Sprinters steal show at Chesco Track Championships
COLLEGEVILLE >> The 13th annual Chester County Indoor Track and Field Championship drew 18 schools and hundreds of competitors on Tuesday to the Floy Lewis Bakes Center on the campus of Ursinus College.
Gold medals were handed out to boys and girls in 17 events, and among the big winners were football standouts turned sprinters Jared Cooper and Jeremy Jennings. A junior from West Chester East, Cooper prevailed in the 55-meter dash, and Downingtown East’s Jennings won the 200-meter, and was also a member of the Cougars’ winning 4×200 relay squad.
In addition to Jennings, there were three other multiple winners, including teammate Mitchell Gill (400 meter and 4×200 relay). On the girls’ side, Coatesville’s Arianna Eberly and Owen J. Roberts’ Morgan Schronk also grabbed two gold medals. Eberly won the high jump and was part of the Raiders’ winning distance medley. Schronk took first in the 400 meter dash and ran the second-leg of the Wildcats’ winning 4×200 relay team.
In other action, Kennett swept the boys’ and girls’ 1600 sprint relay, and West Chester Rustin captured the boys’ and girls’ shot put titles with Connor Cummings and Zhayria Washington, respectively.
The Coatesville boys grabbed a win in the distance medley, and added two individual titles thanks to Valient McKee (high jump) and Naheem Moore (long jump). Downingtown West also notched victories in the 3,000 meter (Shaun Bullock), the triple jump (Justin Kiefel) and the 4×800 relay. Other individual boys’ winners included West Chester Rustin’s Brandon Hontz (800 meter), Kennett’s Xavier Feliciano (pole vault), and a come-from-behind win in the 4×400 relay for the Great Valley boys.
There was a big upset in the girls’ triple jump when defending state champion Evelyn Berecz (Downingtown East) was eliminated due to missed jumps. It opened the door for Downingtown East’s Niyah Jennings, who grabbed the gold medal. Berecz did win the long jump.
Other individual girls winners: Downingtown East’s Susanne Pirollo (55 meter hurdles), Conestoga’s Grace Lanoutte (55 meter dash), Coatesville’s Porsha Miles (200 meter) and Unionville’s Elizabeth Edwards (mile). Coatesville secured the win in the 4×800 relay and Downingtown East won the 4×400 relay.
