5. From flop to first
Bentworth's Brenna Cavanaugh falls on the last hurdle of the Girls Class AA 100-meter hurdle semifinals at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Bentworth’s Brenna Cavanaugh won the gold medal in the girls Class AA 100-meter hurdles at the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Brenna Cavanaugh went from flop to first in one of the most amazing performances in PIAA track history.
The Bentworth junior came into the PIAA Track & Field Championships in late May with the fastest time in the Class AA 100-meter hurdles but fell on the final hurdle of her semifinal heat. Incredibly, she rolled to her feet and crossed the finish line in time to earn the last qualifying spot for the finals.
Cavanaugh then won the gold medal from Lane 8 at Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg. That lane is used for the runner with the slowest qualifying time from the semifinals. It is believed Cavanaugh was the first person to finish first in a sprint or high hurdles race from that lane in PIAA history.
Waynesburg’s Ben Bumgarner won the 3,200-meter run in Class AA, turning in a time of 9:10.58, 17 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. Bumgarner became the first PIAA track champion from Waynesburg since Carlos Gibbs won the 3,200 run in 1990. Earlier in the school year, Bumgarner won a gold medal at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey.