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Tim Cook Invitational may catch break with weather


The one thing that's always an uncertainty about the Tim Cook Invitational - the weather - appears to be a virtual lock in a positive way this year.

The annual track & field event, usually held the first week of the season, can be at the mercy of some pretty harsh early spring weather.

"Two years ago, I was standing near the high jump pit and a kid came up and asked me what the temperature was," said meet director and Chambersburg boys coach Bob Walker. "I looked at my phone and said, "24, and it feels like 16.'"

Saturday's weather for the 12th Cook meet, held at Trojan Stadium, is expected to be in the high 60s and partly sunny.

"I'm sure we've never had temperatures near 70 when we've had it in March," Walker said.

Trojan girls coach Chris Monheim said, "I think with the warm weather, we can expect some meet records to be broken. It might be 40 degrees warmer than some days we've had."

A total of 28 schools are sending athletes to the event, with 19 expecting to field full teams, and around 725 athletes will be competing. Some schools are sending only their top kids, and some are sending competitors in certain events.

Walker said he and Trojan thrower Kelton Chastulik were recently in New York City for an indoor meet and Chastulik wanted to get some real New York pizza. They were in a shop on Broadway, wearing their Chambersburg gear, when Walker heard somebody say, "Hey, are you from Chambersburg?"

"I turned around and there was a coach from somewhere in Virginia, and she wanted to know if the entries for the Cook were closed yet. She had somebody she wanted to send up. We've become sort of a mecca for throwers who want to try to qualify for the Penn Relays. We have some throwers from Cocalico, Lampeter-Strasburg and Selinsgrove coming for that reason."

Some track & field athletes were involved in the indoor season and some had the opportunity to get some work in during February when it was nice weather. But since official practice began March 6, it hasn't been the best for outside work.

Monheim said, "In the technique events, the kids are behind, but everybody will be the same. We just haven't been able to get the work in. We had a scrimmage (Wednesday) with Shippensburg, and the performances were not where we want to be."

"We've had to sacrifice technique for conditioning," Walker said. "But because of that, we might have had our best two weeks of practice for conditioning."

In the boys events, four local athletes have earned top seeds: Chastulik in the shot put (56-9), Greencastle-Antrim's Darius Carter (42.2) in the 300 hurdles and Campbell Parker in the discus (177-8), and Shippensburg's Cody Gustafson in the triple jump (42-3).

Six girls and one relay earned top seeds, including Chambersburg's Kayley Mowery (1600, 5:12), Abby Yourkavitch (3200, 10:55) and the 4x800 relay (9:55), Greencastle's Taryn Parks (800, 2:20) and Jenay Faulkner (shot put, 42-3), Shippensburg's Jordan Seymore (discus, 130-1) and McConnellsburg's McKenzie Gelvin (400, 57.71).

Tim Cook Invitational

Boys Top Seeds
100:
Prince Gaye, Carlisle, 11.03; 200: Aaron Arp, CD East, 22.5; 400: Luke Everidge, CD East, 50.8; 800: Matt Rohan, St. Maria Goretti, 1:59; 1600: Sam Affolder, Carlisle, 4:18.93; 3200: William Jones, St. Maria Goretti, 9:39.22; 110 HH: Mychael Thomas, Carlisle, 15.06; 300 H: Darius Carter, Greencastle, 42.2; 4x100 relay: Susquehanna Twp., 43.2; 4x400 relay: Susquehanna Twp., 3:29; 4x800 relay: Carlisle, 8:00; Shot put: Kelton Chastulik, Chambersburg, 56-9; Discus: Campbell Parker, Greencastle, 177-8; Javelin: Brad Heck, Cocalico, 179-0; Long jump: Treyson Potts, Williamsport; Triple jump: Cody Gustafson, Shippensburg, 42-3; High jump: Ali Qayyim, Williamsport; Pole vault: Payton Morris, East Pennsboro, 15-6.
Girls Top Seeds
100:
 Grace Gillespie, Cedar Cliff, 11.98; 200: Gillespie, Cedar Cliff, 25.02; 400: McKenzie Gelvin, McConnellsburg, 57.71; 800: Taryn Parks, Greencastle, 2:20; 1600: Kaylee Mowery, Chambersburg, 5:12; 3200: Abby Yourkavitch, Chambersburg, 10:55; 100 HH: Tatum Mosely, CD East, 13.3; 330 H: Sammy Kauffman, Wilson, 49.14; 4x100 relay: Susquehanna Twp., 48.9; 4x400 relay: (tie) Susquehanna Twp., Carlisle, 4:10; 4x800 relay: Chambersburg, 9:55; Shot put: Jenay Faulkner, Greencastle, 42-3; Discus: Jordan Seymore, Shippensburg, 130-1; Javelin: Mackenzie Hainley, Cocalico, 127-1; Long jump: Hannah Baddick, Gettysburg, 16-7; Triple jump: Hannah Baddick, Gettysburg, 36-9; High jump: (tie) Jillian Ingram, Carlisle, Justyn Roberts, CD East, 5-4; Pole vault: Regan Line, CD East, 10-0.

12th Tim Cook Invitational

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to around 4 p.m.

Where: Trojan Stadium

Admission: $5 adults; $3 students

Local teams: Chambersburg, Greencastle-Antrim, Shippensburg, James Buchanan, Waynesboro, McConnellsburg, Mercersburg Academy