Geytenbeek repeats in pole vault jump-off

UPPER DARBY — There were two themes among the athletes who earned gold medals in the opening day finals at the Delaware County Girls Track and Field Championships at Upper Darby High Thursday.

Among the jumpers, the winners were those who overcame recent injuries.

In throwing events, first places went to a pair of young competitors.

Garnet Valley senior Michelle Geytenbeek, who was held out of practice this week because of ankle woes, won the pole vault for the second consecutive year.

Maddie Santoro of Haverford, who has been slowed by a heel inflammation, took first place in the high jump.

Joanne Mason of Upper Darby, who returned to practice Wednesday after being slowed by a bad hamstring, bested the field in the triple jump.

Cecilia Katcavage, a Haverford High freshman, surprised the field to take top honors in the javelin, while Academy Park sophomore Janese Lynch earned the shot put gold medal.

Geytenbeek defeated Strath Haven’s Claire VanDuyne in a jump-off in the pole vault.

“We both missed at 8-9,’ Geytenbeek said. “The bar went down to 8-6, and I got over. They said I could have cleared 8-9 on that jump.’

Geytenbeek is headed to Clarion University, where she will major in communications with a minor in biology, on an academic scholarship.

“I always thought about being a doctor,’ she said. “But I wanted to keep my options open, so I’ll have a double major.’

She admitted to being “disappointed’ that she did reach nine feet Thursday.

“I sprained my ankle when we were here for a meet,’ she said. “I’ve been working with our new pole vault coach, Ashley Razzano, who has our school record for the pole vault. I’m learning to be a lot more confident when I’m in the air.

“I’ve never seen a jump-off before. It was a little nerve-wracking.’

Santoro, a sophomore, had a personal-best jump of 5-2 to win the high jump.

“I’ve really been working on getting more speed and going up faster,’ she said.

“I’m qualified for districts now, so I’ll get the chance to go out there and see what I can do.’

Mason has put aside working on other events to concentrate on the triple jump. Her leap of 36 feet, 5½ inches put her more than three feet ahead of the rest of the field.

“It was my last jump,’ she said of her winning effort. “I’m paying more attention to my phases and not having the wrong approach.

“I’m not sure I jumped as well as I wanted. I’m hoping that will come at districts.’

Katcavage is in her first season as a javelin thrower.

“I threw the shot in middle school,’ she said. “The coaches told me they thought I could be a javelin thrower. When I won in my first meet, that really helped.’

No one told her she would throw 12 feet farther than she had ever thrown to take gold in her first county championship meet.

“I’ve worked on planting my left foot and powering through my throws,’ Katcavage said. “There’s a lot of good throwers, and the fact that I’m a freshman (convinced them to) encourage me.’

Lynch threw 43-3½, more than two feet past her personal best, to take the shot put ahead of indoor county champion Nina Gambacorta of Garnet Valley (41-¾).

“Everyone tells me that if you want to win, you have to think big,’ she said. “My rotation had been a little rough, but now it’s getting better. I’ve been working with (former Glen Mills coach) Barry Swanson. He’s coached state champions, and I would like to be another one of his champions.

“It’s really exciting to win at this meet.’

∙ ∙ ∙

Trials were held in most of the running events Thursday. The finals will be held when the meet resumes at Upper Darby Saturday (5 p.m.).

The top qualifiers:

100: Val McLaughlin (Ridley) 12.73; Jewel Ford (Bonner-Prendergast) 12.76; Alicia Collier (Penncrest) 12.77.

200: Briana Artis (Penncrest) 25.26; McLaughlin (Ridley) 25.35; Collier (Penncrest) 25.97.

400: Katie Arbogast (Penncrest) 58.54; Grace Haase (Strath Haven) 1:00.43; Diana DiMaio (Garnet Valley) 1:00.55.

800: Senna Ohlsson (Ridley) 2:22.34; Olivia Arizin (Card. O’Hara) 2:22.64; Agnes Mansaray (Penn Wood) 2:25.73.

1,600: Elizabeth Mancini (Card. O’Hara) 5:30.64; Skyler Berardi (Garnet Valley) 5:33.43; Grace Mancini (Card. O’Hara) 5:49.20.

100 hurdles: Semaj Harper (Strath Haven) 16.06; Mariah Kozub (Penncrest) 16.55; Victoria Robinson (Upper Darby) 16.67.

300 hurdles: Tara Boyle (Episcopal Academy) 45.60; Marin Bloise (Agnes Irwin) 45.64; Robinson (Upper Darby) 46.47.

4 x 100: Penncrest 49.07; Upper Darby 49.91; Notre Dame 50.13.

4 x 400: Penn Wood 4:06.14; Penncrest 4:07.06; Upper Darby 4:09.49.