Phillipy medals; Washington qualifies in 100
SHIPPENSBURG – While Breehana Jacobs still has some work to do in today’s semifinals and finals, teammate Demi Phillipy already claimed a medal Friday when she finished eighth in the girls Class AAA javelin at the PIAA Track & Field Championships hosted by Shippensburg University. The Fillies’ Aleesha Washington earned the last qualifying berth in the girls Class AAA 100 after finishing fourth in her heat in 12.69.
Phillipy’s best throw was her first attempt with a throw of 125-4. She threw a foot further in last week’s WPIAL Championships.
“I was a little nervous, but I work really well under pressure,” said Phillipy, who was seventh going into the finals. “In the beginning, I was under pressure. After, I got a little too comfortable.
“I thought I would have better throws. I was close (to her first throw) on the next couple, but then I fell off. I could’ve been the heat or the adrenaline. I got worn out faster than I normally do.”
As with most in the field, Phillipy was aiming for a personal best of 132 feet or better. Only a sophomore, Phillipy is looking for more in her future.
“It makes me hungry for more,” said Phillipy, who was third among WPIAL throwers.
Northampton Area’s Laura Rycek won the gold medal with a throw of 144-1.
Hurdlers Taylor Funk of Mount Pleasant and Brownsville’s America Cardine both advanced into the semifinals of the 100 high and 300 intermediate hurdles finals. Both runners are guaranteed a medal in the intermediate hurdles, needing only to finish the race.
Cardine finished third in her heat of the high hurdles, .01 seconds behind Girard’s Raegan Moore in second and .03 seconds ahead of Milton Hershey’s Ashlei Queen. She had a little more room in grabbing the final spot in the 300 intermediate hurdles, finishing in 46.34, .21 seconds ahead of Holy Name’s Hillary Monger who ran in another of the four heats.
She was pleased to advance in both events, but felt she didn’t run her fastest times.
“I ran 16.2 in the high hurdles. That’s a bad time. That should be 15.5,” explained Cardine. “I checked the times. If I run 15.5, I should be in fifth.”
The Lady Falcon had to run in Lane 7 in the intermediate hurdles, not a favored spot to run.
“I like the inside lanes. It gives me someone to look at, someone to catch,” said Cardine. “I wanted to run hard enough to advance in the 300 (intermediate hurdles), but not too hard to be tired for Saturday.”
Cardine was in the long jump as well, but fell short of the medal round and finished 12th with a top effort of 16-2½, about five inches away from Palmerton’s Casey Ord in eighth place. Masterman’s Asha Jaramogi finished first with a jump of 17-11¾.
“I was disappointed in the long jump. I was looking to get a PR (of 17-2). If I would’ve jumped that, I would’ve been second,” said Cardine. “It had a lot to do with the board. My spikes were scraping on top of the board, so I tried to jump from behind the board. Obviously, that didn’t work.”
Funk won her heat of the high hurdles in 15.38 seconds, the fourth-fastest time of the prelims. She ran a PR of 46.15 to finish second in her heat of the intermediate hurdles, tying Masterman’s Christina Neilson for the fastest qualifying time of non-winners.
“I’m very surprised,” she said of her high hurdles finish. “My first race is usually my slowest. My time in the 100 was decent, but I’ve done better.”
This is Funk’s third trip to the state meet, but the junior has no medals to date to show for her efforts.
“I’m definitely looking to run Saturday afternoon,” Funk said of making the finals. “I’ve raced too many times not to get a medal, three year’s worth.”
Mount Pleasant’s Abbey Way just missed a medal in the girls Class AA pole vault, tied with seven other girls at 10 feet. The Lady Viking junior also had a shot at a medal in the high jump, but faltered at 5-3 after clearing 5-1 to finish in a two-way tie for 17th place.
Waynesburg Central’s Morgan Bland cleared her opening height of 8-6 and bettered that mark by six inches, but the junior would go no higher than 9-0 to finish tied for 22nd in the Class AA pole vault.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Keri McDermott won the pole vault with top effort of 11-6.
Waynesburg Central’s 400 relay team finished seventh in their heat in 52.51 seconds and did not advance to the finals. The Lady Raiders’ Rachel Cofont finished tied for 25th in the high jump with a top effort of 4-9, and Maria Shepas was 10th in her heat of the 800.