Herald-Standard All-Area Track & Field Girls Team
Lady Gators’ Larkin goes back-to-back in earning two state medals
As a cross country runner, Emma Larkin has built up her stamina, but not even the miles that she puts in during the fall could have prepared her for what transpired on May 24 during the PIAA Individual Track & Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.
Fresh off her seventh-place finish in the girls Class 2A 400-meter dash, Larkin was brought to the benches where the eight placewinners wait to receive their medals, but she was hoping for a chance to recover because her next event, the 300 hurdles, was coming up in mere minutes. Despite the adversity, the Geibel Catholic junior persevered to finish seventh in the event.
Larkin’s back-to-back state medals have earned her the designation as the Herald-Standard Track & Field Girls Athlete of the Year.
Larkin knew what she was in for in competing in back-to-back events, but thought she could have at least gotten her bag with all of her materials to recover.
“Doing both events back-to-back was definitely a lot,” said Larkin after the event. “The normal wait time is supposed to be 15 minutes, which still isn’t a lot, but I only had 12 today from event-to-event.
“I was hoping to get to my bag for recovery, but I was told by an official that it would be quick on the podium. I thought maybe I could have my bag brought to me while I waited, but I wasn’t able to. I did get some water.”
Larkin had about an hour of time to rest between her preliminary races a day earlier in the 400 and 300 hurdles, which helped her to qualify for the finals in both events, and barring an unforeseen circumstance, she was guaranteed a spot on the podium in both events.
“I didn’t feel as much pressure during my races in the finals because I knew as long as I didn’t get disqualified or have anything out of the ordinary, I would accomplish my goal of placing at states,” Larkin said. “My times weren’t the best, but I was able to beat at least one person in each race.”
Larkin ran a 59.93 in the 400 final and 49.77 in the 300 final, which were below her personal records (PR) in each event. She has a PR of 58.51 in the 400 and 46.15 in the 300 hurdles.
If Larkin met or exceeded her PR in both races, she would have placed fourth in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 400.
All-area performers in the Herald-Standard coverage area are:
3,200-meter relay: Laurel Highlands (Taylor Schwertfeger, Bethany Byrne, Alexander Mattey, Isabella Baker)
100-meter hurdles: Shayla Dues, Laurel Highlands
100-meter dash: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
1,600-meter run: Grace Trimmer, Uniontown
400-meter relay: Brownsville (Jersey Feick-White, Aijanae Foster, Ta’Veonna Harris, Amya Wilson)
400-meter dash: Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic
300-meter hurdles: Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic
800-meter run: Megan Mehall, Southmoreland
200-meter dash: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
3,200-meter run: Grace Trimmer, Uniontown
1,600-meter relay: Laurel Highlands (Taylor Schwertfeger, Isabella Baker, Bethany Byrne, Diondra Brown)
Shot put: Addie Billheimer, Southmoreland
Discus: Alexa Lewandowsky, Brownsville
Javelin: Skylar Salay, Belle Vernon
High jump: Ella Neil, California
Pole vault: Madison Blair, Waynesburg Central
Long jump: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
Triple jump: Lyric McLee, Uniontown