65th JORDAN RELAYS: North Pocono eager to get back on track
May 6—Caleb Kenyon and Colin Kravitz can't wait for the gun to go off tonight.
It's been a long time since the North Pocono standout track and field athletes have competed this spring. But when the 65th Jordan Relays start, they will return to racing after a two-week layoff.
"We are really eager to get out there and do our best," Kenyon said. "We have been working really hard in practice, because that is all that we have been able to do, and we are really excited. It has been frustrating that we haven't had a meet in two weeks, but we are ready to get back into it and we are going to race hard."
This year's Jordan Relays is being held at Charley Trippi Stadium on the campus of Pittston Area High School. Officials and track coach Joseph Struckus offered the facility when no school in the Lackawanna Track Conference wanted to host the event. Scranton School District has been the home of the event, but this season the administration chose not to because of COVID-19 concerns with a gathering of that size.
Last season, because of the pandemic, the Jordan Relays was canceled for only the second time since the inception in 1955.
Just The Facts
65th JORDAN RELAYS
WHEN: Tonight, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Charley Trippi Stadium, Pittston Area High School.
EVENTS: Distance Medley (800-400-400-1600); 400 Relay; 1200 Medley (400-200-200-400); 3,200 Relay; 1600 Medley (200-200-400-800); 1,600 Relay.
2019 CHAMPS: Girls — Abington Heights (3A); Western Wayne (2A). Boys — Wallenpaupack (3A); Montrose and Mid Valley (2A).
Races are run and teams are scored for championships in Class 3A and Class 2A. There are six events, and everything gets started with the distance medley at 5:30 p.m.
North Pocono is considered a favorite for the boys Class 3A team title despite not competing in a dual meet since April 20. That role is due in large parts to Kenyon, who is a strong distance runner, and Kravitz, who is one of the top sprinters in the LTC. They have already played big roles in the Trojans 3-0 start to the season in Division II.
Kenyon looked good in his last meet against Honesdale and posted a time of 4 minutes, 35.9 seconds in the 1,600-meter run and had a clocking of 10:24.6 in the 3,200. His time of 10:18.04 for the 3,200 is the best in Division II this spring.
"We have been doing a lot of running and putting in a lot of mileage in our training," Kenyon said. "We will be ready."
Jordan Relays: Meet records
BOYS
CLASS AAA
Distance Medley (800-400-400-1600): Abington Heights, 2018, (Dan Uhranowsky, Shervin Mokhtari, Antonio Maletta, Kyle Burke) 8:07.87
400 relay: Valley View, 2012 (Robert Castellani, Tyler Phillips, Nyeem Wartman, Garrett Rupe) 43.48.
1200 medley (400-200-200-400): Delaware Valley, 2014 (Shane Fowler, Kyle Dillon, Kareem Payne, Rian Fowler) 2:27.08.
3200 relay: Honesdale, 2006 (Sean Craig, Eric Florence, Kevin Chapla, Ayden Fiorelli), 8:03.38.
1600 medley (200-200-400-800): Delaware Valley, 2004 (Joe Stauder, Tom Poltersdorf, Ben McKean, Dan McNally), 3:37.41.
1600 relay: North Pocono, 2004 (Todd Plociniak, Kyle McCloe, Brett Fedor, Justin Blaum), 3:24.87.
CLASS AA
Distance medley: Lakeland, 2013 (Mark Arzie, Casey Albino, Brandon Newberry, Nathan Morgan), 8:13.86.
400 relay: Mid Valley, 2012 (Matt Tanner, Ronny Tomasetti, Antonio Russo, Kyle Laniewski). 43.51.
1200 Medley: Lakeland, 2003 (John Wormuth, T.J. Turpack, Tony Prudente, Dave Machiesky), 2:26.39.
3200 relay: Lakeland, 2006 (Kyle Pepson, Mark Bucklaw, Craig Merkel, Drew Babcanec), 8:04.93.
1600 medley: Lakeland, 2002 (Brian Hilling, Steve Wasch, Bobby Machiesky, Dave Machiesky), 3:37.05.
1600 relay: Lakeland, 2015 (Collin Cooper, Mark Arzie, Garth Estadt, Nathan Morgan), 3:24.18.
GIRLS
CLASS AAA
Distance medley: Pittston Area, 2013 (Catherine Lombardo, Samantha Mayers, Elizabeth Waleski, Madison Mimnaugh). 9:36.06.
400 relay: Abington Heights, 2014 (Ally Christman, Allyson Derry, Abigail, McMinn Isabelle Clauss) 49.76.
1200 Medley: Abington Heights, 2009 (Brittney Martin, Jordan Hoyt, Krista Matsko, Nicole Smith), 2:53.05.
3200 relay: Pittston Area, 2013 (Tara Johnson, Madison Mimnaugh, Catherine Lombardo, Samantha Mayers). 9:42.83.
1600 medley: Abington Heights, 2009 (Jordan Hoyt, Krista Matsko, Nicole Smith, Brittney Martin), 4:15.36.
1600 relay: Honesdale, 2012 (Katie Miller, Mary Martin, Summer Hill, Janna Wilson), 3:59.64.
CLASS AA
Distance medley: Elk Lake, 2010 (Kirsten Hollister, Caitie Good, Cassie VanEtten, Maria Trowbridge), 9:47.90.
400 relay: Lakeland, 2012 (Emily Williams, Cassidy Jenkins, Ashton Boyarsky, Sarah Larkin), 50.49.
200 medley: Montrose, 2014 (Allison Lewis, Meghan Gilhool, Rebecca Timm, Myra Lattimore) 2:53.47.
