Perkiomen Valley’s Warren leads record-setting day at PAC championships
WEST NORRITON >> She merged quantity with quality this weekend.
Christina Warren was again her dominating self during the Pioneer Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Norristown. The Perkiomen Valley senior got her final scholastic postseason off to a flying start with one win Friday, and she kept it going with two more gold-medal showings Saturday.
The wins weren’t the whole story of Warren’s weekend, either. In each of them, she set new meet records to underwrite that meet-wide posture of numerous standards being either reset or tied (nine).
“I came in wanting to have better performances,” Warren said. “I wanted to perform my best and give our team points.”
Warren’s record run started with her going 40 feet in Friday’s triple jump, crushing her own mark of 39-3 set in 2017. Saturday, she clocked a 13.54 in the 100 low hurdles, erasing the 14.2 seconds run by Owen J. Roberts’ Kate Noonan-Sessa back in 2004; and went 19-0½ in the long jump to overtake the 18-7 Phoenixville’s Courtney Kedra leaped in 2009.
Two of the records also became personal bests for Warren. Along with her marks in the hurdles and long jump, the 25.22 she ran on the way to finishing second in the 200 was another PB.
“I focused on what I can do,” Warren said. “I don’t know that I’ll run all the events (at districts). I’ll concentrate on the triple jump and hurdles.”
Among the meet’s multiple-event winners was Nene Mokonchu. The Spring-Ford freshman, coming off Friday’s first in the high jump, picked up a second gold in the 400 with a 59.34 clocking.
“I’m happy with it,” Mokonchu said, “but there’s a lot of work to do, so I can’t be satisfied. My goal is to set personal records. I did it in the high jump (5-6). I didn’t in the 400, but it was pretty close.”
Mackenzie Kurtz headed the 800, the Owen J. Roberts senior running a 2:21.88 to finish almost three seconds ahead of Pottsgrove’s Calista Faust (2:24.19). Making her move with 300 yards to go, Kurtz went on to clock what she described as her best time of the season.
“I didn’t expect to win,” Kurtz said. “I have to work hard in workouts; and even in the race, I need to stay up front and push hard.”
Grace Ramsey dominated the javelin throw, the PV junior’s 129-5 effort was well ahead of second-place Carly Abrams of Spring-Ford (102-5). It was well in excess of the district qualifying mark of 103-0, and it came early in the finals.
“I got it on the first throw,” Ramsey said. “My best is 129-11, so it was pretty close. I want to get over 130 … that’s my goal.”
Camaryn Rodriguez had the distinction of matching one meet record. She won the pole vault by clearing the bar at 12 feet, the standard set by Phoenixville’s Lauren Terstappen in 2010.
“I was going for 12-4, and it was real close,” Rodriguez said. “I got it (12-0) on the first try and didn’t touch the bar, so I’m making improvement.
“I’m definitely shooting for a PR and hope to get 13 (feet) by the end of the season.”
Teliyah James had a memorable weekend on her home track. The Norristown junior dominated the sprints, winning the 100 in 11.82 and the 200 in 24.55 — both meet records — and helped her team’s 4×400 relay to a second-place (4:08.89) run.
Afterward, she said she wasn’t aware her runs were record-setters.
“Some of my teammates told me that at the end,” James said.
The final prize of the day was the league’s team championship plaque, which went to Spring-Ford (136 points) ahead of runner-up Methacton (129) and third-place Perkiomen Valley (128). It came down to the 4×400 relay finale determining the winner, with the Rams’ foursome of Jordan Lutz, Claire Lanzisera, Nene Mokonchu and Emily Smith picking up four key points on the strength of their fifth-place (4:16.12) run.
“It was definitely a team effort,” said SF head coach Danielle Stauffer, hair and shirt damp from a celebratory bottled-water shower administered by her athletes. “We have seniors who lead, and freshmen who are determined. It’s like one big family … they cheer each other on every week.”
To a degree, the team title — the girls program’s first since 2008 — assuaged the disappointment the Rams felt about losing their dual meet finale with PV on the day’s final event. The teams ended up all even with Methacton, each having gone 4-1 in duals.
“I think it inspired them to know they were not coming in (PACs) as favorites,” Stauffer said.
The ranks of girl champions featured Upper Merion’s Veronica Sanchez in the 1,600 (5:18.31) and Perkiomen Valley’s Dorian Philpot in the shot put (39-10½). Her first in the shot made Philpot another multiple-event winner, the PV senior heading the discus throw Friday.
The top competitors go on to the District 1 meet, which will again be held at Coatesville May 17-18. The top three finishers in each event were presented medals, with ribbons going to those in the 4-8 positions.
