Avery Lewis scored 30 individual points on Sunday for Friends' Central as her Philadelphia squad scored 38 points to win the 2024 PTFCA Indoor Championship. Friends' Central has now won three championships in five years with the 2020 and 2022 titles to its name. North Allegheny finished second with 36 points, while Chester, Mount Lebanon and Mount Saint Joseph all tied for third with 24-points-a-piece.
The Rundown:
We saw it last year and we saw it again this year. One standout can propel a team to a strong finish at the state championships.
Avery Lewis, the superstar from Friends' Central in Philadelphia, scored an unreal 30 individual points before anchoring her team's 4x400m relay to a second-place finish. In total, she contributed to all 38 of Friends' Central's points.
It all started in the girls long jump. On her final attempt, Lewis pocketed a new meet record mark of 20-8.75. But that was just the start of her eventful (pun intended) day.
She then returned in the 60m dash and, with an explosive run, defended her 60m state title from 2023, posting a U.S. No. 3 time of 7.26. That was just four-hundredths of a second off her mark from a year ago.
Watch Lewis's Dominant 200m Dash.
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Then it was time for the 200m.
Lewis obliterated the field yet again. She ran 23.73, a current U.S. No. 8 time, and nearly another state record.
Before the final event of the day, the Friends' Central contingent trailed the North Allegheny Tigers. The Class 3A state cross country champions had channelled their championship-mentality.
In the mile, they scored nine points. Wren Kucler and Robin Kucler were able to finish in fourth and fifth, respectively, running times of 4:58.58 and 5:00.60. The duo then returned in the 3,000m and made up a large margin by scoring 22 points, with Wren and Robin posting two sub-10 minute efforts.
Eva Kynaston was not far behind. She was able to snag an additional four points for her team by finishing fifth. In the 400m, Mackenzie Winning was also able to contribute a championship point by landing on the podium with her 57.70.
Watch the 4x400m Final Heat
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Entering the 4x400m, North Allegheny led 32-30.
Unfortunately for The Tigers, Friends' Central was one of the favorites.
The North Allegheny team of Maya Currie, Mackenzie Winning, Isabella Costa and Kendall Lucas posted a season best 3:58.91 that would land them in fifth.
But that would not be enough to overcome their foe.
The Friends' Central relay of Quin Stovall, Neenah Trusty, Jade Nicholas and Avery Lewis ran a U.S. No. 15 time of 3:54.15. They were only beat out by Haverford Township's 3:53.60 winning effort.
Related Links:
The PTFCA Indoor State Championship meet page