Neumann-Goretti’s Townsend puts on a show

UPPER DARBY — Curt Cockenberg, the public address announcer for Saturday’s Philadelphia Catholic League Track & Field Championships, paused for a second as he announced Neumann-Goretti’s Sydni Townsend and the female Track Performer of the Meet.

Townsend’s grade caught the veteran St. Joseph’s Prep coach by surprise.

“Wow,’ Cockenberg said, “she’s just a freshman.’

And a mighty good one, too. The ninth-grader from Collingdale showed why she is one of the rising stars in the area. She won the 300 intermediate hurdles and the 400, and helped the Saints win the 4 x 100- and 4 x 400-meter relays to finish second in the team competition at Upper Darby.

“I didn’t expect this,’ Townsend said.

Even though Cardinal O’Hara trailed in the team competition for much of the meet, no one was surprised that the Lions roared back to win their ninth straight team title and 10th league title in the last 11 years. O’Hara won the crown on the strength of its distance runners. The Lions piled up 81 of their 121 points in the 800-, mile and 3,200-meter runs.

Olivia Arizin led the way as the Lions swept the top four places in the 800 (2:13.89). Grace Mancini 5:16.28) was the overall winner as the Lions went 1-2-4-5-6 in the mile. Eleanor Mancini made up for a false start in the 800 to help O’Hara sweep the 3,200. Eleanor Mancini won the 3,200 by 17 seconds over teammate Sara Hayes.

“I think it would have been a little closer if my sisters were a little fresher,’ Eleanor Mancini said. “They ran in the 800 and the mile.’

The Mancini sisters had quite a day. Grace was second in the 800 and third in the mile. Elizabeth finished second in the mile, third in the 800 and fourth in the 3,200.

Arizin also had an interesting day. In addition to the 800, she anchored the 4 x 100-meter relay squad to second place.

“I’ve been running more sprints to work on my kick,’ Arizin said. “I like to sprint.’

Villanova-bound senior Alex Patrick also came up big for the Lions. She won the long jump with a personal-best leap of 17-8 ½, was fourth in the triple jump and was on the 4 x 100-meter relay squad. She did all that after attending her senior prom Friday night.

“I’m a little tired,’ Patrick said. “I got maybe five hours sleep, but this is the Catholic League championships. You have to go out and give it your best.’

Jewel Ford of Bonner-Prendergast turned in what may have been the most courageous performance of the meet. She pulled a hamstring early in the 100-meter final, but managed to fight her way to third place. Ford collapsed shortly after she crossed the finish line and had to be scratched from the other three events in which she was entered. Teammate Alaina Johnson was fourth in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles.

Carly Peters and Emily McCann of Archbishop Carroll went 1-2 in the javelin. It was the second straight title in the javelin for Peters.

 

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