Friday 3200 Meter Finals

This was a great series of 3200 Meter races and if you don't buy that go back and check out the times from top to bottom for every meet in recent history. Only a few slower runners got lapped, with the slowest time recorded an 11:14 thanks to Sectionals.  It was cool to see after 2 laps the pack in the 3200m bunched together in AAAAA and AAAA. And there were quite a few duels and trysts out on the track and only 1 runaway win by a runner wanting redemption perhaps. Its much easier to describe the 1600m races last nite with video of the races as an aid, but we'll attempt to give some insight.

A- Calvin Henry of Galloway took the race out early and held the lead for almost 5 laps until Wesleyan's Bradley Gossett made a move and relieved him of his duties. and Josiah Jenkins make it a crowd pleaser as the 2 made it a personal duel the final 600m with Jenkins making a couple moves to pass with his long strides but the smaller Gossett had nice turnover holding Jenkins off taking a narrow win in 9:33.79

AA- Jordan Flowers of Westminster led nearly the entire race leading the final 1600 of up to 20 meters. Flowers continued to look strong until the bell lap as he held off every move Chris Akins of Model tried to make. A game Cale Pirtle honed in 30 meters behind and began very slowly closing the gap over the next 300 meters. With only the finish line in sight Pirtle used his 800 speed/strength and began a frantic sprint after Flowers passing him in the final couple meters of the race as it seemed to Coach Walter Pinion Jordan let up a hair too early or misjudged the finish line... but Cale Pirtle of East Jackson surged ahead in 9:45.99 taking the gold making the home crowd proud.

AAA- The 3200 in AAA was definitely up for grabs with Eagle's Landing's Roth  out of the picture mending an injury. St. Pius had 2 athletes capapble of challenging for the title and Austin Sprague led much of the race. My attention was diverted a bit by some important questions from the MD, until I noticed Columbus' Preston Jones had taken the lead with 1 lap remaining. Luis Gonzalez made up nearly 15 meters passing him and won in 9:28.78 over Jones who hung in tough for 2nd in 9:30.89
 

AAAA- Daniel Broadhead of Wayne County made a bold move leading the race for a little over 3 laps, but he set a pace that the chase pack maintained throughout. This was a great 3 man race after 5 laps with favorite Sid Vaughn of Lakeside assuming the lead with McIntosh's Brad Hort and Lambert's Trevor Grant drafting him. Vaughn and Grant broke away the final lap and had a great duel with Vaughn having a little more footspeed down the homestretch taking the win in 9:20.06 followed by Grant clocking a 9:21.28.

AAAAA- After a disapointing finish in the 1600m Thursday evening in a race better suited for the strong 800m athletes, Josh Brickell was more in his element in the longer race. Brickell took the lead shortly after lap 1 and never looked back splitting a 4:40 at the 1600m mark and had a negative split in the 2nd 1600 with a 4:30 stretching his lead to nearly meters winning impressively in 9:10.40!  Kenan Farmer of Walton was the sole runner who attempted a late surge separating from a chase pack of 5 emerging as the runnerup clocking a 9:19.