SHIPPENSBURG — The District 3 Track & Field championships concluded Saturday at Shippensburg University and five Franklin County athletes earned gold medals.
In Girls Class 2A, James Buchanan sophomore Cheyenne Eby continued her ascent, taking first place in the 100 and 400.
Okenie McLaughlin
Winners in Boys Class 3A included three seniors — Chambersburg’s Okenie McLaughlin (long jump), Greencastle-Antrim’s Noah Parks (800) and Shippensburg’s Ayden Foust (discus).
Eby sprinted to a time of 12.19 in the 100, hitting the line 0.26 ahead of Lilah Gilmore of Schuylkill Valley. She bested her Friday prelim time of 12.49.
In the 400, Eby turned in a time of 59.44, winning by a full second over Riley Egresits of Susquenita.
Chambersburg’s McLaughlin, who placed second in the triple jump on Friday, picked up his gold medal by surpassing his personal best by 8.5 inches. His best had been 23-0, and he splashed to a distance of 23-8.5 to win.
But it wasn’t easy. South Western’s’ Ghage Schmelyun had hit 22-11.75 on his first jump and stayed in first place all the way, even passing on his last four attempts. But McLaughlin hit the winner on his final attempt to steal the prize.
Greencastle’s Parks listed 1:55.42 as his season-best effort. But on Saturday he surpassed that and needed it. Parks finished in 1:53.67, just enough to hold off Kalil Dargin of Milton Hershey (1:53.87).
Noah Parks
Foust became Shippensburg’s second throwing champion of the weekend. Drake Wagner won the shot put on Friday and Foust placed third. On Saturday, it was Foust who got to climb to the top of the podium after he hit a throw of 166-6 on his fourth attempt to win the discus. He finished over 6 feet further than Anthony Patterson of McCaskey.
The Greencastle boys 4×100 relay team had the area’s best relay finish, notching a time of 42.21 to place second behind Spring Grove’s time of 41.79. The team included Jerry Amstutz, Logan Andou, Cort Bradley and Spencer Long.
The JB girls 4×100 relay placed third, with a team of Bella Helm, Natalie Fleming, Lilly Garbinski and Eby posting a time of 5043.
The Rockets also took fourth in the 4×400 relay (Addie Cullers, Kimber Yeager, Fleming and Eby ran 4:10.58) and seventh in the 4×800 relay (Yeager, Kaitlyn Dean, Kaleigh Wiker and Cullers ran 10:26.89).
Also gaining medals in 2A girls were Ainsley Green (4th shot put, 33-9), Brynleigh McCracken (5th shot put, 32-10.75) and Cullers (8th in 800, 2:30.13).
Four area girls earned medals in 3A — Bailey Hurley of Greencastle (4th, discus, 118-10); Fi Richards of Chambersburg (8th, discus, 115-5); Ship’s Camden Winters (7th, javelin, 114-3) and Waynesboro’s Brianna McIlquham (7th, 300 hurdles, 46.37).
Two Chambersburg relays also brought home medals. The Trojans placed sixth in the 4×100, with Natalie Anderson, Dechea Davis, Bree Paetow and Addy Brubaker hitting 48.78; and eighth in the 4×800, with Lily Spohn, Ellie Rife, Payton Loraw and Natalie Quinn posting 9:44.39.
Three boys medaled in Class 3A: the Trojans’ Daniel Souza-Casagrandi (4th in the 400, 50:08), the Greyhounds’ Rylan Asper (6th in the 1600, 4:24.47) and Chambersburg’s Jon Dawe (7th in 300 hurdles, 40.08). Also the Trojans’ 4×800 relay team of Boston Vincenti, Cobe Penick, Cole Lehman and Julian Clark finished in 8:05.76 to place eighth.
James Buchanan took 5th place in the 2A team standings, while Ship’s boys were 6th in boys 3A, and the Trojans took 8th.
The PIAA Championships will be held next Friday and Saturday, back at Shippensburg University.
BOYS CLASS 3A
4×800 relay — 8.Chambersburg (Boston Vincenti, Cobe Penick, Cole Lehman, Julian Clark) 8:05.76
1600 — 6.Rylan Asper (Shippensburg) 4:24.47
4×100 relay — 2.Greencastle-Antrim (Jerry Amstutz, Logan Andou, Cort Bradley, Spencer Long) 42.21
400 — 4.Daniel Souza-Casagrandi (Chbg) 50.08
300 hurdles — 7.Jon Dawe (Chbg) 40.08
800 — 1.Noah Parks (G-A) 1:53.67
Discus — 1.Ayden Foust (Ship) 166-6; 11.Carter King (James Buchanan) 143-11
Javelin — 10.Chase Diller (G-A) 163-6
Long jump — 1.Okenie McLaughlin (Chbg) 23-8.25; 22.Alex Cross (Chbg) 20-0
Team: 1.Carlisle 43; 2.Wilson 42; 3.Milton Hershey 40; 4.Cedar Crest 39; 5.Hershey 33; 6.Shippensburg 31; 8.Chambersburg 29; 13.Greencastle 13.5
GIRLS CLASS 3A
4×800 relay — 8.Chambersburg (Lily SPohn, Ellie Rife, Payton Loraw, Natalie Quinn) 9:44.39
4×100 relay — 6.Chambersburg (Natalie Anderson, Dechea Davis, Bree Paetow, Addy Brubaker) 48.78
300 hurdles — 7.Brianna McIlquham (Waynesboro) 46.37
800 — 16.Spohn (Chbg) 2:24.56
4×400 relay — 9.Chambersburg (Brubaker, Olivia Coy, Paetow, Maggie Holtry) 4:01.13
Discus — 4.Bailey Hurley (G-A) 118-10; 8.Fi Richards (Chbg) 115-5
Javelin — 7.Camden Winters (Ship) 114-3
Long jump — 16.Addy Zimmerman (Chbg) 16-0.25
Team: 1.McCaskey 68; 2.Cedar Crest 62; 3.Wilson 44; 4.Twin Valley 42; 5.Cumberland Valley 33.5; 21.Chambersburg 9; 29.Greencastle 7.5
GIRLS CLASS 2A
4×800 relay — 7.James Buchanan (Kimber Yeager, Kaitlyn Dean, Kaleigh Wiker, Addie Cullers) 10:26.89
100 — 1.Cheyenne Eby (JB) 12.19
4×100 relay — 3.James Buchanan (Bella Helm, Natalie Fleming, Lilly Garbinski, Eby) 50.43
400 — 1.Eby (JB) 59.44
800 — 8.Cullers (JB) 2:30.13; 16.Yeager (JB) 2:52.23
4×400 relay — 4.James Buchanan (Cullers, Yeager, Fleming, Eby) 4:10.58
Shot put — 5.Ainsley Green (JB) 33-9; 6.Brynleigh McCracken (JB) 32-10.75
Long jump — 15.Alexis Martin (JB) 30-3
Team: 1.Schulykill Valley 111, 2.Wyomissing 98.5; 3.Oley Valley 56; 4.Trinity 53; 5.James Buchanan 51