Coatesville, Rustin the biggest winners at 44th annual Ches-Mont Track & Field Championships

CALN >> The biggest winners at the 44th annual Ches-Mont Track & Field Championships Wednesday were West Chester Rustin (who won the girls’ team competition) and host Coatesville (who finished first in the boys’ team completion).
For the Raider boys, it’s their 20th consecutive Ches-Mont Championships team title.
The highlight for the Coatesville boys was the 4×800 relay of senior Tommy Wayne, junior Tommy Silvester, senior Marcus Evans and senior Josh Miller, who won with a clocking of 7:55.82.
“The heart and soul of our team is the 4×800,” said Coatesville boys’ head coach Damien Henry. “They’ve been gelling the entire season, and it started during the indoor season – you can’t find one without the other. They work hard every day, and it’s all starting to pay off during the championship season, so I’m especially proud of them.”
The West Chester Rustin girls capped off the meet with a victory in the 4×400 relay, as senior Keturah Darwon, junior Maddie Miller, junior Julia Snelling and senior Ava Alexander clocked a meet record 3:51.95. Alexander anchored with a 55.01 clocking.

“We were all tired, near the end of an eventful day, but Keturah got out fast,” said Alexander. “She got out in front, and then (Miller and Snelling) held our position and added on (to the lead) a little. I’m really thankful for our whole team, and really proud of us all – they gave me an easy anchor leg, I didn’t have to run anybody down (smiles). They set me up, so I can only thank them.”
“We wanted to end this meet with the 4×400 meet record,” said Rustin girls’ head coach Jim Collins. “We won nine (girls) events today, and they were diverse – two relays, two jumping events, two throwing events, a hurdle. … The diversity of getting points everywhere was awesome.”
On an individual level, Oxford junior Macaela Walker was a triple individual winner at the Ches-Mont Championships, finishing first in the girls’ 100 meter hurdles (14.52), girls’ 200 meter run (personal record 25.05) and girls’ 100 meter run (PR 11.73).

Walker was particularly pleased with her time in the 100 meter run — her prior best clocking was 12.07.
“I didn’t believe that (11.73) time when they first announced it; I thought, ‘are you serious?,’” said a smiling Walker. “I was running really fast at the beginning, and normally, nobody’s near me to push me, but then I heard steps coming up behind me and I knew I had to push harder.

“I’m really tired now – I ran five races today (including preliminaries) but I’m satisfied.”
Kennett senior Kristin Hoffman won the girls’ pole vault with a new meet record 13-feet, 1-inch.” Hoffman, who will compete in the pole vault for Clemson University next spring, had mentioned at the Henderson Invitational a week ago that her goal at Ches-Monts was to set the Ches-Mont Championships meet record of 13-0.
“In the beginning today, my jumps weren’t as I would like them, but I reminded myself what I wanted to do today, and I guess I got my stuff together and I did it – I was just so excited,” said Hoffman. “I came here today, and I got my goal.”
Alexander won the girls’ triple jump with a meet record mark of 40-7.
“I was happy with it; I definitely wanted a better mark but I’m happy I got the Ches-Mont record,” said Alexander.
Here’s a look at the rest of the first-place performances at the Ches-Mont Championships:
Downingtown East: The Cougar boys finished a close second in the team standings to Coatesville. Senior Ryan Reece won the boys’ 100 meter run (10.89) and 200 meter run (22.08).
“I think I got out a bit slow (in the 100) and then, toward the end, I really felt myself kick and I was able to hang in there and win,” said Reece. “Winning here means a lot to me – I’ve put a lot of work into this and it’s nice to see it paying off.”

D-East junior Madison Brown won the girls 3200 meter run (11:32.58) and finished second in the 1600 meter run (5:06.68) to Rustin’s Ellie Keefer.
“The (1600) was a good race between me and Ellie, and the 3200 was fun,” said Brown, who will be competing in both events at Districts.
Downingtown East sophomore Isaiah Johnson won the boys triple jump with a mark of PR 42-3½.”
“My old PR was a 37, so that’s a huge jump for me,” said Johnson. “It was all the nervousness that I channeled into making my (winning) first jump. This (win) means a lot to me – both my freshman and sophomore year led up to this, and I was able to put it down on that track.”
D-East junior Luis Colmenares-Bittar won the boys 300-meter hurdles with a clocking of 38.24, and Cougar senior Giovanna Jennings-Scott won the girls high jump (5-2).
Coatesville: Raider sophomore Takiyah Lynch won the boys shot put handily with a heave of 52-3¼.
Coatesville junior Tommy Silvester won the boys 400 meter run with a time of 50.29, and senior Drew Domurat won the boys high jump with a leap of 6’2.”
Henry praised senior Jake Watson, who came in fourth in the discus with a 14-foot PR.

“That kid worked so hard, comes to practice every day, and everything just came together for him today, so I’m especially proud of Jake Watson today.”
West Chester Rustin: Golden Knight senior Ellie Keefer won the girls 1600 meter run handily with a clocking of 5:01.66, and Miller prevailed in the girls 800 meter run (2:14.08). Rustin senior Jaylen Williams won the girls long jump with a school-record 18-11½.
“I think my prior best before this was 17-9 and my (winning) jump today was my very first jump,” said Williams. “This means a lot to me – this is my first year competing in track.”
The Rustin quartet of senior Joss Barkman, junior Brooke Kruger, Darwon and Alexander won the girls 4×100 relay with a time of 48.07.
Darwon won the girls 300 meter hurdles (44.23). She won this event last year, and improved her winning time by almost two seconds this time around.
“The last 100 (meters), I just pushed completely,” said Darwon, who will compete for the Florida Atlantic University track team next spring. “I just put everything out on the track, I wasn’t really worried about everything around me, I was just running my race.”