3200 relay: Elk Lake, 2008 (Lisa Ruppert, Ellen Squier, Kim Caines, Rachel Owens), 9:57.77.
1600 medley: Lakeland, 2014 (Cassidy Jenkins, Kayla Agentowicz, Madison Harding, Brooke Estadt) 4:19.23.
1600 relay: Lakeland, 2005 (Ashley Hughes, Trina Carito, Casey Lisowski, Sue Bochnovich), 4:05.36.
NOTE: .24 seconds added to records set before 2005 to account for fully automatic timing system used at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
Kravitz has dominated the sprint and mid-distance races for the Trojans.
Against Honesdale, Kravitz won the 200 in 23.04, the 400 in 51.24 and the long jump with a distance of 19-4 1/2 . He has the best times in Division II in all three events with a 22.94 in the 200, a 50.74 in the 400 and a 21-1 in the long jump.
"The last two weeks have been disappointing, because we haven't had a meet," Kravitz said. "It's understandable to be safe because of COVID. I don't think it has taken a toll on us at all. We have been getting ready and at the beginning of the year, I'm not sure that my body was in the best of shape. Hopefully with all of this practice, I will be ready to go."
North Pocono is seeking its first team title at the Jordan Relays since 2010.
"We are looking forward to seeing what we can do," Kenyon said. "There are a lot of great teams out there. Hopefully, we can give this our best shot and see where we stand."
Jordan Relays: Team champions
BOYS
1955: West Scranton
1956: West Scranton
1957: Scranton Central
1958: West Scranton
1959: Scranton Central
1960: Scranton Central
1961: Scranton Central
1962: West Scranton
1963: Lackawanna Trail
1964: Dunmore
1965: Meyers
1966: Abington Heights
1967: Meyers
1968: Wyoming Valley West
1969: Wyoming Valley West
1970: Wyoming Valley West
Class A Class B
1971: Meyers Dallas
1972: Wyo. Valley West Dallas
1973: Wyo. Valley West Dallas
1974: Abington Heights Dunmore/GAR
1975: Nanticoke Dallas
Class AAA Class AA
1976: Pittston Area GAR
1977: Wyoming Valley West GAR
1978: Wyoming Valley West GAR
1979: Tunkhannock GAR
1980: Tunkhannock Lakeland
1981: Pittston Area Scranton Prep
1982: Pittston Area Scranton Prep
1983: Pittston Area Scranton Prep
1984: Tunkhannock Scranton Prep
1985: Pittston Area Lakeland
1986: Central/North Pocono Lakeland
1987: West Scranton Lakeland
1988: North Pocono Bishop Hoban
1989: North Pocono Scranton Prep
1990: North Pocono Scranton Prep
1991: North Pocono Lakeland
1992: Canceled Rain
1993: North Pocono V. View/Lakeland
1994: North Pocono Lakeland
1995: Scranton Prep Lakeland
1996: North Pocono Lakeland
1997: Scranton Lakeland
1998: Scranton Scr. Prep/Lakeland
1999: Scranton Lakeland
2000: Scranton/No. Pocono Lakeland
2001: North Pocono/Lakeland
2002: Wallenpaupack/N. Pocono Lakeland
2003: Wallenpaupack Lakeland
2004: Wallenpaupack Lakeland
2005: Wallenpaupack Lakeland
2006: Pittston Area Lakeland
2007: Abington Heights Scranton Prep
2008: Abington Heights Scranton Prep
2009: AH/Scranton Valley View
2010: North Pocono Elk Lake
2011: Valley View Elk Lake
2012: Valley View Holy Cross
2013: Scranton Prep Lakeland
2014: Delaware Valley Lakeland
2015: Scranton Prep Lakeland
2016: Scranton Lakeland
2017: Abington Heights Montrose
2018: Scranton Lakeland
2019: Wallenpaupack Montrose/Mid Valley
2020: Canceled-COVID
GIRLS
Class AAA Class AA
1982: Wyo. Valley West Carbondale
1983: Wyo. Valley West Carbondale
1984: Wyo. Valley West Carbondale
1985: Nanticoke Carbondale
1986: Honesdale Carbondale
1987: N. Pocono Scranton Prep/Carbondale
1988: Pittston Area Dunmore
1989: North Pocono Scranton Prep
1990: Tunkhannock Bishop Hoban
1991: North Pocono Wallenpaupack
1992: Canceled Rain
1993: Pittston Area Lakeland
1994: North Pocono Lakeland
1995: North Pocono Riverside/Lakeland
1996: Scranton Prep Riverside
1997: Scranton Prep Riverside/Lakeland
1998: Scranton Prep Riverside
1999: Wallenpaupack Scranton Prep
2000: Wallenpaupack Scranton Prep
2001: Wallenpaupack Scranton Prep
2002: Wallenpaupack Scranton Prep
2003: Wallenpaupack Lakeland
2004: Abington Heights Lakeland
2005: Abington Heights Lakeland
2006: Delaware Valley Scranton Prep
2007: Abington Heights Scranton Prep
2008: Abington Heights Scranton Prep
2009: Abington Heights Blue Ridge
2010: Abington Heights Elk Lake
2011: Abington Heights Elk Lake
2012: Abington Heights Montrose
2013: Pittston Area Montrose
2014: Pittston Area Montrose
2015: Pittston Area Lakeland
2016: Wallenpaupack Holy Cross/Lakeland
2017: Abington Heights Western Wayne
2018: Abington Heights Western Wayne
2019: Abington Heights Western Wayne
2020: Canceled-COVID
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter