PIAA track and field: Red Lion's Ethan Gatchell, South Western's Lynne Mooradian earn medals

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SHIPPENSBURG >> Since it was the last race of his high school career, Red Lion's Ethan Gatchell wasn't going to leave anything behind during Saturday's second day of the PIAA Class AAA track and field championships — although he did leave some of his skin on the Shippensburg University track.

Determined to finish in the top eight, Gatchell fell while leaning in at the finish of the 800-meter run. After the race, he had proof of his effort in the form of a skinned shoulder.

"I wanted the spot and I wanted the time. It's states, why hold anything back?" He said. "It's going to hurt — it's totally worth it."

Gatchell not only earned a seventh-place medal with a time of 1 minute, 53.73 seconds, but he beat his seed time by more than a second and a half. Plus he broke a long-coveted Red Lion school record in the process.

Saturday's results from the PIAA track and field championships

"Praise God for a good race. The record was a bonus," he said. "It's a big new PR (personal record), so I am happy with that.

"I felt good. I wouldn't say I felt fresh in the last lap, I was pushing. It was good weather, good preparation all week. The coaches have been doing a great job. We had a good game plan coming into the race, executed it and came away with the time."

After qualifying in the final 12 Friday, Gatchell said that being relaxed for the championship race, his last one before he runs at Cedarville University next fall, helped.

"Honestly, the finals are a whole lot less stressful than the prelims," he said. "The prelims you know you've got to hit the spot and get the right time. The finals are just one race, you go hard. If you get dead last, you are still 12th in the state."

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