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YAIAA girls' track: A look at top returnees


With high school spring sports officially here, we take a look at some of the top YAIAA track athletes that will take the field this season:

Top returning sprinters

1. Lynne Mooradian, South Western, sr.: You might have heard of her. Mooradian won the YAIAA 100 dash, 200 dash, 300 hurdles and 400 dash last season and earned two state-championship medals.

2. Taylor Forrester, Dallastown, jr.: Forrester won the YAIAA 100 hurdles title last season and finished second to Mooradian in the 300 hurdles. She was also part of the Wildcats' league-champion 1600-relay team.

3. Haven Evans, Central York, jr.: Now at Central York, the former Dallastown sprinter placed second at the YAIAA Championships in the 100 dash and seventh in the 200 dash. She was part of the Wildcats' 1600-relay team, which set a school record with a time of 4:01.1 at districts.

Top returning distance runners

1. Maddie Ferner, Kennard-Dale, sr.: Ferner, a YAIAA and District 3 cross country champion in the fall, enters the season as the league's defending 3,200 run champion.

2. Erin Wilson, Central York, sr.: Wilson enters the season as the defending YAIAA champion in the 1,600 run. She placed 10th at the District 3 meet.

3. Madison Nalls, Eastern York, so.: Nalls qualified for districts as a freshman after winning the 800-run title at last year's YAIAA Championships with a time of 2:19.96.

Top returning jumpers

1. Ayanna Johnson, New Oxford, sr.: Johnson won the YAIAA triple jump title last season with a leap of 33-07.75. She also placed third at the league meet in the long jump.

2. Kystin Evans, York County Tech, sr.: Evans won the YAIAA high jump title and qualified for districts with a personal best leap of 5-06. She placed eighth at the district meet.

3. McCayla Welsh, York County Tech, jr.: Welsh enters the season as the defending YAIAA long jump champion. She had a winning leap of 16-02 to edge Northeastern's Brittany Arentz for the crown.

Top returning pole vaulters

1. Alexis Baublitz, Central York, sr.: Baublitz placed second at last year's YAIAA Championships with a vault of 11-3. She vaulted 11-6 at districts to qualify for states.

2. Nathalie Elliot, Spring Grove, jr.: Elliot placed third at last year's YAIAA Championships with a vault of 11 feet. She matched that height at districts.

3. Rachel Groden, New Oxford, sr.: Groden placed fourth at last year's YAIAA Championships with a vault of 10-6. She matched that height at districts.

Top returning throwers

1. Madi Smith, New Oxford, jr.: Smith placed second in the javelin throw at the PIAA Class AAA Championships with a distance of 135-2. She also placed fifth in the discus at the YAIAA Championships.

2. Bre Smith, Littlestown, sr.: Smith won the District 3 Class AA title and qualified for the state championships in the discus with a distance of 109-5. She placed second in the event at the YAIAA Championships.

3. Breanna Wanbaugh, Red Lion, jr.: Wanbaugh won the YAIAA javelin title last season with a throw of 121 feet. She qualified for districts, where she placed 13th.

Events to watch

  • Bermudian Springs, Delone Catholic, Fairfield, Gettysburg, Littlestown, South Western, York Suburban at Polar Bear Invitational, Northern York High School, April 16, 10 a.m.
  • Dallastown, Central York, Dover, Eastern York, Hanover, Northeastern, Red Lion, South Western, Susquehannock, West York, William Penn, York County Tech at York Suburban Invitational, April 22, 3:30 p.m.
  • Delone Catholic, Bermudian Springs, Biglerville, Littlestown, Fairfield, New Oxford at Gettysburg meet, April 22, 3:30 p.m.
  • YAIAA Championships, Dallastown High School, May 13