Downingtown West leads strong Chester County pack at District 1 3A Track & Field Championships

By Bruce Adams

badams@21st-centurymedia.com

CALN – Downingtown West’s big victory in the boys 4×400 meter relay, the final event of the PIAA District 1 3A Track & Field Championships Saturday at Coatesville High School, was an exclamation point on a strong two-day performance by the Whippets.

Downingtown West finished fourth in the boys’ team standings at the district meet, while the Whippets placed fifth among the girls’ teams.

The Whippet boys 4×400 quartet of Josiah Wade, Ryan Witherspoon, Olo Kolade and Andrew Ernst took a solid early lead and never relinquished it, posting a time of 3 minutes, 15.60 seconds, comfortably ahead of runnerup Central Bucks East (3:17.09).

Just 30 minutes before the 4×400 relay, Ernst finished second in the boys 200 meter run (21.88). Earlier in the day, Ernst was the anchor for the Whippets’ 4×100 relay team of Gavin Seavey, Witherspoon, Jalen Midgett and Ernst that placed second (41.43) to Garnet Valley. On Friday, Ernst won the long jump (24 feet, 1 ¾ inches).

Ernst, who will be competing in track and field for the College of William and Mary next spring, said winning the 4×400 relay was his favorite highlight of the two-day district meet.

“It’s always a goal to get first in the relays; we got second in the 4×100, so to come out here and get first, it’s an amazing feeling,” said Ernst. “At the (finish) line, I felt nothing but joy.”

Another Saturday standout for the Whippets was junior Molly Weitzman, who anchored the D-West girls 4×100 to a first-place finish, moving from second place to first during her final leg, then 20 minutes later won the 400 meter run with a time of 55.40.

“I think the key for me in the 400 was lying down after the 4×100, getting my legs up, and my coach (Tracy Robinson) was able to bring me water with my hydration mix in it, and one of my teammates put cooling towels on my neck so I wouldn’t overheat,” said Weitzman. “Then it was just thinking that I know how to run the 400, and I knew I could do it with the amount of (short) rest I had, based on what we do in practice — knowing that really helped to calm me. My teammate (Spencer Dunn) was holding the (starting) blocks for me, he could tell that I was nervous, and he was just telling me to relax, and that he knew that I could do it.”

Weitzman will be making a return trip to the PIAA 3A state meet, as she competed at Shippensburg last year.

“Just the experience of going to state in my sophomore year was incredible,” said Weitzman.

The Downingtown West quartet of freshman Simone Wilford, freshman Elena Geanopulos, sophomore Macy McCormick and Weitzman finished first in the girls 4×100 with a time of 47.40.

McCormick said, “I think the key was doing what we practiced, and getting clean handles. Molly (as the anchor) got out great.”

Another Chester County standout Saturday was Kennett sophomore Aydriane Bowden, a medal winner in both the 100 meter hurdles and 300 hurdles at last year’s PIAA 3A state meet. Bowden won the 300 hurdles Saturday with a mark of 43.03, then finished second in the 200 meter run (24.95). Earlier in the day, she finished second in the 100 hurdles. She has qualified for states in all three events.

“I had a plan in the 300 hurdles today, and I executed it very nicely,” said Bowden. “I think I did (well) despite the headwind today and I can’t wait for states.”

Another standout Saturday was Conestoga senior Patrick Barausky, who finished second in the boys’ pole vault (14-0) and is headed to states to defend his PIAA 3A state title.

“I had a tough winter season, I broke my right foot, luckily not my takeoff foot, I’ve been recovering and I’m glad I’m back so soon,” said Barausky, who will be competing in pole vault for the University of Rhode Island next spring. “I broke it by overtraining, and I had to have screws inserted into my foot. I’m back now, and I’m glad to be going back to states.”

Chester County runners fared particularly well in the 3200 meter run Saturday morning. In the girls 3200, Chesco runners finished 2-3-4, with Conestoga junior Alexia Tubbs second (10:46.71) West Chester Rustin Sophia Hnetinka third (10:47.72) and Downingtown West freshman Julia Kelly fourth (10:49.30). Hnetinka and Kelly also qualified for states in the girls 1600 meter run Friday.

In the boys 3200, Bishop Shanahan’s Steven Todd finished fourth (9:19.98) and Unionville senior James McGlynn placed fifth (9:21.00). Both runners are headed to states.

Todd, who finished fifth in the 3200 at districts last year, will be making his second trip to the PIAA 3A state meet.

Shanahan head coach Mark Schmidt said, “Todd was coming off his senior prom Friday, so we weren’t sure how sharp he would be today (laughs). But he gutted it out and punched his ticket to states.”

Unionville head coach Mark Lacianca said, “James ran a great race; I was very pleased with the race plan and the way he ran the last two laps.”

West Chester Henderson junior Logan Miller finished eighth in the boys 3200 with a state qualifying time of 9:22.79 and is headed to states.

West Chester Rustin senior Ana Dakes finished fourth in the girls shot put (38-3) and is headed to states. On Friday, Dakes finished second in the girls discus with a throw of 126-7, and will compete at states in that event too.

Coatesville has two girls relay team that qualified for states on Saturday. The quartet of Hannah Russum, Ja’lyncia Christman, Genesis Bradshaw and Ava Weldon finished fifth in the girls 4×100 (47.88), and the Red Raider foursome of Ciana Rosado, Christman, Amauri Boyer and Weldon placed fifth in the 4×400 (3:56.03).

