CB West boys, North Penn girls 4×800 relays take SOL Continental golds

HORSHAM >> Jake Claricurzio took the baton and anchored Central Bucks West into the record book.

“It felt,” Claricurzio said after crossing the finish line, “like I was running away from a big pack.”

The Bucks’ 4×800-meter relay pulled away from some impressive competition Friday at the Suburban One League Continental Conference Championships, winning by over three seconds with a meet-record time of 7 minutes, 46.70 seconds.

The Bucks’ foursome of Carter Zerweck, Rock Fortna, Luke Fehrman and Claricurzio topped the CB West foursome of 2011, which had held the previous record with a 7:48.08.

With his team off to a record-breaking start in the postseason, Claricurzio said: “We’re just gonna run like we did indoors, and try to go for it.”

After placing second in the state indoors, the Bucks have been even more impressive in the spring. After qualifying for The Championship of America at The Penn Relays, placing 11th, West followed that up with conference crown at Hatboro-Horsham.

The Bucks held off second-place Pennridge (7:49.82) for top honors, and were best in a field that also included North Penn (8:05.64), Quakertown (8:16.09), Hatboro-Horsham (8:31.25) and Souderton Area (8:51.41).

What started out as a rainy afternoon cleared up in time for the 4×8’s.

“Since it stopped raining, it was a pretty cool day — no wind either,” Claricurzio said.

Central Bucks West’s victory followed up a first-place finish by the North Penn girls, who were all alone out front, racing to a conference gold in the 4×8 with a winning time of 9:15.45.

Coming off an unbeaten dual-meet season, the defending champion Lady Knights are once again out in front at the conference championships.

“We’re a really well-rounded team,” senior Phoebe Clowser said. “And we just get the job done.”

North Penn went with a 4×8 lineup of Ariana Gardizy, Clowser, Jenna Webb and Mikaela Vlasic, the first time that particular foursome had run together. The Lady Knights won comfortably, by over nine seconds.

North Penn topped a field that included Central Bucks West (9:24.63), Central Bucks East (9:29.29), Souderton Area (9:55.13), Hatboro Horsham (10:04.48) and Central Bucks South (10:31.33). The Lady Knights already own the top time in the state this spring, having run a 9:02.06 at the Penn Relays.

North Penn added to its lead in the team standings with a gold medal by Natalie Kwortnik, who captured the long jump title with a leap of 16 feet, 10.5 inches.

Samantha Ronald of Central Bucks West won the pole vault, clearing 9-6, while Quakertown’s Olivia Morano was first in the discus, with a throw of 112-6.

The Pennridge boys, defending Continental champs, got a win from Matt Moyer, who cleared 6-3 in the high jump, and also Griffin McMann, who threw 49-11.5 to win the shot put.

Souderton Area’s Shamar Jenkins earned gold in the long jump, his leap of 21-10.5 just six and a half inches off the meet record.

Pennridge’s Kouri Peace, just a freshman, set a meet record in the girls 200 dash prelims, her time of 24.50 surpassing the 24.52 set by another Pennridge runner, Taylor Chapman (Iowa), back in 2014.

The SOL Continental Championships resume Saturday morning at Central Bucks South, beginning at 10 a.m.