Nicole Leach set a meet record (breaking her own mark) in the
400 Hurdles, going 57.44. Rachel Gehret, Altoona, won the High Jump, clearing 5-08.50, and Eisenhower\'s Elisha Jones took the Javelin on the final throw of the finals over Northern\'s Amy Backel, 143-10 to 140-07. West Catholic qualifies for the Championship of America in the 4x400 with a time of 3:46.28. Five girls teams qualify for the 4x800 Championship of America, wtih Gwynedd Mercy posting the fastest time of the day in 9:08.76.
On a day when the weather teased the athletes with sun and warmth, then, without warning, cast an ominous look before unleashing winds and colder temperatures, Pennsylvania\'s high school athletes showed their best.
The day started with Nicole Leach, the West Catholic star, facing stiff competition in her specialty, the 400 Hurdles. Jamacian Sherene Pinnock had run faster than Leach\'s PR at a meet at her home just weeks ago. With the eight top seeds lined up to take the gun, Pinnock inexplicably jumped, earning a one-and-done false start. Leach regrouped, and at the first hurdle, knicked it, but quickly regained her steps. \"I\'ve hit hurdles worse than that. I knew it was a long race, so I just settled in.\" She had one runner to chase, and by the final turn, had the lead, surging to a 57.44 PR, and breaking the meet record she had set a year earlier. The time makes her the 6th best prep 400 hurdler all-time. Leach had a later start in the hurdles this season, but proved that experience and the extra motivation of a home town crowd can make a difference. She\'s hoping for a big weekend for her team, \"because what we do here will set us up for the rest of the season, and nationals.\" West Catholic head coach Lenny Jordan was happy for his star. \"This one is special... for a special kid.\" Jordan didn\'t think the DQ of her rival had a difference. \"She still wins.\"
400 Hurdles
1 57.44 1 Nicole Leach West Catholic Meet Record
4 1:01.92 6 Chanel Williams Plymouth-Whitemarsh
Within 20 minutes of Leach\'s big race, five PA 4x800\'s qualified for the 4x800 Championship of America race, set for early Friday afternoon. Leading the charge was Gwynedd Mercy Academy in 9:08.76, the fastest time of the day. Also making the finals were Engineering & Science, Hatboro-Horsham, North Penn, and Cumberland Valley.
4x800 advancing to Championship of America
Gwynedd Mercy, 9:08.76
Engineering & Science 9:11.65
Hatboro-Horsham 9:19.55
North Penn 9:21.88
Cumberland Valley 9:25.28
In the 4x100 heats, West Catholic qualified for the Small Schools and Tri-States finals. Wissahickon and Coatesville also made the Tri-State. In the 4x400, West Catholic had the 2nd fastest qualifer of the day, 3:46.29, and made the Championship of America. Obviously, quite a few local teams made the Philly area 4x400.
4x100
Advancing to 4x100 Large Schools
Alternate Wiissahickon
Small Schools
West Catholic
Alternate Milton Hershey
Tr-State
West Catholic
Wissahickon
Coatesville
Alternate Henderson
4x400
3:46.29 G West Catholic
Kneshia Sheard, Latavia Thomas, Christiana Taylor, Nicole Leach
Philly Area 4x400 Qualifiers
Engineering & Science
Council Rock North
Central Bucks West
Wissahickon
Henderson
Gwynedd Mercy
Simon Gratz
Cardinal O;Hara
Archbishop Carroll
Alternates: Villa Maria, Downingtown West, Conestoga
In girls\' Friday Field Events, Eisenhower sophomore Elisha Jones responded to the top final throw by Northern\'s Amy Backel with a toss of 143-10 to win the Javelin. Backel, who recently signed with the University of Oklahoma to compete in the Heptathlon, was pleased with her performance. With PRs in the Javelin, Discus, Pole Vault and Shot Put this season, Backel credits off-season lifting, a fall of (pay attention everyone) cross country, and improved technique thanks to \"great coaching.\"
Javelin
1 43.85 143\'10\" Elisha Jones Eisenhower
2 42.87 140\'07\" Amy Backel Northern Senior
3 40.18 131\'10\" Meghan Briggs Palmyra
5 38.23 125\'05\" Lorraine Hill Chambersburg
6 37.93 124\'05\" Alyssa Schmidt Jefferson Township
7 37.60 121\'07\" Julia Dougherty Archbishop Wood
Altoona junior Rachel Gehret cleared a PR of 5-08.50 to win the Penn Relays High Jump title. Janessa Murphy, Great Valley, took 4th in the Long Jump with a jump of 18-09.50. In the Triple Jump, Cardinal O\'hara\'s Michele Frayne in 8th at 36-09.75. In the High Jump, In the Shot Put, Karen Shump, the Penncrest frosh, was 5th with a throw of 40-11.50. Cedar Crest\'s Becky Eisenhower was 6th, with Coatesville\'s Kaleena Gray 7th, both over 40 feet.
