Notes from the 2012 Baldwin Invitational, sponsored this year by Brooks Sports and Elite Runners & Walkers:
Former Baldwin running star Carole Zajac still holds two invitational records that she set more than 20 years ago.
Zajac established both records in 1990, with a 4:51.6 time in the girls' 1,600-meter run, and a 10:25.7 in the 3,200.
She also owns the second-best time in the 3,200-meter run, at 10:39.8, and the fifth-best time in the 1,600, at 4:59. Both were attained in 1989.
Kiski Area's Jessica Collins won this year's 1,600-meter race in 5:20.79, while North Hills Margo Malone won the 3,200-meter race in 10:56.18.
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Baldwin's Dan Mazzocco holds the 3,200-meter invitational boys' division record - 9:05.23 - which he set in 2002.
Andrew Kuchta, a senior at Baldwin, took first place in the 3,200-meter run at last week's invitational with a time of 9:17.56 - more than eight seconds faster than the next-best time.
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And, more recently, Baldwin runners established a new 4x800-meter relay rec-ord in the boys' division with a 7:46.99 performance in 2010.
Bobby Bishop, George "Jeep" Crompton, Arkangelo James and Dennis Logan made up the Highlanders' record-breaking relay unit that season.
Kiski Area won this year's 4x800 relay race with a time of 7:55.97.
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Prior to this year's competition, a host of former and current Baldwin athletes ranked among the top 15 all-time individual performances in the history of the invitational.
They include the following:
Boys' Divison - T.J. Hobart - 1,600 (2007, 2008); David Adley - 1,600 (2008); Bishop - McKinney Mile (2010); Chris Layton - 400 (1985); Art Walker - 300 hurdles (1988); Jim Baughman - 300 hurdles (1996); Chris Wolfe - 800 (2007); J.R. Lockwood - 800 (1992); Josh Deakin - 800 (1991); Hobart - 800 (2008); Justin Wotus - 200 (1999); Ryan Sheehan - 3,200 (2001); Drew Hofbauer - discus (2008); Toni Damiani - discus (1993); Ryan Schleicher - javelin (2008); Mark Bridge - javelin (1997); Bob Johnson - jav-elin (1992); Dave Demore - javelin (1983); and Eric Vaupel - javelin (1991).
Girls' Division - Lisa Husar - 1,600 (1984); Jordan Veney - shot put (2005), discus (2005); Brittney Edwards - long jump (2010); and Marsha Lang - high jump (1980).
Puryear's times still among best
Thomas Jefferson had a large group of competitors ranked among the top 15 individual performances at the invitational prior to last week's action.
Marla Puryear posted times of 11.7, 11.8 and 11.9 in the girls' 100-meter dash in the late 1980's. Puryear's 11.7 in 1989 and 11.8 in 1988 still rank as the second- and third-best times in meet history.
She also rates in the top 10 in the girls' 200-meter event, with a 24.5 time in 1986, and a 25.0 in 1988 and 1989.
Other top 15 invitational performers from Thomas Jefferson include:
Boys' Division - Greg Vozar - 110 hurdles (1989); Chris Russell - 3,200 (1983); Tyler Reed - shot put (2001); and Julies Brown - long jump, triple jump (1974).
Girls' Division - Kayla Lowe - 300 hurdles (2001); Debbie Och - shot put (1978); Sara Oczypok - javelin (2009); and Liz Sadler - triple jump (1978).
Brentwood foursome among top 15
Brentwood was represented by four competitors who ranked among the top 15 individual performances at the invite.
They are Scott Radecic - javelin (1980), and Todd Kisty - high jump (1996), in the boys' division; and Maggie Wissler - 800 (2008, 2009), and Peri Radecic - shot put (1977), in the girls' division.
Baldwin dominates in 4x800 relay
Baldwin relay units held the first-, third-, fourth, 10th- and 13th-best times in the boys' 4x800 event at the invitational, set in 2010, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 1991, respectively, prior to this year.
Also prior to last week's competition, the 1996 Thomas Jefferson 4x100 relayers were tied with four other teams with the ninth-best boys' time at the invitational.
In the invitational 4x400 relay, Baldwin stood in ninth (2007), 13th (2008) and 15th place (1987) in the boys' division.
