Downingtown teams set fast pace on first day of Ches-Mont National Super Meet
Downingtown >> The two Downingtown schools set a fast pace at the first day of the two-day Ches-Mont National Super Meet at Downingtown West High School Wednesday, combining for 10 first-place finishes in running and hurdling events despite a steady 15 MPH breeze from the west that made longer runs a challenge.
“The headwind was rough, but it was good practice running in (the wind) though,” said smiling Whippet senior runner Ryleigh Hearn, who had two individual first-place finishes Wednesday.
West Chester Henderson senior Preston Lubeski, who won the boys’ 400 meter run, noted, “The wind was a little painful on the back end of the race. But I wanted to run a District-qualifying time in the 400 and the 100 and I did that today.”
D-West head coach Scott Burns said, “We saw a lot of great performances from the Ches-Mont National athletes today, on a windy day. We competed well on our home track – our team had contributors from all elements – sprinters, jumpers, throwers, distance runners.”
Hearn won the girls 400 meter run (58.38), the 100 meter run (PR 12.23) and was part of the Whippets first-place 4×100 relay team (49.35).
“This was the first time I ran the 100 since my sophomore year,” noted Hearn, who will run the 400 for Penn State next fall. “I was running it just for fun today.”
Burns said, “We have great senior leaders like Ryleigh Hearn and Kelly Bell, and our young kids learned a lot today from our older athletes.”
Whippet senior Eddie Moore won the boys 100 meter run with a PR 10.80, edging Lubeski (10.84). Moore, who has committed to Lehigh University for track, was also part of the Whippets’ first-place 4×100 relay team (42.90).
“It was a little windy today, but it seemed to slow down at the start of my race,” said Moore, who is also a starting midfielder for the Downingtown West boys’ lacrosse team. “Preston always gives me good competition, and I leaned forward at the end and won. I like this track, and I like the music they played for us today.
“Yesterday, we had a big lacrosse game (14-13 win against Bishop Shanahan, in which Moore scored a key goal), it was a big win for us, and I wanted to come out today and try for a PR.”
The Whippets won both the boys and girls 4×100 relays. The winning boys quartet was Jack Brunner, Bell, Moore and Matt Woodward, while the victorious girls foursome was Lily Henning, Hearn, Cecilia Shearer and Molly Weitzman.
Downingtown East won both the boys/girls 4×800 relays and the boys/girls high hurdles.
Cougar senior Keerthana Sujesh, who won the girls 100 hurdles with a PR 15.12, smiled and said, “This was a crazy PR for me. I did a lot of hurdle drills yesterday, focusing on my lead leg. I like the music here, I think it helped me mentally – this is a mental race.”
Downingtown East junior Luis Colmenares-Bittar, who is undefeated in the 110 and 300 hurdles this spring, won the boys 110 hurdles with a mark of 14.91.
The Cougar quartet of Ben Fatone, Nate Parr, Karthik Murugan and Nick Steinfeldt finished first in the boys 4×800 (8:19.00) and the D-West foursome of Jenna Lacey, Callie Comegys, Jocelyn Moser and Madison Brown won the girls 4×800 (10:21.35).
Steinfeldt also finished first in the boys 1600 meter run (4:35.89).
“When I ran a sub-two (1:59) in the 4×800 today, it was a big confidence booster for me,” said Steinfeldt. “It was my first 4×800 race of the season.”
Bishop Shanahan junior Meghan Willis won the girls 1600 meter run (5:27.52). Last winter at indoor States, Willis finished in the top 15 in both the 800 and the mile run, and last week she set a PR in the 800 at the Rustin Invitational.
“The wind was a challenge today,” Willis said and smiled. “At times I almost felt like I wasn’t moving.”
Lubeski’s winning time in the boys 400 meter run was 49.35, just ahead of Bell (49.39).
The second (and final) day of the Ches-Mont National Super Meet will be held April 19, at Avon Grove High School. Currently, the Red Devil girls have outscored the other six Ches-Mont National teams, and got two first-place finishes Wednesday by freshman Alexandra Boiardi – in the girls high jump (5-0) and in the long jump (16-5). Avon Grove freshman Naiya Murphy finished a close second in the high jump.
“Alexandra Boiardi had a breakout meet in my opinion,” said Avon Grove head coach Eric Broadbent. “She is super talented and we are just trying to help her tap into that potential. Sam thing with Naiya – she is very coachable and hungry. She wants to be a great high jumper and is putting in the work.
“We are strong in a lot of different areas, especially the throws, and it showed today.”
In the boys’ high jump, Coatesville junior Maximus Stukes post a winning mark of 6-2. In the boys long jump, Coatesville junior Albert Morton finished first (20-6).
In the girls’ shot put, West Chester Henderson junior Jen Kurisko threw 32-2, while in the boys shot put Coatesville sophomore Takiyah Lynch won (49-6).
