2 meet records highlight a great day’s worth of action from Shippensburg University!
Katie Urbine (sr, Solanco) took down Mackenzie Horn’s 2018 District 3 Class AAA pole Vault record of 13-7.25 when she cleared 13-8! This mark also establishes a new LL League Record. Video of the record setting jump
Matthew O’Brien (sr, Susquehannock) began to separate from Colin Whitaker (jr, Lampeter Strasburg with about 1200m to go. He charged home in a new District 3 record and sub-9 minute performance, running 8:59.82! The time broke Weber Long’s meet record set just last season. Video of the Boys Class AAA 3200m run
I liked how the PIAA established minimum height requirements for traditional auto-qualifiers in the pole vault. The minimum performance standard should be extended to other events as well. Ben Devine (sr, Lampeter Strasburg) placed 9th in the boys 3200m while running 9:21.09. Per PIAA rules, a maximum of 8 athletes per district can qualify for states meaning Ben is one spot out unless someone who finished ahead of him scratches for states. Devine’s time is faster than 11 of the 13 athletes who have qualified for states in advance of today’s action. If someone failed to meet a minimum standard in the 3200m the state should allow the next fastest qualifier to be entered. In this case, it would likely be Ben.
Paul Monsour (sr, Wyomissing), Landon Hostetter (so, Annville-Cleona), and David Giles (so, Wyomissing) raced to an incredibly close 9:48.55-9:48.79-9:48.82 finish. The SQS was 9:48.01. Monsour and Hostetter were fortunate to finish top 2 and get the auto-qualifying nods.
JJ Kelly (so, Chambersburg) won the triple jump with a leap of 49-2. This would have been a 5.25 inch meet record if not for the wind. He’ll look to win his 2nd state outdoor triple jump competition next week with his eyes set on breaking the 50-ft mark!
Camy Kiser (sr, Chambersburg) showed blistering speed over the final 250m of the girls 3200m to take the win in 10:44.50. Friend and summer training buddy Claire Paci (jr, Greencastle-Antrim) used similar speed over the final 200m to move from 4th to 2nd, finishing in 10:48.82. 7 girls hit the SQS of 11:10.00. Kiser will go for double gold tomorrow in the 1600m where she is top seed.
Addie Cohen (jr, Wyomissing) cruised to victory in the Class AA girls 3200m run. She won the event in 11:41.79 and will look to add a 2nd gold tomorrow in the 1600m where she owns a season’s best time of 5:04. The big story in the 3200 was Annville-Cleona finishing 2-3-4 and racking up 19 big points for the team. Annville-Cleona and Susquenita both had good days and have narrowed the gap between themselves and Wyomissing.
Laila Campbell (jr, Spring Grove) looked dominant in the 100m and 200m trials and semi-finals. Hopefully we will not see a head wind tomorrow and she can lower both meet records (she owns them both). Kaddel Howard (fr, Cedar Crest) appeared ready to challenge Campbell in the 200m but pulled up a bit following her 200m semi-final heat and seemed to be in pain. She advanced to finals, but as the 6th seed. Hoping she is ready to go tomorrow! JP McCaskey’s Kamyah Wright (sr) looked very strong in both the 100m and 200m as well.
Lex Cyrus (so, Susquehanna Twp) was the top male sprinter on the track today. He enters tomorrow’s 100m and 200m finals after running the fastest times in both in the semi-finals.
The boys pole vault came down to a jump off that was eventually won by Breckin Swope (jr, East Pennsboro). Both he and Drake Risser (jr, Lower Dauphin) cleared 15-9 before going out at 16-3. They will battle it out once again next weekend at States.
Wyomissing boys took the top 3 spots in the javelin. Collin Niedrowski (jr) won the event with a throw of 181-8. Teammates and junior classmates Isaac Focht (163-2) and Drew Forrey (159-8) finished 2nd and 3rd. Berks Catholic boys went 1-2 in the Class AAA shot put as Brady Mider (jr) won the event with a toss of 59-2 and Alex Witmer (sr) finished 2nd with a lifetime best 55-3.25.
The girl’s Class AAA triple jump produced 8 state qualifiers! The competition really picked up in the 5th and 6th rounds. Shaniyah Weidler (so, Susquehanna Twp) won the event with a monster 39-2! Check out the final 2 attempts:
Ericka Jackson (sr, Harrisburg) once again threw beyond the 40-foot mark in the shot and won the event with a series best 40-4.5.