Rustin sophomore Ana Dakes won the girls discus throw with a mark of 113-4 and won the discus (33-1).
Golden Knight junior Lucas Band won the boys 110 meter hurdles with a mark of 14.66.
Kennett: The Blue Demons girls 4×800 relay of senior Melania Barnum, junior Whitney Walker, senior Clare Harper and senior Ella Burnham won handily with a time of 9:43.86.
West Chester Henderson: Senior Elliott Godin won the boys pole vault (PR 13-0).
“I’m super happy; I put a lot of work into this season and I’m glad to see that it’s paying off,” said Godin, whose last jump cleared his prior attempts by six inches.
Henderson senior Ramsey Tarazi won the boys discus throw with a mark of 151-3.
Unionville: Senior Aryan Abbaraju won the boys 1600 meter run with a clocking of 4:24.77, and Longhorn sophomore Jonathan Stancik won the boys 3200 meter run (9:51.48).
Downingtown West: The foursome of sophomore Spencer Dunn, senior Kelly Bell, senior Michael Woodward and senior Eddie Moore won the boys 4×100 relay with a time of 42.68.

Avon Grove: Sophomore Lily Schindler won the girls 400 meter run (58.13) and junior Elias Chase won the boys’ javelin (168-5).
Bishop Shanahan: Senior Jameson Todd won the boys 800 meter run with a clocking of 1:57.60. In the final event of the meet, the boys 4×400 relay, the quartet of senior Will Kolimago, junior Chijioke Okafor, Todd and sophomore Jack Polizzi won with a clocking of 3:21.66.
“Our team showed a lot of resilience and determination,” said Polizzi. “This was a race where none of us backed down at all. It’s truly a blessing to run with (Kolimago, Todd and Okafor).”
Great Valley: Senior Charlotte Powell won the girls javelin with a throw of 101-4.
Oxford: Junior CJ Boyer won the boys long jump with a leap of 22-10.

Boys team standings
Coatesville 118.5, Downingtown East 112, West Chester Rustin 68.5, West Chester Henderson 60, Unionville 57, Avon Grove 51.5, Great Valley 50.5, Downingtown West 48, Bishop Shanahan 41, Sun Valley 32, Oxford 25, West Chester East 19, Kennett 19.

Girls team standings
West Chester Rustin 144 points, Avon Grove 117.5, Downingtown East 72.5, Downingtown West 58, Oxford 56.5, Unionville 52.5, Kennett 43, West Chester Henderson 42, Great Valley 38, Bishop Shanahan 30.5, West Chester East 23, Coatesville 14.5, Sun Valley 3.

Boys’ event winners
110 meter hurdles – Lucas Band, West Chester Rustin (14.66); 100 meter run – Ryan Reece, Downingtown East (10.89); 200 meter run – Ryan Reece, Downingtown East (22.08); 4×800 relay – Coatesville (7:55.82); 1600 meter run – Aryan Abbaraju, Unionville (4:24.77); 4×100 relay – Downingtown West (42.68); 400 meter run – Tommy Silvester, Coatesville (50.29); 300 meter hurdles – Luis Colmenares-Bittar, Downingtown East (38.24); 800 meter run – Jameson Todd, Bishop Shanahan (1:57.60); 3200 meter run – Jonathan Stancik, Unionville (9:51.48); 4×400 relay – Bishop Shanahan (3:21.66); high jump – Drew Domurat, Coatesville (6-2); pole vault – Elliott Godin, West Chester Henderson (13-0); long jump – CJ Boyer, Oxford (22-10); triple jump – Isaiah Johnson, Downingtown East (42-3½”); shot put – Takiyah Lynch, Coatesville, 52-3¼; discus – Ramsey Tarazi, West Chester Henderson (151-3); javelin – Elias Chase, Avon Grove (168-5).

Girls’ event winners
100 meter hurdles – Macaela Walker, Oxford (14.52); 100 meter run – Macaela Walker, Oxford (11.73); 200 meter run – Macaela Walker, Oxford (25.05); 4×800 relay – Kennett (9:43.86); 1600 meter run – Ellie Keefer, West Chester Rustin (5:01.66); 4×100 relay – West Chester Rustin (48.07); 400 meter run – Lily Schindler, Avon Grove (58.13); 300 meter hurdles – Keturah Darwon, West Chester Rustin (44.23); 800 meter run – Maddie Miller, West Chester Rustin (2:14.08); 3200 meter run – Madison Brown, Downingtown East (11:32.58); 4×400 relay – West Chester Rustin (3:51.95); high jump – Giovanna Jennings-Scott, Downingtown East (5-2); pole vault – Kirstin Hoffman, Kennett (13-1); long jump – Jaylen Williams, West Chester Rustin (18-11½); triple jump – Ava Alexander, West Chester Rustin (40-7); shot put – Ana Dakes, West Chester Rustin (33-1); discus – Anna Dakes, West Chester Rustin (113-4); javelin – Charlotte Powell, Great Valley (101-4).