Council Rock South senior Brett Gilson and John Cantwell made it to states this year for the Golden Hawk boys track & field team with Cantwell earning state berths in the long jump and the triple jump and Gilson competing in the pole vault.
Gilson was this year’s district runner-up in his craft with a vault of 14 feet, 6 inches. At the district meet held last month at Coatesville Area High School, Brett nearly cleared a height of 15 feet but couldn’t quite get there.
“I had enough height, just not enough penetration into the pit,” stated Gilson as he prepared for states. “I kept hitting the bar on my way down.”
Gilson, who is headed to Dartmouth in the fall, got himself a new 15-foot pole measuring before heading to states. “I’m real excited to use it,: stated Gilson. “It gives me more height coming off the top of it.”
With a 9th-place finish May 23 at the PIAA Class AAA meet at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium, Gilson just missed earning a state medal with his 14-foot vault.
Two others--Mitch Codd, of Seneca Valley, and Chris Dougherty, of St. Joe’s Prep--tied for seventh place medals just ahead of Gilson. They also had 14-foot vaults but attained the winning height with fewer misses than Gilson.
Cantwell, who is headed to Miami of Ohio, placed 11th in the triple jump with a leap of 45 feet, 2.25 inches. Muhlenberg High’s Tyrell Ellison won the event after notching 49 feet, 0.75 inches.
Cantwell earned a 12th-place finish in the long jump, reaching a mark 22 feet 1-and-1/2 inches from the start. Matt Green, of Belle Vernon High, took the top prize with his leap of 23 feet 7.5 inches.
--Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: CR South, track and field

By George O'Gorman
For BucksLocalSports

SOUTH PLAINFIELD--Emily Kianka picked the biggest stage of all to have the best day of her high jump career.
The Hopewell Valley junior won the gold medal she was denied a year ago June 4 at the Meet of Champions, and did it with an all-time Mercer County record when she cleared 5 feet, 9.25 inches to earn the only gold for the Colonial Valley Conference at the season’s final track and field meet.
Kianka’s jump, the second time this year she has bettered the existing county record, was one of three all-time Mercer bests established last week with a crowd of over 5,500 watching at Frank Jost Field.
West Windsor South’s Kate Kellner set another all-time county mark when she ran second in the 3200 in 10:34.04 in the final race of her NJSIAA career.
She was one of two CVC girls who took second place medals, with Nottingham’s Stephanie Hicks earning the other with a 14.65 clocking in the 100 meter hurdles.
Ewing’s Tayona Brown collected a third place medal with a 17-8 long jump after she had taken seventh behind Kianka in the high jump, while her Ewing teammate Brigit Roemer also high jumped 5-4 for sixth.
The third county girls record erased was the one Hopewell Valley’s Clare Buck broke in the 1600 meters with a 4:54.0 that bettered the 1600 mark of 4:54.89 former Hopewell Valley star Emily Sherrard held.
Overall, it was one of the best nights Mercer County girls have ever had at the Meet of Champions — topped by Kianka’s jump.
Earlier this season, she bettered the old county high jump mark by a quarter inch with a 5-8.25 leap. She had been looking to improve that mark ever since, but last night saw it all come together.
Tied for second a year ago with Roemer and Brown, this time Kianka took charge of the competition early clearing 5-2 and 5-4 on her first attempts before missing 5-8 on her first try at that height.
She became the only girl to clear 5-8 on her next jump, then went straight to the 5-9.25 height to break her own Mercer mark.
After clearing that height, she tried to set the meet mark of 5-10 but didn’t get over, although she had three excellent attempts at that height.
“I definitely felt confident today,” she said. “Clearing 5-9 was my goal tonight. After making 5-8 on my second jump, I knew I could do it.
“I think with more experience of jumping in big meets, I can get that 5-10,” said Kianka, whose next jumps may come at the Nike Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. in two weeks, where she came in third a year ago.
Long after Kianka became only the second HoVal girl to win Meet of Champions gold--Julie Alexander won the 400 hurdles last year--Hicks and Kellner were turning in their best runs of the spring.
Hicks came through the preliminary round of the 100 hurdles in second place to Ugonna Ndu of Union, who she would duel in the final 40 meters a few minutes later in the hurdles final. Ndu ended first in 14.17 with Hicks next at 14.68.
Amber Scott of Robbinsville, the Group I champ, was fourth at 14.76.
“I feel like I could have won,” said Hicks. “I got out of the blocks with her (Ndu) and we were together for seven hurdles, then I had a little trouble on the next hurdle and she took off.
“I went over the hurdle funny and when I recovered I couldn’t catch her,” said Hicks, the county champ the last two years.
Kellner’s runner-up run was very impressive as well as she did her best to stay ahead of the second group of runners after Chelsea Ley of Kingsway ran a blistering first two laps and went on to win in 10:19.31.
Kellner’s sister Caroline, a freshman, came in ninth in 10:43.61, with Julie Jablonski of HoVal tenth at 10:47.23.
“I’m really happy. I don’t think I could have run much faster,” said Kellner, who was third in the Meet of Champions cross country race last fall. “My goal was to stay with Chelsea as long as I could, but she went out so fast. I can’t run a 400 as fast she she did on that first lap.”

