States Rundown: Girls' Storylines from Shippensburg

PIAA T&F State Championships
Dan Beck

Chanel Brissett of Cheltenham brings home the PA#1 all-time 4x100 win (Photo by Phil Grove)

We saw six state meet records by the girls' in one of the most impressive all-time efforts by the girls of PA his weekend at Shippensburg. Here's a rundown of some of the best performances from Friday and Saturday at Ship

Girls' Highlights:

  • Team Champions: Hickory (AA Girls); Cheltenham (AAA Girls)
  • It was quite a Saturday for the Cheltenham girls. First, Chanel Brissett, who was hobbled with a bone bruise in her knee after hitting a hurdle on Friday, came back Saturday to set a new PIAA meet record in the 100 hurdles, blasting a 13.19 for the win. Then it came time for the 4x100. The team of Bria Barnes, Brielle Lewis, Alexis Crosby, and  Brissett crushed the Pennsylvania state record with a time of 45.78 to break Simon Gratz' state record that had stood since 1996, long before any of the girls on the team were even born. Crosby went straight to the 400 final after the 4x100 and finished second in 54.62. MaryGrace Rittler finished eighth in the 3200 as well.
  • Hickory won its second straight team title with a full team effort, proving their depth across the board. Tori McKinley led the way, winning the shot put with a throw of 46-2 and then placing second in the discus with a best toss of 145-8. Heather Grober also took home an individual title. Hers came in the 300 hurdles, where she ran a PA#4 42.67. The 4x100 was victorious running a time of 48.83 for the win. The 4x400 took fifth. Other medalists included Lexi Bible (third in the 1600m), Cailen Blaire (seventh in the discus), and Michaela Burkhauser (sixth in the shot put)

Penn Wood's 4x400 broke the PIAA meet record by a large margin (Photo by Abby Huber)

  • The Penn Wood girls closed out the girls' side of compeititon in a big way, winning the 4x400 and setting a new PIAA meet record with a 3:42.67. That crushes the previous mark set by Abington in 2011 of 3:46.20. The team of Janae Pitt, Agnes Mansaray, Elicia Moore, and Terri Turner ran away with the win in AAA in their record-setting run.

Thelma Daves of Girard College broke Lauryn Williams' state meet record from 2001 (Photo by Don Rich)

  • Thelma Davies of Girard College ran into the record books in a big way. The freshman phenom broke a PIAA meet record and tied another. Both records were held by olympian Lauryn Williams of Rochester. Davies first ran 11.58 in the 100 meters, which breaks the previous mark by .20. Then Davies tied Williams' 23.85 in the 200 meters. We'll get three more years to watch Davies try and solidify those records. She's only just getting started.
  • Speaking of PIAA meet records, South Williamsport's Katie Jones cleared 13-0 to win the AA pole vault. That sets the meet record which was previously 12-7. Jones just missed on an attempt at 13-4, which would have been a PR. This closes out a great season for Jones, a junior.

Mady Clahane of Cumberland Valley said she wanted this win really bad and she got it (Photo by Don Rich)

  • The result on Saturday was a long time coming for Cumberland Valley's Mady Clahane. The UNC-bound senior emerged onto the distance running scene in Pennsylvania as a freshman, but was yet to claim a state championship. That changed mid-day when Clahane took the AAA 1600 out hard and never had to look back. Clahane clocked a 4:46, a PR for the win and her first state title.

Yasmin Brooks of Susquehanna Township posted a US#9 in her 300 hurdles win (Photo by Don Rich)

