Wearing Jackson’s memory on sleeve, Strath Haven excels at Delco Relays
NETHER PROVIDENCE — A year ago, Strath Haven’s Dizari Hunter came up with the idea of wearing a purple compression sleeve on her left arm to remember and honor her late friend and former teammate, Hallie Jackson.
This year, Hunter wanted to take it a step further.
“She always liked butterflies so we said, ‘Why don’t we get her name on it, with the year she was going to graduate (2021) and a butterfly?” Hunter said.
Those sleeves, as well as purple hoodies, were on full display during the Delco Relays at Strath Haven’s George L. King Field Saturday afternoon.
“She was my first fiend when I came here and we wanted to make sure she was with is,” Hunter said.
It was a good day for the Panthers, who won three of the eight running events and three of the six field relays. Winnie Stach, Hannah Barkdoll, and Rowe Crawford came away with two gold medals each on the track.
Stach anchored the team of Chloe Browne, Paige Day and Ameilia Ruether to first place in the 4 x 1,600-meter relay. Stach ran the leadoff leg of the winning distance medley relay that included Barkdoll, Crawford and Marin Faggioli. Barkdoll and Crawford teamed up with Hannah Prokup and Maggie Forbes to claim the 4 x 800.
In the field, sophomore Alexa Brown was a double winner. She teamed with Geena Seflin to win the discus relay and Hannah Spielman to take first in the shot put relay. Olivia Dumont and Anna Kauffman took first in the javelin relay.
• • •
Alyssa Wert’s day wasn’t done after she anchored a pair of winning relays for Garnet Valley. She still had a club soccer game to play for FC Europa Saturday night in Conshohocken.
Where does Wert, a midfielder on the Garnet Valley girls soccer team, get the energy to do that?
“I honestly don’t know,” Wert said.
Wert got off to a good start. In her first race of the day she teamed with Stephanie Roberts, her younger sister Laura Wert and Anna Archer to capture the Southern Sprint Medley relay. That event consists of two 100-meter legs and one each of 200- and 400-meters. The elder Wert capped the afternoon with a victory in 4 x 200. Laura Wert, Archer and Anna Saboja were on that team.
It was the first time the Wert sisters ran together in a major high school meet.
“It was fun,” Alyssa Wert said.
Saboja also was a double winner for the Jags. She teamed with Marina Kondo, Naddy Stango and Rebecca Burnshaw to win the shuttle hurdles relay.
• • •
Brianna Foster has been one of the top sprinters in the county over the last four years. This year, the senior from Ridley has added the long jump to her repertoire.
That’s not a surprise. The event is in her blood.
“My dad (Brett) was a long jumper and he wanted me to do it,” Brianna Foster said. “I think I can jump OK so I decided to do it.”
Foster picked up a pair of gold medals, one in the long jump relay and another in the 4 x 100. She teamed with Adria Kitzinger to help Ridley win the long jump relay at the Delco Relays for the third time in a row. Foster then joined Ja’Rae Fontaine, Sydney Kusner and Emma Winward in the 4 x 100.
• • •
Haverford’s Aubrey Leneweaver and Camille Sealy completed a unique double. Leneweaver and Sealy teamed up to win the high jump relay. Leneweaver had the best leap of the day at 5-1. The duo then joined Alyssa Bloxton and Morgan Elliott to take first in the 4 x 400.
Taylor Johnson, Omotayo Ogunbiyi, Destiny Pierre-Matthieu and Ava Ezzie of Bonner-Prendergast won the sprint medley relay. Upper Darby’s Alice Etienne and Nija Bey were first in the triple jump relay. Radnor’s Sophia Hill and Natalie Anfuso captured the pole vault relay.
• • •
The Delco Coaches Association held a moment of silence to remember longtime coach Mike McMillen, who passed away at age 75 last week. McMillen was a coach for 37 years, 27 at Haverford High School. McMillen also coached at Penncrest, Ridley, Bonner-Prendergast, Cardinal O’Hara, Notre Dame, Marple Newtown, Strath Haven and Academy Park. His wife, Ruth, son, Matt, and two of his grandsons were in attendance for the brief ceremony.
