Carroll’s Peters wins gold, shrugs off pressure of past

UPPER DARBY >> The ink in the program was barely dry on two county records at the Delco Girls Track and Field Championships, and Carly Peters knew it. The Archbishop Carroll thrower’s javelin record turned a month old Thursday, and just as fresh is Peters’ heightened sense of the target on her back.

She didn’t replicate her historic throw, but she did win the Delco title in the even with a toss of 128 feet, 7 inches at Upper Darby High School.

Peters’ winning throw fell short of her record of 145-10.5, which she set in a Catholic League meet at Cardinal O’Hara. That throw obliterated the county mark of 131-6, set by Penncrest’s Ashley Merton in 2010, and markedly outdistanced Peters’ personal best of 125-9, admittedly even taking the senior by surprise.

Thursday’s challenge, though, was new: Proving she can perform under the weight of expectations that come with her record.

“It’s kind of pressure, because people are like, ‘Oh, she might throw that again,’” Peters said. “I want to throw that every time. When people think that, I try not to let it get to my head because then I feel like I have to meet those standards. But I don’t have to. I thought I threw pretty well today, and I didn’t PR.”

Peters’ best throw, on her final attempt of the preliminary flight, bested the meet record, set in 2007 by Natalie George of Strath Haven (127-4). She couldn’t duplicate the distance in finals, tossing 124-0 in her first attempt and hurling the farthest result of finals by covering 126-6 with her last throw.

Teammate Emily McCann had authored the longest finals throw at 124-2. After qualifying in the seventh and final spot, she improved by nearly 20 feet on her last attempt, the reigning Daily Times Girls Volleyball Player of the Year coming within three feet of a personal record.

McCann’s result to open the final round eased the pressure Peters felt.

“When I see her throwing good, it makes me feel that I’ll do just as well if she’s doing just as well,” Peters said. “If she’s happy, it kind of takes any pressure off of me or anything I feel. It’s like, ‘Oh I’m carefree now and I throw just as well as she’s throwing.’”

Carroll’s Carly Peters goes 126-6 to win the javelin. pic.twitter.com/AbgxScNmRX

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 5, 2016

Last year’s champ Cecilia Katcavage of Haverford slipped to fourth with a best throw of 111-10. Penncrest’s Tara Higgins usurped her on the power of a strong final toss of 115-9.

While Peters didn’t match her brilliance of a month ago, she understands it’s one step on the journey of getting back to those distances as the postseason’s biggest stages beckon.

“I guess it sets my goals up,” Peters said. “I want to beat 128 at every meet from now. I’d like to throw over 145 again. It just kind of sets the standards that I want to go up from here.”

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A funny thing happens when Nina Gambacorta steps up to the shot put circle. Everyone tends to back up a few steps, giving the Garnet Valley senior additional room as the spins with the shot.

Gambacorta made use of the extra breathing space, adding a Delcos title to her lengthy list of accomplishments with a winning put of 38 feet, 8 inches.

Gambacorta’s closest challenge came from Strath Haven’s Natalie Kent at 35-11.5 on her only legal finals attempt of three.

Delcos is a tidy transition for Gambacorta. The University of South Carolina signee wrapped up a two-year unbeaten stretch in Central League dual meets. She was denied a Delcos title last year by 2015 Daily Times Athlete of the Year Janese Lynch, who transferred from Academy Park to Neumann-Goretti.

But Thursday, she crossed a big item off her to-do list, complementing this winter’s indoors title.

“It means a lot,” Gambacorta said. “The past couple of years, I’ve been kind of chasing this win. Last year I came in second. So I was really aiming for a win this season.”

The distance falls short of Gambacorta’s season best, 40-9.75. But as her goals pivot from scoring dual-meet points to chasing career bests, this is a healthy starting point.

“It wasn’t my best, but it’s good that I threw 39,” Gambacorta said. “I just threw 40 last weekend, so I’m up where I need to be almost. My goal is mid-40s, so I hope by districts that I’m able to get that.”

Best throw of the finals from Gambacorta is 38-8. That wins gold @GVAthletics pic.twitter.com/mma7llrRsA

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 5, 2016

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Coming into Delcos, the seeds indicated that Upper Darby might just lever home-track advantage to end Strath Haven’s streak of six team titles.

Those aspirations got off to a flying start thanks to the Royals’ jumpers, who took first, second and sixth in the triple, led by Sugar Henry.

Henry leapt 36 feet, 10.25 inches on her final attempt to clinch the crown. One jump later, Victoria Robinson grabbed second in 35-6.

Having a teammate to compete alongside of her helped Henry relax, reinforcing the same technique points while not lumping any additional pressure.

“I didn’t let everything get to my head, like all the phases and what I need to do,” Henry said. “I just relaxed and did what I needed to do and did what my coach told me to do at practice and did it here.”

Robinson’s silver medal came at the expense of Delco indoor champ Maura Gibbs of Haven, who settled for third in 34-2.75. Tishun Graham of Upper Darby grabbed crucial points in sixth that put Upper Darby one behind Haven, 30-29, after the first day.

“Our goal is to compete so that we can be up there with Strath Haven,” Henry said.

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Strath Haven’s Claire VanDuyne clears 8-6 in the pole vault to win. pic.twitter.com/4sHQPGbx6m

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 5, 2016

Notes >> Claire VanDuyne gave Haven’s point total a boost by winning the pole vault. She was the only competitor to clear 8-6, though she fell short on three attempts for a season-best of 10 feet. The only other girl over eight feet was Caleigh Gray of Haverford. UD’s Ally Ross took third. … Delco Christian’s Shekinah Yanes won the high jump, clearing five feet. Defending champ Maddie Santoro of Haverford settled for silver at 4-10, four inches shy of her winning height last year. The Fords sit third in the team standings at 26 points. … Prelims were run in most track events with few surprises. The most notable came when Penn Wood’s 4 x 100 relay, which entered seeded sixth, dropped the baton and failed to qualify for finals, denting the Patriots’ aspirations of crashing Upper Darby’s and Strath Haven’s two-team title hunt.