High Jump
1 1.74 Rachel Gehret Altoona Area
4 1.7 Kelly Kajinski Downingtown East
NH Natalie Miller, Boyertown
Long Jump
4 5.73 18-09.50 8 Janessa Murphy Great Valley
10 5.30 17\'04.75 Ryann Krais Methacton
Triple Jump
8 11.22 36\'09.75 16 Michele Frayne Cardinal O\'Hara
nm Sequoia McBall Coatesville
Shot Put
5 12.48 40\'11.50 Karen Shump Penncrest
6 12.46 40\'10.50 Becky Eisenhower Cedar Crest
7 40\'04.25 Kaleena Gray Coatesville
Caitlin Hewitt of Latrobe, and Lindsay Regan of Easton, who was the defending Penn Relays champ, both had tough days in the wind and rain that greeted the late-starting and long-running Pole Vault competition. Regan, who has cleared 13\' three times this season, including a PA all-time best of 13-03, bowed out before 12-04. \"Everyone jumps in the same conditions, so there are no excuses.\" Regan remains confident that her immediate goal of 13-06 is within reach, as is her longer-term goal of that magic 14-feet. Hewitt matched heights with the eventual winner, but was upset that when she was going for the win, \"she never got her steps right.\"
Pole Vault
2 3.76 12\'04.00 3 Caitlin Hewitt Greater Latrobe
3 3.66 12\'00.00 1 Lindsay Regan Easton Area
5 3.36 11\'00.25 9 Beki Finn Liberty
5 3.36 11\'06.25 18 Amber Gaffey Susquehanna Community
t7 3.36 11\'00.25 19 Kelli McDonald Phoenixville
DMR
8 12:23.57 P Cardinal O\'Hara
Katie Kelly, Tricia Hunt, Kelly Unger, Beth Kelly
10 12:29.61 G St. Basil Academy
Christina Morelli, Beth Crossin, Kathleen Davies, Lynn Morelli
In the 3000, Lauretta Dezubay, the Virginia-bound senior from Freedom HS, ran a strategic race, closing strong over the final half mile to get a 5th place finish in 10:07.30. Recovering from a cold and a tough recent string of meets, the two-time state champion is feeling more confident than ever as she looks to close out her high school career. She ran virtually the same as last year, but with homestretch winds this time around, vs. \"near perfect conditions\" in 2004, she\'s poised to finish strong. \"My training is exactly where I want it to be. My times so far this season are much better than they were at this time last year (5:01 1600 duel meet, 10:53 3200).
3000
5 10:07.43 30 Louretta Dezubay Freedom
9 10:09.05 13 Lauren Bowles Upper Dublin
16 10:23.26 20 Tiffany Kulp Pennridge
19 10:26.64 26 Katie Thaeder Unionville
20 10:27.09 25 Allison Sokora Council Rock North
25 10:40.88 28 Julie Karaszkiewicz Garnet Valley
Now... can the guys match it?