Penn Relays Day 1 Recap: 4 PA Champs, Many CoA Qualifers

Apr 28, 2016

South Williamsport's Katie Jones scored a PA#1 and Penn Relays win on Thursday (Photo by Kathy Leister)

Four Pennsylvania athletes got new watches on Thursday.

State College's Veronika Karpenko (triple jump), South Williamsport's Katie Jones (pole vault), Tyrone's Erika Voyzey, and Mount Carmel's Maura Fiamoncini (javelin) won individual events in a successful first day of Penn Relays high school action.

Additionally, a handful of girls' relay teams qualified for the Championship of America tomorrow.

Karpenko dealt well with rainy and windy conditions, grinding out a 39-5.25 right before the finals to grab a narrow victory over Jody-Ann Petrie from Jamaica and Kaitlyn Salisbury of Hawthorne (NJ). Watch an interview with Karpenko below.

Jones, in the pole vault, also faced difficult conditions, but she still managed a PR, getting over the 13-foot barrier, clearing 13-0.25 on her first attempt to win the competition. She was short on a couple attempts at the meet record, but is certainly happy with the victory at Penn. Watch Jones talk about her day in the below interview:

For Voyzey, 2016 at the Penn Relays was a much better experience than 2015. Voyzey handled the Penn Relays atomsphere on Thursday and walked away with the win, clearing 5-7.25, making sure to stay warm in the cold. The current US#2 high jumper talked with us afterwards:

Photo by Patty Morgan

Maura Fiamoncini of Mount Carmel continued her great season in the javelin, throwing 150-11 to claim the win by over ten feet in the event on Thursday evening. She talked with us about her big win:

In the 3000 meters, the race for the win was more or less over less than a half lap in. Virginia's Weini Kelati made it a one person race from the gun, but the race for the rest of the spots was on. Abbe Goldstein of Germantown Academy was the top PA girl, finishing in fourth place in 9:33.96, which is the fastest time any PA girl has run at the Penn Relays in the 3000. Dallas' Ally Rome also got under 10 minutes, finishing tenth in 9:49.22. So did Downingtown West's Aislinn Devlin (13th in 9:50.96) and Germantown Academy's Maggie Hallahan (14th in 9:52.09). Goldstein, whose season is virtually over because of a trip to Spain, talked with us afterwards:

Unionville was the top PA team in the DMR Championship of America. They finished fourth in an 11:58.16. Splits: Kacie Breeding (3:37.54), Lyndsay Hastings (1:02.55), Camryn Rickenbacg (2:22.21), Anna Juul (4:55.86). Friends' Central was eighth. Anchor Gabrielle Wilkinson ran a 4:53 1600 leg. Pennsbury was tenth in 12:12.

In the girls' mile, Cumberland Valley Mady Clahane was eighth overall in a 4:58.39.

Emily Stauffer of Cocalico took fourth in a very deep girls' shot put. Stauffer kept up her strong season, throwing 47-5. Moniteau's Maura Kimmel was seventh in the discus, throwing just off her PR with a best throw of 141-2.

In the girls' long jump, Athens' Breana Gambrell was sixth (17-10.75) and Cedar Cliff's Dazjanique Williams was seventh (17-9.5)

Terri Turner supplied a 2:12 lead off leg for Penn Wood that ran a PA#1 in the 4x800 (Photo by Kathy Leister)

Qualifying for the Championship of America in the girls' 4x800, scheduled for Friday 1:10 PM, from Pennsylvania is Penn Wood, North Penn, and Cardinal O'Hara.

Penn Wood ran a PA#1 9:12.07 in the small schools first heat. Splits: Terri Turner (2:12.98), Elicia Moore (2:23.86), Agnes Mansaray (2:15.29), Janae Pitt (2:19.94).

North Penn ran a PA#2 9:13.59 in the large schools second heat. Splits: Ariana Gardizy (2:24.72), Phoebe Clowser (2:17.23), Uche Nwogwugwu (2:15.34), Mikaela Vlasic (2:16.30).

Cardinal O'Hara ran a PA#3 9:18.84 in the small schools first heat. Splits: Olivia Arizin (2:17.12), Christine Mancini (2:19.42), Grace Mancini (2:19.58), Elizabeth Mancini (2:22.72).

The Cheltenham girls were the final qualifier for the 4x100 that will feature five Jamaican teams, one team from the Bahamas, and one team from Virginia. The Panthers won their heat (the third one) and finished with the fourth fastest time in the large schools division with a time of 47.38. The team consisted of Bria Barnes, Brielle Lewis, Alexis Crosby, and Chanel Brissett.

In the 400 meter hurdles, Anna Cockrell of North Carolina started the day off with a big win, clocking a 57.38. Defending champ in the race, Brooklynn Broadwater of Springside Chestnut Hill was fourth in 1:00.60.