Friday night's Blue Raider Invitational at Tamaqua High School was the biggest ever, with a record 19 teams and five schools with individual athletes participating in the 6th Annual event.

And it delivered.The Jim Thorpe boys successfully defended their team title on the strength of three gold medals from Rayan Green and one from Dylan Bucior as the Olympians took the team championship with 91 points.Green won the long jump (21-02.75), triple jump (44-01) and 200 (23.55).While Green has experienced great success in the long and triple jump, the 200 was an unknown, as the senior hadn't competed in the event more than twice in his career.But it gave Jim Thorpe valuable team points in the end, which was all that mattered to him."It means a lot to me, and I like to work hard for my teammates," he said. "We won this invitational last year, so why can't we do it again?"While Green isn't sure of his future status in the 200, he was open to the possibility of doing it again."If my coach (Frank Miller) puts me in it, I'll gladly do it again," he said.As for Bucior, it was another week and another gold in the 1600. But this one came in a meet record time of 4:31.99."My goal coming in here was to break 4:30, and I was a little frustrated that I didn't," said Bucior. "But I can't be that mad at myself."I ran the exact same time I did last week (at the Olympian Invitational) and I'm just so happy that I'm being consistent with my times, staying in the low 4:30s and that's what really feels great."Marian's Dominic Mussoline beat Bucior to the line in the 800 with a meet record time of 1:59.73. Bucior was second in 2:01.52.The win was a special one for Mussoline, who had his sights set on the race all week."I was looking forward to this race all week, and really for a long time," he said. "Anytime I get to run against these guys … they're my biggest rivals in the league, so I love running against them."They're my motivation all week; pushing me and pushing me to make sure that they don't cross the finish line before me."So I think with all of that hard work, motivation and preparation that was how I was able to break 2:00 and break the meet record.Mussoline wasn't done, as he helped lead the team of Sean Mick, Zaccary Roberts and Mike Witczak to victory in the final on track event on the night with a triumph in the 1600 relay in 3:36.19, another special win for Mussoline."It means a lot more to me this year than any other year," he said. "Every other year, I was the young guy. But this year, I'm the dad of the group."Those three guys work their tails off. When I saw that they worked so hard and gave me a lead for the anchor leg, I couldn't let that slip between our fingers."Palmerton's Spencer Hay started his season in style, winning the high jump by clearing 6-4 in his first meet of the season after recovering from a stress fracture in his leg.While still not feeling 100 percent, Hay was able to persevere and pick up where he left off last season, when he medaled in the event at the PIAA Track and Field Championships."This means everything to me," said Hay. "I was still having problems today with my back. I had a muscle stimulator going all day and had Icy Hot everywhere. But just to push through was a great feeling."Even at 6-0 I was thinking this would be a struggle just with how I was feeling earlier on. But once I got that, my dad (Jim Hay) really helped me out and got me motivated to do it."Tamaqua's Matt Smarr won the pole vault, clearing 11-6, while Palmerton's Logan Blasiak took second.The Tamaqua girls weren't able to defend their team title, finishing second to Pine Grove (90) with 66 points.Morgan Boyle won the pole vault, clearing 9-6 and took third in the javelin (140-0) for the Lady Raiders.The Tamaqua team of Chelsea Frantz, Victoria Labar, Olivia Stanek and Monika Shimko won the 3200 relay with a time of 10:02.42.The Marian team of Natalia Konitzar, Camaryn Wheeler, Savanna Krushinsky and Emily Pulaski won the 1600 relay in 4:15.25.SILVER MEDALISTS… Joseph Schwartz, Jim Thorpe (110 hurdles, 16.47); Brinn Doherty, Palmerton (100, 13.25); Randy Sanon, Jim Thorpe (100, 11.78); Monika Shimko, Tamaqua (800, 2:25.12); Natalia Konitzar, Marian (200, 27.59); Mark Buchinsky, Marian (triple jump, 41-09.75); Jim Thorpe boys 1600 relay (Shawn O'Toole, Ben Saxon, Dylan Bucior, Jarrin Geissinger) 3:39.05.BRONZE MEDALISTS… Tamaqua boys 3200 relay (Brad Clemson, Adam Melnick, Tanner McHugh, Joseph Nortavage) 8:37.73; Kailee Carroll, Tamaqua (3200, 12:28.14); Sarah Maue, Tamaqua (1600, 5:44.76); Jim Thorpe boys 400 relay (Antonio Madera, Jarrin Geissinger, Robert Heller, Randy Sanon) 46.39; Chelsea Frantz, Tamaqua (400, 1:04.49); Meghann Principe, Jim Thorpe (800, 2:28.25); Brinn Doherty, Palmerton (200, 27.98); Mike Stasko, Palmerton (200, 23.74); Autumn Cope, Jim Thorpe (javelin, 139-10); Tamaqua girls 1600 relay (Chelsea Frantz, Victoria Labar, Janette Kabana, Monika Shimko) 4:19.99.