Chesco athletes shine at 4th Annual Coatesville Track & Field Invitational

CALN >> The 4th Annual Coatesville Track & Field Invitational offered its entrants competition that was as stiff as the wind gusts that blew across the Coatesville High School track Saturday afternoon.

A total of 36 schools participated, including some distant schools such as Cumberland Valley, plus a pair of squads from Delaware.

“We’ve been growing every year, and I like giving a lot of teams here, giving them the opportunity to perform, to get better and hopefully post an elite standard or a district qualifying standard,” said Coatesville track and field head coach Damien Henry. “Normally the majority of the teams that compete here are from District 1 because it gets them used to our facility,  whether it’s the field events, or the jumping pits or the throwing area, so they’re not overwhelmed when they come here (for Districts), they’re ready to go.”

Chester County athletes won some gold at Coatesville Saturday, and the host Red Raiders didn’t walk away empty. Coatesville’s Jabari Stocker won the boys 400 meter run (50.62), then teamed with Phillip DiMatteo, Robert Turner and Tommy Silvester to win the day’s final event, the boys 4×400 relay with a clocking of 3:19.61. This quartet, the top-ranked boys 4×400 team in Pennsylvania, posted a time of 3:17 last Tuesday.

“The wind was tough today, but all I did was trust the process and come out on top,” said a happy Stocker. “To get it done with the (charged) environment, the tough competition, is a good experience.”

Coatesville senior Albert Morton, who competed in the high jump at States last spring, finished first in high jump Saturday with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches.

“Today it was really windy, particularly in the beginning,” said Morton. “It’s always really good competition here; that’s what I like best about (this invitational).”

The Conestoga boys 4×100 relay of Colin Grimes, Kyle Friend, Calvin Jordan and Charlie Henderson clocked a first-place time of 43.02, and Downingtown East finished 1-2 in the girls 100 meter dash, with senior Faith Fuqua (12.48) finishing just ahead of senior Cougar teammate Nia Massey (12.54).

“I’ve always loved running on this Coatesville track,” said Fuqua, who competed here in the 100 meter run, 200 and 4×100 relay last spring at the District 1 championships.

Massey said, “I also really like this track, and there’s some good competition here.”

Henry praised Coatesville’s Damon Watson, who finished seventh in the boys 100 meter dash.

“Damon ran 11.37 in the 100 in tough conditions,” and Henry. “I think you’re going to see some big things from him later on as the season comes to an end.”

The Conestoga quartet of Lyla Ziegler, Angelina Pierce, Tory Gauthier, and Fure Abhulimen, who competed in the girls 4×100 at Districts here last spring, reflected on the strong competition Saturday.

Ziegler, who placed sixth in the girls 100 meter run Saturday and competed at Districts here last spring, said, “In the 100 finals, everyone was neck-and-neck, there were no outliers, we were all fighting for first place, which you don’t get very often.”

Pierce said, “I think this is a very competitive meet. You know you’re going to get good competition from runners from a lot of different areas in Pennsylvania.”

Gauthier said, “You’re going against people here who are state finalists and are going to push you.”

One of those top competitors Saturday was Lower Merion sophomore Nick Mazzeo, who finished second in the PIAA 3A state cross country championships last fall. Mazzeo placed second in the boys 1600 meter run Saturday with a time of 4:24.52.

“This is my first time at the Coatesville Invitational, but I ran Districts here last year,” said Mazzeo. “I’m glad to be back here. The school is in that direction (west) so it can block the wind a little (laughs), the wind is pretty rough. There were some great races here today.”

Boys’ event winners:

110 meter hurdles – Danny Schikel, Cardinal O’Hara (14.82); 100 meter run – Shaun McCollum, George Washington (10.57); 200 meter run – Shaun McCollum, George Washington (22.15); 4×800 relay – Penncrest (8:02.89); 1600 meter run – Eli Engelman, Episcopal Academy (4:24.21); 4×100 relay – Conestoga (43.02); 400 meter run – Jabari Stocker, Coatesville (50.62); 300 meter hurdles – Danny Schikel, Cardinal O’Hara (40.43); 800 meter run – Eli Engelman, Episcopal Academy (2:00.20); 3200 meter run – Adam Kingston, Manheim Township (9:36.42); 4×400 relay – Coatesville (3:19.61); High jump – Albert Morton, Coatesville (6-4); Long jump – Chase Marshall, Pennridge (20-10.50); Triple jump – Joachim Johnson, Episcopal Academy (45-11.50); Shot put – Alphonso Koukou, Episcopal Academy (59-03.75); Discus – Jacob Tannenbaum, Central Bucks East (157-00); Javelin – Harrison Springer, Twin Valley (174-07).

Girls’ event winners:

110 meter hurdles – Michelle Korsah, Cheltenham (14.48); 100 meter run – Faith Fuqua, Downingtown East (12.48); 200 meter run – JaNaisa Dearry, Chester (25.56); 4×800 relay – Central Bucks East (9:42.70); 1600 meter run – Isabelle Walsh, Middletown (4:53.31); 4×100 relay – Cheltenham (47.95); 400 meter dash – JaNaisa Dearry, Chester (56.49); 300 meter hurdles – Damira Allen, Chester (47.03); 800 meter run – Isabelle Walsh, Middletown (2:16.84); 3200 meter run – Grace Waibel, Central Bucks South (11:44.89); 4×400 relay – Central Bucks East (4:04.41); High jump – Addison Nudy, Twin Valley (5-2); Pole vault – Sylvia Fiaher, Harriton (10-00); Long jump –Amirah Nesmith, Cheltenham (18-00.50); Triple jump – Chloe Pyles, Cumberland Valley (33-01.50); Shot put – Simone Cooper, Middletown (44-01); Discus – Simone Cooper, Middletown (141-10); Javelin – Nicole Rindone, Pennridge (108-03).