Cheltenham won its fifth consecutive District One 3A Girls Track & Field championship. Denny Dyroff highlights the SOL’s top performers.
By DENNY DYROFF
CALN TOWNSHIP -- The girls from Cheltenham’s track and field team didn’t have to plead the Fifth at Saturday’s District 1 Class AAA Track and Field Championships – they didn’t need to bring witness against themselves.
Instead, the Panthers brought witness for themselves at the two-day meet at Coatesville High for a different kind of fifth. They won their fifth straight district team championship.
“It’s never been done before,” Cheltenham coach Kelly Jensen said. “No team has won districts five straight times.
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“We have a great program. Kids keep coming out – and they’re committed. Next week, we try to win the state championship for the fourth year in a row.”
The Panthers were led by quadruple-winner Chanel Brissett, who won the 100 hurdles (14.11), the 100 (11.74) and the 200 (24.29) -- and teamed with Bria Barnes, Ciani Fleming and Alexis Crosby on the gold-medal 4x100 (47.62).
“I had the worst start of my life in the 100,” said Brissett, who is heading to the University of Southern California in the fall.
“I wasn’t really set in the blocks. I should have put my hand up. My friend Thelma Davis told me to pump my arms. It was good advice.
“The 100 hurdles wasn’t an ideal race either, but I qualified for states and that’s all that mattered. The 200 was a really good race. I had a pretty good start in that one.”
The Panthers’ other top individual finishers were Mary Grace Rittler, who was second in the 3,200 (10:51.41) and eighth in the 1,600 (5:05.68); Brianna Smith, who was second in high jump (5-5) and fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.05); Crosby, who was second in the 400 (55.24); Barnes, who was third in the 400 (57.12); and the silver medal 4x400 (3:52.48). Shannon Nixon was eighth in the triple jump (36-04.00).
North Penn’s gold medalists were Uche Nwogwugwu in the 400 (54.87), Mikaela Vlasic in the 800 (2:12.44), the 4x800 team of Ariana Gardizy, Jenna Webb, Nwogwugwu and Vlasic (9:09.02) and the 4x400 foursome of Vlasic, Natalie Kwortnik, Jess Brenfeld and Nwogwugwu (3:41.00).
“Coming down the straightaway in the 400, I felt them coming on and I tensed up a bit,” said Nwogwugwu. “I felt Alexis (Crosby) on the left.
“I think I got out fast at the start. Then, in the last 150, I was thinking too much and, as a result, I was trying too hard. But now, I’m going to states to defend my state title in the 400.”
Vlasic said, “I had a good race in the 800. I like to go out hard from the beginning. Today, I was able to get out in front early and then I stayed in first place for almost the whole race.”
Upper Dublin’s Madison Langley-Walker finished really well in four events – first, long jump (19-1.5), first in the 300 hurdles (43.41), second in triple jump (38-3.75), and third in the 100 hurdles (14.44).
“My 100 hurdles trial was pretty good – a 14.2,” said Langley-Walker, a junior. “Today’s races were just okay. Triple jump was hard because I had just come back from the 300 hurdles and I felt a little off.”
Abington’s Kelly Jawork snared the gold medal in the 1,600 with a time of 4:59.47 and added a silver medal in the 800.
“I knew I had the ability to win the 1,600,” said Jawork, who is headed to Cornell University. “I also knew that Downingtown West’s Emma Planck was strong competition.
“Any time she tried to make a move on the outside, I held her off. I really picked it up in the last 400. It was a pretty comfortable pace so I had enough to kick it in.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh junior Taylor O’Brien claimed the gold medal in high jump (5-8) and second in the 300 hurdles.
“My p.r. (personal record) before today was 5-7,” said O’Brien. “I got 5-8 on my first attempt after making 5-7 on my third try. I tried 5-9.25 to get the meet record. I was close but I caught it with the back of my leg.”
Wissahickon’s Cala Lejman was gold medalist in pole vault with a height of 11-0..jpg)
In the Girls Class AA meet, Springfield’s Sydni Stovall turned in a sparkling performance. The Spartans’ versatile junior was first in the 400 (59.4), second in the 800 and anchor on the runner-up 4x400 relay team.
“The 800 was an okay race but the 400 was a lot better,” said Stovall. “In the 400, I just wanted to come out and win – and get a good seed for states.”
