HS TRACK AND FIELD: Lackawanna Track Conference Boys Individual Champions — The Relays

This spring, as active high school sports stopped, ON THE BLOG decided to do some research. History has always interested me when it comes to high school sports. I do, of course, hate being asked who is the greatest of all time, because there are just too many factors. Era, running surfaces, training, timing systems, coaching have all improved even in single year increments.

What I always tell people about track and field is:

• The clock and tape measures don’t usually lie

• You know greatness when you see it.

What makes the LTC championships so unique is that there is no separation for classifications in the races, which is not how the district or state champions are determined.

So, with this being a week where we normally would crown the latest Lackawanna Track Conference individual event and team champions, let’s take a look at the past champions.

DISCLAIMER Track and field media coverage was hardly a priority way back when, so gathering first names became the most daunting challenge of this project. If there are any missing in the lists, and you know who said person is, please let us know.

REMINDERS

• ON THE BLOG only looked back to the 1950 season. The championship meet was held for several years before that, however, with only the four schools participating the research capped at a look back at 70 seasons.

• The LTC championship meet was dedicated to James McCutcheon in 1967.

• Each LTC team was allowed ONE entrant per event from its inception to 1989.

• Races were converted to meters following the 1982 season and all records were RETIRED.

• The LTC conference meet was put on hiatus following the 1989 season due to a PIAA rule and all meet records were RETIRED.

• The LTC conference meet returned in 2005 with Fully Automatic Timing and new meet records were established.

• The LTC conference meet was dedicated to Robert Spagna that same season

• Champions for Class 3A and Class 2A were crowned starting in 2005.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: 

MONDAY: The Hurdles

TUESDAY: The Sprints and Dashes

WEDNESDAY: The Distance

THURSDAY: The Throws

FRIDAY: The Jumps and Pole Vault

SATURDAY: The Relays

THE RELAYS

440-yard Relay
1978 Dunmore 45.3 (meet record – retired)
1979 Central 46.0
1980 Central 45.5
1981 Tunkhannock 45.9
1982 Scranton Prep 45.5
400-meter Relay
1983 Scranton Tech 45.4 (meet record – retired)
1984 Dunmore 45.8
1985 Dunmore 45.5
1986 Lakeland 46.4
1987 Central 46.3
1988 North Pocono 45.5
1989 North Pocono 46.5
2005 Delaware Valley 44.47 (meet record)
2006 Delaware Valley 44.07 (meet record)
2007 No event (rain)
2008 Abington Heights 44.16
2009 Scranton 44.41
2010 North Pocono 44.66
2011 Valley View 43.96 (meet record)
2012 Valley View 43.95 (meet record)
2013 Valley View 44.70
2014 Delaware Valley 44.44
2015 Scranton 43.70 (meet record)
2016 Valley View 44.01
2017 Valley View 43.62 (meet record)
2018 Scranton 43.24 (meet record)
2019 Wallenpaupack 44.51

880-yard relay
1950 Dunmore 1:30.5
1951 Central 1:39.8
1952 Central 1:38.5
1953 Central 1:38.5
1954 West Scranton 1:37.5
1955 Central 1:35.9 (meet record)
1956 Scranton Tech 1:37.9
1957 Central 1:36.6
1958 Central 1:36.1
1959 Central 1:34.4
1960 Central 1:37.9
1961 West Scranton 1:38.2
1962 Central 1:37.1
1963 Central 1:37.9
1964 Dunmore 1:36.1
1965 Dunmore NTA
1966 Abington Heights 1:34. 0 (meet record)
1967 Central 1:35.7
1968 Scranton Tech 1:37.1
1969 West Scranton 1:36.0
1970 Dunmore 1:38.0
1971 Central 1:36.2
1972 Central 1:37.0
1973 Central 1:37.0
1974 Abington Heights 1:36.4
1975 Dunmore 1:36.6
1976 Riverside 1:36.7
1977 Dunmore 1:35.0

