5 Berks track and field records that could fall in the next month (updated)

Track & Field coverage presented by ATT Sports, Inc.

(Note: The Shaner Meet was not held Friday or Saturday, due to weather conditions.)

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

The track and field season has reached the final tuneup. This is the last weekend before county, district and state medals start getting handed out.

Most of Berks will compete at the John H. Shaner Meet at Wyomissing. It has been reconfigured to a Saturday only schedule because of rain. (It was initially scheduled to begin today.)

This is the time of year when athletes start to peak and records start to fall. None of Berks County’s marks have been touched so far this spring. Several are within reach. Let’s take a look at five that could be in danger.

Boys shot put

Dane Miller has held the record for 20 years despite training some of the best throwers in the area as they try to eclipse him. The Schuylkill Valley grad’s 62-6.25 has survived some close calls.

Schuylkill Valley’s Joe Mundell reached 61-1.75 at Shaner six years ago but never went farther. Fleetwood’s Jeff Kline likely would have surpassed Miller if the 2020 season hadn’t been canceled by COVID. Kline threw 64-7.5 indoors but never got the chance to take his place in history.

Jven Williams is the latest challenger after his 60-10.5 at the Stephan Meet. The Wyomissing junior has four more weekends to get there. As others have learned, those final few inches are the hardest to reach.

Boys discus

Evan Arnott’s 195-11 has looked safe for the nine years it has stood since the Schuylkill Valley grad captured PIAA gold. Only Berks Catholic’s Brandon George even broke 180 during that time.

Jven Williams is knocking on the door of this mark as well. His 189-1 at Penn Relays matched Mike Dysput for the second-best throw in Berks history. He’s about seven feet from catching Arnott and 11 feet from becoming one of three Pennsylvania throwers since 2005 to reach 200.

Williams still has his senior season if he doesn’t leave early for football workouts at Penn State. If he stays, there’s no telling where he could set the bar.

Boys 800

Dylan Eddinger took more than three seconds off Kevin Heacock’s record as a Boyertown senior in 2015. Eddinger’s 1:51.19 is one of the best times in the state over the last decade.

Can Luke Seymour get there? The Schuylkill Valley senior’s PR in PIAA competition is 1:55.39. That’s a long way to go but there’s clearly more in Seymour’s tank. He also hasn’t been pushed hard during the recent invitational races.

Eddinger focused exclusively on the 800 near the end of his career. Seymour divides his time between the 800 and 1600. That’ll make it more difficult. He still has a shot.

Keep an eye on the 1600 as well. Twin Valley’s Anthony Engle has a PR of 4:18.98. The junior is 8.5 seconds behind Conrad Weiser grad Nate McClafferty’s record set in 2011.

Girls long jump

Madison Ziska and Chanel Hercules are in some lofty territory. Ziska had a breakthrough when she hit 18-1.75 at the Schuylkill Valley Invitational Saturday. Hercules nearly matched that number with a 17-11.75 the previous day at Millersville.

Cyre Virgo set the county record at 18-9.75 in 2014. Virgo is one of the greatest athletes in recent Berks history. The Fleetwood grad also owns the high jump mark at 5-11.5 and was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball.

Ziska has a lot on her plate. The Schuylkill Valley senior excels in the 200 and 400 and wants to repeat as a PIAA medalist in both. Catching Virgo might not be her only focus but she and Hercules, a Fleetwood junior, are knocking on the door.

Girls 800

Katie Dallas set the record with one of the most exhilarating runs you’ll ever see. Wilson’s senior sprinted wire-to-wire and hit the line at 2:12.85 to earn PIAA silver last year.

What’s interesting about this season is Dallas doesn’t own the best time in Berks. Twin Valley’s Sarah Miller ran a 2:15.09 at her home invitational two weeks ago. Miller’s PR is 2:14.82.

These two Berks giants will push each other at the Firing Meet and beyond. It’s possible one of them will lower Dallas’ standard that was set 11 months ago

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Berks season bests

(compiled by Jason Guarente)

Boys

100	Ayden Martin	Gov. Mifflin	11.15
200	Amory Thompson	Wyomissing	22.52
400	Jonathen Tamayo	Wilson	49.63
800	Luke Seymour	Schuylkill Valley	1:55.39
1600	Anthony Engle	Twin Valley	4:18.98
3200	Alex Holbrook	Exeter	9:22.00
110H	Matthew Crow	Twin Valley	14.71
300H	Jonathen Tamayo	Wilson	39.35
400 relay		Wilson	43.29
1600 relay		Wilson	3:24.96
3200 relay		Twin Valley	8:06.92
Shot put	Jven Williams	Wyomissing	60-10.5
Discus	Jven Williams	Wyomissing	189-1
Javelin	Drew Forrey	Wyomissing	161-10
Long jump	Gabe Sample	Muhlenberg	22-9
Triple jump	Gabe Sample	Muhlenberg	45-7
High jump	Gabe Sample	Muhlenberg	6-2
	Bradyn Erb	Tulpehocken	6-2
Pole vault	Camden Gehris	Tulpehocken	13-7

Girls

100	Catherine Arentz	Wilson	12.61
200	Madison Ziska	Schuylkill Valley	25.71
400	Sarah Miller	Twin Valley	58.93
800	Sarah Miller	Twin Valley	2:15.09
1600	Caryn Rippey	Wilson	4:58.80
3200	Kaitlyn Highduch	Gov. Mifflin	11:08.66
100H	Katelyn Murphy	Conrad Weiser	15.80
300H	Jessica Johnson	Muhlenberg	48.37
400 relay		Wilson	49.59
1600 relay		Wilson	4:07.20
3200 relay		Wilson	9:42.81
Shot put	Annika Ermold	Gov. Mifflin	40-4
Discus	Annika Ermold	Gov. Mifflin	121-0
Javelin	Samara Eschelman	Muhlenberg	123-7
Long jump	Madison Ziska	Schuylkill Valley	18-1.75
Triple jump	Alice Bogia	Oley Valley	35-11.5
High jump	Julia Rosenberger	Berks Catholic	5-2
Pole vault	Hayden Adams	Exeter	8-7
	Kaitlyn Kotula	Wyomissing	8-7