Owen J. Roberts’ Rohrbough goes gold in high jump to highlight Mercury Area’s day at District 1 championships

CALN >> It was one of the more tightly-contested events Saturday.

But Aidan Rohrbough made sure there was no question about who won the high jump at the District 1 Championship Meet.

Rohrbough emerged as champion of the Class AAA event, taking first place by clearing the bar at the 6-foot-5 height — a personal best for the Owen J. Roberts senior, two inches higher than his previous high mark — on his second attempt.

The event’s list of top eight finishers fell into a four-inch range, from Rohrbough’s 6-5 to the 6-1 mark reached by four competitors tying for fifth place. For Rohrbaugh, it was part of a personal drive to become more consistent in his performances.

“I’ve been having trouble with steps,” he said. “I want to get consistency, so I’m going back to my original style … go at it over and over until I get it.”

Heading to the PIAA Championship Meet next weekend at Shippensburg University, Rohrbough is seeking to raise his personal best even higher.

“I want to duplicate 6-6,” he noted. “I’m taking it inch by inch.”

The final result included two other Pioneer Athletic Conference competitors who were part of the four-way tie for fifth place. Pottstown’s Jahzeel Watson and Spring-Ford’s Josh Hellauer were part of the fifth-place cluster.

Upper Perkiomen’s contingent came away with a pair of high-medal performances from Hunter Flack and Thomas Flud Jr. Flack was second in the pole vault, and Flud Jr. third in the javelin.

Flud Jr. went 165-9 on his sixth throw, surpassing his previous PR by four feet. He sensed it was his best throw before it got fully airborne.

“When it came out of my hand, it clicked,” he noted. “It was better than the others … a good, sound throw.”

Flud’s success is made more prominent by the fact he is in his first season of track competition.

“I didn’t want to play baseball any more,” he said, “and I wanted to stay in shape for football. I play quarterback, and it (javelin event) helps with footwork and throw.”

Flack cleared the 14-foot mark for his silver medal and booking to states. He noted an issue with not having his longest poles available.

“It wasn’t my day. I didn’t bring my biggest poles,” he said. “I will do that for states.”

Spring-Ford’s Alex Teufel placed third in the vault at 13-6, his medal jump coming on his third try. Like Flack, the Ram junior cited the issue of not having longer poles as a factor in his showing.

“If you’re jumping good and faster,” he said, “the pole shoots you at different angles.”

Shooting to hit 14-foot mark at states — his PR is 13-9 — Teufel plans to bring his “6-left” (12-step) approach to the box.

“It gives you more time to accelerate and be faster,” he explained.

Boyertown’s Julian Saunders scored a pair of bronze medals in sprint races. and he contributed to a third medal finish by the Bears. Saunders ran a PR 10.77 in the 100 finals, improving on the 10.93 time he clocked in qualifying, and he posted a 21.99 in the 200.

“This is the fastest I pushed myself,” he said of his 100 run. “I definitely had a better start, and I stayed low.

“Need to push ahead. Stay low the first 30 to 35 meters, then transition. It’s most important to lean.”

Saunders’ day at districts saw him run the second leg of the Boyertown 4×100 relay team that placed fourth. He was joined in the foursome by A.J. Galanti, Ryan Desmornes and Jacob Bardsley in their 43.02 clocking.

Dominik Brzozowski had his own two-medal day on the track for Perkiomen Valley. The sophomore placed third in the 400, running a 49.43 that lowered his previous PR of 49.8, and he scored a fifth in the 200 at 22.42.

“The competition is better, and that makes me want to run faster,” he said.

Out for his first season of track competition, Brzozowski indicated he was going to compete in high jump but a knee issue led him to focus more on sprints.

Darius Smallwood ran a third-place 1:55.05 in the 800. The Pottstown senior was the event’s top seeded runner.

Owen J. Roberts had four other medal-winning entries. Individually, Adam Scherch was fifth in the pole vault (13-6), Zach Taylor was fifth in the long jump (21-5 3/4) and Andrew McMonigle was fifth in the 3,200 (9:30.29); and the 4×800 foursome of Josh DiMarino, Thomas Damiani, Nathan Hayes and Matthew Kwiatkowski was eighth in 8:18.01.

Spring-Ford saw Gabriel Sanders place sixth in the shot put (51-7 1/2) and Clint Keen seventh in the 300 intermediate hurdles (42.59). And Boyertown’s Jayden Miller placed fifth in the shot put at 51-7 3/4.

NOTES >> Flack on having Flud Jr. with him at states: “It should be fun. He qualified for districts last week.” … Though making just his first visit to spring track states, Saunders had previously competed at the state level in winter track in the 60-meter run. “The strength aspect of the 60 can be put on the track,” he said. … During the meet, a moment of silence was held in memory of Ron Livers, a prominent track and field coach and Perkiomen Valley assistant coach. who died within the past year.