May 27, 2006 By Jim Downey 4 min read

SHIPPENSBURG – The PIAA Individual Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium opened under rainy skies Friday, and while the afternoon skies slowly brightened, the medal hopes of local athletes didn’t respond in kind. Of the seven medal events involving local athletes, only Mount Pleasant’s Derek Auen managed to medal by placing seventh in the boys Class AA javelin. The Lady Vikings’ Taylor Funk advanced to the 100 high hurdles semifinal after finishing third in her heat and ninth out of 16 with a time of 15.69 seconds.

Brownsville’s America Cardine had a busy day, and just missed qualifying for a second day of competition in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Cardine was third in her heat, but ninth overall with the top eight advancing to today’s final. The junior’s time of 47.21 was just .04 seconds off the final qualifying time.

“I’m tired,” Cardine said after running the 200, the last of her three events. “I didn’t run any of my best times. I just missed eighth place in the 300 hurdles.”

Cardine finished 22nd in the 200, a race that was run into a pretty strong head wind.

“The wind bothered me a lot. It catches you on the curve. In the 200, that’s where it counts,” said Cardine. “I don’t like to run in the outside lane (after running both the 200 and 300 intermediate hurdles on the outside). I know it’s not, but it seems further to me. It’s mental.

“When you’re on the outside lane, you know you’re not the fastest.”

She also finished 22nd in the long jump with a top effort of 15-9 ¾.

Cardine was disappointed about her finishes, but kept the proper prospective about the day.

“Finishing ninth is nothing to be ashamed of. The long jump is really not my event, but you’re at states. Even last place, that’s not bad at all.”

Auen made a big jump from a low seed to advance to the medal round. Seeded 15th entering the event, Auen bettered his WPIAL throw by more than a foot to throw 172-8. Auen was one of four WPIAL throwers to finish on the medal stand.

A pair of Mount Pleasant vaulters came in with high hopes after winning WPIAL gold, but both fell short of the medal podium.

Ian Wirth had considerably nicer weather in the afternoon than did the girls in the morning, and a much finer day than he did in the district finals at South Side Beaver. But, the senior fell short of his state qualifying vault of 13-3 with a top effort of 12-6 to finish in a 5-way tie for 10th place. Kane’s D.J. Horton vaulted 14 feet to win gold.

Abby Way matched her WPIAL gold medal vault of 10 feet, but it was only good for 13th place. Saucon Valley’s Jackie Meissner had the best vault of the day of 11 feet. Waynesburg Central’s Morgan Bland no-heighted, one of five girls to do so, in her first trip to the state meet.

Waynesburg Central’s Jereme Yoders has another chance to medal today in the boys Class AA discus, but he didn’t fare so well in the shot put. The senior scratched on his first two throws and managed a mark of 44-11 ¼ on his final attempt. He finished 21st overall.

The day was one of mixed success for those competing in their first state meet.

Laurel Highlands freshman Jessica Zavatchen finished in a 7-way tie for 10th place after successfully clearing 5 feet on her second attempt during a steady morning rain. Zavatchen tied a personal best effort of 5-2 to qualify for the state meet.

Bradford’s Erin Hannon won the gold medal in the high jump with a jump of 5-7.

Uniontown senior Courtney Sanner just had one of those days in her first and final state meet, falling well short of her WPIAL bronze-medal throw of 121-10 with a best effort of 97-3 to finish 24th in the field.

Waynesburg’s Keith Higginbotham did not advance from his heat in the 100. Higginbotham finished fifth in his heat and 23rd overall with a time of 11.49 seconds.

Southmoreland’s Kevin Snyder was disqualified in the Class AA 110 high hurdles. The Lady Scots did not advance in the Class AA 1,600 relay.