In the boys’ javelin, West Chester Rustin’s Andrew Black and Avon Grove’s Anthony D’Angelo finished 3-4 and are headed to states. For Black, who threw 176-0, it will be a return trip to the state meet. For D’Angelo, a senior whose throw measured 175-5, it will be his first trip to Shippensburg.

Unionville junior Alex Undorf was fifth in the boys’ pole vault (13-6), and made states for the first time.

“Alex worked really hard in the offseason and keeps getting better,” said Lacianca.

Coatesville senior Takiyah Lynch finished fourth in the boys’ discus (157-5) and has qualified for states.

Avon Grove senior Lily Schindler finished seventh in the girls 800 with a state qualifying time of 2:16.40 and is headed to states.

Bishop Shanahan sophomore Payton Nolan finished sixth in the girls 400 with a state qualifying time of 57.86 and is headed to states.

Downingtown West freshman Sophia DeAngelis finished fifth in the girls 300 hurdles (45.45) and has qualified for states.

In the boys 4×100 relay, the West Chester Rustin foursome of Yash Shah, Yiannis Makris, Brady Bley and Brennan Gaines placed seventh (41.91) and the Great Valley quartet of juniors Sean Mahoney, Cameron Gosa, Hasan Asim and Jalen Bebee finished eighth (42.16). Both foursomes posted state qualifying times, so they will be headed to states.

Shah finished seventh in the boys 400 with a state qualifying time of 49.27 and will compete in states in this event.

Other medal-winners Saturday included Coatesville sophomore Bryzhae Alston (sixth, girls 100 hurdles), Avon Grove junior Sarah Rossman (seventh, girls shot put) and West Chester Henderson senior Jayden Barksdale (sixth, boys 100).

NOTES: In the District 1 2A meet, Regina Luminis Academy (a Berwyn school) finished fourth in the boys team standings. First-place finishers for RLA boys were Gabe Simkiss (800 and 1600), senior Martin O’Rourke (3200) and the 4×800 relay of Luke Kozak, Simkiss, Sean O’Keefe and O’Rourke. Regina Luminis finished 10th in the girls team standings, and the top individual finisher was Regina Callahan (third, 300 hurdles). Church Farm finished eighth in the boys team standings, and had two third-place finishers – David Ibiefo (long jump) and Dennis Smith (shot put).

Boys’ 3A team point leaders

North Penn 64, Central Bucks East 62, Owen J Roberts 45, Downingtown West 42, Radnor 37, Garnet Valley 26, Spring-Ford 26, Quakertown 24, Council Rock North 24, Upper Darby 22.

Girls’ 3A team points leaders

Souderton 41, Chester 37, Central Bucks East 35, Lower Merion 35, Downingtown West 33, Haverford 30, Owen J Roberts 29, Kennett 29, West Chester Rustin 27, Cheltenham 26.

Boys’ 3A event winners

4×800 relay – North Penn (7:45.08); 1600 meter run – Joseph Garzio, Radnor (4:13.58); 3200 meter run – Justin Landis, North Penn (9:11.86); 110 meter hurdles – Mohamed Wahdan, Sun Valley (14.10); 100 meter dash – Matthew Gregory, Owen J Roberts (10.69); 4×100 relay – Garnet Valley (41.25); 400 meter run – Ade Lloyd, Harriton (46.46); 300 meter hurdles – Dominic Harvey-Sheppard, Wissahickon (37.55); 800 meter run – Joseph Garzio, Radnor (1:52.87); 200 meter run – Matthew Gregory, Owen J Roberts (21.76); 4×400 relay – Downingtown West (3:15.60); Long jump – Andrew Ernst, Downingtown West (24-1.75); High jump – Trip Campbell, North Penn (6-11); Shot put – Colin Sturges, Perkiomen Valley (57-3.75); Pole vault – Abraham McNally, Spring-Ford (14-6); Discus – Ryan Fischer, Central Bucks East (168-1); Triple jump – Nazar Pastukh, Council Rock South (46-5.5); Javelin – Talon Romance, Phoenixville (202-4).

Girls’ 3A event winners

4×800 relay – Central Bucks East (8:57.12); 1600 meter run – Olivia Cieslak, Haverford (4:50.60); 3200 meter run – Lillian DiCola, Hatboro Horsham (10:36.47); 100 meter hurdles – Damira Allen, Chester (14.04); 100 meter dash – Amirah Nesmith, Cheltenham (11.91); 4×100 relay – Downingtown West (47.40); 400 meter run – Molly Weitzman, Downingtown West (55.40); 300 meter hurdles – Aydriane Bowden, Kennett (43.03); 800 meter run – Olivia Cieslak, Haverford High (2:08.74); 200 meter run – Amirah Nesmith, Cheltenham (24.33); 4×400 relay — Central Bucks East (3:52.49); Long jump – Destini Smith, Souderton (19-7.25); High jump – Destini Smith, Souderton (5-9.5); Pole vault – Veronica Vacca, Mount Saint Joseph (13-8); Discus – Zianna Dobson, North Penn (132-4); Javelin – Ava Flicker, Perkiomen Valley (158-9); Shot put – Zianna Dobson, North Penn (132-4); Triple jump – Destini Smith, Souderton (42-6.5); Shot put – Kira Moses, Pennsbury (44-3.5).