Few weaknesses on LH girls track team
In assessing his girls track team as the 2007 scholastic season gets under way, Laurel Highlands coach Ron Morris’ comments were punctuated with such terms as “WPIAL qualifier,” “WPIAL finalist,” “WPIAL champion,” “PIAA qualifier,” “PIAA finalist” and “PIAA champion.” And he was referring to the girls who are back this season, with more medals and ribbons than are awarded at a kindergarten graduation ceremony.
For Laurel Highlands, a.k.a. Track U., this season may be summed up simply as “Can You Top This?”
“Our strengths are our sprints,” Morris said. “And our field events (shot put, high jump, pole vault, javelin) are the strongest they have ever been.”
When Morris started the girls program slightly more than a decade ago, there was no formal team. One or two girls were participating, but that was it.
With 64 girls on the team – 19 juniors and seniors; 45 ninth and tenth graders – including a mixture of 25 letter-winners – “our numbers are another strength.”
Shippensburg, here come the Fillies! Start the buses!
“Our strengths are our sprints,” may be an understatement.
After all, the Fillies are led by the Queen of Track, 5-4 senior Breehana Jacobs, “one of the top sprinters in the United States,” Morris said.
Jacobs is the reigning three-time WPIAL champion in the 100-meters, the reigning two-time PIAA 100-meters champion, the reigning WPIAL champion in the 200-meters, and the reigning PIAA 200-meters champion.
Prior to Jacobs’ assault on the record books last spring, the state 100-meter record had been 11.6. She ran 11.47 but – and Morris’ chuckle was legitimate – because the wind speed was 2.2 mph, two-tenths over the standard, her time was not considered a state mark.
Jacobs was part of the WPIAL 400-meters relay team that finished second last year, but was on the WPIAL champion 400-meters relay team as sophomore, so she got her first-place medal then. And she is the state 60-meters indoor champion.
“She brings a ton of experience and talent to the program this season,” Morris said. “She is one of the premier runners in the country.”
But Jacobs doesn’t let just WPIAL and PIAA opponents see her skills. She runs at Nike indoor national championships, and interested major colleges include the University of South Carolina, Miami and Auburn. Jacobs has been offered full scholarships from colleges around the country, Morris noted.
This year Jacobs will compete in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter sprints (did someone say the sprints were LH’s strengths?), but will not be member of the 400-relay team because, as Morris explained, the 400-individual and 400-relay are run back to back. Someone else will step to the victory podium instead.
Last spring, Jacobs ran the 400-meter at the Fayette County Coaches Association championships in 55.6, which happened to be the best time in the WPIAL last year. However, she did not compete in that event in the WPIALs. But watch out this year.
Instead, Laurel Highlands’ 400-meter relay team will include one freshman, two sophomores, and one senior.
Freshman Katy Albert will run first leg, Morris said. “She’s a good starter. She gets a good jump.” Albert will also run the 100-meters.
As a freshman last year, Meg Mahoney was a member of LH’s 400-meter relay team that finished 10th in the state. Mahoney will also run the 100, 200 and 1600 relay.
Fellow sophomore Aleesha Washington was also part of that 400-meter relay team last year, earning a second-place finish in the WPIAL finals. She also reached the finals in the 100-meters, finishing 10th. Washington ranks 11th in Pennsylvania in the indoor 60-meters sprint with a time of 7.99 seconds. Washington will run the100 and 200 meters, in addition to the 400-meter relay
Holding rank on the 400-meter relay team is senior Kayla Mikluscak. An alternate on the 400-meter relay team last year, she will step in to a starting role this season.
If sprints are the strength, field events are a close second, led by senior Casey Conn, who is among an equally talented group of athletes.
“Casey is the most versatile athlete on the team,” Morris said. As a junior, Conn, who trains at West Virginia University, competed in the WPIAL finals in the triple jump as a sophomore and pole vault as junior. “She is one of top five pole vaulters in WPIAL and a top hurdler in 100 high hurdles.”
Junior Lauren Molchan, who travels to Reading, Pa., to train, is also one of the WPIAL’s top five pole vaulters, Morris noted. In a recent indoor meet at Slippery Rock, Molchan finished fourth in a talented a field.
As a freshman last season, Jessica Zavatchen finished fourth in WPIAL in the high jump and 10th in the PIAA, turning in the top freshman performance in the state with a personal record of 5-feet, 2-inches.
Another sophomore, Demi Phillipy, “excels in the javelin,” Morris said. Phillipy won the southern WPIAL qualifier with toss of 121-feet, 3-inches as the only freshman qualifier in the WPIAL finals last year, finishing 10th. She also had best throw for a freshman in Pennsylvania last year.
Senior Melanie Medvitz advanced to the WPIAL finals in the long jump last year and also participates in the triple jump.
Laurel Highlands future in middle distance (400 and 800 meters) events appears on sound footing with identical 5-2 twins, Debbie and Diane Riley, “a pair of freshmen who run the same and talk the same,” Morris said. “They played soccer and never ran before, but every time they get on the track they get better. It’s all new to them. They are still learning. When they started to run the 800 I had to tell them it’s two laps around the track. They will be two outstanding middle distance runners.”
Despite the strengths of his Fillies, Morris and assistant coaches William Kooser, John Yonker, Gerald Pegg, Kerry Whitman and Bob Costello (also the boys track coach) are “not sure about overall depth,” Morris said. “We have depth in some areas but are patching some holes left by graduating seniors in the middle distance events. We are seeing kids in different events right now, seeing where they fit.”
Last year, LH was 7-0 in Class AAA Section 2, 9-1 overall. With the dual meet section season about to get underway, Morris sees Uniontown as the team to beat for the section title.