Labels: Hopewell Valley, track and field

Hopewell Valley Central High School alum Paul Wagner, of Titusville, became an NCAA All-American Memorial Day weekend after placing sixth in a field of the best hammer throwers in the nation.

Competing for East Stroudsburg University, Paul was a part of the largest contingent ESU ever sent to the National Championships, held this year in San Angelo Texas. His throw of 196-8 is a new Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Record, and school record.

Paul adds this honor to his PSAC Championship in the Hammer this spring and the 35-pound weight in the winter.

Wagner is a 2006 graduate of Central High, where he was Mercer County shot and discus champion as well as state sectional champion and top five in the state.

Labels: Hopewell Valley, track and field

On Saturday May 16 at districts, Council Rock South senior Tory Worthen broke her own District One-AAA record in the pole vault with her first place leap of 12-feet, 6 inches. Worthen's previous mark was 12-4, set in last year's district meet.
Worthen is getting ready for states, where she earned a runnerup trophy last year after notching a mark of 12-9.5. Easton's Abby Schaffer took the top prize with her record-setting vault of 13-and-a-half feet.
This season, Worthen owns the state's top vault of 12-10, a meet record mark she set May 2 at the Lady Rockers Invitational at Council Rock North.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: CR South, track and field

Morris and company are headed to states!

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Bristol junior Jordan Morris captured the district championship in the 400-meter dash last weekend in the District One-AA Track & Field championships held at Coatesville Area High School, turning in a blazing time of 50.34 in the event.
In addition to taking a third place medal in the 200-meter dash (23.01), Morris also anchored Bristol’s first place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, with he, Abass Kanu, Wendell Phillips, and James Volponi taking the gold in the event after finishing in 44.99.
Phillips also captured a runnerup medal in the 110-meter hurdles, turning in a time of 15.83. The Warriors also captured district gold in the 4x400-meter relay after finishing the race in 3:30.13. Unique Barnes teamed up with Phillips, Volponi and Morris in bringing home yet another gold medal to Bristol.
With the Warriors trailing by a significant margin in the 4x400 on Saturday, Morris made up the difference and more anchoring the team in his final race of the day. Earlier, he ran a 200-meter semifinal, took the gold in the 400, anchored the 4x100 to first place and made sure his team took the gold in the 4x400.
"His best performance of the day was in the four-by-four," stated Bristol Track & Field coach Jim Jones. "We were 40 meters behind when he took the baton but he didn't panic. He made up the distance a step at a time. By the time he got to the last turn, he kicked it up and overtook the leader.
"He brought us home with a real strong run."
All of the first place finishers are headed to states this Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.

Labels: Bristol, track and field

Holy Ghost Prep (HGP) junior James Budzinski, of Yardley, led the way to the Firebirds’ win May 8 and 9 in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Track & Field championships. HGP dominated the field, outpacing runnerup Lower Moreland 193.5 to 88.
Jim did his part, capturing a gold medal in the shot put on Friday and another in the javelin on Saturday.
In the shot, Budzinski outpaced Devon Prep’s Jim Gamrat (45-8) and Bristol High’s Ray Cruz (45-4) - second and third place medal winners, respectively - with his toss of 47 feet, 2 1/2 inches.
Budzinski saved his best effort for Saturday when he recorded a personal record in the javelin with his throw of 189 feet, 4 inches. Jim’s BAL performance in the javelin beat his previous personal record of 180 feet, 6 inches he notched at this year’s Penn Relays that took place April 22-24 at Franklin Field.

