Off
to a fast start
Golden
Tornado sweep Knoch track teams
By Sam Tallarico
Eagle Staff Writer
JEFFERSON TWP -
They certainly did in Thursday's season-opening meet against Knoch.
The girls captured all 18 events on their way to a 125-25 triumph while the
boys swept all three throwing events in a 103½-46½ win.
Both Tornado teams placed third in the section a year ago and missed the team
playoffs.
"What I told the girls was today sets the tone.
We're going to start to show other teams what we're made of," said Harris,
the Tornado girls coach.
"They proved it. We have a lot more depth than last year. We'd get a first
but not a second or third. This year we can win and get those places,"
Harris added.
Kendall Butch won pole vault (11 feet), high jump (5-2) and triple jump (35-7½)
to lead
Hannah Rekich grabbed both the 100 and 300-hurdles events in 17.3 and 50.4
seconds, respectively and also was a member of the winning 1,600 relay
(4:35.0).
Tess Crispin, Jessica Tomsey, Kelly Hilderbrand, Emily Chiappini and Amanda
Malecky each won an individual event, as well as a leg of a relay.
"One thing we're telling our young kids is not to
take a back seat to anyone," said Harris. "I can't say enough about
our freshmen and sophomores. A lot of our juniors and seniors have made the
comments that they don't want to get beat by our freshmen and sophomores. They
know they'll have to work hard."
Freshman Lyndsy Day didn't win an event but was second in the long jump and 100
hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles.
"I expected her to do well," said Harris. "She has a lot of raw
talent. We're seeing what she can do."
Sarah Reppermund finished second to Butch in the high jump and pole vault to
lead the Knoch effort.
In the boys meet, Nolan Brink won the shot put (46-8) and discus (127-9), and
Junior Dunn took the javelin (182-10) to key the Tornado's throwing events.
In all, nine different Tornado athletes won the 15 contested individual events.
"We had a great team effort," said Schontz. "Our attitude has
been, before and during the season, that if a door slams with an injury in one
event, the door of opportunity opens for another."
Bobby Ridley (400), Doug Moran (200), John Strutt (800) and James Rogerson
(1,600) also took part in winning relays for the Tornado.
Schontz admitted the 800 showed the type of heart he's looking for when, aside
from Strutt's win, Cory Haley slipped past Knoch's Frankie Moxie for second.
Haley's brother, Ian, dove across the finish line in hopes of edging Moxie, but
just fell short.
"That's the type of effort you like," said Schontz. "He was
trying hard in a meet like this to get that one point."
The Knights put up a valiant battle, headlined by Kory Bottles, who won both
the long and triple jumps (19-8 and 40-10) and was a member of the winning 400
relay team with Matt Friday, David Rickard and Alex Whisler.
Friday also won the 100 and narrowly lost the 200, Artie Black took the 3,200
and Ryan McKinney won the pole vault for the Knights.
"We're young, but we have the talent," said Knoch coach Wess Brahler.
"We just have to find where we'll have the most success.
"We had hoped to score 60 points, but we scored (46.5). I definitely
thought we'd be a little closer, but that's not too bad."
With the first meet of the season out of the way the teams know there is still
a lot of work to be done.
"Knoch has a good team and they'll beat a lot of teams," said
Schontz. "I give them a lot of credit. They hosted a nice meet and we got
to run a lot of kids.
"Every meet is going to be difficult in this section," he added.
Boys
Butler 103½, Knoch 46½
Running events
110-meter high hurdles:
1-Andy Archambault (B) 17.6;
100-meter dash:
1-Matt Friday (K) 11.9;
1,600-meter run:
1-James Rogerson (B) 4:43;
400-meter run:
1-Bobby Ridley (B) 54.8;
300-meter intermediate hurdles:
1-Brian Burka (B) 45.1;
800-meter run:
1-John Strutt (B) 2:06;
200-meter dash:
1-Doug Moran (B) 23.9;
3,200-meter run:
1-Artie Black (K) 10:35
Relay events
3,200-meter:
1-Butler (Nathan Achesinski, Strutt, Wade Grubbs, Rogerson) 9:02;
400-meter:
1-Knoch (Friday, Kory Bottles, David Rickard, Alex Whisler) 45.5;
1,600-meter:
1-Butler (Ridley, Casey Piper, Grubbs, Moran) 3:39
Field events
Shot put:
1-Nolan Brink (B) 46-8;
Discus:
1-Nolan Brink (B) 127-9;
Javelin:
1-Junior Dunn (B) 182-10;
Pole Vault:
1-Ryan McKinney (K) 10-6;
High jump:
1-Brian McCandless (B) 5-8;
Long jump:
1-Kory Bottles (K) 19-8;
Triple jump:
1-Bottles (K) 40-10
Girls
Butler 125, Knoch 25
Running events
100-meter high hurdles:
1-Hannah Rekich (B) 17.3;
100-meter dash:
1-Kelly Hilderbrand (B) 13.2;
1,600-meter run:
1-Amanda Malecky (B) 6:03;
400-meter run:
1-Tess Crispin (B) 1:04.8;
300-meter low hurdles:
1-Rekich (B) 50.4;
800-meter run:
1-Jessica Tomsey (B) 2:37;
200-meter dash:
1-Emily Chiappini (B) 29.1;
3,200-meter run:
1-Marie Rumbaugh (B) 13:56
Relay events
3,200-meter:
1-Butler (Abby Herrit, Crispin, Tomsey, Amanda Bresnehan) 11:16;
400-meter:
1-Butler (Hilderbrand, Chiappini, Sarah McAfee, Lindsey Bernardi) 52.9;
1600-meter:
1-Butler (Rekich, Liz Graham, Malecky, Kate DeGeorge) 4:35
Field events
Shot put:
1-Laura Ankrom (B) 31-2;
Discus:
1-Adrianna Foley (B) 90-7;
Javelin:
1-Erin Kelly (B) 102-0;
Pole Vault:
1-Kendall Butch (B) 11-0;
High jump:
1-Butch (B) 5-2;
Long jump:
1-Sarah Thiebaud (B) 16-1½;
Triple jump:
1-Butch (B) 35-7½.