BY BARB KROHN
SELINSGROVE -- The Selinsgrove Classic proved to be a cold and windy affair but the athletes that went away happy found a way to use, adjust or just ignore it.
A total of 15 meet records were broken, eight on the girls side and seven on the boys.
Mount Carmel sophomore Maura Fiamoncini threw 141-8 in the javelin despite the swirling wind on the runway.
"It was tough because everything was coming right back at you if you threw it up," she said. "I usually throw it a little higher but I had to adjust."
Fiamoncini's meet record throw has been part of an impressive season start. In her opening dual the sophomore threw 138-2, improving to a personal best 146-6 a few days before the Selinsgrove invite.
Lewisburg senior Jenna Farmer broke records in the 1,600 (5:11.65) and 800 (2:23.08).
"I really didn't know what time to expect especially with the weather today," she said.
But with competitors like Warrior Run's Tori Ross, her main focus was the 1,600.
"There is so much talent in this district. I was hoping it would be a great race and I think it was."
In the biggest surprise of the girls side Selinsgrove senior Alexis Auman set a new record in the 100 high hurdles (16.09) in what turned out to be her first hurdle race -- ever.
"The reason I did start the hurdles is to improve my triple jump," said Auman who was a 2014 AAA triple jump qualifier. "I wanted to get my phases longer."
Three-stepping her way to victory, the jumper who also set a meet record in the long jump and won the triple jump said, "It's really fun to do."
Other meet records were set by Williamsport's GeZoriea Amos in the 200 (26.18), the Williamsport 400 relay team of Amos, Gabby Thomas, Sarah Hill and Heaven Maeshack (51.56) and Central Columbia's Lindsay Carl in the high jump (5-3).
Boys
Bloomsburg sophomore sprinter Jehvel Hemphill set new marks in the 100 (11.02) and 200 (22.93)
"The wind was in my face in the 200," he said. I had to stay low to fight through it.
"I had a pretty good start and the thing that helped was my top end speed around the last corner."
The boys 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediates turned out to be a battle of Milton, versus Southern Columbia standout Luke Rarig.
In the 110s Milton junior Ian Nieves broke what was Rarig's 2014 record (15.52) with his time of 15.10. Rarig placed second with a time that also was better than the record (15.27.)
"I wanted it so bad," said Nieves. "I was thinking who wants it more."
In the 300s Milton's Josh Guthrie took first, (41.50) Nieves second (42.24) and Rarig third (42.45).
"I'm really good at working with the wind," said Guthrie. "That corner with the wind is where I won it."
Selinsgrove's Brody Beiler also used the wind to help him win the 1,600 (4:36.06)
"I just went out there fast," he said. "You've got to play the wind a little bit -- hit the headwind hard and use the tailwind."
Mount Carmel's David Fletcher was philosophical about his win in the 800 (2:06.94).
"The wind was terrible. The last back stretch was brutal," he said. "It still wanted a better time but you can't do much better with wind like this. You just have to push through it."
Meet records also came from Mifflinburg's Brian Zimmerman in the 400 (50.80), Williamsport's Qayyin Ali in the high jump (6-6); the Mount Carmel 3,200 relay team of Tom Moser, Nate Bartos, Fletcher and Ciaran Fisher (8:29.60) and the Milton 1,600 relay team of Blake Wargo, Nieves, Guthrie and Wade Heidel (3:33.58).