May 28, 2022 3 min read

SHIPPENSBURG – Maybe it’s time Fort Cherry thought about building a track.

As coaches come up with different ways to practice sans track, athletes keep impressing and doing well in the postseason.

The latest is Ava Menzies, who took fourth place in the girls Class 2A 100-meter dash in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University Saturday.

“I thought going to states was a dream I would accomplish my senior year,” said Menzies, a sophomore. “I went going from being ranked 18th at the beginning of the year to finishing fourth.”

Menzies spent a lot of time in the school’s hallways with sprint coach Jeff Sieg.

“We went to Burgettstown once a week and worked on the blocks,” said Menzies. “If it hadn’t been for Coach Sieg, I wouldn’t be here today. He taught me everything.”

Being a sprinter starting from the outside lane normally destroys a runner’s chance of finishing high in an event.

Just don’t tell Rose Kuchera.

The sophomore from Canon-McMillan started in lane 7 in the Class 3A 100-meter hurdles but turned that into one of her best efforts of the season.

Kuchera finished second in the event, turning in a time of 14.75. Teghan Sydnor of Strath Haven won the event in 14.71.

“My start felt great today and the whole race felt smooth,” said Kuchera, only a sophomore. “I got pulled by the winner and PR’d.”

Kuchera says she knows the history of runners in outside lanes normally finishing poorly but didn’t pay it an mind.

“I didn’t run my best (in the qualifiers) here,” she said. “I could trust myself more if I had a clean race.”

Grace Howard of South Fayette placed sixth in high jump with an effort of 5-4, not bad for a first-time competitor in this event. Last year, she missed the postseason with an injury. The year before, COVID-19 kept her from competing.

“I was really close but it just wasn’t in me today,” said Howard, a junior. “I’ll get them next time.”

McGuffey’s Clara Barr finished third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 15.23, her third consecutive PR in the postseason. Talea Buxton of West Catholic won the event with a fabulous time of 14.23.

“She went back-to-back,” said Barr. “She is such a nice girl and great competitor. The competition has been great. It really helped get my numbers down.”

The 400-meter relay team of South Fayette came in third with a time of 48.88, well off the PR and nearly a second behind winner Cheltenham’s 48.03 and a breath behind North Penn’s second-place finish of 48.76.

The four legs were taken up by Dea Monz, Melana Schumaker, Amanda Marquis and Olivia Renk

“I felt like I got off to a pretty good start,” said Monz. “I was in front of whoI needed to be in front of.”

The first handoff was a little shaky but Schumaker recovered nicely.

“I stayed in line with the others,” Schumaker said. “I dealt with what we needed to be dealt with.”

Renk said she was just trying to hold her place down the straightaway,

“Everyone ran super well and the other team (Cheltenham) was just amazing,” Renk said.

Canon-McMillan’s team of Bryce Dean, Kuchera, Abigail Mitrik and Bennett Pidro took seventh with a time of 51.39.

Kayla Brose of Chartiers-Houston took sixth place in the Class 2A 300 hurdles with a time of 47.20.

Schumaker finished ninth in the Class 3A long jump with a leap of 17-3 1/2.