Methacton girls, Perkiomen Valley boys continue unbeaten runs
LOWER POTTSGROVE — In one of the toughest Pioneer Athletic Conference double dual meet showdowns this season, both competition and weather-wise on Wednesday at the Pottsgrove Stadium, the Methacton girls made things crystal clear.
The Warriors are well on their way to a 10th straight undefeated season. Simultaneously, the Perkiomen Valley boys showed they have a good chance to go undefeated in duals and are a serious contender for the league title.
The Methacton girls were double-winners, beating Perkiomen Valley, 101-49, and Pottsgrove 144-6, while the Perk Valley girls beat Pottsgrove, 135-15.
The Perkiomen Valley boys held off Pottsgrove, 77-64, and topped Methacton, 82-58, while Methacton held of Pottsgrove, 69.5-66.5.
The Methacton girls (3-0) were led by Nicolette Serratore and Jenny Martin with two wins each. Martin crossed first in the 100 hurdles (15.6) and won the long jump (17-8½), Serratore the triple jump (35-6½) and the javelin (108-3½).
Methacton hurdles and sprint standout Caroline Duffy, who had battled mononucleosis that kept her out of class from October to January, was finally back on track and opened the meet with a win in the 300 hurdles (46.9). Abby Konkoly ran away with the win in the 1,600 (5:30.5).
The Perk Valley boys (5-0) were led by Matt Town with two wins, winning the 800 (2:05) and anchoring the victorious Vikings’ 4×800.
Devin Fink led Pottsgrove (1-3) with three wins, taking the 300 hurdles (40.0), the 110 hurdles (15.5) and the triple jump (39-2 3/45).
Jeff Kirshenbaum led Methacton (2-1) with two wins, crossing first in the 1,600 (4:35.7) and the 3,200 (9:59.3).
The Methacton girls showdown with Perk Valley had weighed heavily on the Warriors’ minds. It didn’t even come down to a fight with Methacton crushing everyone else in the jumps and the throws .
“As far as PAC-10, this is definitely one of the most competitive meets we’ll have this whole season,’ Duffy said, after getting her Warriors off to a winning start. “It feels really good. I haven’t been able to practice much, so it’s good that I got to do it today,’ she added. “The mono definitely took a lot out of me. I wasn’t able to go to school or train. But I feel 100 percent better than I did.’
Good thing too, because she is a major point-scorer for her team. As is Serratore.
“We’re more determined than ever to keep the win streak going,’ Serratore said.
The Warriors’ Konkoly was the surprise girls winner in the 1,600.
“I just really wanted to help out our team, so I ran as fast as I could, and I’m really excited.’ Konkoly said. “It’s my second-fastest time ever and, considering the weather, I couldn’t be happier.’
“Every race I feel like running my last race,’ Martin said. “But it’s fun every meet. Today, everybody on the team did great. Especially for the seniors, for nine years our team has gone undefeated, no way do we want to see that end this year.’
For Perk Valley, Cheyenne Churchville swept the sprints, winning the 100 (12.7) and 200 (26.5).
On the boys side, the score went back and forth until the Vikings finally pulled out the win down the stretch. But it was a fight on all sides.
Nobody has beaten Pottsgrove hurdle standout Devon Fink yet. And he got his Falcons boys off to a good start, winning the 300 hurdles and 110 hurdles, as well as the triple jump.
Fink even managed his best 300 hurdles time of the season despite the nasty conditions.
“This meet today is a big test to me,’ Fink said. “So just kept pushing to get my best time and the win for our team.’
The Falcons were coming off a loss to defending PAC-10 champion Spring-Ford last week, which had them hyped for this meet even more.
“That loss gave us more motivation to go harder against other teams,’ Fink said.
But then Matt Town got the Vikings rolling, anchoring their 4×800 relay to a win. Town later also added a key win in the 800.
He was most focused on simply finishing ahead of the field.
“The time doesn’t really matter much today with this weather, what does matter is, I obviously would like to get a good time, but today it’s not that important. If we win today, we’re still undefeated. Of course, that’s on our mind. We have a really deep team this year, a lot of good kids.’
