Madison Langley-Walker (Upper Dublin) / Photo by Patty Morgan
Girls' Long Jump Preview
The girls' long jump has the potential to be one of the state meet's most intriguing and definitely one of the most exciting. Upper Dublin's Madison Langley-Walker will be going for her third straight indoor state title in the event, but she'll have a number of worthy challengers.
Langley-Walker, who transferred from Cheltenham to Upper Dublin over the summer, knows how to turn it on at the right time as evidenced by her two state titles, but the battle for state supremacy will be as fierce as ever on Saturday. Langley-Walker is, however, having the best season of her career. She's improved in every meet this season, including a big 19-footer at the DVGTCA Meet of Champs to win. It may take another performance like that to win this weekend and we'll see of she's up to the task.
Langley-Walker isn't the only two-time long jump state champ in the building this weekend. Pocono Mountain East's Khyasi Caldwell-Adams is competing indoors for the first time in her career after winning back-to-back state titles in the event outdoors. The basketball player jumped once this winter---a PA#1 19-2 at Kutztown. She's proven rust really isn't an issue and she'll be in the conversation for her first indoor title.
Athens Area's Breana Gambrell will also be competing in her first indoor state meet this winter. She also competed just once, winning at Susquehanna with a jump of 18-5.5. Last year, she only competed at indoor nationals and jumped an incredible 19-5.5. She is a two-time AA outdoor state jump, and, like Caldwell-Adams, she wants an indoor championship to add to her collection.
Karina Long (Lower Dauphin) / Photo by Ethan Rissell
That's it for former state champs, but we do have five others that have jumped past 18 feet this season. Bentworth's Brenna Cavanaugh. The junior jumped a huge PR of 18-9.75 at TSTCAs this past weekend to shoot her up to PA#3. Cavanaugh will be busy with the 60 hurdles and 60 dash on Saturday, but she will still contend for the win.
State College's Taylor Givens is one to watch. The junior is at PA#5 after jumping 18-5 at the Carnival. She just missed a medal last season, taking ninth, so she'll be hungry to nab a medal and possibly even more this season. Liberty's Grace Mittl posted a big indoor PR at the Carnival, with an 18-4.5. With a similar performance, look for Mittl to contend on Saturday.
Perkiomen Valley's Christina Warren will be busy at states on Saturday. She's entered in a few other events, but she'll also be contending in the long jump. Warren has a season best of 18-4. She was sixth in the event last year and she will try to add another state medal on Saturday. Lower Dauphin's Karina Long sits at PA#8. She was seventh last year indoors and fifth outdoors, so she knows how to perform well at the right time. Look for a strong effort from her.
Plenty others like Susquehanna Township's Yasmin Brooks, Oakland Catholic's Jayla Ellis, and Upper Darby's Michelle Brown-Jones are a trio of other with a good shot at a medal this weekend.
Girls' Long Jump Entries:
Event 27 Girls Long Jump (16) =============================================================================== 9 to the finals State Meet: 20-01.25 3/5/1994 Angie Brown, Villa Maria Academy Name Year School =============================================================================== 1 Bondi, Rebekah 12 Perk Valley 2 Brooks, Yasmin 12 Susquehanna 3 Brown-jones, Michelle 12 Upper Darby 4 Caldwell-Adams, Khyasi 12 Pocono Mount E 5 Cavanaugh, Brenna 11 Bentworth 6 Ellis, Jayla 10 Oakland Cath 7 Gambrell, Breana 11 Athens 8 Givens, Taylor 11 State College 9 Hemingway, Rebecca 12 Boyertown 10 Hsu, Marissa 10 CR North 11 Langley-Walker, Madison 11 Upper Dublin 12 Mittl, Grace 11 Liberty 13 Ponton, Trinity 12 Wyomissing 14 Rawley, Devin 10 Spring Ford 15 Roush, Zoe 11 Forest Hills 16 Warren, Christina 10 Perk Valley