Quarzo, Cook win FCCA Meet MVP honors
Brownsville's Gionna Quarzo breezes around the track in the 1,600 during Saturday's FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands. Quarzo scored 32½ points to win Track MVP honors.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo (left) won the Track MVP, while Connellsville’s Elli Cook earned Field MVP honors at Saturday’s FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands.
Connellsville's Elli Cook releases the shot put during Saturday's FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands. Cook won the girls Field MVP with 16 points.
Frazier's Skye Eicher (right) leans at the finish line to win the 100-meter dash ahead of Connellsville's Callie Cunningham (left) and Brownsville's Jamilah Copeland during Saturday's FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands.
Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo wasn’t feeling that well, but that didn’t slow the sophomore down Saturday as Lady Falcon distance runner won Track MVP honors in the annual FCCA Track & Field Championships at Laurel Highlands.
Connellsville’s Elli Cook, with momentous cheer from her teammates when her name was announced, earned Field MVP honors.
Quarzo’s 32½ points helped the Lady Falcons win their first county meet team title with 122 points. Laurel Highlands finished second with 107½.
Quarzo ran her usual schedule of races — 1,600 (5:22.14), 3,200 (11:33.73), and 3,200 relay (10:23.55) — and added the 800 (2:30.18) for the opportunity for 10 more event points.
She had hoped to battle Connellsville sophomore Callie Cunningham, who shared Track MVP honors last year with teammate Rachael Grimm, but Cunningham was off to a soccer match after the 400 relay.
“I wanted to run against Callie. She’s pretty good,” said Quarzo.
Quarzo finished 15th in the 3,000 meters (in a personal-best time of 10:08.71) Thursday at the Penn Relays and said she felt no ill effects from the race. Yet, she had bouts of an upset stomach between races.
“I tried to PR in the mile (1,600), but I’ve been throwing up,” explained Quarzo. “On was on pace in the first two laps.”
Quarzo fell just shy of MVP honors last year.
“I just missed last year. I think it was a point,” said Quarzo. “The team was doing really good, especially in the 3,200 relay. We dropped our time.”
Cook competed in all three throws, finishing first in the discus (her first county title), fourth in the shot put and fifth in the javelin.
The junior had winning MVP honors in the back of her mind when the day began.
“My coach (Amanda Sines) mentioned it a little bit,” said Cook. “(Winning the MVP) makes me happy. I wasn’t expecting it. I was surprised.
“I feel I could’ve done better in the shot put, but I’m pleased overall in the discus and javelin.”
Cook’s winning throw in the discus was 98-4. She was fourth in the shot put (28-4) and fifth in the discus (94-11).
“My PR is 101 feet in the discus. I’m hoping for 120 next year. This year, I’m hoping for 110 feet. That’s a long shot for this year,” said Cook.
Brownvsille’s Tyler Mayers (100 high hurdles, 17.31), Frazier’s Skye Eicher (100, 12.59; 200, 26.31), Grimm (400, 1:01.94), Uniontown’s 400 relay (52.32) and 1,600 (4;29.66), Abigail Marinucci (triple jump, 34-3½), Anei Toaisi (shot put, 32-5), Kierra Rose (javelin, 109-2), and Maeve Carei (pole vault, 10-9), Albert Gallatin’s Emily Sanders (300 intermediate hurdles, 53.71) and Jayla Johnson (high jump, 4-9½), and Laurel Highlands’ Erica Tarr (long jump, 16-8) all won county titles.