Girls' Field Preview
High Jump
A host of PA talent will be in the high jump competition, which should surely include some big time performances. Seven PA high schoolers in total are entered.
Valerie Przekop of Central Bucks South is fresh off the PA state title in the event, where she cleared 5-6. Przekop knows when to step up at the right time and she'll be looking to do just that once again this weekend.
Palisades' Alexa Parks has cleared the best height this season, a 5-8. She has cleared that twice, both times coming at the Armory, so a return trip to NY will be a welcome sight for Parks. Her Palisades teammate Lydia Bottelier is also entered. She cleared a season best of 5-6 to take second at indoor states.
Twin Valley's Kayla Gillen, Cheltenham's Brianna Smith, and Easton Area's Kate Willshaw are all in the field, having cleared 5-6 this season as well. Souderton's Moira O'Malley, who has cleared 5-5 this winter is also entered.
Virginia's Sydney Banks (US#3) and Louisana's Abigail O'Donoghue (US#5) are the top seeds, with clearances of 5-10 and 5-9.5 respectively this season.
Pole Vault
South Williamsport's Katie Jones will get back on the runway this weekend in the pole vault. The senior is fresh off her second straight state title in the event, cleared 13 even for the win. She's gone over 13-6.5 this season, which is the Pennsylvania state record. She was third a year ago, but she's improved a great deal last year and will have her eyes on a national title.
The field, however, is headed by Georgia's Becky Arbiv. She cleared a US#2 13-7 to win the Georgia state title at the end of January. Fellow Georgian Carson Dingler has cleared 13-6 this season. Michigan's Landon Kemp has gone over 13-6 as well, meaning this will be a very competitive matchup to keep an eye on.
The other PA entries in this field include Hempfield's Carena Nottoli (PA#2), James Coughlin's Madisyn Hawkins (PA#3), Laurel Highlands' Casey Phelan (PA#4) and Manheim Township's Courtney German (PA#6). Many of these girls will be looking to go over 13 feet.
Long Jump
While there may be no stopping California's Tara Davis, who broke the national record in the long jump, earlier this winter with a leap of 21-11 in Texas, there's a pair of PA long jumpers looking to make a splash in the event this weekend. (Watch Davis' record jump above!).
Upper Dublin's Madison Langley-Walker, who took third at the indoor championships is entered. Langley-Walker jumped 19-1.5 a few weeks ago and just keeps improving in the event this season. She'll look for another big jump at The Armory. Athens Area's Breana Gambrell is entered as well. Last year, in the emerging elite section, Gambrell jumped 19-5.5, which was the best jump of the indoor season by any PA girl last season.
Bentworth's Brenna Cavanaugh is entered in the "Emerging Elite" section, despite being PA#1 in the event after a tremendous jump of 19-7.25 at indoor states to win. She'll be one to watch this weekend.
Photo by Ethan Rissell
Triple Jump
Three PA girls are entered in the championship triple jump for this weekend. The indoor state champ from last weekend, Madison Langley-Walker of Upper Dublin, will get back on the triple jump runway. She jumped a PR of 40-4.5 to win the state title, which is also a US#12. She'll look to better that this weekend.
Perkiomen Valley's Christina Warren is also entered. Warren jumped a season best of 40-4 (US#13) earlier in the season and took third at indoor states. Downingtown East's Evelyn Berecz is in the field. She jumped 37-9.5 to take fourth at indoor states.
The nation's top four triple jumpers are all entered. Texas's Jasmine Moore, Virginia's Titiana Marsh and Maya Hanks, and California's Tara Davis will battle it out for the national title here.
Shot Put
PA#2 and PA#3 will represent the Keystone State in the championship shot put. Neumann Goretti's Janese Lynch, who took second to Hickory's Tori McKinley. Lynch has a season best of 45-11 from the DVGTCA Meet of Champs, which puts her at PA#2. Berwick's Payden Montana is also entered. Montana threw a season best of 44-3.75 at indoor states to take third (just a quarter inch off Lynch).
The favorite her is New Jersey's Alyssa Wilson, who took down the national record in the event a last week at Eastern States with a throw of 57-5.5. There will likely be no one that can compete with Wilson this weekend.
Weight Throw
North Pocono's Jessica Slagus is the lone PA entry in the weight throw. She threw a season best of 50-5 earlier in the season when she traveled out west to a Hempfield Area meet. Gianna Rao from Rhode Island is the top seed. She comes in with a best of 60-8, which is US#1.