Southern Fulton's Chase Varner had control of the GameTimePA.com snapchat account for the entire weekend of the PIAA championships. Video by Lindsey Smith
Taryn Parks had huge expectations as she entered her freshman year at Greencastle-Antrim High School.
And now that her rookie campaign has come to an end, it’s safe to say she has exceeded them all.
But after her stellar freshman year on the cross country course and the track, Parks now has the challenge to defend not only her PIAA cross country title – but also the state championship in the girls Class 3A 1600, which she won handily Saturday in the PIAA track & field championships at Seth Grove Stadium.
Parks lost to rival freshman Marlee Starliper in the Mid Penn Championships and the District 3 meet, which proved to be motivation heading into the PIAA championships as the third seed with a time of 4:55.64.
READ: Josh Booth wins PIAA gold, expects nothing less in 2017
MORE: Faulkner, Chastulik match up against tough competition
After a trial time of 4:59.31, Parks entered the final Saturday knowing she needed to run one of her best times of the season with Starliper and Katie Dammer of Abington Heights on her tail.
“I really wanted to win coming off of those two races,” Parks said. “I knew that every race I was getting closer to Marlee’s time so I was just trying to stick with her as long as I could.”
![Cedar Crest's Jesse Cruise, center, completes the Class]()
1 of 57![New Oxford's Madi Smith competes in the Class 3A javelin]()
2 of 57![Red Lion's Madisen Kling, center, stands at the top]()
3 of 57![West York's Luke Hoffman competes in the Class 3A discus]()
4 of 57![Bermudian Springs' Trevor Grim competes in the Class]()
5 of 57![Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik competes in the Class]()
6 of 57![Cedar Crest's Desiree Holloman competes in the Class]()
7 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim's Campbell Parker competes in the]()
8 of 57![Cedar Crest's Jesse Cruise leads the pack in the Class]()
9 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner competes in the]()
10 of 57![Annville-Cleona's Reagan Hess completes the Class AA]()
11 of 57![Red Lion's Brianna Wanbaugh competes in the Class 3A]()
12 of 57![Dallastown's Jack Lehr competes in the Class 3A discus]()
13 of 57![Palmyra's Kirstin West competes in the Class 3A javelin]()
14 of 57![Bermudian Springs' Trevor Grim competes in the Class]()
15 of 57![Red Lion's Madisen Kling competes in the Class 3A discus]()
16 of 57![Eastern York's Maddie McLain competes in the Class]()
17 of 57![Dallastown's Emily Schuler competes in the Class 3A]()
18 of 57![Dover's Emily Eckard competes in the Class 3A discus]()
19 of 57![Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch competes in the Class]()
20 of 57![Cedar Crest's Hannah Woelfling competes in the Class]()
21 of 57![Chambersburg's Reagan Winebrenner competes in the Class]()
22 of 57![Fairfield's Cierra Phillips competes in the Class 2A]()
23 of 57![Annville-Cleona's Reagan Hess competes in the Class]()
24 of 57![Littlestown's Kristin Langrill competes in the Class]()
25 of 57![Annville-Cleona's Stanley Miller competes in the Class]()
26 of 57![South Western's Drew Hartlaub competes in the Class]()
27 of 57![Annville-Cleona’s Reagan Hess, competes in the 2A long]()
28 of 57![Cedar Crest’s Ariel Jones, competes in the 3A triple]()
29 of 57![Spring Grove’s Nathalie Elliot, competes in the 3A]()
30 of 57![New Oxford’s Liam Hafner, competes in the 3A triple]()
31 of 57![Delone Catholic’s Julianna Malesky, competes in the]()
32 of 57![West York’s Tesia Thomas, competes in the 3A triple]()
33 of 57![York Suburban’s Ralph Casper, competes in the 3A shot]()
34 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim’s Campbell Parker, competes in the]()
35 of 57![Delone Catholic’s Ryan Malinowski, competes in the]()
36 of 57![Eastern York’s Brady Glatfelter competes in the 3A]()
37 of 57![Red Lion’s Greg Potter, competes in the 3A pole vault,]()
38 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner throws the shot]()
39 of 57![Fannett-Metal's Lizzie Peppernick throws the discus]()
40 of 57![Fannett-Metal's Lizzie Peppernick releases the discus]()
41 of 57![Southern Fulton's Benji Voight (left) hands off to]()
42 of 57![Southern Fulton's Chase Varner competes in the boys]()
43 of 57![Greencastle-Antirm's Jenay Faulkner throws the shot]()
44 of 57![Greencastle-Antirm's Jenay Faulkner hugs her mom, Kristy,]()
45 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim's Jenay Faulkner stands on the podium]()
46 of 57![McConnellsburg's Chance Hawbaker (center) competes]()
47 of 57![McConnellsburg's Chance Hawbaker competes in the boys]()
48 of 57![Southern Fulton's Olivia Mottern prepares to throw]()
49 of 57![Greencastle-Antrim's Campbell Parker throws the shot]()
50 of 57![Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik throws the shot put]()
51 of 57![Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik throws the shot put]()
52 of 57![Chambersburg's Kelton Chastulik stands on the podium]()
53 of 57![Southern Fulton's Jeremiah Ashkettle runs a boys 2A]()
54 of 57![McConnellsburg's Josh Booth (right) competes in a boys]()
55 of 57![Area athletes compete in a 2A 800 prelim race at the]()
56 of 57![McConnellsburg's McKenzie Gelvin (right) crosses the]()
57 of 57
Parks remained steady in the top three with Starliper and Dammer before making her move in the final lap. She kicked in front of Dammer in the last 200 meters to claim the win in 4:45.81 – a PR and school record by nearly 10 seconds.
“We were throwing some elbows at the 200 mark so I was scared (Dammer) was going to stay with me,” Parks said. “I couldn’t tell where she was at the 100 so I just went into a dead-out sprint to the finish, and I was just so relieved to cross the finish line.”
Now, Parks looks to the future and hopes to defend her two PIAA titles for the next three years.
“It’s unbelievable,” Parks said. “I could not be any more grateful. I was suffering a little bit of self-doubt after these last few races, but I think that just motivated me for a great race today. Hopefully I get to keep these titles for the next three years.”
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