SHIPPENSBURG — Few races of this distance go as planned, especially in a loaded field hellbent on boxing in all competitors.
Central Dauphin ace T.J. Roden set the early pace Friday on day 1 at the PIAA Track and Field Championships. But Roden soon worked found himself in the middle of the pack and unable to escape amidst a gaggle of 1600-meter standouts in 3A.
Roden did manage a fifth-place finish with a time of 4:11.01. Hampton junior Dale Hall (4:08.52) edged Butler junior Drew Griffith (4:08.59) at the wire.
“I mean, obviously, state gold is where I’d rather be,” Roden said following Friday’s opening event. “I took it out and I wasn’t expecting to, but they let me be the rabbit there for the first lap and a half or so. I just went with it.”
Roden, among the favorites in Saturday’s 800-meter run, led the first 400 in what he called a “conservative” pace.
“I knew it would help all the runners that have a kick at the end, and I knew it would help me in the end,” he said. Roden took third in last year’s 1600.
“When they got past me, I got blocked in and didn’t have many moves until the last 400 when I was just trying to be aggressive.”
Hall and Griffith eventually took over with Ringgold junior Ryan Pajak on their heels. Pajaek’s 4:09.64 was a full second ahead of fourth-place Brian DiCola of Hatboro-Horsham.
“I would rather be on state gold but this was a very talented field. It could have come out either way with Drew or Brian or [Hall]. Anyone could have won that race, so I’m just happy with it.”
State College senior Nick Sloff finished sixth at 4:11.52 while Manheim Township sophomore Cole Stevens was eighth (4:11.64).