Phantoms Don't Let Rain Stop Them, Qualify for States

COATESVILLE-Phantoms coach Jay Carlin stuck to his guns all year when talking about his Phantoms runners.

“It not the quantity; it’s the quality,” he always says, and again the quality rose to the occasion for Phoenixville at this week’s PIAA District One Championships held in Coatesville.

On Thursday, Phantoms high jumpers Ali Thomas and Brianna McDonald cruised through the early heights before getting stopped just an inch short of qualifying for states. Each cleared a height of 5-feet-2 inches, finishing 7th and 10th respectively.

“We went through the first two heights with no misses,” said Thomas. “I was happy when I cleared 5’2” even though it took all three attempts.”

Tommy Timmins, who has had an amazing career for the purple and white and was the only Pennsylvania runner to compete in the 300-meter hurdles at the Penn Relays in the last two years, ended his running career at Phoenixville in a less than auspicious manner.

While battling for the win of his heat, Timmins caught his leg on the last hurdle, which cause the Phantoms senior to tumble onto the track and limp across the finish line.

“I just caught the hurdle,” said Timmins. “It’s not they way I wanted to go out, but I am OK.”

Incredibly, Timmins was on the track less than 20 minutes later competing in the 800-meter run, in which he finished 16th with a time 1:59.69, to go with his 20th place finish in the hurdles at 46.57.

“You can’t really call what I did in the 800 running,” added Timmins. “I tried but it was just not there.”

Timmins will be pursuing his running career next fall at the University of Pennsylvania.

It was the ladies 4 by 400 relay that again stole the show for the Phantoms as they qualified for the finals by 1/100 of second on Thursday with the eighth best time overall at 3:58.84, which also qualified them for states next week at Shippensburg University.

“The other events are like work,” said Jacine Durrell. “But we can’t wait to do the 4 by 400. We all have so much fun with it.”

“I wanted to get to go to states so bad,” said Lisa Payton. “This race is the game changer at meets. We look forward to the 4 by 400 because it usually determines the meet.”

One of the soggiest springs in recent memory has actually helped the quartet battle through a day that encompassed the entire spectrum of weather.

As Rachel Carr received the baton on the final exchange Friday, the heavens opened up and Carr got to run the entire lap in a downpour, but somehow managed to pass three runners en route to a fifth-place medal.

“I’ve actually become used to it by now,” said Carr. “It has been weird all day as we were getting ready, warming up. It’s been nuts, but we have ran in rain all spring. I am psyched about going to states next week with this group of girls.”

“It just goes to show,” said head coach Carlin. “Some teams came in here with 60 kids, we brought seven, but it’s the quality of those kids that makes a difference. They ran well but I expect that they will do even better next week. They rise to their competition.”

 Event 306 Girls 4x100 Meter Relay AAA Preliminaries

20 Phoenixville Area                                     50.22                

 Event 308  Girls 800 Meter Run AAA Preliminaries

15 Carr, Rachel              11 Phoenixville           2:20.29     

   Event 311  Girls 4x400 Meter Relay AAA Preliminaries

8 Phoenixville Area                                   3:58.84qSQS                

  Event 311  Girls 4x400 Meter Relay AAA Finals

5 Phoenixville Area                                   3:57.94 SQS    

  Event 312  Girls High Jump AAA

7 Thomas, Ali               11 Phoenixville           5-02.00         

10 Mcdonald, Brianna         11 Phoenixville          5-02.00  

  Event 313  Girls Pole Vault AAA 

7 Benner, Maddie            11 Phoenixville         J10-06.00  

  Event 705  Boys 400 Meter Dash AAA Preliminaries

18 McCrea, Zaf               12 Phoenixville             52.03       

  Event 707  Boys 300 Meter Hurdles AAA Preliminaries

20 Timmins, Tommy            12 Phoenixville             46.57 

 Event 708  Boys 800 Meter Run AAA Preliminaries

16 Timmins, Tommy            12 Phoenixville           1:59.69 

  Event 711  Boys 4x400 Meter Relay AAA Preliminaries

17 Phoenixville Area                                   3:34.04     

Event 714  Boys Long Jump AAA

17 Andrews, Travis       

11 Phoenixville          20-02.25         NWI