Wildcats' quartet comes home for Dallastown Invitational
On a mobile device? Click here to see the Dallastown girls in action
The windy chill helped some, annoyed others.
Sophomore Taylor Forrester wasn't sure if she preferred it over the gusty, soggy day last year at the Dallastown Invitational. That was her first time at the event in which her school is the host. The second time on Friday was a little more memorable, despite some bothersome breezes that hit her in the face.
Forrester swept through both 100- and 300-meter hurdle events, accentuating a Friday night homecoming for the Dallastown girls.
Around this time last week, they headed to Shippensburg. Their 1,600 relay team, anchored by Forrester, won that event at last weekend's Jack Roddick Invitational. They finished second on Friday, but that didn't deter the foursome.
Each runner had something to feel good about, and Forrester said the relay team — split between two sophomores and two seniors — wants its school record.
The goal is about 4 minutes, 2 seconds, and they are off by 2 seconds.
Not bad considering one of the two seniors is running for the first time since she was a freshman.
"Every other year I said I was going to come out, but I never did," senior Amari Johnson said. "Then, they were gathered by where I always sit before (basketball) games."
Johnson looked at her relay teammates, Forrester, Haven Evans and Emma Kange. They smiled. Kange, the other senior, said she "just prayed" Johnson would come out for track.
In just a few weeks, Johnson has already taken the Dallastown girls' record in the 400. Forrester had a simple answer to how Johnson was able to do it so quickly.
"Look how tall she is," Forrester exclaimed.
Johnson is a 6-foot-1 basketball standout headed to the University of Rhode Island after graduation in June. She's still learning track. After finishing third in the 100, Johnson stepped on the medal podium before any of the other runners. She quickly realized her error before treading back.
That sprint was won by Evans, the Wildcats' sophomore who finished in 13.37. Johnson later won the 400 in 60.66, just off her record 58.51 mark last week.
Then there was Forrester, who finished fourth in the triple jump while leaping hurdles and running the relay.
"Hopefully by my senior year I'll be doing big things," she said.
First, she must rest and survive next week. The relay team had just returned from running the previous day at the Penn Relays. Next week brings rival Red Lion, a trip to West Chester and Central York's annual White Rose Invitational.
"It's only going to make us better," she said. "No complaints."
On a mobile device? Click here to see Abdul Junaid's performance
JUST ONE COMPLAINT >> That darn baton exchange. So important. So frustrating at times.
Abdul Junaid blamed himself for the pesky exchange that lead to West York's third-place finish in the boys' 400 relay. Junaid runs the final leg and nearly made up the gap created on the final turn.
"My coach told me, 'Don't leave early,' so I overcompensated by leaving late," said Junaid, a senior. "I think we could have gotten first if our handoff was clean, but it wasn't."
Junaid, who won the 100 and 200 dashes, thinks his team has the right mix of speed but hasn't mastered its handoffs. It could have something to do with the weather, which took a turn back to March on a late April afternoon.
The sprints helped the West York boys to a powerful performance.
In addition to Junaid's runs (11.23 in the 100, 22.86 in the 200), Andrew Moyer won both the 110 and 300 hurdles. His 300-hurdle time of 40.61 didn't break West York's school record, but coach Julia Haynes said, "It's close."
Moyer already broke the Bulldogs' triple jump and pole vault records. He won Friday's pole vault in Dallastown by clearing 12 feet.
On the girls' side, Jahna Alleyne won the discus with a throw of 104-0 for West York.
IT'S IN THE AIR >> Biglerville javelin thrower Ben Hurda credited the conditions for helping him heave a winning mark of 165-2.
The junior has been about 10 feet shorter for the last month. Although not his career personal record, Friday's toss was his best this season.
"I don't plant (my foot on) my throw. I need to just work on my form," he said.
With the wind at his back, he will take it — and the win.
On a mobile device? Click here to see Maddie Ferner's runs
IT'S IN THE FEET >> Kennard-Dale junior Maddie Ferner followed her record-setting week by winning both the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.
"I'm pretty excited about it," she said. "I just want to take it to the next level."
Ferner lapped at least one runner in her 3,200 jaunt on Friday. She finished the eight-lap race in 11:43.2.
The Rams swept that event as Theo Kioussis won the boys' 3,200 in 9:53.08.
RECORD CHASING >> Thad Cwiklinski is just a split second off the boys' 400-meter records for York County Tech and York Catholic. His 50.04 time to win the event Friday further pushed his desire for that goal.
It's his new PR.
"I wish it was sub-50, but I'm very happy with it," the senior said.
Cwiklinski attends York Catholic but runs for York Tech via the schools' co-op. The tall blonde from York Catholic, who also won the 800, might have one fewer chance to break the 400 record.
Next Saturday's White Rose Invitational conflicts with prom.
Contact Matt Goul at 771-2045.