Shippensburg Invitational - AAA Meet Recap
AAA GIRLS' RECAP
In a good matchup between D3 and D11, Whitehall's Amanda Crooks took a close win over Cedar Cliff's Grace Gillespie. Crooks clocked in at 12.51 to edge out Gillespie in the rain. Gillespie took another second place finish later in the day in the 200 meters. While Gillespie won heat 3, it was Warwick's Lily Palacio-Lewis, just a freshman, who took the win in 25.36. Another freshman won the 400 meters. Saucon Valley's Talitha Diggs was first across, dominating the quarter mile field in a winning time of 58.02.
Speaking of freshman, Greencastle-Antrim standout frosh, Taryn Parks continued to impress on Saturday. Parks beat out usual (fellow freshman) Marlee Starliper in a race to the line in the 1600 meters. Parks timed in at a PA#1 4:56.71, while Starliper was second in a PA#3 4:58.08. Parks then doubled back in the 800, winning in a PA#6 2:16.70, holding off Carlisle's Meg Lebo, who took second.
In the 3200 meters, Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch took the convincing win, running a PA#2 10:51.65. She now sits just back of state leader Clara Savchik, who clocked a PA#1 at Butler. In the 2K steeplechase, Northwestern Lehgih's Madeline Conuelos looked strong, winning in a PA#1 time of 7:33.83.
Carlisle's Najae Nickerson swept the hurdles on Saturday. Nickerson went 15.20 in the rain to win the 100 hurdles and then returned to win the 300 hurdles in 45.61, capping off a solid day.
In the relays, Northern, anchored by Starliper, won in 9:36.10 to put them at PA#8. Warwick won the 4x400 in 3:55.54, a strong PA#5 showing. Susquehanna Township took first in the 4x100 in 49.83.
Ariel Jones of Cedar Crest joined a crowded group atop the state leaderboard in the girls' high jump. Jones, who was fourth in AAA at states last year, cleared 5-6 for the win to tie her with six others at PA#1.
Also joining the top of the state leaderboard was Hempfield (3)'s Carena Nottoli. Nottoli cleared 12-6 for the win in the pole vault, which also ties her for the PA#1 spot along with three others, which includes indoor national champion Katie Jones of South Williamsport. Laurel Highlands' Casey Phelan, State College's Lyndsey Reed, and Spring Grove's Nathalie Elliott all cleared 12-0 on Saturday, with Phelan taking second on jumps and Reed and Elliott tying for third.
Lower Dauphin's Karina Long continued her strong season on the jumping runway. Long won both the long jump and the triple jump, besting talented fields in both events. She won the long jump with a leap of 18-0.25 and the triple jump with a jump of 37-1 (PA#10).
Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner won the shot put against a strong field in unideal conditions, throwing 40-6.5 for the victory. New Oxford's Madison Smith won the javelin with a throw of 131-3.
AAA BOYS' RECAP
Hatboro-Horsham's Nick Marino just keeps getting better and keeps winning. In a matchup between the state's two top pole vaulters, Marino claimed another win and another PR. Marino cleared 16-3 after a crazy bar bounce that went his way. East Pennsboro's Payton Morris (PA#2) was second with a 15-7 vault.
PA saw its first javelin throw over 200 feet this season. It came from Hempfield Area (7)'s Hayden Fox. Fox threw 199-1 last year, but now the senior broke that elusive 200 foot barrier, throwing 206-8 for the win. That also puts him at US#4 on the season.
By now, you've probably seen Aaron Arp's comeback win in the 4x100 meter relay, leading his Central Dauphin East. East won with a time of 43.85 (Carlisle was disqualified). But Arp also took the win in the 200 meters, winning in a PA#2 time of 21.74, dominating the rest of the field in the process.
Penn Manor's Taraje Whitfield swept the hurdles, rounding out a strong day at Ship. Whitfield went 14.30 in the rain to beat PA#1 Mychael Thomas of Carlisle in the 110 meter hurdles. Then he returned to win the 300 meter hurdles in 39.69. Thomas did return to win the 100 meter dash, shortly thereafter, running 10.93 for the win.
Carlisle's Sam Affolder won the 3200 meters in 9:25.44, a PA#4, and then returned to help the Herd to the win in the 4x800 meter relay. Carlisle ran 7:59.61 for the win over Lower Dauphin (8:00.18). In a loaded 1600 meters, Carlisle's Isaac Kole took the win, out-kicking State College's Nick Feffer down the finishing stretch. Kole's winning time was 4:18.24, while Feffer ran 4:18.47.
In the 800 meters, Lebanon's Derin Klick ran a strong race, taking the win in 1:56.22. Feffer was second there in a time of 1:56.82. Saucon Valley's Ethan Bernstein took the win in the 2K steeplechase in 6:35.12, just off his own PA#1.
Williamsport's Qayyim Ali continued his strong season in the high jump. The top AAA vaulter went 6-8 on Saturday to take the win. In the triple jump, Carlisle's Deshawn Millington, a former state champ in the event, picked up the win in his second time contesting the event this season. The basketball star jumped 46-9 for the win and that moves him up to PA#3.
Though the conditions weren't great, we saw some good battles in the shot put and discus. Selinsgrove's Keith Dreese won the shot put with a throw of 55-11.5, not far off his own PA#4. In the discus, West York Area's Luke Hoffman threw a PA#7 176-1 to take the win over Greencastle-Antrim's Campbell Parker and North Pocono's Matt Slagus.