May 27, 2007 By Jim Downey 5 min read

SHIPPENSBURG – America Cardine had one final opportunity to medal to cap her stellar career, and the Brownsville senior came through with a sixth-place finish Saturday in the PIAA Track & Field Championships hosted by Shippensburg University. Mount Pleasant’s Taylor Funk hadn’t placed in her previous two trips to the PIAA finals, but the junior now has two after finishing fourth in both the girls Class AA 100 high and 300 intermediate hurdles. Connellsville’s Rodney Richter made it 2-for-2 in his first trip to the state meet, finishing seventh in the boys Class AAA shot put.

Cardine entered the finals with three shots to medal, but finished 14th in the 100 high hurdles Saturday morning and 12th in the long jump on Friday. However, after she advanced through her heat of Friday’s 300 intermediate hurdles Cardine was guaranteed a medal as long as she finished the race and she did just that in 46.58 seconds.

Swenson’s Anthonia Ballard won the 300 intermediate hurdles in 43.96 while Hughesville’s Rachel Houseknecht was the champion in the 100 high hurdles in 14.49.

“I was ranked eighth coming into the 300 (intermediate hurdles). My goal was to better my time and place. I didn’t better my time, but I placed,” said Cardine. “I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

All the jumping and running Friday in the heat took its toll on Cardine.

“My legs were tight from yesterday. I had to run a lot to get into the finals,” said Cardine. “I was a little disappointed (with my finish) in the 100, but the 300 is more my race.

“I would’ve like to have won two medals, but I’m perfectly happy with the medal I got.”

Cardine will attend California University of Pa. this fall, but isn’t sure if she will have the time to run for the Vulcans and their coach, Olympic gold medallist hurdler Roger Kingdom.

“I’m going to double the workload,” Cardine said of her planned studies, “but if it’s not too much, I’ll try.”

Richter had the same easy-going approach in the shot put as he had for the discus. He threw 54-8 on his first attempt in the prelims, and wasn’t able to get any closer in his other five throws, including scratches on all three of his final throws.

He was seventh heading into the finals and that’s where he stayed.

“I felt good. I wasn’t nervous. I was relaxed,” said Richter, repeating what he had said after his discus medal. “I try to get more pumped for shot. I talk to myself, get motivated. I’ve been liking the shot more. I’m trying to get better at it. I would’ve like to hit 55 feet today.”

Hempfield’s Wes Banks completed his double when he followed up his gold medal in the discus with another in the shot put with a throw of 62-21/2.

“That pushes me,” said Richter of watching another district thrower do so well. “That inspires me. I’d like to be like that some day.

“I’m going to work hard all summer and hopefully I’ll come back (to the state meet).”

Funk, as with Cardine, was plenty sore after all the heats, especially when she ran in the 300 intermediate hurdles. The soreness was well worth the effort, though.

“My legs hurt. I’m not going to slack off. Every race has to be my best to get into the finals,” explained Funk.

She finally broke 46 seconds in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a time of 45.79 seconds and hit another PR in the 100 highs in 15.12.

“I never ran 45, so that was awesome,” a smiling Funk proclaimed. “I keep getting better somehow. I don’t know why. My 300 times keep coming down.”

Laurel Highlands’ Casey Conn cleared 9-6, 10-0 and 10-6 all on her first attempt in the girls Class AAA pole vault, but that’s all the higher she would get as the senior faltered at 11 feet. Easton’s Abby Schaffer cleared 12-6 for the gold medal with Emmaus’ Julia Green and Wilson’s Tory Toso tying for eighth at 11-6.

“I went to a new pole at 11 feet. I blew threw my pole on my last two attempts,” said Conn. “I really wanted (to clear) 11-6.

“I’m very disappointed, but I’ll keep my head up. I made it here.”

Connellsville’s Scott Jones finished fifth in his semifinal heat in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 15.16, which put him 11th overall.

Laurel Highlands’ Zane Breakiron was seeded in the second flight in the boys Class AAA javelin, but scratched on his first two throws and only threw 151 feet on his third and final throw to finish 21st overall.

The Fillies’ Aleesha Washington was eighth in her semifinal heat of the 100 and 15th overall, finishing in 12.73 seconds.

Waynesburg Central’s Lori Wise, a senior, finished 22nd in the girls Class AA javelin, recording a top throw of 110-6. Southmoreland’s Ben Poorbaugh was 12th in the boys Class AA discus, throwing 136 feet in the preliminaries.