PIAA Track and Field Notebook: St. Basil’s Taylor bolts to gold

SHIPPENSBURG >> St. Basil Academy freshman Tia Taylor bought herself a pair of lightning bolt earrings for her trip to the PIAA Championships.

She was dressed for the occasion.

“I set the bar high. It feels good, especially as a freshman. Everyone’s like ‘wo, she’s got three more years,’” she said after racing to the gold medal in the Class 2A 100 hurdles.

Taylor’s time of 14.48 topped all comers. Once she got going, her confidence soared.

“I did doubt myself a little bit when I got to the line because I didn’t get out as well as I had hoped. But I just felt myself getting faster and I went for it,” she said.

“I saw this coming. I was waiting for it. It’s the only event I have a chance to medal in so I wanted to bring it all.”

Basil had two medalists in the 100 hurdles, with Jayla Bernard, another freshman, placing eighth with a 16.25.

Fast Finish for Crosby

Every race Alexis Crosby competed in at the PIAA Championships over the last four years, the Cheltenham standout placed in the top three.

“It’s amazing to be able to say that,” said Crosby, who is headed to Syracuse next year. “I’m very blessed.”

Crosby was a key part of Cheltenham’s winning 4×100 relay (46.80) as well as a bronze medalist in the 400 (55.51).

She helped power the Panthers to a fifth-place finish in the state.

“Looking back on (my career), it’s surreal. I can’t believe it’s over,” Crosby said. “It’s a bitter-sweet moment. It’s like I’m on to the next stage in my life but then again, leaving my team is gonna be hard.

“Overall, I’m just really happy.”

Running a Tight Shipp

William Tennent’s Randy Shoemaker earned bronze in the 3A pole vault, getting over 15 feet.

Meanwhile Jenkintown’s Jack Miller medaled in the 2A 3,200, crossing the finish line in 9:39.21 for sixth.

Luke Benson of Central Bucks West found a way to the medal stand in the 100 dash, crossing in 11.05 for eighth, while La Salle’s Vincent Twomey lasted in the 1,600, crossing in fourth with a 4:21.40.

A pair of locals got top four in the 3A girls high jump, with Cheltenham’s Brianna Smith (5-7) and Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Taylor O’Brien (5-6) notching third and fourth.

Pennridge’s Anderson Dimon (49.07) and Upper Dublin’s Michael Henning (49.15) earned fifth and sixth in the 400.

O’Brien also was third in the 300 hurdles with a 43.50.

Cheltenham duo Brianna Smith and Bria Barnes grabbed seventh and eighth in the 300 hurdles, going 45.34 and 46.64.

Abington’s Rorie Spencer was sixth in the 200 with a 25.09 and Cheltenham’s Ni Asia Williams was eighth with a 2:33.99.

CB West’s girls 4×4 closed with a fourth-place finish, crossing in 3:52.83, and the boys followed with a bronze, going 3:19.07.

St. Basil’s Jayla Bernard was a medalist in the 2A triple jump, leaping to fourth with a 37-6.

Methacton’s Patrick Maloney threw the discus 158-10, good for seventh place.