Midseason report: Young's Top 10 list

At the natural midpoint of B-CC’s outdoor track and field season – the division meets are over, Penn Relays is on deck, and then come the county, regional and state meets -- Coach Chad Young took a step back to give a midseason report. Here’s his top 10 observations:

1. Strong team performances so far: In the division meets, the girls finished 5-0, the boys 2-3. For the girls, it was first time they had won the division during Young’s six-year tenure as coach. For the boys, it was a strong rebound from last year in which they finished 0-4-1.

2. Soaring sophomores: For the girls team, “our sophomores have stepped up big time this year,” Young said. “They were baby freshman last year and they have really improved. They have not just been running with the juniors and seniors, they are beating the juniors and seniors. Juniors and seniors also are doing well, and it adds up to a really deep team."

3. Brittney’s star turn: Sophomore Brittney Wade is running well in all events, ranked No. 1 in the 400 meters (58.2 seconds) and No. 5 in a completely new event for her, the 300 meter hurdles. “She is such a good athlete, she wins just about everything she is in,” Young said.

4. TJ’s performance: Senior Terrence James has dominated his events, consistently winning 200 and 400 meter-races, and anchoring the boys’ 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 teams. He is ranked No. 1 in county in the 200, with a 22.1 time, and is in the top 10 in the 400.

5. Penn Relays – boys: The team’s 4 x 400 relay team – seniors James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu – were county champs in the indoor season. “They have gotten pumped up since then and really improved. I think these guys will do very well, especially with the big stage, and once the adrenaline gets going,” Young said. Their best time is 3 minutes, 34 seconds, a second better than their county-winning time. One concern for the April 30 boys’ meet at Penn Relays is James’ health. He had a bad cramp in his leg at the home meet earlier in April.

Penn Relays – girls: The team’s 4 x 800 meter relay team – junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade were ranked No. 1 in the county all season, running 9:35. But at the recent Viking Invitational, Northwest (9:26) and Walter Johnson (9:34) posted faster times. B-CC, Northwest and Walter Johnson all will be in the same heat at Penn Relays on April 28, providing a good measuring stick on where they stand.

6. Ava’s near perfect season: Farrell has won all her division meets in the 800 meter, one mile, and two mile, with the exception of one two-mile competition in which Nakasaka outleaned her at the finish. “ Ava has been very impressive,” Young said.

7. Steady improvement in relay: The girls’ 4 x 400 team – Wade, Nakasaka, Leuba and sophomore Cameron Yuetter – have steadily improved, registering a 4:11 time, good for No. 3 in the county.

8. Help from the field: Sophomore Ruth Orevba has won several shot put and discus competitions in the division meets. “She’s looking to improve big time,” Young said. The team’s new throwing coach, Geoff Goidell, has helped out several athletes so far in the season.

9. Eliot, Trevor, Phillip, and Patrick: Seniors Gerson, Stephens, Catterall, and Frampus now are ranked No. 5 in the county for 4 x 800 relay, finishing in 8:19 at the last home meet, a major improvement for them. “I looked at my watch to make sure it was right,” Young said. “Then they came back at the Woodward Relays and proved it wasn’t a fluke, running 8:20.” Gerson and Stephens are running close to 2 minutes flat for the distance, and Young said the “key to the relay” will be Catterall and Frampus. Both run under 2:10, but he said if they can improve to 2:05 or better, “they will be right up there with the best teams and can qualify for the state meet.” To get to states, they will need to run 8:13 or under.

10. A more competitive season ahead: Post-division meets, Young said, are much more intense. “The mindset has to change at this point,” he said. “In the next few weeks, we will decide who will be on the regional teams. There are a lot of questions to be answered.”