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Trinity beats weather to upend Wash High
jtuscano@observer-reporter.com
The ability to stay warm was almost as important as the final score of Thursday's high school non-section track meet between Trinity and Washington.
A brisk wind swept across Trinity's track, making 50 degree weather seem 10 degrees colder. Some athletes competed in their sweats, others in insulated leggings. Everyone, it seemed, was shivering.
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Two seniors - Washington's Morgan Ross and Trinity's Katie McCarrell - tried to treat it is as any other track meet, one that Trinity managed to sweep, thanks to the boys winning 76-74 and the girls taking a 104-45 victory.
Ross and McCarrell each hit 7-0 in the pole vault, well below their best efforts. But on this day, it was more about effort than numbers. And the two gave a spirited performance. Ross won because she had fewer misses, but came away with a tight quad muscle that might require some rest.
"I like the pit they have here," said Ross, whose personal-best in the vault is 9-3. "The wind and the weather were bad. It affects you."
Ross and McCarrell each have a gymnastics background, both competing in the Gym Dandys program in Meadow Lands. But that's where the similarities end.
Ross is a veteran vaulter, taking up the event in her sophomore season. She uses a more veteran approach, holding the nose of the pole vault in the air when she approaches the pit.
Every other vaulter in this meet, including McCarrell, use a style called "dragging," where the tip of the pole vault glides along the asphalt runway before being planted at the bar.
"Most carry them," said McCarrell, whose best vault is 8-0. "I'm eventually going to do that to this season. But right now, it's just one more thing to think about. This is only the first day we've vaulted (in a meet)."
Ross and McCarrell spent most of this afternoon stretching and moving in an attempt to keep warm. Vaulting took up very little of their time.
The two have built a camaraderie because of their similar backgrounds and unusual sport.
"I'm the only female pole vaulter on the team," Ross said. "I wish I had a teammate."
"There are only a few girls who (vault) on the team," McCarrell said. "I thought this would be interesting. Honestly, I decided to do this just so I could get out of the sprints."
The Hillers girls team is 1-1, dropping a meet to Bethel Park, and the boys are 2-0. Washington's boys team fell to 5-1 and the girls to 4-2.
Other impressive performances included Trinity's Chelsea Sumney turning in a 2:31 in the 800 and sister Shaina went 5:29 in the 1,600.
Washington's Ramont Barfield cleared 6-2 in the high jump and ran 11.4 in the 100, and teammate Amber Wright won the 300 hurdles in 51.6.