Labels: Holy Ghost Prep, track and field

Holy Ghost Prep (HGP) senior Matt Chylak of Newtown led the way to the Firebirds’ win in last weekend’s Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Track & Field championships. HGP dominated the field, outpacing runnerup Lower Moreland, 193.5 to 88. Meanwhile, Matt was busy earning four first place medals.
On Friday, Chylak helped his team by anchoring the 4x800 to a first place finish. Matt’s split in the race was 1.58.
And on Saturday, he successfully defended his BAL title in the 800- and the 1,600 meter runs while also anchoring the 4x400-meter relay team to a first place finish.
Kudos go out to Andrew Viscusi, Robert Borski and Mike Pierce, who helped the Ghost finish first in the 4x800 and Vince Herrmann, Joe Gdovin and Mike LaBrasca who helped the ‘birds take first in the 4×400-meter relay.
Chylak is headed to the University of Pennsylvania in the fall and plans to run for the Quakers. Pierce, who hails from Richboro, will run for Yale.
***
Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman.

Labels: Holy Ghost Prep, track and field

Bristol men capture three gold medals;
women set a new record in relay

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Bristol captured a trio of gold medals last Saturday at the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Track & Field championships.
Hosted by eventual champion Holy Ghost Prep (HGP), the Warriors captured gold in the 400-meter run when Jordan Morris outpaced the entire field, hitting the tape in just 50.10.
Then, Morris anchored Bristol’s first place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, with he, Abass Kanu, Wendell Phillips, and James Volponi taking the gold in the event.
Wendell Phillips completed the hat trick when he crossed the finish line first in the 110 high hurdles. Phillips also captured a silver medal in the 300 intermediate hurdles.
Tom Bradley captured a silver medal in the long jump with his leap of 20-feet, 11.5 inches. Ray Cruz took the bronze in the shot put with a toss of 45-feet, 4 inches.
Volponi also medaled in two other events, finishing fourth in the 200 and sixth in the 400. Morris captured a bronze medal when he finished third in the 200-meter run.
At the end of the day, Morris, Phillips and the 4x100 relay team were named first team All-BAL.
“These awards were richly deserved,” said Bristol head coach Jim Jones. “Jordan [Morris] has been running really strong all year. Wendell [Phillips] is the defending District One champion in the [110 high] hurdles and our relay team has been running really solid all year long.”
On the girls side, Bristol captured a fourth place medal in the 4x400-meter relay when Princess Rogers, Tina Padilla, Jen D’emidio and anchor Jackie Rivera hit the tape in 4:30.01. In the process, the group broke their own school record set earlier in the season at the Glasgow Invitational in Delaware.
According to Jones, that record had been in place since 1983.
“These four girls that set the record in the 400-meter relay have been working very hard since the end of cross country season,” stated Jones. “And they have been an absolute pleasure to work with. We’re expecting bigger and better things from them in the future.”
Rogers and D’emidio are freshmen. Padilla is a sophomore and Rivera returns next year to complete her senior campaign.
D’emidio also medaled in the 800-meter run, finishing in fourth place with a time of 2:31.09.
Elyse Stevens took a fourth place medal in the discus with her toss of 75 feet.
Rivera also captured a fifth place medal in the 300 intermediate hurdles with her time of 52.8 seconds in that event.
Rogers took sixth with her time of 65.4 seconds in the 400-meter run.

Labels: Bristol, track and field

By George O'Gorman
For BucksLocalSports

Hightstown's Pat Gray is one of four defending county champs returning for this weekend's Mercer County track meet. Trentonian File Photo
If Mother Nature cooperates and the rain that’s drenched the Delaware Valley since Friday lets up, Mercer County will host two of its biggest track and field meets of the season Saturday.

While all the Colonial Valley Conference boys and girls teams head to Steinert for the annual Mercer County Meet that starts at 9 a.m., the Peddie, Hun and Lawrenceville teams will be in action at Ken Keuffel Field on the L’ville campus for the Middle Atlantic Prep League championships starting at 1 p.m.

