South Fayette 400 relay team ready for showdown
Jim Downey
South Fayette’s Amanda Marquis, left, takes the baton from teammate Melani Schumaker on the second exchange in their Class 3A 400-meter relay preliminary heat during Friday’s WPIAL Track & Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg.
Jim Downey
McGuffey’s Clara Barr flies through the air in the Class 2A long jump Friday afternoon in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg. Barr placed eighth with a jump of 17-1¼.
SHIPPENSBURG – In a previous life, they could’ve been mailmen or in this case mailwomen.
Because not even the gloom of day or the downpour of rain that halted proceedings for two hours could stop them on their appointed rounds.
Well, at least one lap of the Shippensburg University track.
The South Fayette girls 400-meter relay team turned in a scintillating 48.09 to win their heat and set up a showdown with Cheltenham today in the event the Lions won at last year’s PIAA Class 3A Championship on this same track.
Possibly, coming to a mailbox near you are Dea Monz, Melana Schumaker, Amanda Marquis and Olivia Renk.
The meet, notorious for its bad weather, did not disappoint this year. A tremendous, long-lasting downpour delayed the meet approximately two hours. But South Fayette prevailed.
“We are all strong believers that everything happens for a reason,” said Mons. “While we were warming up in the rain, we were a little worried. Whenever the rain delay came, it was beautiful out, we got a good warmup in and it really benefit us.”
Schumaker said she didn’t feel any difference on the track because of the rain.
“I just ran my own, race, stayed in my lane, focused on myself and nothing else,” said Schumaker.
The handoffs were good, the product of constant training.
“We’ve been working really hard on that,” said Marquis, “because that’s the one thing we can improve upon.”
Renk said she didn’t feel any pressure from an opposing runner after taking the final handoff.
“Coming down the end, I knew I had a strong lead,” said Renk, who ran anchor. “I had to keep it for the team. I didn’t want to let them down.”
Cheltenham turned in a time of 47.97. How much quicker is that time from South Fayette’s?
Blink your eye. That’s the difference.
Canon-McMillan was eighth with a time of 49.16 produced by Bryce Dean, Rose Kuchera, Abigail Mitrik and Bennett Pidro.
Clara Barr of McGuffey was second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.29. Later, she earned an eighth-place medal with a 17-1 1/4 in the long jump, more than a foot below her PR.
“What I did today, I take with a grain of salt and move on,” said Barr of her jump. “I think the weather was good. It was just a bad jumping day for me.”
Ava Menzies of Fort Cherry finished seventh in the Class 2A 100 dash with a time of 12.82. That puts her in the finals today.
Rose Kuchera of Canon-McMillan was sixth in the Class 3A 100 hurdles with a time of 15.16. She will be in today’s finals. Later in the day, she hit a personal record of 39-03/4 to finish third in the long jump.
“I’m very happy and excited,” said Kuchera.
“The weather was not great today but (the track) was pretty good. Compared to how I run when the weather is sunny, I’d do better.”
Kayla Brose of Chartiers-Houston took eighth place in the 300 hurdles at 46.78
Other female results included Renk, who was 16th in the Class 3A 100 with a time of 12.65; Ella Neal of California, who set a PR in the high jump at 5-0 and finished 15th; Maggie Clair of Canon-McMillan, who finished 15th in the Class 3A shot put with a 34-9 1/4 effort.