen Foster at 60. Last year Jay finished 7th and owns the school record at 6.95. 

The 4x200 relay (Sheppard, West, Ford, Wescott) dropped out of the top 20 two weeks ago but managed to claw their way back this past Saturday at the Meet of Champs. Their 4th place finish knocked 1 full second off their previous best shooting them from #27 up to #14 and into States. 

Staten Island NY - Seems every time they compete in NYC good things happen. At the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, Grayson Ruffner and Dom Sheppard both came away with wins and personal bests. 

Grayson avenged a loss to NY's Shane Murphy from last week, blowing by Murphy in the home stretch to record a personal best mile time of 4:17.56. 

Dom Sheppard won the Freshman Division 200 at this meet last year. Why not the Sophomore Division this year? A Personal Best 22.65 pre-lim found him as the second seed going into the final. There he stepped up his game big time by dropping a 22.29 in the final to get the win. His time ranks him #1 in PA for Sophs and #14 over-all.

Last Three Weeks:

Ruffner - #1 Pa 800 at Marche Invite at the Armory - 1st place.

                #1 Pa Mile run at Hall of Fame Meet at  the Armory - 4th place.

                 Mile at Ocean Breeze Invite - 1st place

Sheppard - Lead-off state qualifier 4x2 at Marche Invite at the Armory

                 22.89 PR at the Hall of Fame meet at The Armory - 1st Place Soph Division

                 22.29 PR at Ocean Breeze Invite - 1st Place Soph Division

Since breaking the indoor school record for 3000m, Grayson Ruffner has made his mark in both the 800 and mile qualifying for the state meet and closing in in two more school records.

Last Sunday (1/14) up at the Kristian Marche Memorial meet in NYC, he won the 800 going away while posting the top time in PA to date with 1:55.45. He topped off the night with a 50.71 4x4 split. 

This past Saturday, he headed back up to the Armory (Officials Hall of Fame meet) to post a mile time. Finishing a close 4th over-all, his 4:17.92 again tops the PA season list. 

The school records are 1:54.92 800m (Hong Cho 2011) and 4:17.07 mile (Nick Crits 2008).  Both are easily within his reach.

Ralph Antonucci has also been stepping up his game, posting the 4th best time in PA in the 1000m with 2:42.01 at the Officials HoF meet.

SPRINTERS STEP UP

At that Marche Invite, the 4x2 squad (Dom Sheppard, Quentin West, Aiden Wescott, Zion Ford) got below the state standard with 1:32.68.

While Ruffner was busy with the mile, Dom Sheppard won the Soph division 200m with a 22.89 PR and finished 4th in the 55m.

Thurs 12/21 Lehigh U.

Grayson Ruffner dragged the 3000m field through 13 of 15 laps at a fast pace. Although placing third, he held on to break Dillon Farrell's school record (8:55.85 from 2011). Gray's 8:52.84 is also under the state meet standard.

Jaylon Foster was just 3 one hundreths (.03) off his 60m school record besting a strong field. 6.98 also qualifies him for the state meet.

MEET RESULTS