PHOTO: The North Pocono boys team receives the District 2 Class 3A championship plaque on the infield at its home track. (Zachary Allen Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
MOSCOW – The North Pocono School District took on the responsibility of making sure the District 2 Track and Field Championships had a temporary home while schools were dealing with the uneasiness hosting visitors from multiple communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
Caleb Kenyon considered it an honor to be able to make sure the Class 3A boys championship plaque stayed at North Pocono when the event was over Tuesday night.
Trojans sophomore Colin Kravitz sprinted to three gold medals – in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, but it Kenyon’s endurance while winning the 3200 that officially made North Pocono team champion.
“I was super excited that we were able to secure the victory with my win,” Kenyon said. “I was extremely honored that I got to do that for the team.
“ … We were league champs and now we’re district champs and I’m super excited about that. Our team’s been working really hard this whole season and I’m happy that the work paid off in the end.”
Starting with the 400 meters, Kravitz established himself as one of the district’s top track athletes in his rookie season. He did not get to compete as a freshman when all spring sports in Pennsylvania were canceled because of COVID-19.
Along with three gold medals, Kravitz was part of a third-place finish in the 1600 relay.
“It was everything I dreamed of,” Kravitz said. “Ever since I watched my brother Matthew run, I always dreamed of being just like him and he said I surpassed him.”
Matthew Kravitz won a state Class 3A title in the 3200 run in 2016.
“When I got involved in junior high in seventh grade, I was planning to run the 1600, but my coach put me in the 400 and I fell in love with it right from the start,” Colin Kravitz said.
Already running the 200 as well early this season, Kravitz added the 100 for the first time two weeks before district.
The move paid off.
Kravitz won his first gold medal in the 100 in 11.27. He also won the 200 in 22.58 and the 400 by more than a second in 49.82.
Kenyon also ran a leg on the 3200-meter relay win to open the night, helping send North Pocono on its way to the team title with 100 points.
Wyoming Valley West was second with 82.
After finishing second to Michael McCann from Dallas by less than two-tenths of a second in the 1600, Kenyon led after all eight laps of the 3200.
The lead was by a fraction of a second over multiple opponents for each of the first six laps before Kenyon opened a larger lead in Lap 7, then pulled away from Wyoming Valley West’s Tavian McKenna in the last lap.
Owen Foytack, Aidan Horne and Kenny Noll to win the 3200 relay.
Chris Kryeski, who won the event in 2019, finished second in the discus, but his throw of 169-4 was enough to make him the only boy to qualify for the May 29 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A Championships at Shippensburg University, as a non-winner, by surpassing predetermined state qualifying standings.
Kryeski was stopped by Cole Gorham.
Gorham and his brother Jack each won two gold medals for Wyoming Valley West.
Cole Gorham won the discus and also took the shot put where the North Pocono combination of Kryeski and Tim Rinker finished second and third. The shot put win was by 11-7 with 55-7. Beating Kryeski in the discus required a school record mark of 173-2.
“I knew coming into this year that I would have a chance, but it would be really hard because (Kryeski) won it sophomore year,” he said.
Jack Gorham won individually in the long jump and as part of the 400 relay, along with taking second in the triple jump.
The winning long jump effort of 21-8 ¼ came on the first attempt.\
“I usually start well and just try to keep the momentum going,” Jack Gorham said.
Tunkhannock’s Matthew Prebola set a meet record with a throw of 222-2. He broke the old mark – and his previous personal best – on all six attempts.
Coughlin’s Justin Ryncavage had held the mark at 200-11 since 2002.
Valley View finished third in the team standings without having an individual champion.
Wilkes-Barre Area was fourth with the help of wins by Trenton Zavada in the pole vault and Le’Jean Berry with a 6-5 high jump.
Matthew Cusatis won the triple jump and Jean Portes the 110 high hurdles to help Hazleton Area place fifth out of 18 teams.
Tyler Petty from Abington Heights, in the 1600; Peter Federici from Dallas in the 300 hurdles; and Wallenpaupack in the 1600 relay were the other winners.
DISTRICT 2 CLASS 3A BOYS TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team scoring: North Pocono (NP) 100; Wyoming Valley West (WVW) 82; Valley View (VV) 57; Wilkes-Barre Area (WBA) 51; Hazleton Area (Haz) 41; Dallas (Dal) 39; Abington Heights (AH) 34; Wallenpaupack (Wal) 30; Scranton (Scr) 24; Tunkhannock (T) 21; Crestwood (Cr) 20 ½; Pittston Area (PA) 18; Berwick (B) 11; Delaware Valley (DV) 10 ½; Berwick (B) 11; Delaware Valley (DV) 10 ½; West Scranton (WS) 10; Honesdale (Hon) 7.
100: Colin Kravitz (NP) 11.27; Mason Mendygral (WVW) 11.44; Justin Gockley (WS) 11.54; James Liparulo (VV) 11.56; Isaac Tripp (B) 11.57; Matthew Cusatis (Haz) 11.58.
