Downingtown West the biggest winner at 46th annual Ches-Mont Track & Field Championships

By Bruce Adams

badams@21st-centurymedia.com

Coatesville >> Downingtown West was the biggest winner at the 46th annual Ches-Mont Track & Field Championships Wednesday at Coatesville High School, as the Whippets won both the boys and girls team titles.

The D-West boys finished with 105 team points, ahead of second-place Avon Grove (80), while the Whippet girls earned 125 points to edge runnerup Avon Grove (119).

Downingtown West head coach Scott Burns said, “This is a great achievement; we’re super-pumped about everybody’s contributions today. It was a great team effort. We had tremendous performances on the sprint side; our sprinters are phenomenal. We had two kids qualify for districts in our throws, and we had five girls (score points) in the 3200. Both 4x800s scored points. We had a lot of great things happen. We have a great coaching staff to support everybody – we have our largest coaching staff ever, and I think that makes a huge difference.”

The Whippets won both the boys and girls 4×100 relays.

The Downingtown West quartet of Simone Wilford, Elena Geanopulos, Macy McCormick and Molly Weitzman posted a winning time and school-record clocking of 47.23 seconds in the girls 4×100 relay, and the Whippet foursome of Gavin Seavey, Ryan Witherspoon, Jaden Midgett and Andrew Ernst won the boys 4×100 with a school-record time of 41.31.

D-West sprint coach Tracy Robinson said, “They clicked on each leg today. That was the big (goal) for our (4x100s) today, to make sure they clicked on every angle, with districts coming next week.”

Downingtown West junior Olo Kolade won the boys 400 meter run (48.91) and the 200 (22.42). In the 400, he was closely followed by teammate Josiah Wade (48.98).

Weitzman won the girls 100 meter run (12.22), in a race that featured the first six finishers posting PRs.

Other first-place finishers for Downingtown West included freshman Julia Kelly in the girls 3200 meter run (11:44.10), senior Andrew Ernst in the boys’ long jump (23 feet, 1.5 inches), senior Saania Stewart in the girls triple jump (35-11) and senior Connor Zou in the boys triple jump (44-1).

A number of the meet’s defending champions finished first once again.

Kennett sophomore Aydriane Bowden, the defending champ in the 300 meter hurdles, won it again with a mark of 43.39. She also finished first in the girls 100 meter hurdles at 14.08. Bowden was particularly pleased with her 100 hurdles win.

“I was able to come into the (100) prelims and get first place; I didn’t really focus on my time,” said Bowden. “Then in the finals I got first with a good time, not a PR, but a very good time.”

Bowden then became a triple winner, finishing first in the girls 200 meter run with a time of 24.73, edging out 100 meter run champ Molly Weitzman of Downingtown West, who ran 25.26 in placing second.

Kennett head coach John Ramagano said, “Aydriane just gutted it out today. The two relays she was able to run comfortably, and she handled the 20-minute turnaround (between prelims and finals) in the 100 hurdles well. Coming out of the 300 hurdles, we knew we were going to get pressed by Molly (Weitzman) in the 200, we knew it was going to be a big race for the two of them. Aydriane wanted to keep her unbeaten streak this season (alive) – she’s now 19-0 on the season (in individual events), running the 100, 200, 400, 800 and both sets of hurdles.”

Avon Grove junior Lexi Boiardi, the defending champ in the girls’ high jump, won it again with a mark of 5-3, then finished first in the girls long jump with a leap of 18-1.5.

“In the long jump (today) I was just so pumped, I felt really good,” said Boiardi. “I was just focusing on getting as much air time and height as possible. I’m excited to be coming back here (to Coatesville) for districts – this is my favorite track to high jump and long jump at. I get springy on this track.”

Boiardi, incidentally, is the great-granddaughter of Hector Boiardi, who created prepackaged dinners sold under the Chef Boyardee brand.

Bishop Shanahan senior Steven Todd, the defending champion in the boys 1600 meter run, won it again with a clocking of 4:19.01, a four-second improvement over his winning time last year. The lead went back-and-forth until Todd put on a strong closing spurt to win.

“I had to trust myself (down the stretch) and lean on God to carry me through it,” said Todd.

West Chester Rustin senior Ana Dakes, the two-time defending champion in girls’ discus, won it again with a throw of 120-8. She also won the girls shot put with a mark of 36-11.75, an event she also won at Ches-Monts as a sophomore.

“The key for Ana was consistency and staying focused, and she came back to win the shot put on her last throw — she was very resilient,” said West Chester Rustin girls head coach Jim Collins.

Avon Grove senior Lily Schindler won both the girls 400 meter run (57.58) and the 800 (2:16.71). She moved into the lead in the 800 on the backstretch.

“Winning the 800 after running the 400 (felt good),” said Schindler. “I didn’t know how I’d feel going into the 800 but winning it was very satisfying.”

Unionville senior Erin Rapin won the girls 1600 meter run with a PR 5:06.01. Her younger sister, Cara, placed second (5:17.83).

