Font ResizeGREENSBORO, N.C. - A pair of athletes picked up medals Saturday at the National Federation of State High School Associations national track & field meet in Greensboro, N.C.
For the second straight day, Chambersburg's Marshay Ryan finished second in an event. A day after taking silver in the triple jump, Ryan had a personal-best leap of 19-5.5 to take second in the long jump.
Sarah Firestone of Mercersburg, a student at Mercersburg Academy, placed for the second straight year, earning fifth in the javelin with a throw of 135-8.
Ryan came up just short of her season-long goal of hitting 20 feet. On her second jump in the finals, she landed past that mark, but was called for a foul.
"I hit that one over 20, and I was surprised it was a foul," Ryan said. "But if you're close (to the line), you don't know until they call it."
Ryan's runner-up jump came on her second effort of the prelims, after an 18-2 to start. The 19-5.5 just eclipsed her previous best of 19-5.25, which came when she won a gold medal at the PIAA Championships.
"I was still up from doing so well yesterday, plus the atmosphere and the crowd helped, but I was a little tired today," Ryan said.
The winner of the event, at 19-9, was Carla Forbes of Massachusetts, who also won the triple jump. The event had 26 competitors.
Trojan coach Bob Walker said, "Marshay got to meet a lot of D-1 coaches down here. LSU just won the NCAA women's title and they are interested. She's getting looks
"I told her parents that their phone will start ringing on July 1 (the first day college coaches can officially contact athletes)."
Ryan plans to put track aside for a while and concentrate on basketball this summer, both with summer league and a team camp.
Firestone and Ryan are both entering their senior year at school in the fall.
At last year's meet, Firestone was sixth with a throw of 139-0. She was a little off that mark Saturday, but still improved one place in the event, which had about 20 competitors. Her best throw this year was 144-10.
Firestone's mother, Judy, said, "It was windy early in the competition and nobody was throwing that well. In the finals Sarah fouled on her first two throws, but then she hit her best throw on her last one."
