This year, Raiders’ Anthony Engle will be the hunted, not the hunter, at Firing Meet
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Anthony Engle collected four Firing Meet medals last year – three silvers and a gold.
He often ran in the shadow of Schuylkill Valley’s Luke Seymour, a state silver medalist in the 800 and 1600. Seymour is gone and it’s Engle who’s now at the head of the pack. He has a chance for a golden weekend at the 80th annual William H. Firing Meet, where he could win as many as four events.
The Naval Academy recruit owns Berks Bests in the 800 and 1600 and as part of the Raiders’ 4×400 relay team. He’ll also compete in the 3200, Thursday evening, on the first day of the two-day BCIAA championships.
The meet opens with prelims in the sprints and finals in six field events, including the boys long jump, high jump and discus. The only track final Thursday is the 3200, where Engel will be chasing Mifflin’s Zach Zerbe – he’s run a Berks Best 9.22.73 – teammate Ben Meister and several others.
Everyone figures to be chasing Engle in the 800 and 1600.
He ran a Berks Best 1.54.34 last week in finishing second in the 800 at the Henderson Invitational; his personal best in the event is 1:54.26, last year, also at Henderson. Teammate David Seel ran a 1:55.22 the week before.
Engle could challenge the meet record of 1:54.65, set a dozen years ago by Conrad Weiser’s Nate McClafferty. He ran a 1:54.26 last May at the Henderson Invitational.
Engle has run the 1600 just once this season, finishing third at the New Balance Pan-Ram in early April in 4:18.30, a personal best. That’s more than three seconds ahead of Zerbe’s best this season.
The Raiders’ 4×400 relay is miles ahead of the Berks field, at 3:25.54; Exeter is closest, seven seconds behind.
Zerbe is also within range of a meet record, in the 3200. His best this season is 9:22.73, last week at the Henderson Invitational; the record is 9:21.43 by Mifflin’s Logan Mohn in 2011.
The only other returning boys champion is Wyomissing’s Colin Niedrowski, in the javelin. He won last year at 164-7. He went 190-3 last week to win at Shaner; his PR is 190-8, late last month in a dual meet against Berks Catholic. He hasn’t been beaten in the event this year; he’s more than 13 feet ahead of Berks’ No. 2, teammate Drew Forrey, who’s also No. 2 in District 3 Class 2A.
Niedrowski currently ranks No. 6 in the state.
The only boys record set at last year’s meet came courtesy of Wyomissing’s Jven Williams, with a toss of 61-10 in the discus.
Berks Catholic’s Brady Mider, a runner-up to Williams last season at every level, will have to make a big leap to get there. His best this season is 58-11.5, at the Penn Relays; he’s topped 58 feet at three different meets. No other BCIAA thrower has topped 54.
Mider ranks No. 1 in the state in 3A, more than two feet ahead of Warwick’s Ivan Tejada.
Mider also figures to double as a county champ; he’s been steadily improving in the discus and won the Shaner Meet last week at 147-11. Earlier in the week he threw a personal best 152-9.
Look for another twin sweep in the hurdles. Wyomissing’s Andrew Delp owns the Berks best in the 110 hurdles (15.36); brother Andrew claims the 300 mark (40.51). Each won on their home turf last week. Berks Catholic’s Kevin Oliver could challenge in both races.
Twin Valley owns the Berks best in each of the three relays; last year Wilson won each of the three Firing Meet relays.
The meet resumes Saturday morning, with track finals and field events beginning at 10 a.m. The final scheduled track event is the boys 4×400 relay, at 2:50.
