Pennridge’s LaRiviere surges to gold in AAA discus at District 1 Championships

CALN >> Riley LaRiviere had one throw left.

“I had fouled my first two in the prelims, barely got into the finals,” the Pennridge junior said of the District One Class AAA Discus competition on Friday. “On the last throw, I just let it rip.”

Off it went, landing 160 feet, 9 inches from where LaRiviere stood. With that final effort, the junior went from a third-place tie all the way to the top of the medal stand, as part of a stellar afternoon for locals at sunny Coatesville Area High School.

“Going into the circle, all of my coaches were there watching. My adrenaline was pumping,” LaRiviere said. “I just knew I was gonna get a good one.”

Day One of districts began with Christopher Dock sweeping the pole vault in Class AA, later adding a victory in the girls shot put, and the Cheltenham girls would get a pair of victories in the field over in Class AAA.

Friday was capped off by Hatboro-Horsham’s Nicholas Marino clearing 14 feet, 9 inches in the pole vault, as he battled his way to a gold.

LaRiviere, seeded fourth in the discus going in, strictly had Shippensburg on his mind. He will in fact be going, as the best thrower out of District One.

“I was like, ‘alright, well I just wanna go to states,’” LaRiviere said, “and I came out a champion, and that’s pretty awesome.”

Those 10 points also go a long way in helping the Rams compete for the district crown.

“Hopefully, it’ll help our team get closer to a team championship,” LaRiviere said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Eric Kasperowicz of Holy Ghost Prep, a favorite all season, had two fouls in the finals, his best throw of 131 feet earning him 13th place.

“Last week (at the conference meet), I did pretty bad and didn’t make finals,” LaRiviere said. “So I know how Eric feels.”

Cheltenham’s Ashley Alexander was also able to overcome adversity, finishing first in the AAA shot put with a throw of 41 feet, 6 and a half inches.

Consistent throughout, Alexander reached 41 feet on both her first throw of the competition and her second-to-last one.

“I’ve fallen short the last couple years,” she said, “so it’s really great to win this time.”

Teammate Madison Langley-Walker made it two golds for the Panthers when she defended her title in the long jump. The sophomore’s leap of 18-7.5 pushed her to the top.

“I felt great — I was close to my PR (18-7). I’m just trying to perfect a few things and then at states, I should be at 19,” she said. “It feels amazing (to repeat). I’m actually surprised. I shocked myself, that I was able to come back and win long jump again.”

Cheltenham’s strength in the field gives it a tremendous chance to capture the team title on Saturday, as the running events are shaping up pretty well. Chanel Brissett (13.45, 100 hurdles) as well as the 4×100 relay team (46.70) set meet records on Friday.

It was a day for top performances, both on the track and in the field.

“It’s so much easier because it’s warm — your muscles are nice and warm, you can run nice and fast, and the poles are easier to get on,” Marino said after vaulting to a gold. “It just makes life much easier.”

The Hatter junior, who cleared 15-6 earlier this season, is looking forward to the competition that awaits him at Shipp.

“I really, really wanted to win badly,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going against the Western Pa. kids, who are jumping like 15-6’s and 15-8’s. Especially the energy, going against them, it’s gonna be a challenge.”

Dock’s pole vaulters also feel that their best is ahead.

“I would have liked to do better (Friday) but I tied my PR,” said the Pioneers’ Cole Rupert, champion of Class AA with a 13-6. “I’m excited for states.”

“I definitely wanna do something there,” said Dock’s Nike Clements, who set a meet record with a 10-6 in Class AA girls. “I wanna try to be in the top eight.”

The Pioneer girls positioned themselves for a district three-peat, as thrower Sabrina Demetrius came through with a gold medal in the discus (114-6).

“Coming out here, I was nervous, but I just kept myself under control,” the junior said after punching her first ever ticket to states.

Demetrius pushed past arch rival Olivia Onal of Bristol, who earned the silver with a 108-2. The two will go at it again Saturday as the top two seeds in the shot.

“Olivia’s always been one of my top competitors. The fact that we’re able to supress our friendship during the meet is something that’s important and that’s why I enjoy having her around,” Demetrius said. “She has challenged me to be a better thrower.

“I remember coming in my freshman year, and she just crushed it. I remember watching her and I wanted to succeed, and wanted to surpass her. So it’s really exciting.”

Some outstanding performances earned locals silver-medal honors, as Wissahickon pole vaulter Cala Lejman (11-6), Souderton Area triple jumper Shamar Jenkins (47-2) and Plymouth-Whitemarsh high jumper Taylor O’Brien (5-5) finished second in their respective events.