CLASS AAA
Girls Team Rankings
1. Cheltenham 87
2. North Penn 66
3. Perkiomen Valley 43
4. Upper Dublin 42.50
5. Owen J Roberts 37
6. Coatesville 34.50
7. Abington 29
8. Villa Maria Academy 21
9. Conestoga 20
9. Strath Haven 20
9. Avon Grove
Girls 4x800m Relay
1. North Penn 9:09.02 SQS
5. Central Bucks East 9:24.07 SQS
6. Central Bucks West 9:27.36 SQS
Girls 100m Hurdles
1. Chanel Brissett Chelt 14.11 SQS
3. Madison Langley-Walker UD 14.44 SQS
5. Brianna Smith Chelt 15.05 SQS
6. Elke Knecht CRS 15.14 SQS
8. Anais Williams NP 15.97
Girls 100m Dash
1. Chanel Brissett Chelt 11.74 SQS
4. Kouri Peace Pridge 12.15 SQS
6. Lydia Fielding CBS 12.27 SQS
Girls 1600m Run
1. Kelly Jawork Aton 4:59.47 SQS
4. Emily Bonaventure Ston 5:01.85 SQS
6. Miranda Royds HH 5:02.22 SQS
8. MaryGrace Rittler Chelt 5:05.68 SQS
Girls 4x100m Relay
1. Cheltenham 47.62 SQS
3. North Penn 48.14 SQS
4. Central Bucks South 48.60 SQS
5. Souderton Area 48.82
8. Central Bucks Esast 50.67
Girls 400m Dash
1. Uche Nwogwugwu NP 54.87 SQS
2. Alexis Crosby Chelt 55.24 SQS
3. Brianna Barnes Chelt 57.12 SQS
8. Kayla Gonzalez HH 1:00.05
Girls 300m Hurdles
1. Madison Langley-Walker UD 43.41 SQS
2. Taylor O’Brien PW 44.91 SQS
5. Brianna Smith Chelt 45.56 SQS
7. Anais Williams NP 46.00 SQS
Girls 800m Run
1. Mikaela Vlasic NP 2:12.44 SQS
2. Kelly Jawork Aton 2:14.16 SQS
Girls 200m Dash
1. Chanel Brissett Chelt 24.29 SQS
4. Cara Jackson Ston 25.12 SQS
5. Kathleen Stevenson NP 25.27 SQS
7. Kouri Peace Pridge 25.38 SQS
Girls 3200m Run
2. MaryGrace Rittler Chelt 10:51.41 SQS
8. Olivia Dyer NP 11:25.05
Girls 4x400m Relay
1. North Penn 3:51.00 SQS
2. Cheltenham 3:52.48 SQS
5. Central Bucks West 3:57.37 SQS
6. Central Bucks South 3:57.60 SQS
Girls High Jump
1. Taylor O’Brien PW 5-08.00 SQS
2. Val Przekop CBS 5-05.00 SQS
3. Brianna Smith Chelt 5-05.00 SQS
4. Kristi Boyd CRS J5-05-00 SQS
5. Moira O’Malley Ston 5-03.00 SQS
8. Kate Donnelly CRN J5-03.00 SQS
Girls Pole Vault
1. Cala Lejman Wiss 11-00.00 SQS
2. Madison Metague CRS 10-06.00
5. Lexi Schneider UD 10-00.00
Girls Long Jump
1. Madison Langley-Walker UD 19-01.50 SQS
5. Natalie Kwortnik NP 17-09.75 SQS
7. Kathleen Stevenson NP 17-07.25
Girls Triple Jump
2. Madison Langley-Walker UD 38-03.25 SQS
4. Uche Nwogwugwu NP 37-03.50 SQS
7. Emma Brodhag WT 36-05.00
8. Shannon Nixon Chelt 36-04.00
Girls Shot Put
3. Keturah Legette Nesh 38-11.25 SQS
4. Sianni McLeod Aton 38-10.25 SQS
6. Victoria Lieber Nesh 37-02.00
Girls Discus Throw
3. Sianni McLeod Aton 122-06.00 SQS
4. Jennifer McAneney UD 121-00.00 SQS
8. Adria Retter Qtown 111-09.00
Girls Javelin Throw
4. Shelby Kishel Nesh 125-07.00 SQS
8. Dela Matthew NP 117-10.00
CLASS AA
Girls Team Rankings
1. Saint Basil Academy 111
2. Dock Mennonite Academy 110
3. New Hope-Solebury 67
4. Delaware County Christian 61
5. Springfield Township 60
Girls 4x800m Relay
2. Springfield Township 10:02.93
Girls 100m Dash
4. Elena Hincapie Sfield 13.14
Girls 400m Dash
1. Sydni Stovall Sfield 57.03 SQS
Girls 4x100m Relay
7. Springfield Township 55.01
Girls 800m Run
2. Sydni Stovall Sfield 2:23.03
5. Emily Cooney Sfield 2:25.32
Girls 200m Dash
6. Elena Hincapie Sfield 27.70
Girls 4x400m Relay
2. Springfield Township 4:15.66
Girls Pole Vault
1. Sarah Potocki Sfield 7-06.00
Girls Javelin Throw
7. Maeve Corbett Sfield 78-00.00
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