SHIPPENSBURG — Claire Paci left her mark on the District 3 Track & Field Championships in a big way.
Paci, a Greencastle-Antrim senior, won the girls Class 3A 1600 race Saturday at Shippensburg University, to pair with her victory in Friday’s 3200, adding two gold medals to her already long list of District 3 medals.
Claire Paci
While Paci was the area’s only champion, Chambersburg’s boys team also put together a fine performance Saturday, scoring points in six different events and finishing in a tie for fifth with Manheim Township in the boys 3A team standings.
As she did in the 3200, Paci held the lead for almost all of the 1600 race, and she pulled away at the end. Her time of 4:55.98 led to a comfortable margin of victory over Gabriella Keith of Exeter, who was timed in 4:59.68.
She picked up nearly a second on the front pack in the third lap and led by 1.5 seconds, then blew away the field with a 1:10.51 final lap.
Blue Devil coach Devin McCauley said, “That was a huge double by Claire. She ran confidently all weekend and was in control.”
Paci ends her District 3 career with four medals in the 1600 (6th, 3rd, 1st and 1st) and four in the 3200 (2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st). And don’t forget her four medals in cross country (3rd, 1st, 2nd, 2nd).
Greencastle’s girls placed seventh in the team standings.
Antonio Harrison II earned a pair of individual medals for Chambersburg, taking fourth place in the 200 with a time of 22.29, and placing fifth in the 100, hitting the line in 10.81.
He also anchored the 4 x 100 relay team that placed eighth in 43.27, just missing the PIAA qualifying time by .17 of a second. He was joined by Imari Watson, Jermere Jones and Emilio Frye-Reyes. Jones picked up a third in his best event, the 110 hurdles, running a time of 14.58.
Antonio Harrison
“We left today feeling a lot more satisfied than we did Friday,” Trojan coach Jim Boyer said. “We thought we could have medaled in a couple of events Friday and didn’t. We’re pleased that 13 guys competed in districts and seven of them (1 relay, 4 individuals) will go on to states next weekend.
“Harrison and Jones are both sharpening their speed well in the postseason.”
The Trojans’ 4 x 800 relay team opened the day with a third-place finish in a time of 7:54.36. Ari Snyder led off with the first leg’s best time (1:57.71), Kaden Rife and Liam Kirkpatrick kept it close and Owen Shrader anchored in a fine time of 1:56.43.
Boyer said, “That relay was a full 9 seconds better than they’ve been all season. each leg ran a lifetime best and they shattered the 8-miniute barrier for the first time. We’re hoping their time gets them in a fast heat at states.”
Shrader ran the 800 in 1:55.39, earning a fifth-place individual medal.
“He really opened up in the last 200 meters and ran a lifetime best to advance to states,” Boyer said.
In the field, Peter Mertz threw the shot put 52-11.75 to place fifth for Chambersburg.
The Trojan girls had only one place-winner on Saturday — Natalia Holmes ran a time of 12.49 to earn a fifth-place medal in the 100 dash.
Holmes also ran the last leg on Chambersburg’s 4 x 100 team (Jaxin Frazer, Niamah Collins, Lashae Hang) that took ninth place in 49.45, just missing a medal by finishing .3 of a second behind Warwick.
Jahnaya Trotter-Wimberley leaped 35-0.50 in the triple jump to place 10th.
For the Greencastle boys, Hayden Parks ran a PR in the 1600 to take ninth place in 4:17.39.
McCauley said, “Hayden ran a great race against a stacked field. We are super proud of how he competed and was able to earn the opportunity to move into states.”
Also in the boys events, James Buchanan’s 4 x 400 relay team of Colton Yeager, Connor Kenzie, Nate Towns and Austin McCoy produced a time of 3:26.43 and placed fifth. McCoy had a nice run earlier in the day, posting a time of 48.95 to earn a bronze medal in the 400.
In girls events, Waynesboro’s True Benchoff took fifth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 46.08. The Shippensburg team of Katherine Shope, Louise Fischer, Ava Frontino and Skylen Renshaw posted a school-record time of 9:52.94 and placed 10th.