Rockets, Raiders qualify athletes for WPIAL track finals
HOOKSTOWN — Jefferson-Morgan had a trio of throwers advance on Tuesday afternoon at South Side Beaver into berths to next week’s WPIAL Class AA Individual Track & Field Championships.
Javelin throwers Jamie Lawrence and Rece Henneman, and Jake Earnest in the discus survived the qualifier to earn a trip to Baldwin High School for the finals, to be held on Thursday, May 15.
Times, distances and heights were not readily available with the results focused on earning one of the top eight spots in each of the 18 events for a spot in the district finals.
Lawrence hit the throw, a personal-best 107 feet, on her last attempt.
“I progressively get better with each throw. I knew I had to throw further than 90, 91 feet,” said Lawrence, a freshman.
Lawrence was nervous coming into the completion and even more nervous as the competition progressed.
“It’s like a foul shot to win a big championship basketball game,” Lawrence offered in comparison. “After I threw 107 (feet), I calmed down a bit.”
Earnest, a senior, is also making his first trip to Baldwin.
“I threw 118-2. It was good enough to move on,” said Earnest, a mountain of a man. “I hit it on my last throw. I thought this might be my last throw ever. I might as well do something about it.”
Waynesburg Central will be well represented with Lindsee Zimmer (1,600), Skylar Braga (long jump, triple jump), Hunter Cenname (triple jump), Cody Weimer (pole vault), Sean Hilverding (3,200), and Sam Augustine (discus).
“I couldn’t tell myself there’s next year,” said Braga, a senior. “It’s bittersweet. It’s a good ending.”
Braga’s been dealing with injury issues, so that’s foremost in her preparations for next week.
“I want to try to stay healthy and perfect some technique,” added Braga.
Hilverding broke from the pack by the third lap with one other runner, which was just fine to qualify. However, the inner drive kicked in with a couple hundred meters to go and Hilverding pushed into the lead to win the race.
“I wanted to win from the gun,” said Hilverding. “I let him take the lead. I wanted to save energy for the last 600 meters. I wanted to run around 9:50 and I did.”
Rebecca Phillips was the lone West Greene athlete to qualify, finishing eighth in the 1,600.
“I was a comfortable eighth,” said the senior. “I didn’t want to push myself too hard. I settled in and was happy with the way I ran.”