NBNI - Girls' Field/Multis Preview
High Jump (Fri. 3/9, 6pm)
The very evenly matched and talented girls from PA in the high jump will return to the mat on Friday evening. Lydia Bottelier of Palisades took home the state title a few weeks ago. She cleared a season best (matching her all-conditions PR) of 5-8 to win the state title.
Kayla Gillen of Twin Valley and Kate Willshaw of Easton Area are also in the fields. Both cleared 5-7 this season. Gillen was third at states, while Willshaw was seventh.
The top seed is Jenna Rogers of New Jersey, who jumped 5-11 this season.
Pole Vault (Sun. 3/11, 10am)
The biggest names in PA vaulting will head to New York on Sunday for what should be a very competitive pole vault.
Mackenzie Horn of Manheim Township (US#8) has been undefeated against PA competition this season. She jumped a best of 13-3 this season and cleared 13-0 to win the state title at Penn State a few weeks ago. Pittston Area's Abby Norwillo (US#9) also cleared 13-0 at states, but took second to Horn. The Armory has been her home away from home as she's won there a number of times, including at Eastern States, where she jumped a meet record and PR of 13-0.75.
Also entered are Hempfield's Carena Nottoli and State College Area's Lyndsey Reed. Nottoli was third at states, jumping a season best of 12-6. Reed also jumped 12-6 at states and placed fourth, though she has cleared 12-7 this season.
The top seed is Reagann LeLeux, who jumped a US#2 13-10 last season.
Long Jump (Sat. 3/10, 4:30pm)
The long jump should be exciting with a pair of PA jumpers featured. Breana Gambrell of Athens Area has been unstoppable this season in the event, but she'll face one of the best of all time on Saturday. Gambrell enters at US#2 with a best leap of 20-1.5 from earlier in the season. She won the indoor state crown a few weeks ago.
Upper Dublin's Madison Langley-Walker (US#10) will also be one to watch. She took a very close second to Gambrell at indoor states with a best leap of 19-5. She'll go for another big jump this time at the Armory.
But the top seed is Lanae-Tava Thomas, the US#1 in the long jump. She leapt 21-8 this season and will be tough to beat this weekend.
Triple Jump (Sun. 3/11, 1pm)
The two PA entries in the triple jump are Perkiomen Valley's Christina Warren and Athens Area's Breana Gambrell.
Warren captured the indoor state crown a few weeks ago with a US#5 jump of 40-10.75, an all-conditions PR. It's been an incredibly consistent season for Warren, who has also shined in the hurdles. She's hitting her stride in both events at the right time.
Gambrell was fourth at indoor states. She comes in with a season best of 38-2.5 and she'll look to improve upon that on Sunday.
The nation's top four, headlined by US#1 Jasmine Moore of Texas (42-9.5), are all entered, so we should expect some huge jumps here.
Shot Put (Sat. 3/10, 2pm)
Chasing a national title on Saturday will be Berwick's Payden Montana. The Penn State recruit unleashed a massive toss of 49-5.25, a PR of over two feet (!) to dominate the shot put at the state meet. She sits at US#2 and Montana will be looking for more big throws at the Armory.
She'll face off against the US#1 from New Jersey, Shelby Bigsby. The NJ Meet of Champions winner threw 50-2 at Eastern States in the same circle they'll throw in on Saturday. This will be a great competition and Montana will surely give her a good run.
Weight Throw (Sun. 3/11, 9:30am)
Two girls from Pennsylvania will enter the weight throw circle on Sunday.
North Pocono's Jessica Slagus (PA#1) threw a season best of 51-3 early in the season and will look for a big day. She comes in at US#15. Butler's Jena Reinheimer is also in the field. She's ranked PA#2 and US#26 after a strong competition at Hempfield earlier this year.
Pentathlon
The three Pennsylvania entries are Oakland Catholic's Jayla Ellis, Penncrest's Tara Higgins, and Cheltenham's Brianna Smith.
Ellis has had a strong winter that has included indoor PRs in the 60-meter hurdles (8.65) and the long jump (18-8). Higgins put down a big PR of 57.83 at the state meet in the 400 meters to take seventh overall. Smith is very versatile, coming off a strong winter season that saw her compete in the hurdles and high jump at the state meet (she was seventh in the HJ).