Pottsgrove’s Dakari Rome and Perk Valley’s Michael Holland battled it out in the 100, both crossing in 11.4. But Rome got the nod for the win.
“I know Mike Holland of PV, he’s very fast and it was going to be a challenge,’ Rome said. “I was just trying to stay with him and get him at the end.’
The Pottsgrove and Perk Valley sprinters lucked out on this day, with the Methacton’s Nick Shaffer, the league’s top sprinter last season, watching from the sideline with a knee injury.
Kirshenbaum won the 1,600 and then 3,200, outdueling Pottsgrove standout Derek Lopez in the 1,600, and holding off Perk Valley’s hard-fighting Frankie MacGregor in the 3,200, while MacGregor battled his way past Lopez down the stretch in the 3,200.
Watching Kirshenbaum and Lopez dueling it out in this weather brought back vivid memories of their many cross country battle.
“Absolutely,’ Kirshenbaum said. “Everybody on Pottsgrove is great competitors and we always know it’s going to be competitive when we go against them. It definitely pushes me, and my team as well. It’s just an awesome thing. Every event matters, but the cool thing about distance is, it takes a lot of heart.’
“I love racing Jeff,’ Lopez said. “Cross country, track, he puts it all on the course every race. Hard worker. I beat him in the cross country championship by one, he beat me here today. It’s always fun. Methacton-Pottsgrove, it’s always a rivalry.’
Sean O’Brien then got the Falcon boys back within striking distance of the Vikings, winning the 400 (52.3) while the rain was really coming down.
“We really just can’t get a break with the weather,’ O’Brien said. “Every single meet has been cold and rainy.
“Mr. Rechtin (Pottsgrove coach Larry Rechtin) told us we really need to get the wins because the meet is going to be tight, so I knew I needed to get first place in order for us to stay in it.’
Holland than anchored Methacton to a 4×100 relay win.
“I felt I won the 100, but I just forgot about it, focused on the 4×100 and tried to do my best and stay strong,’ Holland said. “This is a very key meet for us. It’s sloppy out here. But, long distance, sprinters, we all come together to work hard in practice, and it shows in the meets.’
Joseph Adighibe then won the 200 for the Vikings.
“We really want to keep this undefeated season going,’ he said. “I want this for my last year. Winning it all would be great.’
The Vikings’ MacGregor then took second in the 3,200 behind Kirshenbaum, holding off the Falcons’ Lopez to add the final key points in the running. Of course, he too is a cross country runner and used to battling it out with Kirshenbaum and Lopez.
“Frankie gave me a heck of a race, how could I not run a good time?’ Kirshenbaum said. “I just went as hard as I could because I knew my team needed these points.’
“I knew I wanted to just run with Jeff and Derek and see how much I could do,’ MacGregor said. “I almost got Jeff, but he gave me a good race. I was definitely aware my points here would count.’
But, truly, every one of the athletes who toughed it out was a winner on this nasty day.
“I know the undefeated streak is very important to the kids, especially the seniors,’ Methacton girls head coach Rob Ronzano said. “This meet, in these weather conditions, against as good a team as PV, all these kids put it all on the line. And that’s what they have done every year I’ve been at Methacton. They’re behind each other every step of the way, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve done.
“For me, when I look at the program we’ve had for a number of years, I couldn’t be any more proud of the effort the kids have given to us. It’s lots of fun.’
Rechtin, Pottsgrove’s boys head coach, had to do double duty — coach his boys and run the meet.
“It’s terrible weather, but I love the way all the teams fought through the meet,’ Rechtin said. “It was a very competitive meet, a very exciting meet. Three very good teams fighting with each other, scratching out whatever points they could in miserable conditions.’
The Perk Valley boys are ready to keep things rolling, no matter what the weather has in store.
“It was a tough day with all the elements,’ Vikings boys coach Joe Petsko said. “But I think we battled through it pretty well. We’re undefeated so far on the boys side, but we’re just taking one week at a time. We’ll keep working hard and see how it turns out.’
NOTES >> With the outcome already decided, the pole vault was scratched on the girls side due to the bad weather. But with the boys’ Pottsgrove-Methacton matchup so close, those two will hold the pole event at a later date since the difference in their score is under nine points and could change the final outcome.