Two-mile relay
1966 Abington Heights 8:43.0 (meet record)
1967 Abington Heights NTA
1968 Abington Heights 8:43.2
1969 Abington Heights 8:39.3 (meet record)
1970 Abington Heights 8:26.0 (meet record – retired)
1971 Abington Heights 8:30.0
1972 Dunmore 8:27.5
1973 Abington Heights 8:43.5
1974 Abington Heights NTA
1975 Abington Heights 8:29.5
1976 No result
1977 Central 8:31.3
1978 Abington Heights 8:36.5
1979 Dunmore 8:32.2
1980 Central 8:38.8
1981 Scranton Prep 8:38.4
1982 Scranton Prep 8:31.6
3200 Relay
1983 Abington Heights 8:31.6 (meet record)
1984 Central 8:33.4
1985 Lakeland 8:37.6
1986 Lakeland 8:38.9
1987 Abington Heights 8:31.1 (meet record)
1988 Scranton Central 8:22.3 (meet record – retired)
1989 Valley View 8:32.6
2005 Honesdale 8:15.0 (meet record)
2006 Lakeland 8:14.48 (meet record)
2007 Lakeland 8:05.80 (meet record)
2008 Abington Heights 8:19.98
2009 Abington Heights 8:15.71
2010 North Pocono 8:18.16
2011 Valley View 8:13.35
2012 Scranton Prep 8:27.97
2013 North Pocono 8:21.92
2014 Lakeland 8:17.72
2015 Lakeland 8:11.22
2016 North Pocono 8:15.45
2017 Wallenpaupack 8:27.19
2018 Wallenpaupack 8:19.76
2019 Wallenpaupack 8:21.93

Mile relay
1950 Scranton Tech 3:23.4 (meet record)
1951 Central 3:40.0
1952 West Scranton 3:45.3
1953 West Scranton 3:42.8
1954 Scranton Tech 3:40.1
1955 West Scranton 3:37.4
1956 West Scranton 3:42.3
1957 Central 3:37.3
1958 Central 3:39.2
1959 Central 3:43.0
1960 Central 3:56.5
1961 Central 3:44.7
1962 Dunmore 3:48.2
1963 Dunmore 3:41.9
1964 Dunmore 3:39.9
1965 No result
1966 Central 3:36.2
1967 Abington Heights NTA
1968 Central 3:39.6
1969 Abington Heights 3:40.7
1970 Abington Heights 3:34.5 (meet record)
1971 Dunmore 3:36.1
1972 Dunmore 3:42.8
1973 Riverside 3:50.0
1974 Abington Heights 3:38.7
1975 Dunmore 3:40.4
1976 Lakeland 3:38.1
1977 West Scranton 3:34.7
1978 Scranton Tech 3:33.2 (meet record – retired)
1979 Lakeland 3:37.6
1980 Scranton Prep 3:34.2
1981 Lakeland 3:36.6
1982 Scranton Prep 3:36.5
1600-meter Relay
1983 Abington Heights 3:34.0 (meet record)
1984 North Pocono 3:38.2
1985 Lakeland 3:37.0
1986 Riverside 3:38.6
1987 Lakeland 3:35.1
1988 North Pocono 3:32.2 (meet record – retired)
1989 North Pocono 3:35.8
2005 Wallenpaupack 3:29.53 (meet record)
2006 Lackawanna Trail 3:32.99
2007 No event (Rain)
2008 Abington Heights 3:26.81 (meet record)
2009 Abington Heights 3:26.56 (meet record)
2010 Valley View 3:26.95
2011 Honesdale 3:28.50
2012 Scranton Prep 3:30.35
2013 Delaware Valley 3:28.68
2014 Lakeland 3:31.11
2015 Lakeland 3:25.65 (meet record)
2016 Lakeland 3:25.49 (meet record)
2017 Lakeland 3:29.87
2018 Abington Heights 3:26.74
2019 Mid Valley 3:33.08