State College boys, girls place third at Shippensburg invitational

SHIPPENSBURG — The State College Area High School boys’ and girls’ track and field teams both came in third out of more than 50 schools that competed in the 95th Shippensburg Jack Roddick High School Invitational on Saturday, April 23 at Seth Grove Stadium.

With most of the dual-meet season complete, the remaining month is largely devoted to invitationals and conference championships. The Roddick Invite is one of the biggest.

The Little Lions finished with 44 team points with Sean Adams winning the 800 meters. The Lady Little Lions scored 38 points and won three events. Adams completed the boys’ half-mile run in 1 minute, 54.15 seconds to win that event. Ian Dorefice was runner-up in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet.

Shannon Mullin continued her momentum heading into the bigger meets, claiming gold in the long and triple jumps. She posted a season-best 39-3.5 in the triple. Her winning long jump was 17-11. Marlee Kwasnica won the girls’ 2000-meter steeplechase, posting a time of 7:45.61.

State College’s other boys’ medalists were Ryan Lindenberg (third, 300 hurdles), the 1600 relay (third), Samuel Endres (fifth, steeplechase), Nick Sloff (sixth, 1600), Mathew Staniar (sixth, 800), Charles Endres (seventh, 3200), Trent Dinant (eighth, 3200) and the 3200 relay (eighth). Other Lady Little Lion placewinners included Grace Morningstar (fourth, 800), Amy Devan (seventh, 3200), Kwasnica (eighth, 1600).

State College also hosted Chambersburg and Cumberland Valley in Mid-Penn Conference dual meets on Wednesday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 26, respectively. State split with Chambersburg, notching an 88-62 win on the boys’ side while coming up short, 86-64, in the girls’ meet. Adams won a pair of individual events, the 200 and the

400. Lindenberg (100), Dinant (800), Dorefice (pole vault), Sloff (1600), Mitchell Maher (discus), Ben Spencer (shot put) and the 1600 and 3200 relays also produced firstplace points for the State College boys.

Kwasnica (3200), Morningstar (800), Mullin (long jump), Abigail Bigger (400), Mia Iceland (pole vault), Sarah Tate (100 hurdles) and the 1600 relay produced event victories for the Lady Little Lions.

State College dropped both ends of the meet against Cumberland Valley, 91-59 on the boys’ side and 116-34 on the girls’.

Dorefice (pole vault), Charles Endres (1600), Nathan Haas (javelin), Landon Leidy (long jump) and the 400 relay team posted first-place finishes for the Little Lions.

Tate won the 100 hurdles, Maya Ikenberry the 3200 and Mullin the long jump to lead the Lady Little Lions.

BELLEFONTE

Bellefonte finished its Mountain League dual meet slate at Hollidaysburg on April 20, where both the Raiders and Lady Raiders beat Tyrone while falling to the host school.

The Raiders finished 5-2 in the league and 5-4 overall by edging Tyrone, 76-74. Hollidaysburg topped the Bellefonte boys by a 104-46 count.

On the girls’ side, Bellefonte posted an 83-66 win against Tyrone while falling 122-28 to Hollidaysburg. The Lady Raiders moved to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the Mountain League.

Alex Crist, Chase Ebeling and Will Spratt posted wins in the 1600, 3200 and shot put, respectively, for the Raiders. Gabby Deitrich won the discus, Haley Herr the 3200 and Ella Underwood the javelin to lead the Lady Raiders.

Bellefonte also competed at the 14-team 24th Demans Brookville Invitational on April 23, with the team of Crist, Dillon Sette, Alex Mansfield and Eric Bennett prevailing in the boys’ 3200 relay with a time of 9:03.87.

Other medalists for the Bellefonte boys included Ebeling (second, 3200; third, 1600), Sette (second, 400), Spratt (second, discus; third, shot put), Bennett (third, 800), Ryan Miller (third, pole vault), William Brininger (fourth, javelin; fifth, discus), Lee Przybys (fourth, shot put), Caleb Vinnedge (fourth, 3200), Grady Garrison (fifth, 400), Dan Mussett (fifth, 3200; sixth, 1600), Jacob Showers (fifth, 110 hurdles; sixth, 300 hurdles), Zane Hummel (sixth, triple jump), Jacob Hummel (seventh, 200; eighth, 100), Sherman Lowry (seventh, 110 hurdles; eighth, 300 hurdles), Landyn Miller (seventh, long jump; seventh, triple jump), Mansfield (eighth, 800), Collin Sharp (eighth, 200) and Ethan Wilson (eighth, high jump; eighth, triple jump).

Both the 400 and 1600 Bellefonte boys relays won bronze medals.

Ashleigh Aukerman had the best individual showing for the Bellefonte girls, taking second in the 3200, one spot ahead of Herr.

Other Lady Raider medalists were Kerri Shutika (third, 200; third, 100 hurdles; fourth, 100), the 3200 relay (third), Kathryn Gearhart (fourth, pole vault), the 400 relay (fourth) Lauren Benner (fifth, pole vault), Kate Rarrick (fifth, 3200), Josie Underwood (fifth, triple jump), the 1600 relay (sixth), Sara Proctor (sixth, long jump; seventh, 100), Ruthann Smoyer (seventh, 300 hurdles), Emily Culp (eighth, 200), and Ella Underwood (eighth, discus).

BALD EAGLE INVITATIONAL

The St. Joseph’s boys and Penns Valley girls finished in 14th place at the 24th Bald Eagle Invitational on Friday, April 22 at Lock Haven University’s Hubert Jack Stadium. A total of 25 schools participated.

Penns Valley’s Abby Stitzer won bronze medals in both the 400 and 800 runs, while Anna Stitzer was fifth in the 3200 and Alexis Durn seventh in the 1600. Cameron Upcraft also garnered seventh-place points for the Lady Rams in the high jump; Penns Valley scored 19.5 team points.

St. Joseph’s Amber Fisher was sixth in the 3200.

Colin Simander highlighted the meet for Centre County boys, finishing as the runner-up in the 2000-meter steeplechase and third in the 800 meters. The WolfPack scored 14 team points.

Simon Smith placed sixth in the 1600 while Micah Good was seventh in the 400 meters for Penns Valley.

BALD EAGLE AREA

Owen Irvin made a big statement by jumping 22-2.5 to win the boys’ long jump at the Slippery Rock University High School Invitational on April 23. The meet attracted 65 teams, including many WPIAL Class 3A squads.

Irvin also was fourth in the triple jump.

Meanwhile, BEA’s Kevin Taylor was eighth in the boys’ pole vault, and the Eagles’ 1600 boys relay took seventh.

Sybil Thompson posted the top performance for the Lady Eagles, taking fourth in the steeplechase. Abby Hoover threw a season record in the javelin to take fifth place.