Feb 21, 2012 2 min read

Track & field

Locals in state finals

Six local athletes have advanced to the Pennsylvania Indoor Track & Field Championships to be held Saturday at Penn State University.

A pair of Laurel Highlands vaulters will participate in the state meet. Jacob Hensh has the fifth-best vault coming into the competition at 15 feet, while teammate Jessie Laverdiere is ranked sixth at 14-9. The Mustangs’ E.J. Blaszczak qualified after leaping 43-10¼ in the triple jump, and sprinter Jerricka Belt has the third-fastest qualifying time of 7.77 seconds in the 60-meter dash.

Waynesburg Central has two hopefuls in the indoor state championship meet. Peyton Hampson has the fifth-fastest time of 2:17.26 in the 800, while teammate Marissa Kalsey cleared 11 feet in the pole vault to qualify for the state finals.

Wrestling

Mongell places second

Mark Mongell, of Alpharetta, Ga., placed second at 220 pounds in the Georgia Class A Individual Wrestling Championships last Saturday. A senior at St. Francis, Mongell won his quarterfinal and semifinal bouts by fall, before losing a 11-2 major decision in the championship to Chance McClure.

Mongell finishes the season with an overall record of 41-2.

He is the son of Mark, a Geibel Catholic graduate formerly of Connellsville, and Lisa Mongell, and the grandson of Fotenie Mongell, of Connellsville, and the late Philip Mongell.

Swimming

Gates named MVP

California (Pa.) senior Melissa Gates was named the PSAC Swimming Championships MVP after winning a combined five events (three individual, two relays) over the four-day championships.

Gates broke the championship record time in the 100 freestyle on Sunday, winning with an NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 49.73 seconds. She joined Alyssa Novotny, Jess Machmer and Clarissa Enslen for an NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 3:25.2 to win the 400 freestyle relay.

The Vulcans next participate in the NCAA Division II Swimming Championships from March 14-17 in Mansfield, Texas.