O’Hara girls bring home fifth straight Catholic League track title

There was a lot of hardware headed back to Delaware County after the Catholic League indoor track and field championships Sunday at Lehigh University.

The Cardinal O’Hara girls team took home the biggest prize as they won their fifth straight league title and ninth PCL championship in the last 16 years.

The Lions, though, aren’t the only ones toting plaques on the ride back from Bethlehem.

Hannah Oropollo of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast was named the Most Valuable field performer to lead the Pandas to third place in the team competition. Lansdowne resident and Neumann-Goretti junior Sydni Townsend earned the Most Valuable runner award as the Saints finished second.

On the boys side, Ethan Cook of Bonner & Prendie received the plaque as the Most Valuable runner.

Olivia Arizin and the Mancini sisters, Elizabeth, Eleanor and Christine, powered a huge team win by O’Hara.

Arizin broke her meet record to win the 800 (2 minutes, 14.95 seconds), anchored the distance medley relay team to a gold medal and the 4 x 400 relay squad to a silver medal. Katie Tille, Sydney McWilliams and Lindsey Crawford also were on the winning DMR.

The Mancini sisters came up big as the Lions dominated the distance events. Christine Mancini was first in the mile, second in the 800, third in the 400 and was part of the 4 x 200-meter relay team that finished second.

Eleanor Mancini won the 3,000 and was second in the 800. Her twin sister, Eleanor, placed second in both the mile and 3,000 and was on the winning 4 x 800-meter relay team that included Sara Hayes, Alexis Cleary and Christine Monahr.

The Lions scored 67 points in the 800, mile and 3,000. Lorielle Laforest also had a good day for the Lions. She was second in the shot put with a personal best throw of 35 feet, ½ inch, and was fourth in the triple jump.

Oropollo won the pole vault, took second in the triple jump with a personal best leap of 32-4¼. She also anchored the 4 x 200-meter relay team to a third-place finish.

Teammate Alaina Johnson set the school record while winning the 60-meter hurdles (9.50 seconds) and was on the 4 x 2. Jewel Ford won the 60 dash in a personal best time of 7.95 seconds. Jenna Rastatter took third in the mile, fifth in the 3,000 and was on the 4 x 800-meter relay that was sixth.

Townsend won the 200 and 400 and was on the winning 4 x 200 and 4 x 400-meter relay teams, the latter set the meet record with a time of 4:02.37. Teammate and Sharon Hill resident Janese Lynch won the shot put. Lynch was the 2015 Daily Times girls track Athlete of the Year while at Academy Park.

Boys Track

Cook had a monster day for the Friars, winning the triple jump (42-3½) for the second year in a row. He was first in the 60 in a school-record time of 7.04 seconds, won the 200 in 22.83 seconds, and was on the 4 x 400-meter relay team that placed sixth.

Anthony Harper finished third in the 3,000 and sixth in the mile to help the Friars to a fourth-place finish in the team competition. Alton McKenley was third in the long jump.

Ryan James won the 3,000 and was second in the mile to lead Cardinal O’Hara to a third place. La Salle won its third straight league title. Patrick James and Gavin Inglis also came home with two medals each in the distance events. Patrick James was fourth in the mile and fifth in the 3,000. Inglis took second in the 3,000 and third in the mile.

Obinna Iherjirka and Mac Mandeh combined for seven medals for the Lions. Iherjirka was second in the 200, sixth in the 60 dash, and was on the 4 x 200 relay that took second and the 4 x 400 that was fourth. Mandeh was fourth in the 200 and also a member of the medal-winning 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relay teams.

Kamil Jihad of Neumann-Goretti, a resident of Chester, won the 800 and was second in the 400.