FCCA Track Meet notebook
Uniontown’s Jacobs turns in sparkling performance Uniontown’s Breehana Jacobs made quite an impression Saturday in her first FCCA Track & Field Meet held at her home stadium. The youngster won the long jump, 100 and 200 and anchored the winning 400 relay to help the Lady Red Raiders to 32 points.
The day was worth 26 individual points for Jacobs, the most points amassed by a girl, yet the freshman’s split schedule did not allow her to win either the track or field MVP.
Connellsville’s Lauren McCormick also had a big point day with 21. The junior won the 300 intermediate hurdles, finished second in both the 100 intermediate hurdles and long jump and was fifth in the high jump.
“It was so busy at the beginning with the long jump, high jump and 100 high hurdles. It seems like a ran a mile between each event,” McCormick said. “It can help to know what you have to do, but it can make you nervous.”
Talking about doing so many events, McCormick said, “As long as I’m having a good day, it can motivate me. But a bad day can bring me down.”
GETTING OVER THE HURDLE: Laurel Highlands senior Colbie Foreman is closing her career while Connellsville freshman Scott Jones is just beginning his, but both hurdlers walked away from the meet with two medals.
Foreman won the 100 high hurdles and was third in the 300 intermediate hurdles.
“I was very excited to run today. I knew there would be competition. It felt good running,” Foreman said. “I was pushing today. I was close to my PR (personal best) in the 100. I’ve shaved four seconds from my time in the intermediate.”
Jones doubled, winning the 110 high hurdles in 15.27 seconds and 300 intermediate hurdles in 42.55.
“The 110 highs are easier. You don’t have to go as far,” Jones said. “I can tell when I get the three-step, I’m going good. For a freshman, it’s a real good day.”
COMEBACK TRAIL: Lauren Madison hadn’t jumped in almost two years, but the Uniontown senior is making great strides to make up for lost time. Madison won the high jump with a season-best jump of 5-feet, 2 inches.
“I’m feeling real good. The heights are getting higher,” Madison said of her season. “I’m where I wanted to be. I’ve been attempting 5-4 in the last two meets. I seem to clear 5-2 each time. This is the best competition I’ve seen. It pumps me up. The girl from Brownsville (Nicole Williams) was good.
“I’m probably going to start later, come in at 4-8 and try to save my legs.”
EVERYONE COUNTS: All of the girls teams and all but the Frazier boys scored at least one team point.
Brownsville’s Nicole Williams jumped 4-8 last year to win the county title and jumped a personal best 5-feet this year for second place.
“I like jumping against new people. It gives me a chance to know them,” said Williams, who competes at the Class AA level. “I had a PR in the long jump (14-61/2). It’s intimidating jumping against the big schools, but I just want to give it my best.”
Danielle Rohland finished fourth in the 1,600, making her desired time of under six minutes by a second. She also set a PR in the 800 with 2:41.
“I knew the runners were really good. I just wanted to try to keep up with them and see would I could get out of it,” Rohland said.
The Belle Vernon boys don’t officially have a team, but that didn’t slow down Matt Sasko. Sasko finished second in the 400 and was fifth in the 200.
“I wanted to medal in both the 200 and 400, and run 53.5 in the 400 and 23.7 in the 200,” said Sasko, who met all of his goals for the day. “I had two PRs today. Running against competition today pushed me harder.
“I had a successful day. I’m proud of that.”
Albert Gallatin junior Annie Gruskowski was third in the triple jump with a best effort of 30-51/2. She’s looking for big things out of herself in the weeks to come.
“It’s a little intimidating knowing everybody’s length. It makes me strive against them,” Gruskowski said. “I wanted to at least place in everything. I’m happy with my distance in the triple jump. I really want to stay consistent.”
Uniontown’s Courtney Sanner inched closer to her desired distance in the javelin with her winning throw of 99-feet, 2 inches. Her goal is to throw 100-feet.
“I expected to try hard to do my best,” said Sanner, whose gold medal throw was a personal best. “This is the closest I’ve come to 100-feet.”
Geibel Catholic’s Kaylee Robinson made an impression by finishing third in the 800 with a time of 2:33. “I think it was to some advantage because they didn’t really know who I was so they might have underestimated me,” Robinson said, whose time was a PR.
Nate Turner’s new to track and field, but the Albert Gallatin jumper made a great first impression by winning the high jump with a 5-10 effort on his first attempt at the height.
“I was close to clearing 6-feet, but I kept hitting it with my butt,” explained Turner. “I wanted to get 6-2. My form is still terrible, but I’m ahead of where I want to be. I want to qualify (for the WPIAL and state meets), so I need to jump 6-2, 6-3 at least.”