The ‘Delco Pack’ is headed to state meet

CALN TWP. >> The Delco pack, as Strath Haven’s Jordan Brown, Haverford High’s Cecilia Katcavage and Springfield’s Symphonie Blalock like to call themselves, are headed to the PIAA Track & Field Championships as a group.

That’s only fitting since the trio of shot putters is about as close as competitors can get. They root for each other and offer one another hints on improvements.

“Our parents even call themselves the Delco pack,” Blalock said.

Jordan took third in the Class 3A shot put at the District 1 Track & Field Championships Friday at Coatesville Area High School with a heave of 38-1 ½. Katcavage was fifth (37-11 ½) and Blalock sixth (36-9 1/2).

“We were all in the second flight,” Brown said.

In any other year, Blalock would not be going to Shippensburg because only the top five finishers from District 1 automatically qualify for the state meet and she was 8 ½ inches shy of the state qualifying standard. However, because an unidentified district chose not to use one of its automatic bids, the PIAA awards that berth on a rotating basis to keep the field intact. This year it’s the District 1 girls’ turn to have the extra automatic bid.

That’s fine with Brown, Katcavage and Blalock. They are, after all, a pack.

“We cheer for each other and help each other out,” Brown said. “We’re best of friends.”

“You can hear us rooting for each other from a mile away,” Katcavage added.

This is the second straight trip to Shippensburg in the shot put for Brown and Katcavage, and the first for Blalock. Brown finished 12th a year ago, and Katcavage was 16th.

“I wanted to get to states and I’m going with friends, which is really nice,” Blalock said.

Katcavage picked up a second medal later in the afternoon with a seventh-place finish in the javelin (115-8). However, she missed qualifying for states.

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The difference between a trip to the state championships and staying home can be razor thin. It was for Haverford sophomore Olivia Boyce.
Boyce and Garnet Valley’s Isabella Ha both jumped 5-1 in the 3A high jump and cleared the height on their final attempt. Boyce, though, earned sixth place and a trip to Shippensburg on fewer misses.

“I’m relieved,” Boyce said. “I get another week of practice.”

The wind was trouble for all the jumpers. It blew the bar off the standards several times, which played mind games with the athletes.

“You tried not to think about it,” Boyce said. “You just got out and tried to get over the bar.”
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It’s been nearly a month since Delco Christian’s Janae Johns unleashed what was a career-best throw of 80-8 in the discus at the Unionville Invitational.

Since that time the junior has been working on her technique, and that diligence paid off Friday when she uncorked a throw of 90-1 to take third in Class 2A. That was not enough to earn Johns a trip to Shippensburg, but it did give her hope for the future.

“My coach (Lloyd Hill) has worked with me a lot, getting my steps down and everything,” Johns said. “We wanted to make sure that I was at my best when I came in here.”

Johns wasn’t the only Knight to medal. Autumn Brooks and Shekinah Yanes took seventh and eighth, respectively, in the long jump.

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Central League and Delco champ Strath Haven had a pretty good day. Grace Forbes turned in the best time in the 800 to qualify for Saturday’s final. Dana Hubbell made it through to the 100 hurdles championship. Forbes, her sister Maggie, Abby Loiselle and Taylor Barkdoll qualified for the 4 x 800 final.

Angela Campenella, Mayowa Songonuga, Olivia Malley and Dizari Hunter advanced to the 4 x 100 final. Songonuga made it through to the 200 final. Malley, Grace and Maggie Forbes, and Haille Jackson advanced to the 4 x 400 championship.

Penn Wood’s Tatiyana Laylor qualified for the 100-meter dash final, and teamed with Brandi Camp, Kaya McFadden and Lowe Samozu to reach the 4 x 100 final. Elicia Moore moved on to the 400 final and joined Carroll, Shaniyh Toodles and Fanta Konde to get to the 4 x 400 final.
Keara Seasholtz of Radnor moved on to the 400 final. Garnet Valley (Grace Zamrowski, Erica Kent, Anatasia Erley, Cathrine Mooney) did the same in the 4 x 800 relay.

Upper Darby (Jerenita Sokan, Dominique Simmons, Lina Salami and Derisha Wolo) of Upper Darby also made the 4 x 100 final. Sokan also qualified for the 200 final. Jiya Clayton of Chester qualified for the 300 hurdles final.

Darby native Thelma Davies of Girard College shattered the Class 2A record in winning her heat of the 200 in 23.49 seconds. She would have done the same in the 100, but the wind kept Davies from getting that mark.