SHIPPENSBURG — With a handful of place winners and a fine next-to-last meet for distance star Abby Yourkavitch, Chambersburg’s girls track & field team placed third in the team standings of the District 3 Championships on Saturday at Shippensburg University.

Yourkavitch ended up qualifying for states in two events and Franklin County athletes will be represented at the PIAA Championships (next Friday and Saturday at SU) in four other events.

Saturday, Yourkavitch placed second in the girls 3A 1600-meter run, putting up a time of 4:54.52 to beat third-place Taryn Parks of Greencastle-Antrim (4:58.18).

However, Northern York’s Marlee Starliper toured the track in 4:46.86 to shatter the 2008 district record of Neely Spence of Shippensburg (4:40.23) and win the event.

Yourkavitch, a senior, was also second behind Starliper in the 3200 on Friday, and she qualified for states in both events. She is expected to concentrate on the 3200 only next week.

Also for Chambersburg on Saturday, Bre’ya Clopper ran her best time of 45.68 to claim fourth in the 300 hurdles and qualify for states. The girls 4 x 100 relay team of Clopper, Sydnie Gilbert, Jacelyn Jones and Ariana Appenzellar ran a time of 49.62 to place fifth and earn a ticket to the PIAA event.

Trojan coach Chris Monheim said, “I was very pleased with how the weekend went. We ended up with 12 medals and we have a relay team, two hurdlers and Abby going to states.”

In the 100 hurdles, Gilbert (pictured above) ran a 15.45 to place seventh and advance to states. She set a school record in the trials semifinals with a blistering time of 15.00.

Also, in the 4 x 800 relay, Chambersburg took sixth, just missing states. The team of Kaylee Mowery, Kiera Whitehead, Anna DeGrange and Yourkavitch posted a time of 9:42.14.

“With the exception of Abby, all of the other girls who qualified for states are underclassmen,” Monheim said.

One other Franklin County athlete, in addition to Parks, qualified for states — Greencastle’s Keri Gearhart (pictured below) placed second in the javelin with a throw of 130-8.

In the boys 3A competition, Shippensburg’s Alex Doyle took fourth in the high jump with his 6-4 effort. Greyhound teammate Kevin Suero (pictured below) earned an 8th-place medal in the long jump (20-7.75), and James Buchanan’s Dan Corcoran placed 8th in the 400 dash in 51.20.

Chambersburg’s 4 x 100 relay team took seventh in 43.59; the team included Jonathan Jeffrey, Nate Reed, Keyshawn Jones and Tyeshawn Worrell. The Trojans’ 4 x 800 relay also came in seventh, with James Merkle, Aaron Maynard, Trentin Overcash and Luke Myers finishing in 8:09.68.

District 3 Track & Field
Friday’s Local Results
BOYS
Shot put — 5.Brock Harmon (Chbg) 52-5; 6.Derek Moore (Chbg) 49-10.25
Triple jump — 11.Kevin Suero (Ship) 42-10.5
GIRLS
3200 — 2.Abby Yourkavitch (Chbg) 10:37.90
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Saturday’s Local Results
BOYS
4 x 800 relay — 7.Chambersburg (James Merkle, Aaron Maynard, Trentin Overcash, Luke Myers), 8:09.68
1600 — 11.Overcash (Chbg) 4:33.75
4 x 100 relay — 7.Chambersburg (Jonathan Jeffrey, Nate Reed, Keyshawn Jones, Tyeshawn Worrell), 43.59
400 — 8.Dan Corcoran (JB) 51.20
Long jump — 8.Suero (Ship) 20-7.75; 11.Reed (Chbg) 20-4
Javelin — 10.Carter Van Scyoc (Ship) 158-2
High jump — 4.Alex Doyle (Ship) 6-2
Discus — 9.Harmon (Chbg) 139-5
Team — 1.Mechanicsburg 51; 2.Penn Manor 43; 3.Ephrata 40.5; (tie) 27.Chambersburg 11; (tie) 35.Shippensburg 6.
GIRLS
4 x 800 relay — 6.Chambersburg (Kaylee Mowery, Kiera Whitehead, Anna DeGrange, Yourkavitch), 9:42.14
100 hurdles — 7.Sydnie Gilbert (Chbg) 15.45
1600 — 2.Yourkavitch (Chbg) 4:54.52; 3.Taryn Parks (G-A) 4:58.18
4 x 100 relay — 5.Chambersburg (Bre’ya Clopper, Gilbert, Jocelyn Jones, Arian Appenzellar), 49.62
400 — 16.Shanelle Burrowes (Chbg) 1:01.66
300 hurdles — 4.Clopper (Chbg) 45.68
Discus — 9.Deja Winkler (Chbg) 102-8
Long jump — 17.Burrowes (Chbg) 15-6
Javelin — 2.Keri Gearhart (G-A) 130-8
Team — 1.Warwick 73; 2.Central Dauphin 36; 3.Chambersburg 30; (tie) 20.Greencastle 14.