Photo by Steven Pisano
New Balance Games Girls' Recap
Some big performances were put down on the girls' side all days in Washington Heights.
The Cheltenham girls showed that they are back (and were they ever really gone in the first place?). Chanel Brissett, who made her season debut at Friday night's DVGTCA meet (running a 7.85 for the win in the 60 meters), then went to New York on Saturday to join her squad.
The Cheltenham 4x200 meter relay team of Brissett, Alexis Crosby, Bria Barnes, and Brielle Lewis went 1:38.93, a PA#1 and a US#3. The Armory's FAT splits had Brissett's anchor leg at 24.4. That time is not far off the Panthers' own state record of 1:38.64. Keep in mind, this is the same quartet that broke the PA state record in the 4x100 this past spring.
Cheltenham freshman Brianna Smith took fifth in the finals of the 55-meter hurdles, running a time of 8.64, a PA#5. Speaking of freshman, Saucon Valley's Talitha Diggs keeps proving she's one of the state's most exciting ninth graders. Diggs won the freshman 200 meters in 25.11, a PA#3. Then Diggs jumped 17-8 in the freshman long jump, which is a PA#8. That also broke the meet record for freshman by a foot and eight inches!
Photo by Steven Pisano
Palisades' Alexa Parks continues her terrific season in the high jump. For the second time this season, Parks cleared 5-8 in the high jump. That matches her own PA#1 and US#2 mark. The Penn State recruit is showing her consistency in the event. Kate Willshaw of Easton took fourth in the event with a jump of 5-6, which is a PA#2.
Photo by Steven Pisano
Penn Wood kept up its great season, taking the win and bettering its own PA#1 in the 4x400-meter relay. The team of Janae Pitt, Elicia Moore, Kyra Carroll, and Terri Turner ran 3:52.53, which is also a US#5. This comes a day after Penn Wood went PA#1 in the DMR at the DVGTCA meet at Lehigh. Not a bad weekend at all!
Turner also placed second in the 600 meters. Turner ran a time of 1:31.96, a huge PA#1 and a US#3 for the Columbia signee.
Cardinal O'Hara's Olivia Arizin showed off her fitness on Saturday, winning the 1000 meters in 2:52.48. That's a huge PA#1 and US#6 (but let's keep in mind that this has been a crazy fast year for the 1K).
Meaghan Shewbrooks of CB East placed fourth in the finals of the 55 meter dash. Shewbrooks clocked a PA#8 7.34.
In the varsity section of the 300 meters, Coatesville's Porsha Miles ran state-leading 40.21 to take the win. That narrowly tops Bria Barnes' previous PA#1 by a mere .01.
Coatesville's Caroline Billone went PA#3 in the triple jump. Billone claimed the win in the event with a jump of 37-7.
Photo by Steven Pisano
Springside Chestnut Hill's Elizabeth Jefferson won the pole vault yet again at the Armory. Jefferson cleared 1-6 to match her own PA#11 performance. Abington's Sianni McLeod won the shot put with a throw of 37-5.25.
Some PA distance girls made a big impact on Saturday, too. In a quick mile, Abington's Kelly Jawork took fourth place in a time of 5:10.92. Owen J. Roberts' Allison Brunton placed sixth in a time of 5:14.83. Those times are PA#5 and PA#12 respectively.
The state's second through fifth fastest 2 mile time came on Saturday. Stroudsburg's Amy Conboy was second overall in 11:13.19, while Central Bucks West's Megan Kolbe took fourth in 11:15.96. Stroudsburg's Michelle Joyce was fifth (11:18.92) and Hatboro-Horsham's Hannah Knudsen was eighth (11:50.79).
The Bonner & Prendie girls SMR ran 4:30.38 to take 11th place, good enough for a PA#4.