LH’s Jacobs, Johnson do well in track and diving, respectively
Laurel Highlands athletes fared well in two different major competitions over the weekend. The Fillies’ Breehana Jacobs earned a pair of medals in the Pennsylvania State Indoor Track and Field Championships held at Penn State University on Saturday, and the Mustangs’ Dave Johnson placed seventh in the WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships held at Pine-Richland on Friday.
Jacobs flew to a third-place finish in the 60-meter dash, finishing in 7.71 seconds, just a shade behind two of the top high school sprinters in Great Valley’s Janessa Murphy (7.57) and Simon Gratz’ Clarenchiel Tate (7.58). There were 26 competitors in the event.
The sophomore took fourth place in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 11/4 inches. She missed out on a second-place medal by two inches. The winner was Erie McDowell’s Nicole Smith, who jumped 19-1. There were 17 competitors in that event.
“When you factor in everything – she’s only a sophomore, the caliber of competition, and the pressure-filled environment – you have to say Breehana had an outstanding meet,” Laurel Highlands girls track and field coach Ron Morris said.
It’s believed Jacobs is the first Fayette County athlete to double-medal in the state indoor meet. She’s only the second Filly to win any kind of indoor medal. Diane Gmiter placed second in the shot put in 2003.
Jacobs will next compete in the Nike National Indoor Track and Field Championships held at Landover, Md., in mid-March.
Johnson just missed qualifying for the PIAA championships. He finished only 7.15 points out of sixth place with a score of 276.50 in 11 dives.
“He had a solid day,” LH swim coach Bill McCombie said. “He nailed every dive. He just missed advancing by seven points, which isn’t too much. He did real well, and he’s only a sophomore.”
The Mustangs’ Ben Bonchosky, a junior, also competed and finished 14th with a score of 132.35 in eight dives. Only the top 12 moved on to the finals.
“Getting experience in this type of meet is big time for underclassmen,” said McCombie, who pointed out the two are Laurel Highlands’ first to reach the WPIAL diving championships since 1994. “We had the diving board taken out after that year for insurance purposes, but they had it put back in a couple years ago, and Dave and Ben took advantage.”