The focus at Steinert will be on the Hopewell Valley girls and Trenton boys as they try to defend the team championships they won in convincing fashion last May. Aaron Oldfield’s Hopewell Valley girls are bidding for a sixth consecutive team title, while Al Jennings’ Trenton boys hope to hold off West Windsor North and claim a third straight team title and fifth in seven years.

The host Lawrenceville School teams are the favorites to keep their MAPL titles.

With the Hayes brothers back to try and defend the individual titles they won last year — Leonard the 200 and 400 sprints and Lamar the long jump — John Shilts’ L’ville boys are a heavy favorite to be almost as dominating as they were a year ago when they scored 209 points and won by 83 over host Hill.

Bill Schroeder’s Lawrenceville girls, who won by a 65-point margin with 195 points, also are an experienced squad hoping to have Rebecca Wojciechowicz repeat as pole vault winner and Madeline Smit duplicate her 2008 success in the 400 hurdles.

All but two of the girls who claimed county titles last year are back to defend their titles — HoVal’s Nikki Ferrara (100/200), Clare Buck (1600/3200), Julie Alexander (400/400 hurdles) and Katelyn Pagano (pole vault), Ewing’s Brigita Roemer (high jump/triple jump), Nottingham’s Stephanie Hicks (100 hurdles), Notre Dame’s Jameica Pierce (discus) and Caitlyn Wismer (800) and West Windsor North’s Chelsea Walters (long jump).

On the boys side only four defending champs return —West Windsor North’s Ryan Sleeper (1600), Hightstown’s Pat Gray (pole vault), Notre Dame’s Jaime Gibilisco (800) and Trenton’s Rolston Braithwaite (triple jump).

All four stand an excellent chance of retaining their titles, although for Gray it will be need a strong recovery from the pulled hamstring he suffered as he warmed up for his biggest meet ever — the Penn Relays — two weeks ago.

Labels: Hopewell Valley, track and field

University of North Carolina-Wilmington junior Meredith Rutledge made her way back to the region last week when she competed in the Penn Relays on Thursday, April 23. Meredith is a javelin thrower for the Seahawks.

If you recall, Rutledge, a 2006 graduate of Hopewell Valley Central, was a standout in both basketball and soccer. But she blew her right knee out on the basketball court as a HoVal junior and could no longer step back onto the hardwood.

HoVal girls track & field coach Aaron Oldfield introduced Rutledge to the javelin and she's been throwing ever since.

Rutledge went on to compete in the Relays first as a Hopewell Valley junior. She's went back to Franklin Field last Thursday and posted a mark of 122 feet, 6 inches, placing her 11th overall in the event. Alexandra Kelly, of Rutgers, won the event with a toss of 152-1.

In previous NCAA competition, Rutledge finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships in 2008 while posting a fifth-place finish at the 2007 CAA Championships. Her personal best in the javelin is 131 feet, 5 inches.

* Event: Javelin
* PR: 131-5
* Finished fourth at CAA Championships in 2008.
* Posted fifth-place finish at 2007 CAA Championships.

Labels: Hopewell Valley, track and field

University of North Carolina junior Meredith Rutledge is getting ready to compete in the Penn Relays on Thursday. Meredith is a javelin thrower for the Seahawks.
If you recall, Rutledge, a 2006 graduate of Hopewell Valley Central, was a standout in both basketball and soccer. But she blew her right knee out on the basketball court as a HoVal junior and could no longer step back onto the hardwood.
HoVal girls track&field coach Aaron Olfield introduced Rutledge to the javelin and she's been throwing ever since.
Rutledge went on to compete in the Relays first as a Hopewell Valley junior. She's coming back to Franklin Field on Thursday and will compete in the javelin some time between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
In previous NCAA competition, Rutledge finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships in 2008 while posting a fifth-place finish at the 2007 CAA Championships. Her personal best in the javelin is 131 feet, 5 inches.
* Event: Javelin
* PR: 131-5
* Finished fourth at CAA Championships in 2008.
* Posted fifth-place finish at 2007 CAA Championships.

Labels: Hopewell Valley, track and field