Keeping his feet on the ground

Junior jumping specialist Carlton Lavong, one half of an outstanding brother duo for the Methacton indoor track team, hopes to return to competition next weekend. But he doesn't plan to do any jumping.

Lavong, who suffered a sprained left ankle this month while playing basketball in gym class, hopes to run in relays in the track carnival at Lehigh next Saturday. His 24 feet, 23/4 inches in the long jump and 47-71/2 in the triple jump are the best in the state this indoor season.

His top time of 6.72 seconds in the 55-meter dash ranks him high among his peers, too.

"It'll be good just to be running again," he said. "I don't want to come back too soon on the jumping."

Lavong hopes to jump in the Greater Philadelphia Track and Field Coaches Association's Meet of Champions on Feb. 14, also at Lehigh. The state indoor championships are the following week at Penn State.

Meanwhile, his brother Wesley hopes to break the shot-put mark in the Meet of Champions. His season best of 58-113/4 is more than a foot better than the record set by Chestnut Hill Academy's Wayne Crawford, now at North Carolina State. He is just one of two state shot-putters who have surpassed 50 feet during this indoor season.

Wesley Lavong finished second in the shot at last spring's PIAA Class AAA championships after injuring a wrist.

"That's fully healed. I'm ready to go [in the Meet of Champions]," said the Methacton senior, who has received interest from Arizona, Connecticut, Penn State, Kansas and Oregon.

Crew coach named.

Craif Hoffman, Malvern Prep's successful crew coach, has been selected to head the nine-member U.S. team in the 18th annual Maccabiah Games July 12-23 in Israel.

Hoffman also was the head coach for the U.S. team at the Maccabiah Games in 1997. The United States won six gold medals and a bronze that year in seven events.

"It's an outstanding honor for Craig, our school and our rowing program," said Kurt Ruch, the Friars' athletic director. "I have no doubt Craig will do a tremendous job, and I am very happy for him."

Last year, the Malvern varsity-four boat of Mike Donahue, Mike Bohs, Mike Rawlings and Brandon Hanna won four national events, including the Junior Nationals, and was ranked No. 2 in the country by the row2k.com rowing Web site. The foursome also reached the semifinals at the Henley Regatta in England.

How big a favorite?

The Episcopal Academy boys' squash team is considered a strong contender in the Middle Atlantic Squash Association high school team tourney this weekend at Episcopal. The field includes defending Inter-Academic League champion Penn Charter and other Inter-Ac teams, plus other area schools.

It's easy to see why the 9-1 Churchmen would be strong contenders. Senior Todd Harrity, their No. 1 player, is the top-ranked under-19 player in the United States, while No. 2 Brandon McLaughlin is ranked No. 1 in U17. Another member of the team, sophomore Andrew McGuinness, is ranked sixth in U17.

Episcopal's only loss was to Brunswick, and McLaughlin looks forward to another crack at the Maine team in the national high school championships next weekend.

"We have a pretty good team, and I think we have a good shot at them," McLaughlin said. "When we played them, we had just taken our SATs and we were a little tired."