Clarion Area Track And Field Athletes Have Successful Day At Butler Invitational (04/19/19)

(Photo submitted) Laken Lewis atop the medals stand after winning the pole vault)

The Clarion Area Track and Field Teams competed in the Butler Invitational, on Thursday, April 18th.

Coach Rosary Pennington shared this summary:

Clarion Area had a fantastic day at the Butler Invite.

This is a huge meet that can be intimidating with the crowd and seed times of the WPIAL teams. It is such an experience for our athletes to get to compete at this level, against competition they don’t see throughout the regular season; they really rise to the occasion. Most of our athletes see personal bests at this meet and we still have a month until districts to condition.

This is a long and exhausting day for all entrants and with over sixty teams in attendance it is difficult to be in the top twenty, let alone get on the podium, but we did it.

Here are the highlights for Clarion Area from the meet:

Girls:

Pole Vault – Laken Lewis – earned 1st place medal with a jump of 11-5 (New School Record!!)

Long Jump- Laken Lewis 16′-5.5″ – 7th place medal, Wendy Beveridge 15′-10″ – 10th

High Jump – Laken Lewis 4′-11″- 8th place medal

Triple Jump – Laken Lewis 33′-11.5″ – 12th

800m- Phylicia Hockman 2:25.58 – 12th (career best and dropped 8 seconds from her previous qualifying time)

400m -Eva Lerch 1:02.85 – 15th

3200m- Bella Scott 13:29.06 – District Qualifier

4X800 Relay 11:12.04 – District Qualifier (Eva Lerch, Bella Scott, Gabriella Fleming, Phylicia Hockman)

Boys:

4X800 Relay 8:42.11 – 7th place medals Nick Schill, Donny Cunningham, Dan Ketner, Noah Schill (dropped 18 seconds from their previous qualifying time)

Triple Jump – Gavin Brinkley 42′-3″ 10th (improved by two feet over personal best)

‘Long Jump – Gavin Brinkley 20-7.5″ – 12th (UPDATE tied for 9th)

High Jump – Gavin Brinkley 5′-9″ – 14th

3200m – Nathaniel Lerch 10:27.53 (dropping his previous qualifying time by twenty seconds)

800m – Noah Schill 2:05.38, Donny Cunningham (Official result time was not available) – Update 2:08.20

1600m – Nick Schill 4:46.17 (dropping ten seconds off his previous qualifying time)

4X400 3.48.45 (narrowly missing qualifying time by .45) Josh Mitchell, Donny Cunningham, Noah Schill, Nick Schill

(Thanks to Coach Pennington for this article and to Clarion Area Track and Field for the photo. Great job, Cats!!!!)