Souderton Area, North Penn, Dock shine at PA Track Classic

PLYMOUTH MEETING >> Souderton Area’s Shamar Jenkins attacked Opening Day with a postseason mentality.

“I kind of came out here expecting to win, wasn’t trying to come in second or third,” Big Red’s premier jumper said after an impressive, multi-event performance at the 33rd Pennsylvania Track Classic Saturday. “My main goal was to get first place and qualify for districts.
“Last season built my confidence up a lot,” Jenkins of earning a pair of state medals, “and first is my goal. I just really wanted to win this year. Putting in a lot of hard work really helped out.”
Jenkins, chosen as Outstanding Field Performer, took first in both the long jump (23 feet) and the triple jump (46-11) and also earned second in the high jump (6-4) — qualifying for districts in all three — on what was a pleasant spring afternoon at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High.
“This meet was really fun for me — a lot of competition, a lot of really good people out here,” Jenkins said. “It’s a lot of great competition and I gotta give these guys a lot of credit for all of the work they put in this year. Looking forward to seeing a lot of these guys at states.”
While Jenkins was setting the standard out in the field, everyone on the track was trying to catch Dock’s Austin Kratz. The meet’s Outstanding Track Performer motored home to victories in both the 100 (10.99) and 200 (22.18) dashes — in between he also raced to ninth in the 400 (52.67).
“The 400 just killed me — I had a good 300 and the last 100 I was just dead tired,” said Kratz, the centerpiece of last year’s District 1-2A title squad. “My legs were really sore so I had to go back to my tent.
“I got my legs up a little bit, had some Skittles,” Kratz said, “and all I knew was I needed to come out hard (in the 200) and if I could get them by the first 100, I knew I could win it. That’s what I went for and I was able to, then just tried to hold it down the straightaway.”
A familiar image is seeing North Penn’s Uche Nwogwugwu leading the pack down that final straightaway, and Saturday was no different. The Knights’ senior pulled away to a victory in the 400, crossing the finish line in 55.93 as the North Penn girls put on a show, winning nine events and placing in the top three in four others.
Nwogwugwu was a winner in the field (triple jump) and on the track.
“I usually feel like I die more on the curve but the curve I did well with today,” said Nwogwugwu, the reigning AAA State Champ in the 400. “My knee had been hurting me in the winter so I couldn’t triple jump, but I tripled today and we changed some things up (with my approach) and it was pretty good.
“I jumped (36-9.5) and I usually don’t do that until way down the road. Good start today.”
North Penn raced to a meet record of 12:18.57 in the distance medley relay and also crossed first in the 4×800 and 4×1. Olivia Dyer outlasted everyone else in the 3,200 (11:57.12) and the Knights also got firsts from Sophia Broadhurst in the 100 (12.60), Natalie Kwortnik in the 200 (25.75) and K.C. Carrelli in the javelin (114-8).
The Abington boys showcased their speed, powered by Aaron Sooknanan’s win in the 400 along with victories by the 4×8 and 4×4.
The Souderton Area boys also had quite a day.
Along with Jenkins’ output, Jack Maurer pole vaulted to second place, Brett Vince placed third in the javelin and the DMR team of Josiah Moyer, Nick Doucet, Michael Greve and Paul Boehm was also third. Kevin Sieving hurdled to fourth in the 110’s and Terence Alfred sprinted to fifth in the 100 dash.
Stephen Scott was a double winner for the Indians, taking both the 110 hurdles (14.73) and 300’s (39.42) and posting district-qualifying times for each.
Said Scott: “I’m blessed that I have this amazing start right now. It’s definitely exciting because 300’s was more my event last year. We didn’t know where I was gonna try to run for districts — we thought maybe the 400.
“But then I broke my school record, ran a 38 and found out 300’s is the way to go. So I’m definitely happy running these times.”