  • Susquehanna Township's Yasmin Brooks is on a tear in the hurdles. The junior took second in the 100 hurdles to newly-minted state meet record holder Chanel Brissett. But Brooks took second in 13.49, which, don't look now, is the 11th fastest time in the country. Brooks got her state championship, though. She won the 300 hurdles in a great race with South Western's Lynne Mooradian. Brooks got the best of her in the finishing stretch to clock a 41.71, which tops Brooklynn Broadwater's previous PA#1. That's also a US#9. 
  • Cocalico's Emily Stauffer got her first outdoor state title, too. The senior has been waiting a long time for it and it came on Friday as Stauffer topped a talented field for the win with a throw of 45-3.25. Stauffer, who has won three indoor titles before Friday, will head to Missouri in the fall.
  • The North Penn girls won the AAA 4x800, dipping under nine minutes with a fantastic race. The team of Jenna Webb, Phoebe Clowser, Ariana Gardizy, and Mikaela Vlasic ran a time of 8:59.56, outlasted the defendinf state champions from Wilson (3). 
  • Connellsville's Madison Wiltrout may be the national record holder, but she was facing a tough task on Sturday afternoon in the AAA javelin. On her last throw, Wiltrout pulled out her best throw of the season, a 164-1 to get past Hazleton's Kayla Merkel and New Oxford's Madison Smith for another state title. That's also a US#2 for the season. 
  • The AA javelin pitted one and two from 2015 against each other. Only this time, you can reverse the order. Mount Carmel's Maura Fiamoncini out threw Redbank Valley's Brooke Hinderliter. Fiamoncini's best throw was 155-1, which is a PR for her. That also matches Hinderliter's season best and PA#2 from the District 9 Championships. The two now sit at US#8.
  • Pennridge's Kouri Peace continues to amaze. The freshman won the 200 meters and took second in the 100 meters in a successful first outdoor state meet. Peace clocked a 23.76 to beat Pennsbury's Dasia Pressley, who set the PA state record in the event one year ago. In the 100, Peace took second to Liberty's Jaylyn Aminu. Aminu, a junior, was third a year ago and was somewhat of a surprise winner, clocking an 11.93 for the win.

Olivia Arizin of Cardinal O'Hara ran a 2:06.8 to win the AAA 800, while Agnes Mansaray of Penn Wood took second and set a national record (Photo by Ethan Rissell)

  • The 800 is Pennsylvania is no joke. That was proven on Saturday in the girls' AAA finals. Cardinal O'Hara's Olivia Arizin came out on top in a very impressive field that included many returnees from a year ago. CB West's Maddie Villalba, who won the state title as a sophomore and junior finished sixth in a deep field. Arizin held off a late charge from Penn Wood's Agnes Mansaray to claim the win in a PA#1 and PR of 2:06.80. Mansaray broke the Sierra Leone national record in the 800 with her second place finish. Her time was 2:07.53.
  • It was a good weekend for returning champions in the girls' long jump. Both 2015 winners, Breana Gambrell of Athens Area and Khyasi Caldwell-Adams of Pocono Mountain East successfully defended their state titles in the event. Gambrell jumped 19-3.75 to win AA, while Caldwell-Adams tied her PR and season best for the win with a jump of 19-6. Both girls return next year, and we'll see if they can do it again!
  • Downingtown West's Aislinn Devlin has been close to state titles during her junior season. She was second at cross country states and second in the indoor 3000. But on Saturday, it was all Devlin in the AAA 3200 meters. Devlin seized control early on and there was no stopping her this time. She won in 10:32.51. Vincentian Academy's Marianne Abdalah isn't a stranger to the top of the podium. The junior won her second straight AA 3200 title, pulling away early on as well. Abdalah clocked a 10:51.60 in her winning effort.
  • North Penn's Uche Nwogwugwu proved she's one of the state's most versatile athletes this weekend. On Friday, she finished sixth in the triple jump. But her big moment came on Saturday. Nwogwugwu won the 400 meters in a big PR of 54.09. She was a close second last season, so it was extra sweet for the champ this time around.

CB South's Valerie Przekop won the AAA girls' high jump title, clearing 5-9 (Photo by Patty Morgan)

  • Tyrone's Erika Voyzey won her third straight AA high jump title. Voyzey cleared 5-7, which is off her PR of 5-11, but the Univerisity of Miami recruit was certainly happy with another sytate championship. In AAA, CB South's Valerie Przekop was first in a deep and talented field. Przekop cleared a big PR of 5-9 to take the win.
  • Downingtown East's Evelyn Berecz was an upset victor in the AAA girls' triple jump, beating the defending champion Veronika Karpenko. Berecz jumped 39-5.5 for the win. In AA, Koryn Jozwiakowski of Fort Cherry jumped 37-9 and moved up three spots from her fourth place finish in 2015 to grab the win.
  • Sewickley Academy's Summer Thorpe had a big day in the hurdles. The senior ran 14.15 to win the 100 hurdles and then placed third with a 43.28 in the 100 hurdles.