Mancini, others spring into season at PA Track Classic

WHITEMARSH >> It might have been a cool day, but the sun was shining and most of the athletes were smiling.

The Pennsylvania Track Classic at Plymouth Whitemarsh was the first chance that many of the competitors have had to spend a considerable amount of time outdoors since spring began two weeks ago.

In the girls competition, Cardinal O’Hara senior Elizabeth Mancini, who won the state cross country championship five months ago, earned the gold medal in the girls 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:08.81, holding off Hershey senior Andrea Demko (5:09.50).

Mancini — who is headed to La Salle with her twin sister, Eleanor, to join older sister Grace, next fall — ran into trouble at the start, had to drop back when she was boxed in and went to the outside to get a place among the top three.

“I didn’t get the start I wanted,” Mancini said. “The first lap went out quicker than I thought it would, but the next two laps were slower.”

She had the lead on the final lap, but Demko got by her on the backstretch before Mancini fought back to reclaim first place.

“My time was a little slower than what I ran indoors, but I felt good,” Mancini said. “It’s been tough trying to work out with all the snow we’ve had. We’ve all just been trying to do our best.”

Penn Wood sophomore Simone Johnson outstepped teammate Fanta Konde to win the 100-meter hurdles.
“We’ve done what we could when we were running the hurdles in the school hallway because of the weather,” Johnson said. “I’ve tried to get over to Academy Park or Upper Darby to get some running in on their track. I’ve been trying to work hard on the 300 hurdles. I know my finish has to get better.”

Springfield senior Symphonie Blalock took first place in the shot put. Blalock also grabbed the third-place medal in the discus. Kianna Elam of Penn Wood placed third in the shot put, and Springfield’s Emma Sulpizio and Renee Stevenson took fifth and sixth place in the javelin.

Penn Wood’s Breanna Lee placed second in the girls high jump, and teammates Tatiyana Laylor (100) and Elicia Moore (200, 400) also earned silver medals, as did the Patriots’ 4 x 400-meter relay team.

“It’s been tough training because of the weather, but we’ve tried to get outside four times each week,” Blalock said. “If not, we work inside. And there are days when we are in the weight room for training.

“I’ve really tried to work on my shot put form, getting my hips into my throws and making sure my feet are lined up right.”

Radnor’s team of Lucy Hederick, Grace Frigerio, Caroline Ditrolio and Barb Civitella took first place in the distance medley relay, the first race of the meet.

Civitella, who did not begin competing in track until last year, took the lead near the end of the second lap of her 1,600-meter anchor leg.

“I saw that the girl (from Hershey) who was ahead of me was slowing down and I just took over,” said Civitella, a sophomore who plays field hockey in the fall. In addition to competing in hockey and track, she was in the chorus for the school musical, “All Shook Up.”

Chester freshman Jiya Clayton placed second in the 300-meter hurdles.

In boys action, Dan Whaley of Haverford School finished first in the 400-meter dash in 50.75 seconds and teamed with Mark Gregory, freshman A.J. Sanford, and Khalil Bland to take second place in the distance medley relay in 11:21.88.

“I’m just glad the weather wasn’t cold,” Whaley said.

Lamaj Curry of Chester was the winner of the 800-meter run (1:58.48), with Talus Gaymore of Penn Wood second (1:59.19), Frank Brown of Radnor third, and Penncrest’s Billy Angelina and Andrew Woolery fourth and fifth.

“This was like just starting spring track by being able to get out here and run,” said Curry, who overtook Gaymore in the final 100 meters. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get him. I know I have to work on my speed. I’m usually able to stay behind and then kick it in.”

Clippers senior James Jackson, a Delaware State recruit, finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Malachi Langley anchored Chester to the gold medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay in 3:29.51.

“I was supposed to run the (open) 400 but didn’t check in on time and wasn’t allowed to run,” Langley said. “That’s why I was fresher in the relay. I know we’ll be working to get our time down and make it to states.”

The Penn Wood 4 x 800-meter team of Gaymore, James Nmah, J’Mar Juma and Tyshaun Truitt earned gold, and Penn Wood placed second with Penncrest third in the 4 x 400. The Patriots also got second place in the 4 x 100 relay.

“We just started getting things together running outside,” Truitt said. “I also play baseball in the spring, so I run on the weekends but don’t get to compete in all our dual meets during the week.”

Radnor senior Jack Bell had a strong finish to nip Thomas Johnson of Wallenpaupack for first place in the 3,200-meter run, then came right back to anchor the Raiders’ 4 x 400-meter relay team.

“That 3,200 was something special,” Bell, who is headed for Lafayette, said. “It will be something to remember. With about 300 (meters) to go, I realized I had a good shot to win. I had a range of emotions running that 4 x 400. It was all very interesting.”

Springfield’s Owen Galligan took second place in the javelin and shot put, and teammate Owen Sherbinko was fourth in the javelin. Tom Wertz of Cardinal O’Hara was third in the shot.

At the Jim Kelly Invitational:

Upper Darby’s Jarnail Dhillon and the Royals’ girls field athletes excelled at the event at Hatboro-Horsham.
Dhillon won the boys 800-meter run in 1:58.26, the top result of the day. The field events produced a plethora of female medalists.

Sophomore Kayla Thorpe finished fourth in the shot put and fifth in the javelin, while Olivia Thomas was sixth in discus. The jumpers also showed well, led by Siani Barnes in fourth in the triple jump. Ciara Hairston took seventh in the long jump and Gazmine Frain sixth in the high jump.

On the track, Jerenita Sokan finished third in the girls 100-meter dash in 12.75 seconds. The Upper Darby 4 x 100 relay garnered second place, the 4 x 400 taking fourth. Gbarwho Flahn was fourth in the boys 22 meters and eighth in the 400, while Michael Williams earned eighth in the shot put.