‘Buddies’ Barnes, Lynch ready to jump into states
Ridley senior Meghan Lynch and Upper Darby junior Siani Barnes, the jump buddies as they like to call themselves, are back in Shippensburg in pursuit of a state medal in the triple jump.
A year ago, Lynch was 10th in the Class 3A event at the PIAA Track & Field Championships, which begin at 9 a.m. Friday morning at Seth Grove Stadium. Barnes placed 11th, which was only fitting since they are good friends and usually finish within one or two spots from one another.
“It’s a jumping buddy thing,” Barnes said.
Lynch is seeded 11th and Barnes 17th based on their respective fourth- and fifth-place finishes at the District 1 championships. Seeds are based on time, distance or height in the finals at the district championships. Statewide, Lynch is ranked fifth and Barnes 12th, according to pa.milesplit.com.
It’s been a tough year for Barnes. The start of her season was slowed by a right hamstring strain.
“It set me back quite a bit because I haven’t really been practicing jumping and my speed hasn’t been the same,” Barnes said. “But I’m slowly coming back with the more practice I get and I’m confident about the state meet.”
Lynch was a little worried she would not make a return trip to the state meet after fouling on her first attempt at districts, but then leaped 37-4 ½ on her second try, the third-best effort of her career, to lock up a trip to Shippensburg.
“It’s exciting to go,” said Lynch, who will attend Drexel University.
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Few athletes are as versatile as Strath Haven’s Dana Hubbell. During the season she competed in both hurdles events, the high and triple jumps and also has been one of the six runners head coach Bill Coren has used on his 4 x 400-meter relay team. She also did the long jump as a junior.
“I do too many,” Hubbell said. “My coach throws me in everything.”
In all likelihood, this will be the last track meet of Hubbell’s career. The senior will study biology and computer science at Northwestern, the only team in the Big 10 without a track & field program.
But at least the versatile athlete qualified for the state meet in the 100 hurdles, her favorite event. Hubbell is seeded 17th at the state meet but is ranked 10th in the state.
“I’ve been doing it since freshman year,” Hubbell said. “The triple jump I just started doing last year. The 4 x 4 started this year, but the 100 hurdles I’ve been doing the longest.”
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Strath Haven’s Grace Forbes and Radnor’s Keara Seasholtz are the only returning state medalists on the girls side from Delaware County. Forbes finished second and Seasholtz was fifth in the Class 3A 800 a year ago. They are seeded first and second, and ranked first and fifth statewide.
Penn Wood’s Elicia Moore was eighth in the 400 last year, but is running the 300 hurdles this year, where she is seeded eighth.
Radnor’s Ethan Zeh is the only returning medalist on the boys side. The Virginia-bound senior was sixth in the Class 3A 800 as a junior. He’s seeded sixth and ranked fourth in Pa. this season.
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Based on the seeds, Forbes and Penn Wood’s Timi Odunjo have the best chance of coming home from Shippensburg with gold. Forbes has the top time in the state in the 800 (2:08.43), but ran a 2:07 anchor split to lead the Panthers to the District 1 4 x 800 championship last week.
Odunjo has been the statewide leader in the 300 hurdles for most of the season and is the top seed in the event. Ridley’s Tony Graham is seeded fifth but ranked second in the event.
Other potential medal winners on the girls side based on seeds are Seasholtz (800), Chester’s Jiya Clayton (seventh in 300 hurdles), Moore (300 hurdles), Upper Darby’s Kayla Thorpe (shot put and discus), Strath Haven in the 4 x 400 and 4 x 800, Penn Wood (4 x 400) and Upper Darby (4 x 400).
Medal contenders to watch on the boys side based on seeds are: Enoobong Eka of Bonner & Prendergast (400), Zeh and Garnet Valley’s Eric Albright (800), Garnet Valley’s Larry Coaxum (long jump) and Radnor (4 x 800).
