HS Track: Schaeffer, Long grab gold at shortened Schuylkill League meet
Schuylkill Haven's Anna Schaeffer crosses the finish line to win the girls' 3200-meter run at Tuesday's Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships at Mahanoy Area (Photo by Brook Koch-Guers).
MAHANOY CITY — Tuesday’s band of severe weather that came through Schuylkill County put a damper on the opening day of the Schuylkill Track and Field Championships.
But it wasn’t a total washout.
Schuylkill Haven’s Anna Schaeffer and Minersville’s Kolin Long captured individual gold medals in the 3200-meter run and the Blue Mountain girls and Nativity boys earned 4×800 relay titles during Tuesday’s competition at Mahanoy Area’s Alumni Stadium.
Only four track events were completed Tuesday — the finals in the 3200 and 3200 relay and preliminaries in the 100 and 200 — while none of the scheduled field events reached their conclusion.
It adds up to a busy Wednesday schedule that will begin early than originally scheduled, with field events beginning at 2 p.m. and track events at 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Schaeffer added another championship to a banner senior campaign by cruising to victory in 12:00.33, 47 seconds ahead of second-place Vanessa Frasnelli of Blue Mountain (12:47.34). Mahanoy Area’s Felicia Bro was third in 13:03.89.
Long had a little tougher time in the boys’ 3200, crossing the finish line in 10:04.18. Shenandoah Valley’s Robert Guzman was second in 10:08.09, with Pottsville’s Cullen Clarke third in 10:11.22.
In the 3200 relay, the Blue Mountain girls’ quartet of Emma Lazarchick, Frasnelli, Adalynn Warke and Gianna Chipriano broke the tape first in 10:11.52, 12 seconds ahead of second-place Schuylkill Haven.
The Nativity boys’ foursome of Nolan Daynorowicz, Liam Messina, Michael Stank and Nash Stehr also cruised to victory in 8:24.49, beating second-place Blue Mountain (8:44.42) by 20 seconds.
The boys’ and girls’ prelims in the 100 and 200 lived up to their hype.
Pine Grove’s Viktorya Luckenbach posted the fastest times in both the girls’ 100 (11.84) and 200 (25.05). North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller (10.75) edged Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers (10.78) in the boys’ 100 prelims, with Guers (21.57) returning the favor over Miller (22.57) in the 200. Minersville’s Paiten LaPoint was a close third in both events, setting up a pair of great races for Wednesday.
Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships
At Mahanoy Area
Teams participating: Blue Mountain (BM), Mahanoy Area (Mah), Marian (Mar), Minersville (Min), Nativity (Nat), North Schuylkill (NS), Panther Valley (PV), Pine Grove (PG), Pottsville (Potts), Schuylkill Haven (SH), Shenandoah Valley (SV), Tamaqua (Tam), Weatherly (Wea).
Tuesday’s Results
GIRLS’ FINALS
3200 — 1. Anna Schaeffer (SH) 12:00.33, 2. Vanessa Frasnelli (BM) 12:47.34, 3. Felicia Bro (Mah) 13:03.89, 4. Anna Cook (Min) 13:12.55, 5. Sarah Satterfield (BM) 13:24.27, 6. Catherine Marinchak (Nat) 13:40.89, 7. Isabella Jones (Tam) 13:47.11, 8. Carly Honus (Mah) 13:53.79
3200 relay — 1. Blue Mountain (Lazarchick, Frasnelli, Ad. Warke, Chipriano) 10:11.52, 2. Schuylkill Haven 10:23.92, 3. Minersville 10:58.04, 4. Marian 11:11.48, 5. Tamaqua 11:23.13, 6. Shenandoah Valley 12:19.55, 7. Pottsville 12:28.81, 8. Pine Grove 12:29.60
GIRLS’ PRELIMINARIES
100 — 1. Viktorya Luckenbach (PG) 11.84, 2. Jes Siminitus (Potts) 12.77, 3. Sara Spolski (Nat) 12.92, 4. Katelynn Fredericks (Tam) 12.92, 5. Maggie Hoffman-Long (Min) 12.96, 6. Sophia Spolski (BM) 13.15, 7. Aubrey Aungst (PG) 13.04, 8. Jaclyn Easparro (BM) 13.23
200 — 1. Viktorya Luckenbach (PG) 25.05, 2. Sara Spolski (Nat) 26.06, 3. Jes Siminitus (Potts) 26.28, 4. Myla Fegley (Potts) 26.77, 5. Aubrey Aungst (PG) 27.24, 6. Sophia Spolski (BM) 27.41, 7. Alizabeth Pikitus (Mar) 27.68, 8. Molly Frantz (NS) 27.94