200: Colin Kravitz (NP) 22.58; Connor Hilling (VV) 22.90; Isaac Tripp (B) 23.29; Justin Gockley (WS) 23.72; Nolan Dunnum (Cr) 23.91; no sixth place.
400: Colin Kravitz (NP) 49.82; Andrew Novrocki (WVW) 50.83; James Carrubba (Wal) 50.97; Hunter Vargo (Wal) 51.69; Chris Clauss (AH) 51.73; Nick Ruggeri (Cr) 52.93.
800: Tyler Petty (AH) 1:58.65; Michael McCann (Dal) 1:59.62; Andrew Tucker (Hon) 2:00.22; Owen Foytack (NP) 2:00.84; Thomas Principe (Wal) 2:02.46; Nathan Myers (T) 2:05.14.
1600: Michael McCann (D) 4:21.32; Caleb Kenyon (NP) 4:21.52; Jack Baronski (VV) 4:26.58; Aidan Horne (NP) 4:33.41; Nathan Myers (T) 4:38.40; Aidan LaTourette (Hon) 4:40.22.
3200: Caleb Kenyon (NP) 9:53.12; Tavian McKenna (WVW) 9:59.78; Jack Baronski (VV) 10:00.65; Adam Kanterman (DV) 10:04.60; Michael McCann (D) 10:05.10; John Syms (WBA) 10:05.24.
110 high hurdles: Jean Portes (Haz) 15.53; Sam Jones (Scr) 15.76; John Sidari (Haz) 15.88; Rubens Glaude (WBA) 15.96; Peyton Williams (B) 16.11: Peter Federici (D) 16.32.
300 hurdles: Peter Federici (D) 41.01; Tyere Dobson (WBA) 41.43; Justin Kolsovsky (VV) 41.89; Antoni Hairston (Scr) 41.92; Sam Jones (Scr) 42.17; Allan Williams (PA) 42.90.
400 relay: Wyoming Valley West (Donte Rhodes, Jeremiah Williams, Jack Gorham, Mason Mendyrgral) 43.69; Wilkes-Barre Area 44.08; Valley View 44.28; Pittston Area 44.92; Wallenpaupack 45.59; Berwick 45.70.
1600 relay: Wallenpaupack (James Carrubba, Mason Clark, Hunter Vargo, Thomas Principe) 3:30.22; Abington Heights 3:31.88; North Pocono 3:33.16; Wilkes-Barre Area 3:33.88; Valley View 3:39.18; Crestwood 3:39.32.
3200 relay: North Pocono (Owen Foytack, Aidan Horne, Kenny Noll, Caleb Keynon) 8:13.39; Abington Heights 8:20.32; Delaware Valley 8:32.94; Hazleton Area 8:36.68; Crestwood 8:36.69; Valley View 8:38.32.
Long jump: Jack Gorham (WVW) 21-8 ¼; Antonio Hairston (Scr) 20-4 ½; Amr Jones (Wal) 20-3 ¾; Andrew Novrocki (WVW) 20-2 ¼; David Behm (PA) 19-11; Caeden Messner (PA) 19-9 ½.
Triple jump: Matthew Cusatis (Haz) 45-1; Jack Gorham (WVW) 42-3; Andrew Heid (VV) 42-0; Jacob Nielsen (VV) 41-11 ½; Nayquan Hollman (WBA) 41-4 ¼; David Behm (PA) 41-1.
High jump: Le’Jean Berry (WBA) 6-5; David Behm (PA) 6-3; Zackery Abdelqader (WVW) 5-11; Adam Wood (Cr) 5-11; Antonio Hairston (Scr) 5-9; tie Joey Gzemski (Cr) 5-9 and Mark Callanan (DV) 5-9.
Pole vault: Trenton Zavada (WBA) 12-3; Isaac Mertz (Cr) 11-6; James Reese (AH) 10-6; Marcus Stull (NP) 10-0; Hunter Nye (Haz) 10-0; no sixth place.
Shot put: Cole Gorham (WVW) 55-7; Chris Kryeski (NP) 44-0; Tim Rinker (NP) 43-9; Dan Vislosky (VV) 42-11; Jhoan Robles (Haz) 42-9; Alex Romanoski (Cr) 42-2 ¼.
Discus: Cole Gorham (WVW) 173-2; Chris Kryeski (NP) 169-4; Russel Blue (Haz) 139-5; Donte Randle (VV) 137-10; Tim Rinker (NP) 137-9; Ethan Shadak (Cr) 135-1.
Javelin: Matthew Prebola (T) 222-2; Zach Calkins (D) 161-0; Jack Chilson (T) 160-0; Ben Kenzakoski (WBA) 159-6; Ryan Harder (T) 158-6; Kevin Lockett (PA) 158-6.
