By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
YATESVILLE – North Pocono won the most events, but Valley View used greater consistency to come away as Class 3A boys champion of the 65th annual Jordan Relays Thursday at Charley Trippi Stadium.
Valley View won two of the six events, finished second among Class 3A teams three times and third in the other to score 50 of the possible 60 points and claim the championship.
North Pocono edged Abington Heights, 45-44, for second in the six-team field.
The Cougars sprinted to the championship by finishing first overall in the 4×100 relay and the 1200-meter sprint medley, which combines opening and closing 400-meter legs with a pair of 200 legs in the middle.
James Liparulo and Connor Hilling were each on both winning relay teams as well as one of the second-place teams. Anthony Memo joined them in the two wins.
Jack Casarin led off the 4×100 relay and Aidan Kearney handled the first leg of the 1200 medley.
The Jordan Relays combine track and field’s traditional three high school relays with three medley events that feature legs of different distances.
Liparulo led off the 1600 sprint medley, getting Valley View started toward second place behind Abington Heights with the first of two 200 legs that are followed by a 400 and an 800.
Hilling anchored the closing 4×400 team that also placed second.
Casarin followed Liparulo in the 1600 sprint medley and Kearney contributed to the second in the 4×400.
Jack Baronski put in a busy day, anchoring three of the teams – running the closing 1600 leg of the second-place distance medley and the 800 to end the 1600 sprint medley as well as on the third-place 4×800 team.
The Cougars used contributions from 13 runners to form the winning effort.
North Pocono mounted a challenge with the distance work of four runners, who combined in various orders on each of the three winning teams.
Colin Kravitz wrapped up the night with a 48.776 anchor leg in the 4×400 victory. He was also part of wins in the distance medley (800-400-400-1600) and 4×800 with Owen Foytack, Aidan Horne and Colin Kravitz.
Abington Heights used the team of Declan Walsh, Noe Biteau, Chris Clauss and Tyler Petty to win the 1600 medley.
Host Pittston Area was fourth in the team standings with 26 points, followed by Honesdale with 23 and Scranton with 21.
