SUNBURY - The Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference Championships held at Shikellamy High School Saturday provided a showcase for some of the state's top talent.
Defending Class AAA shot put gold medalist Courtney McCartney reclaimed her No. 1 ranking; Class AA hurdler Luke Rarig tied his No. 1 ranking in the 110s and ran a new PR to become the No. 1 ranked 300 intermediate hurdler. In the Class AA girls high jump defending silver-medalist Lindsey Carl claimed a share of the No. 1 ranking in AA.
Jenna Farmer moved up to No. 3 in the AA 1,600 and helped her 4x800 to a No. 2 ranking. Maura Fiamoncini held on to AA No. 3 in the javelin and the Milton boys 4x800 jumped to AA No. 2.
And while those athletes gave the crowd a show, the showdown of the day was in the boys 100 final where defending AA champion Jahvel Hemphill met AAA top-five ranked Brian Zimmerman.
It was the first time the sophomore and junior had met and most likely the last time they will meet this season.
The two matched each other step for step until the very end when Hemphill edged Zimmerman at the line with a new personal best (10.64). Zimmerman also had a PR with his 10.74 second-place run putting the PHAC athletes No. 2 and 4 overall in the state.
“He's a good athlete," said Hemphill of Zimmerman. “I didn't expect the race would be so close.
“It pushed me."
“He's amazing," said Zimmerman. “He's an animal. If I'm going to lose to somebody he's the one."
Both athletes broke the PHAC meet record and Mifflinburg's AAA runner went on to break the 400 and 200 meet records as well and was awarded the Male Athlete of the Meet for
his efforts.
McCartney, Carl and Fiamoncini click in the field
Selinsgrove's McCartney might just about be saying, “Ankle- what ankle?"
After a late start to the spring season due to a right ankle break in March, the Arizona State-bound senior is back at it pull force.
Saturday in her last throw in the finals of the shot put McCartney let loose a 47-11 breaking her own meet record.
“I trained really hard this week to do what I did today," said the Selinsgrove thrower.
What she did included a throw of 132-2 in the discus, now the fifth-best mark in AAA.
“My coaches have really been focusing on my form. I've been paying attention to details."
And the ankle?
“I haven't felt any pain since them freeing me to go all in."
High-jumper Carl had been stuck at 5-3 for a season best until Saturday when it all came together for her meet and school record jump of 5-6.
“My individual PR (was) 5-5, so to get to 5-6 is amazing," she said. “It feels like I did last year when I hit 5-5.
“Hopefully it goes up from here."
In the javelin Mount Carmel's Fiamoncini threw within a foot of her 147-3 PR smashing the meet record.
Despite the fact that the Penn Relays fifth-place finisher has been consistently hitting throws in the mid-140s, she was hoping for a personal best on Saturday.
“I want to get to 150," said Fiamoncini knowing that at a tiny 5-2 it's going to have to be a tweak in technique that gets her there.
“I'm going off a little to the left on my plant. I'm going to work on my plant technique (before districts.)"
Rarig roars
Is it possible to get so good that you don't even know when you've had a really fast race?
Maybe.
At least it may be the case with Rarig.
A 110 high hurldes prelim run that felt iffy to the Southern Columbia senior yielded a 14.89.
“I never know," said Rarig. “Sometimes I think I did bad and then I run a 14.86."
In the final the defending AA 110 bronze-medalist had a bad start but still ended up tying his PR of 14.37 for the win.
“I know I'm that close (to a new PR)," he said. “But the bad start shows. I have room to improve."
While Rarig broke the meet record in the 110s, it was in the 300 intermediate hurdles where he really broke through taking two seconds off his PR in another meet record (38.57.)
It all made for a nice anniversary present for the state standout.
“Eight months ago - exactly - I had ACL surgery."
Farmer improves in 1,600 - Lewisburg girls and Milton boys 4x800 have big days
After a two-week stretch that included three dual meets and some very tough work-outs, Farmer whittled away on her 1,600 season best time taking first in the meet record time of 5:10.24. Farmer also won the 800 (2:17.83) and anchored Lewisburg's winning 4x800 (9:40.91).
“We never know what to expect because we're still working hard," said Farmer who was named Female Athlete of the Meet. “We want to go out and do our best because some (of the AAA athletes) we don't get to race again."
Lewisburg's second leg of the 4x800, sophomore Olivia Martin, certainly took the “do our best" part to heart.
Getting the baton at the back of the field Martin went out fast, taking the lead for a time and then settling into the top four in her leg.
“I was supposed to take risks today," said the sophomore who ran a PR split of 2:24.38.
“So I went out fast and all the other girls pushed me to a better time."
Likewise the Milton boys were helped by a young performer.
Freshman Tyler Leeser hooked his train to Lewisburg's top 800 runner, Joey Bhangdia. to finish with a sub-two at the handoff.
“I knew the kid from Lewisburg could run," said Leeser. “I was just hoping I could out-sprint him at the end."
Even with Milton's final two legs running without close competition the Black Panthers quartet netted it's best time of the season (8:05.44) and a new school record.