Photo by Phil Grove
Girls' Field Preview
Basically every girls' field event is tremendously loaded, but we'll start with the one that includes a newly-minted state record holder. South Williamport's Katie Jones will lead the charge in the girls' pole vault. Jones cleared 13-6.5 at the New Balance Grand Prix up in Boston two weeks ago, and the Penn State recruit will return to the runway on Saturday, entered in the pole vault.
We'll be watching to see if Jones can eclipse her own state record. Also in the pole vault field is Hempfield's Carena Nottoli, who cleared a PA#2 at F&M two weeks ago. She'll be gunning for 13 feet surely. The same goes for Coughlin's Madisyn Hawkins, who has been close to the 13 foot height. East Pennsboro's Paige Ritter, Manheim Township's Courtney German, Springside Chestnut Hill's Elizabeth Jefferson, State College's Lyndsey Reed, and Loyalsock's Hailey Zurich round out a crazy good field.
Photo by Steven Pisano
Like the pole vault, many of the top names in the state in the high jump will converge on Lehigh Saturday. In fact, we have seven of the state's top 11 in the event will compete at the Carnival. at the top of the list is Palisades' Alexa Parks. Parks is the state leader and current US#6. She's cleared her leading mark of 5-8 twice, both coming at the Armory. She'll be the one to beat, but she'll have many worthy opponents.
Easton's Kate Willshaw, CB South's Valerie Przekop, and Cheltenham's Brianna Smith have all cleared 5-6 (and they are all tied at PA#2). PA#6 Moira O'Malley, the reigning indoor state champ, is also in the field, along with Pottsgrove's Miazziah Rose and Warwick's Trinity Bitting-Ellis. Both Rose and Bitting-Ellis have cleared 5-4 this season to sit at PA#8. Keep an eye out for this competition as these girls should push each other to some great performances.
Madison Langley-Walker (Upper Dublin) / Photo by Patty Morgan
Upper Dublin's Madison Langley-Walker continues to show her power in the horizontal jumps. The two-time indoor state champ returns to the long jump, a week after going PA#2 in the triple. At last month's Hispanic Games, Langley-Walker jumped her indoor best of 18-7.5 (just a half inch off her outdoor PR). She seems primed for a big day on Saturday. Also in that field is PA#7 Yasmin Brooks of Susquehanna Township, PA#9 Taylor Givens of State College, and PA#10 Talitha Diggs of Saucon Valley.