PIAA Track and Field: Luckenbach, Keck, Nativity relay garner top seeds for states
Blue Mountain's Makayla Keck heaves the javelin during a Schuylkill League Division I boys' and girls' track meet against Pine Grove at the Eagles' Nest (Photo by Brook Koch-Guers).
If the seeds hold, it should be a medal-filled weekend for Schuylkill League athletes at the PIAA Track and Field Championships set for Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.
Could be some gold in there as well.
Pine Grove’s Viktorya Luckenbach, Blue Mountain’s Makayla Keck and the Nativity boys’ 1600 relay all garnered top seeds for the two-day state championship meet that gets under way Friday morning.
Several other local athletes are seeded in the top five of their respective events, with several others in top-eight medal contention.
Here’s a look at the local athletes seeded in medal contention. A complete list of local athletes and their seeds, plus the complete schedule for the state meet, is listed below.
** Luckenbach is the top seed in both the girls’ Class AA 100-meter dash (11.77) and 200 meters (24.05). The senior standout is also the anchor leg of the Cardinals’ 400 relay team, along with Bella Kassab, Aubrey Aungst and Molly Drumheller, that is seeded seventh.
** Keck is the top seed in the girls’ Class 3A javelin after throwing a District 11-record 162 feet, 8 inches last week at Whitehall. Keck will try to become the second straight Blue Mountain girl to win the Class 3A javelin after Rosalind Gergely took gold last year with a top throw of 152-4.
** The Nativity 1600 relay team of Nolan Daynorowicz, Noah Dolbin, Michael Stank and Liam Messina is tied with Quaker Valley for the top seed in that Class AA boys’ event at 3:22.36. That quartet is the defending state champions in that event, posting a gold-medal-winning time of 3:20.91 last year.
** Minersville’s Paiten LaPoint is seeded second in both the boys’ Class AA 100 and 200. LaPoint is tied with Overbrook’s Josiah Carter at 10.89 in the 100, with Mercyhurst Prep’s Vincent Feliciano seeded No. 1 at 10.72. In the 200, LaPoint (21.98) is seeded one-hundredth of a second behind Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Alex Clark (21.97), who edged the Minersville senior in the District 11 finals.
** Nativity’s Dolbin is seeded second in the boys’ Class AA 110 hurdles at 14.41, tied with Corry Area’s Blake Cook (14.41). Quaker Valley’s Davin Gartley is the top seed at 14.36. Dolbin is also seeded fourth in the Class AA 300 hurdles (39.07), with Cook (37.97) and Gartley (38.15) garnering the top two seeds.
** Pottsville’s Alexa Giuffre is No. 3 in the girls’ Class 3A long jump at 18-9.5. Souderton’s Destini Smith (19-7.25) and State College’s Sanai Abdullah (19-5.25) are seeded 1-2. Giuffre is also seeded 14th in the 100 hurdles and 17th in the 300 hurdles.
** The Blue Mountain 400 relay team of Kole Luckenbill, Gaige Guers, Chase Guers and Cole Swick is seeded third in Class 3A at 41.48. Garnet Valley (41.25) is No. 1, with Downingtown West (41.43) at No. 2.
** Daynorowicz is seeded sixth in the Class AA 800 (1:56.91).
** Minersville’s Maggie Hoffman-Long is seeded seventh in the girls’ Class AA triple jump (37-0.5)
** North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller is eighth in the Class 3A 200 (21.77).
PIAA Track and Field Championships
Event seedings with local qualifiers
Top two seeds, plus local qualifiers
Track events listed in order of starting time
GIRLS AA
3200 relay — 1. Warrior Run 9:21.47, 2. Lewisburg 9:33.44 … 20. Schuylkill Haven (Porter, Krammes, Terefencko, Schaeffer) 10:05.62
100 hurdles — 1. Ondrea Young (Sharon) 14.67, 2. Amarah Crabbe (West Catholic) 14.68 … 23. Isabella Hughes (Schuylkill Haven) 16.51
100 — 1. Viktorya Luckenbach (Pine Grove) 11.77, 2. Piper Hoprich (Wellsboro) 11.99
1600 — 1. Cecilia Montagnese (Quaker Valley) 4:58.55, 2. Baylee Espinosa (Lewisburg) 4:59.22 … 31. Anna Schaeffer (Schuylkill Haven) 5:21.07
400 relay — 1. North Catholic 48.07, 2. West Catholic 48.43 … 7. Pine Grove (Kassab, Aungst, Drumheller, Luckenbach) 49.27
400 — 1. Tori Atkins (Laurel) 55.35, 2. Brenna Kuhl (Seneca) 56.67 … 20. Sara Spolski (Nativity) 59.78, 28. Alizabeth Pikitus (Marian) 1:02.56
300 hurdles — 1. Kylie Temple (Hughesville) 43.67, 2. Rebekah Brinser (Greenwood) 45.06 … 27. Isabella Hughes (Schuylkill Haven) 48.22
200 — 1. Viktorya Luckenbach (Pine Grove) 24.05, 2. Piper Hoprich (Wellsboro) 24.55
3200 — 1. Baylee Espinosa (Lewisburg) 10:51.62, 2. Lauren Kosek (Wellsboro) 10:59.38 … 20. Anna Schaeffer (Schuylkill Haven) 11:37.00
1600 relay — 1. Warrior Run 3:57.15, 2. Hughesville 3:59.88 … 19. Schuylkill Haven (Hutchinson, Terefencko, Hughes, Schaeffer) 4:09.98
High Jump — 1. Oumou Thiero (Quaker Valley) 5-8, 2. Baylee Sleek (Conemaugh Twp.) 5-6.5 … 27. Kali Grochowski (Marian) 4-10
Long Jump — 1. Lara DeFazio (Eden Christian) 18-6.5, 2. Sara Roe (Shenango) 17-11.25 … 17. Maggie Hoffman-Long (Minersville) 17-1
Triple Jump — 1. Alexia Bansah (Winchester Thurston) 40-2, 2. Elizabeth Schrock (Milton) 37-11 … 7. Maggie Hoffman-Long (Minersville) 37-0.5
Shot Put — 1. Maggie Goodlin (Greenville) 42-4, 2. Alexis Geiwitz (Laurel) 41-10 … 20. Olivia Thomas (Marian) 34-7.25
Javelin — 1. Bryn Woodruff (Towanda) 136-1, 2. Georgia Delucas (Wyomissing) 129-10 … 19. Avery Miller (Minersville) 113-4
GIRLS 3A
100 hurdles — 1. Damira Allen (Chester) 14.04, 2. Ella Bahn (Spring Grove) 14.16 … 14. Alexa Giuffre (Pottsville) 15.21
300 hurdles — 1. Ella Bahn (Spring Grove) 42.75, 2. Julia Natitus (Dallas) 43.00 … 17. Alexa Giuffre (Pottsville) 44.75
Pole Vault — 1. Lilyanna Carlson (Bermudian Springs) 14-0, 2. Veronica Vacca (Mt. St. Joseph) 13-8 … 22. Samantha Plasha (Tamaqua) 10-0
Long Jump — 1. Destini Smith (Souderton) 19-7.25, 2. Sanai Abdullah (State College) 19-5.25, 3. Alexa Giuffre (Pottsville) 18-9.5
Javelin — 1. Makayla Keck (Blue Mountain) 162-8, 2. Ava Flicker (Perkiomen Valley) 158-9
