Manheim Township's Adam Kingston breaks L-L record in 3,200 at PIAA track and field championships

SHIPPENSBURG — Adam Kingston started wearing pink sleeves because he liked the way they looked. They’ve since become his good luck charm.

Manheim Township’s junior put them on for every race during the postseason. They make him easy to locate in the middle of a pack.

“If the blonde hair isn’t enough,” Kingston said, “the pink arms will help.”

Kingston’s times have steadily improved as the weeks have passed. Historic numbers were within his reach. Then came Saturday.

No one in Lancaster-Lebanon League history ran the 3,200 meters faster than Kingston did at the PIAA track and field championships at Seth Grove Stadium. He hit the line in 8:58.21 to place third in Class 3A.

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Kingston’s reaction? He threw his pink arms into the air.

“I’m blessed,” he said. “I have an amazing God-given gift to even just be out here. To make it to this meet is the biggest honor in the world.”

Lampeter-Strasburg’s Colin Whitaker owned the L-L record at 9:00.66. The senior posted that time here last year.

Kingston started dreaming about nine minutes when he ended his sophomore year at around 9:20. He lowered that to 9:15 at an early dual meet, then was down to 9:05.03 at districts.

Suddenly, he was less than one second per lap away. This, he decided, was his moment. He didn’t want to wait until next year.

Kingston watched teammate Ethan Peffley suffer an injury and miss a huge chunk of this season. That was a reminder of how fragile success can be at the highest levels of track.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” Kingston said. “I put it all out there.”

Kingston could see that breaking nine minutes was realistic at the end of Lap 7. He had 65 seconds to get around the track again. That was no big deal. He has done that hundreds of times before.

Butler’s Drew Griffith, who set a national record in the 1,600 Friday, set a PIAA record at 8:43.72. Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak was second at 8:54.16. Next came Kingston. No. 3 in a field with two of the best runners in the nation.

Kingston began cross country in seventh grade as a way to follow in older brother Gray’s footsteps. Adam said he wasn’t very good at first.

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What he knew right away was he loved it. Everything about it. That passion made him faster.

“It’s pushing yourself farther than you ever thought you could go,” Kingston said. “Making your body hurt so much that it feels good, if that’s even possible. You put in all that pain just to make the clock have a lower number.”

Kingston didn’t realize he broke Whitaker’s record until he was told several minutes after the race ended. The time on its own was something to celebrate. The historical significance made it sweeter.

Maybe there’s an even lower time waiting for him.

“I hope so,” Kingston said. “It makes me think of where I could be next year. Could I maybe be on the top? Nothing is given. If this is all God’s got for me, I’m happy. If there’s more out there, I’d love to have it.”

Best of the best

Whitaker first considered his place in L-L history when he broke McCaskey grad Nathan Henderson’s league record in the 3,200 as a junior.

The Notre Dame recruit cemented that place with his senior season. He won District Three gold in the 3,200 and was eighth in the PIAA 1,600.

“It’s special to know you’re within the best of the best from your area,” Whitaker said Friday. “On that Mount Rushmore of people almost.”

Not almost.

Whitaker is No. 2 all-time in the 3,200 and No. 5 all-time in the 1,600. Only one other athlete is in the top five of both events: Conestoga Valley’s Vince McNally.

Fast finish

The odds were against Quincy Stewart capturing a medal in the Class 2A 400. The senior entered as the 13th qualifier and had yet to break 50 seconds.

Stewart set PRs in the trials and finals, lowering his times to 49.53 and 49.14 to place third. His goal of breaking 49 seconds was just a blink away.

Columbia coach Colby Tuell suggested Stewart focus more on the 400 than the shorter sprints. It became the senior’s best event. He won a district title and state bronze.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Stewart said. “It was a big drop over the last couple of days. I wish I ran the 400 more in my previous years. Then I feel like I would’ve had more experience and done better.”

More to come

David Moran wondered what could have been. If Annville-Cleona's sophomore ran faster at districts, if he earned a spot in the fast heat, could he have challenged the Class 2A 800 champion?

Archbishop Carroll’s Gabriel Cuffey won in 1:52.38. Moran, in the second of three heats, placed third at 1:55.67.

“I was alone the entire race pretty much,” Moran said. “If I was in the fast heat, I could have run faster.”

Moran has already started looking ahead to the future. A time in the lower 1:50s could net him state gold.

“I just want to win everything I can before I’m gone,” Moran said. “I wanted more this year. I didn’t really do that well. Next year I’m gonna win this.”

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