Spring-Ford girls make history with win over Methacton

FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> It was a tall order for the members of Spring-Ford’s boys and girls track teams to contend with Wednesday.

The students had to process the tragic death of a schoolmate, Julia Ann Morath, which occurred on April 7. Following services in the morning, the Rams then hit the road for a meet with Methacton, with control of the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s Liberty Division up for grabs.

The second part of the equation went well, both Spring-Ford teams winning their meets. The boys topped the Warriors by a score of 93-57 while the girls posted a monumental 82-68 victory.

“That was the first time our girls beat Methacton since they came into the league,” SF head coach Danielle Stauffer said.

Early on, though, Stauffer wasn’t sure of the extent to which their schoolmate’s death would impact their mood coming into the meet. But the Rams (both 2-0) made the matter a moot one, solid showings on the track complemented by big performances in the field.

“I was happy to see the kids step up,” Stauffer said. “They had a lot to let out. It was tough, but they all stepped up.”

The Spring-Ford boys were led on the track by Stephen Chapman and Grant Smith, both of whom won two individual events. Chapman swept the hurdles, going 40.73 in the 300 intermediates and 15.6 in the 100 highs while Smith headed the sprints with an 11.4 in the 100 and 22.99 in the 200.

“Chapman had 14-1/4 points today,” Stauffer noted. “He won both hurdles, finished second in the 200 and ran a leg of the 4×400.

“Grant Smith … he’s not tall, he’s not big, but he just got fast,” she added.

The Ram boys won all but three races, getting other firsts from Jacob McKenna in the 1,600 (42.95), Milan Sharma in the 800 (20.08) and Zach Smith in the 3,200 (10:21.2). They also took the 4×800 and 4×400 in respective times of 8:10.7 and 3:36.65.

“Our middle and distance events are always good,” Stauffer said. “They’re reliable, and we have depth there. It has a lot to do with the quality of the kids.”

On the girls’ side, Spring-Ford was led by the two-win outings of Bella Marchini and Brigitte Smith. Marchini took the 1,600 (5:25.3) and 3,200 (12:26.2) while Smith topped the shot put and discus with respective throws of 31-11 1/2 and 90-8, in addition to a first in the 4900 (5:02.4).

But more pleasant surprises came from Jordan Sigler and Melissa Israel. Sigler won the 100 hurdles in 16.57 while Israel took the pole vault by clearing the 11-foot mark.

“That was unexpected,” Stauffer said of Sigler’s effort. “I expected a second or third. And Israel got the record in the pole vault. The old mark was 10-8, so that was pretty big.”

Max Jones accounted for Methacton’s lone individual first on the track, taking the 400 (52.38) in complement to the Warriors (1-1) winning the 4×100 relay (45.08). They got other firsts in the field from Pat Maloney (discus, 149-10) and John Keenan (javelin, 160-7).

For the Methacton girls (1-1), Lauren Prusacki headed the sprints with firsts in the 100 (12.44) and 200 (2:54.9) while the Warrior girls also won the 4×100 (5:02.4) and 4×400. In the field, Rainah Dunham had a first in the triple jump (39-2).

Elsewhere around the PAC:

Boys

Boyertown 85, Perkiomen Valley 63 >> Dominic DeRafelo dominated the distance events in helping the Bears handle the Vikings in their PAC Liberty Division meet.

DeRafelo took the 1,600 in 4:41.26 and the 3,200 in 10:05.42. Cole Peterlin was a two-event winner for PV in the long jump (18-1) and triple jump (38-2 1/2).

Phoenixville 81, Pope John Paul II 59 >> Christian Schaaf and Matt Garcia each won two events to key the Phantoms’ PAC Frontier Division win over the Golden Panthers.

Schaaf won the 1,600 (4:54.18) and 3,200 while Garcia headed the 100 (11.61) and shot put (39-10).

Upper Perkiomen 81, Upper Merion 65 >> Colby Hetrick topped the sprints to help the Indians win their PAC Frontier Division meet with the Vikings.

Hetrick got his firsts in the 100 (11.80 and 200 (24.2). He also ran a leg of UP’s winning 4×100 (47.8).

Girls

Perkiomen Valley 110, Boyertown 40 >> Jordan Schlachta, Rebekah Bondi and Dorian Philpot each won two events as the Vikings ran away from the Bears in their PAC Liberty Division meet.

Schlachta got her firsts in the 300 intermediate (50.01) and 100 high hurdles, Bondi won the 100 (12.58) and long jump (17-6½) and Philpot topped the discus (103-7) and Shot put (35-7). Gillian Kasitz scored a pair of firsts for Boyertown in the 1,600 (5:15.28) and 800 (2:22.82), as did Rebecca Hemingway in the 200 (27.39) and high jump (5-4).

Phoenixville 75, Pope John Paul II 74 >> The Golden Panthers came up just short of the Phantoms in their PAC Frontier Division meet.

Bridget Plate had three wins for PJP (300 hurdles 49.99, 400 1:06.19, 100 hurdles 17.89), with Julia Costello adding firsts in the 1,600 (5:54) and 800 (2:34.9) and Jackie Lerro doing the same in the 100 (13.13) and 200 (27.26). But Phoenixville had a 49-14 advantage in the field events, aided by Ashlyn Duda’s two victories in the discus (93-8) and javelin (101-0).

Upper Merion 117, Upper Perkiomen 28 >> The Vikings swept six individual events and the three relays to overrun the Indians in their PAC Frontier Division meet.

Kayleigh Durning accounted for UP’s lone win, a 16.9 run in the 100 high hurdles.