Chesco athletes find winning formula at 18th annual Henderson Invitational

WEST CHESTER >> Competing among the 92 schools at the 18th annual Henderson Invitational, Chester County track and field athletes made their presence felt Friday.

While many of the event winners at West Chester Henderson High School were from schools outside Chester County, — including teams from Delaware, and Pennsylvania squads from as far away as Hershey and York – Chester County athletes earned their share of first-place finishes.

Downingtown West senior Ryleigh Hearn, who won the girls 400 meter run with a PR of 56.56, liked the large field of athletes.

“This is a great experience,” said Hearn. “I love it when we have meets like this, it really gives you a taste of that (strong) competition.”

Hearn, who will join Penn State’s track team this fall (her primary event is the 400 meter run) had a prior PR of 56.81 in the 400.

“I was just telling myself to keep fighting through to the end and keep pushing my arms – just don’t let my arms fall, and my legs will follow my arms,” said Hearn. “I kept thinking positive thoughts. When I finished I felt like it could be a PR….I’m so happy.”

Kennett senior Kirstin Hoffman won the girls pole vault with a PR outdoor mark of 13’0.”

“I’m happy to be back to 13 feet in the outdoor season, I made it (to 13) in the indoor season,” said Hoffman, who jumped 12’7 ½” at last weekend’s Penn Relays, finishing second. “I love this track, and I love the competition that’s here. I was focusing today on going clean through, with no misses on each of my heights, and I did that today (smiles).”

Hoffman, who will compete in the pole vault for Clemson University next spring, posted an indoor mark last winter of 13-2. She finished fourth at outdoor States in pole vault last spring. The Ches-Mont Championships girls pole vault record is 13’0”, so she is shooting for that goal at the league meet next Wednesday.

Oxford junior Macaela Walker won the girls 100 meter run with a clocking of 12.07, and in doing so broke her school record (12.13) in the event.

“I was just trying to run as fast as I could and not compare myself to other people,” said Walker, who is primarily a hurlder. “Running the 100 today, I felt like there was no one else out there around me, and I (alone) was just running.”

The versatile Walker also qualified for Districts in the 400 meter run Friday.

It was a good meet for Oxford, as two other Hornets — junior CJ Boyer and sophomore Nate Winters — entered the winner’s circle. Boyer won the boys’ long jump (22’3”) and Winters finished first in the high jump (PR 6’2”). Both athletes play football for Oxford, both are competing in their first full season of spring track (Boyer was injured early in the track season last spring), and both have qualified for Districts in their respective events.

Boyer, whose mark Friday was a PR and a school record, said, “I was looking to break my school record today. My coaches were expecting me to do it today, they really believed in me, and I did it for them. My confidence today was (high).”

For Winters, this was only his second meet competing in the high jump.

“Nate came out for track as a sprinter, to work on his speed for football,” said Oxford boys coach Mike Walling. “He came up to me two weeks ago and asked me if he could try the high jump, too. In his first meet, he jumped 5’10” and this is his second meet.”

Winters said, “The key for me today was just keeping my confidence up, not worrying about anyone else jumping higher than me, just doing my own thing. I exceeded my own expectations.”

Downingtown East senior Keerthana Sujesh won the girls 100 meter hurdles with a mark of 15.13.

“I wasn’t feeling so well today, so I just tried to run as fast as a could (smile) and get over those hurdles, and I feel I accomplished more than I thought I could,” said Sujesh, who will run the hurdles next spring for Towson University.

Later on Friday, Sujesh won the girls 300 hurdles with a school-record time of 45.49, and Cougar junior Luis Colemenares-Bittar won the boys 300 hurdles with a school-record clocking of 38.55.

“Keerthana and Luis are some of the hardest workers I’ve ever met,” said Downingtown East hurdles coach Wes Robinson. “After practice, they’ll put in extra work; on weekends, they’re putting in extra work. I think they came out today and said, ‘I’m going to put it all out there today and see what happens,’ and good things happened.”

 

High school boys’ event winners

110 meter hurdles – Tony Hicks, Springside Chestnut Hill (15.06); 100 meter run – Shaun McCollum, George Washington HS (10.82); 200 meter run – Julian McFadden, Springside Chestnut Hill (21.58); 4×800 relay – Upper Dublin (7:57.99); 1600 meter run – Ian Johnson, Perkiomen Valley (4:19.86); 4×100 relay – Spring-Ford (42.63); 400 meter run – Ade Lloyd, Harriton (48.08); 300 meter hurdles – Luis Colmenares-Bittar, Downingtown East (38.55); 800 meter run – Aidan Hodge, Hempfield (1:53.17); 3200 meter run – Patrick Lawson, Haverford (9:09.71); 4×400 relay – Abington (3:16.59); high jump – Nate Winters, Oxford (6’2”); pole vault – Joe Ryan, Northern York (13’6”); long jump – CJ Boyer, Oxford (22’3”); triple jump – Atai Tahasan, Hershey (45’1”); shot put – Ivan Tejada, Warwick (52’11”); discus – Colin Daub, Eastern Lebanon County (154’7”); javelin – Aidan Zimmerman, Conestoga Valley (180’10”).

 

High school girls event winners

100 meter hurdles – Keerthana Sujesh, Downingtown East (15.13); 100 meter run – Macaela Walker, Oxford (12.07); 200 meter run – Juliana Balon, Padua Academy (24.51); 4×800 relay – Wyoming Area (9:39.51); 1600 meter run – Sophia Holgado, Padua Academy (4:59.94); 4×100 relay – J P McCaskey (47.98); 400 meter run – Ryleigh Hearn, Downingtown West (56.56); 300 meter hurdles – Keerthana Sujesh, Downingtown East (45.49); 800 meter run – Alli DeLisa, Penn Charter (2:09.66); 3200 meter run – Kailey Granger, Dallastown (10:34.77); 4×400 relay – Wilson (4:00.49); high jump – Brianna Lee, Penn Manor (5’3”); pole vault – Kirstin Hoffman, Kennett (13’0”); long jump – Alexis Tarlue, Tatnall School (18’1”); triple jump – Maeve Gallagher, Pope John Paul II (36’ 3 ¾”); shot put – Ivan Tejada, Warwick (52’11”); discus – Allison Mateyak, Warwick (127’10”); javelin – Anita Josiah, Souderton (120’7”).