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Mitchell, Stonebraker take top honors at county meet

By Jim Downey jdowney@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Laurel Highlands’ Eli Mitchell clears the bar in the high jump during Saturday’s FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands. Mitchell won Field MVP honors.

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Connellsville's Bodee Stonebraker (left) sprints to the finish line to win the 100-meter dash in 11.37 seconds at Saturday's FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands.

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Laurel Highlands' Eli Mitchell (left) was the Field MVP and Connellsville's Bodee Stonebraker the Track MVP Saturday at the annual FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands.

Bodee Stonebraker was tired after he completed his final lap of the day Saturday afternoon in the FCCA Track & Field Championships, but the effort was worth it because led to Track MVP honors for the Connellsville junior.

Laurel Highlands junior Eli Mitchell jumped his way to Field MVP honors.

The Connellsville boys powered to the team title with 212 points. Uniontown was second with 140.

Stonebraker sprinted five times, ranging from 100 to 400 meters, to take top honors on the track — as well as in the meet — with 25 points.

The Falcon sprinter won the 100 (11.37) and 200 (23.28). He anchored the victorious 400 relay to a first-place finish in 44.52 seconds and led off the 1,600 relay to a first-place finish in 3:36.55.

“It feels great,” Stonebraker said when informed he was the Track MVP. “As soon as I woke up this morning, I was thinking about getting first. I’ve been thinking about it since last year.”

The FCCA was able to secure a FAT system for timing the county meet, allowing the athletes another chance to post a time for the WPIAL performance list.

“My time today (with FAT) was as fast as my hand-held time,” said Stonebraker, adding, “This is a big confidence booster.

“My confidence is starting to go up.”

Mitchell won the long jump (21-4), finished second in the triple jump (42-0), and third in the high jump (5-6) to finish with 24 points.

Mitchell was close to winning the triple jump, won by Brownsville’s Nicholas Seto with a leap of 42-3½, but did set a personal best with his winning jump in the long jump.

“I beat my PR in the long jump by 1½ feet,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell, too, had winning the MVP plaque on his mind, although his results didn’t go as he had planned.

“I wanted the MVP award. That was the goal,” said Mitchell. “I was thinking I’d get a first in this and a second in that. I’d thought I’d get first in the triple jump, but won the long jump.”

Mitchell is just returning after he injured his hamstring early in the season.

“I had two weeks off. The is my first meet back,” said Mitchell, who had never had a top-3 finish in the county meet before this year.

Although he feels he is off to a late start, Mitchell has lofty goals for the final month of the season.

“It’s a little frustrating. I feel like I’m just coming out and starting the season,” said Mitchell. “I’m still not 100 percent, but I’m glad I did the county meet.”

Mitchell added, “It would be nice to hit states in the triple jump as a junior. The mark I’d like to hit is 44-6.”

Laurel Highlands’ Junior Salauca (110 high hurdles, 15.42), Connellsville’s 3,200 relay (8:44.03), Dominic Prestipino (800, 2:05.23), Mason Franks (pole vault, 13-0), Aiden Bruich (shot put, 43-9), Jake Reillly (discus, 124-7), Cameron Sapola (javelin, 164-8), and George Trimbath (400, 53.76), Albert Gallatin’s Jackson Core (1,600, 4:35.21), and Uniontown’s Isaiah Melvin (300 intermediate hurdles, 39.66), Jayden Thomas (high jump, 6-0), and Sam Killinger (3,200, 10:43.22) all won FCCA titles.

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