District 3 track and field: Highlights, champions from Day 1 of championship
The top track and field athletes in central Pa. took to Shippensburg University on Friday for the first day of the championships.
Medals were handed out in field events and 3,200 meters. Preliminaries and semifinals were run in sprints and 100/110 hurdles. Sprint finals, relays and the rest of the field events will be held on Saturday at Shippensburg.
Here is a look at first-day highlights from athletes in the York-Adams area.
All you need to know: District 3 spring 2023 playoffs: Schedules, results, recaps
Susquehannock's O'Brien runs sub-9
Susquehannock senior Matt O'Brien said he had been stuck at 9:09 or 9:10 in recent 3,200-meter races. He wanted to do better in districts.
"I really wanted to break the district record (9:06), and I wanted to go sub 9 minutes," O'Brien said.
He did both in one fell swoop. He won the district title in 8:59.82.
"I was back in the first 200 meters, and that was how I wanted it," he said. "I sometimes go out too fast, and I didn't want to do that."
O'Brien hung at the front of the pack for the first mile, when he saw he ran that in 4:32, he knew he had a shot at reaching his goals. With two laps to go he was still neck-and-neck with Lampeter-Strasburg's Colin Whitaker, but just 200 meters later he had opened a sizable lead.
He only increased that lead as the race finished.
"I was looking at the clocks, so I knew what my time was," O'Brien said. "When I crossed the line I was 8:59, but sometimes that turns over. This time it stayed."
'I'm gonna make it:' How this baseball star keeps the memory of his father alive
High Wattage for Bermudian jumper
It wasn't the height Alison Watts was hoping for, but after missing at 4-10 in last week's YAIAA meet, the Bermudian Springs junior was pleased to hit 5-0.
She was one of three girls to clear 5-0 in the high jump but miss at 5-2. She claimed the gold medal because she had fewer overall misses than Susquenita's Alize Reyes and Delone Catholic's Fina Mochi, who tied for second. All three advance to next week's state meet.
Neither Watts nor Mochi said the breeze, which was constant but also saw brief gusts, caused too much of a problem.
"They gave us three minutes to jump, so I just waited [until the gusts eased up]," Watts said.
The defending champion came in with a season-best 5-2 and was hoping to hit at least that again.
Mochi, a senior, was also hoping to hit 5-2, but was thrilled to match her personal best at 5-0.
"I got my personal best this year and I was hoping to do better," Mochi said. "But I'm glad to hit it again."
Elite no more: What closed a Chambersburg area prep school? How things unraveled at Scotland Campus
German champion for CSY
Luka Schroeter considers himself to be a soccer player and never gave track and field a thought while growing up in Germany. He didn't try it during his first year at Christian School of York but went out for the team this year.
It paid off in a big way for the senior foreign exchange student. He hit 21-3.5 to win the District 3 Class 2A long jump title, defeating Schuylkill Valley's Luke Martinez by nearly 2 inches.
"I wanted to stay fit," Schroeter said, "so I came out for the team. My parents always said I was a good athlete, but I mostly played soccer."
Schroeter finished school in his native Cologne, Germany, at 16 and wasn't sure what he wanted to do after that. He jumped at his parents' suggestion to join the foreign exchange program, which gave him a chance to improve his English.
"I wanted a place that wasn't too hot, and wasn't too cold," Schroeter said, "a place that was close to the way it is at home. I thought the Philadelphia area would be a good place."
He said he's enjoyed his time in York but is looking forward to going home to see his family and friends. And he's really looking forward to getting some home cooking.
"I really have to watch what I eat here," he said. "It's not as healthy as what we have at home."
No rest for Canners' Salazar
Robert Salazar didn't have much time to switch gears on Friday afternoon.
The Biglerville sophomore was competing in high jump when the call went out for the 110 hurdle semifinals. Knowing that the hurdles were running ahead of time, and that he would be tired after the race, he really wanted to clear 6-1 before hitting the track.
"There was going to be a 5- or 10-minute break before hurdles started, so I really wanted to clear 6-1," he said. "I knew I wouldn't have any time after the race before I had to get back to high jump."
Salazar cleared 6-1, ran in the hurdle semis, and then missed on three attempts at 6-3.
"I would have liked to clear 6-3, but there's always next year," he said.
Fairfield's Jacob Ogle also missed on three attempts at 6-3, but had one fewer attempt than Salazar at 5-11 to finish second. Ogle and district champion Noah Gunderson of Annville-Cleona (6-7) advance to states.
Locals advancing to Saturday's finals
After preliminary and semifinal heats, here are the area athletes who will be in sprint finals:
Girls' Class 2A 100 hurdles: Bermudian Springs' Lily Carlson had the second-fastest semifinal time at 16.47. Other finalists: Emma Bunty, Delone Catholic, 17.63; Aliza Staub, Bermudian Springs, 17.76.
Girls' Class 3A 100 hurdles: Susquehannock's Ryleigh Marks was the only semifinalist to break 15 seconds, finishing in 14.77. Other finalists: Gemma Gallagani, Dover, 15.24; Ella Bahn, Spring Grove, 15.10; Maya Richwine, New Oxford, 15.72.
Boys' Class 2A 110 hurdles: Robert Salazar, Biglerville, 16.39.
Boys' Class 3A 110 hurdles: South Western's Bernard Bell had the fastest semifinal time at 14.61. Other finalist: Perry Addey, West York, 15.25.
Girls' Class 3A 100 meters: Spring Grove's Laila Campbell cruised to the fastest semifinal time as the lone runner to break 12 seconds, finishing in 11.94.
Boys' Class 2A 100 meters: Delone Catholic's Ryder Noel had the second-fastest semifinal time at 11.43. Other finalist: Caden Althoff, Biglerville, 11.66.
Boys' Class 3A 100 meters: Red Lion's LaDainian Strausbaugh was the lone area semifinalist to make the finals, finishing in 11.34.
Girls' Class 2A 200 meters: Fairfield's Ava Deming was the lone semifinalist to advance, finishing in 27.41.
Girls' Class 3A 200 meters: Spring Grove's Laila Campbell was more than a second faster than the second-fastest semifinalist and was the only one to break 25 seconds. She leads the finalists at 24.24. Other finalist: Natalie Cottrell, Dallastown, 26.54.
Boys' Class 2A 200 meters: Biglerville's Caden Althoff had the fourth-fastest semifinal time at 23.56.
Boys Class 3A 200 meters: Dallastown's Kenny Johnson had the second-fastest semifinal time at 22.27, just .02 behind Susquehanna Township's Lex Cyrus. West York's Nico Wright-Phillips was .02 behind Johnson and Red Lion's LaDainian Strausbaugh qualified at 22.33.