“It’s definitely been a steady progression (in 1600) throughout the season,” said Erin, who was part of the Longhorns’ 4×800 relay at the PIAA 3A state meet last spring. “It’s awesome (Cara finishing second) but it’s a little scary, she’s catching up to me (smiles). We’re best friends.”

In the final event of the meet, the 4×400 relays, the Coatesville quartet of Ciana Rosado, Ja’lyncia Christman, Amauri Boyer and Ava Weldon won the girls 4×400 with a PR 3:57.17, while the West Chester Rustin foursome of Yianni Makris, Yash Shah, Brady Bley and Jonathen Sanchez finished first in the boys 4×400 with a season-best 3:20.55.

West Chester Henderson won both 4×800 relays. The quartet of Kaitlyn Miller, Peyton McElhiney, Annie Sellers and Elli Knapp won the girls 4×800 relay with a time of 9:32.73, and the foursome of Ankith Yerra, Evan Kurdziel, James Widmer and Owen Richards won the boys 4×800 with a time of 8:08.05.

Other boys first-place finishers included Coatesville junior Phillip Dimatteo (300 hurdles, 40.13), Unionville junior Alex Undorf (pole vault, 13-7), Oxford junior Jalen McClain (100 meter run, 10.82), Sun Valley senior Mohamed Wahdan Jr. (110 hurdles,  14.44), West Chester East senior Jacob Joslin (shot put, 54-11.75), Avon Grove senior Anthony D’Angelo (javelin, 168-11), Great Valley senior Jack Thomas (800 meter run, 1:58.49), Avon Grove junior Grayson Pitman (discus, 173-2), Great Valley freshman Jensen Ng (high jump, 6-4) and Unionville senior James McGlynn (3200 meter run, 9:47.80).

Other girls first-place finishers included West Chester East senior Kendall Thompson (javelin, 128-0) and Kennett senior Elyssa Henry (pole vault, 11-3).

Boys’ team points

Downingtown West 105, Avon Grove 80, Coatesville 77, Great Valley 76.5, West Chester Rustin 68, Bishop Shanahan 55, Unionville 50.5, Sun Valley 45, Downingtown East 44, Oxford 35.5, West Chester Henderson 34, West Chester East 22, Kennett 9.5.

Girls’ team points

Downingtown West 125, Avon Grove 119, Coatesville 72.5, Kennett 62, Unionville 58.5, West Chester Rustin 58, West Chester Henderson 46, West Chester East 37, Great Valley 37, Bishop Shanahan 34, Downingtown East 26, Oxford 26.

Boys’ event winners:

110 meter hurdles – Mohamed Wahdan Jr., Sun Valley (14.44); 100 meter run – Jalen McClain, Oxford (10.82); 200 meter run – Olo Kolade, Downingtown West (22.42); 4×800 relay – West Chester Henderson (8:08.05); 1600 meter run – Steven Todd, Bishop Shanahan (4:19.01); 4×100 relay – Downingtown West (41.31); 400 meter run – Olo Kolade, Downingtown West (48.91); 300 meter hurdles – Phillip Dimatteo, Coatesville (40.13); 800 meter run – Jack Thomas, Great Valley (1:58.49); 3200 meter run – James McGlynn, Unionville (9:47.80); 4×400 – West Chester Rustin (3:20.55); High jump – Jensen Ng, Great Valley (6-4); Pole vault – Alex Undorf, Unionville (13-7); Triple jump – Connor Zou, Downingtown West (44-1); Shot put – Jacob Joslin, West Chester East (54-11.75); Discus – Grayson Pitman, Avon Grove (173-2); Javelin – Anthony D’Angelo, Avon Grove (168-11). Long jump – Andrew Ernst, Downingtown West (23-1.5).

Girls’ event winners:

100 meter hurdles – Aydriane Bowden, Kennett (14.08); 100 meter run – Molly Weitzman, Downingtown West (12.22); 200 meter run – Aydriane Bowden, Kennett (24.73); 4×800 relay – West Chester Henderson (9:32.73); 1600 meter run – Erin Rapin, Unionville (5:06.01); 4×100 relay – Downingtown West (47.23); 400 meter run – Lily Schindler, Avon Grove (57.58); 300 meter hurdles – Aydriane Bowden, Kennett (43.39); 800 meter run – Lily Schindler, Avon Grove (2:16.71); 3200 meter run – Julia Kelly, Downingtown West (11:44.10); 4×400 – Coatesville (3:57.17); Long jump – Lexi Boiardi, Avon Grove (18-1.5); High jump – Lexi Boiardi, Avon Grove (5-3); Pole vault – Elyssa Henry, Kennett (11-3); Triple jump – Saania Stewart, Downingtown West (35-11); Shot put – Ana Dakes, West Chester Rustin (36-11.75); Discus – Ana Dakes, West Chester Rustin (120-8); Javelin – Kendall Thompson, West Chester East (128-0).