Trio leads Lady Leopards to opening 82½-66½ victory
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard Belle Vernon’s Sydney Baciak clears the bar to win the high jump in a Section 2-AAA meet at Laurel Highlands, March 28, 2019. Baciak had her senior track & field season wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Bailey Rohm pulls ahead of teammate Tara Rankin in the 1,600 during Thursday’s Section 2-AAA meet at Laurel Highlands. Rohm finished second to Belle Vernon’s Grace Henderson.
Belle Vernon's Grace Henderson clears the final hurdle on her way to a first-place finish in the 300 intermediate hurdles in Thursday's Section 2-AAA meet at Laurel Highlands.
Belle Vernon's Grace Henderson clears the bar to finish second to teammate Sydney Baciak in the high jump during Thursday's Section 2-AAA meet at Laurel Highlands.
Belle Vernon's Sydney Baciak kicks up sand as she lands her triple jump during Thursday's Section 2-AAA meet at Laurel Highlands.
Hannah Seitzinger, Grace Henderson and Sydney Baciak accounted for nine first-place finishes Thursday afternoon to lead Belle Vernon to an 82½-66½ victory in the Section 2-AAA track & field opener at Laurel Highlands.
Baciak won three events (100 high hurdles, 17.29; high jump, 5-0; long jump, 15-0) and tied for second in the triple jump (31-9).
Henderson won the 1,600 (5:39.13), 300 intermediate hurdles (54.77), and 3,200 (12:17.03), and finished second to Baciak in the high jump, while Seitzinger crossed the finish line first in the 100 (13.22), 400 (1:01.87), and 200 (27.04).
Baciak was pleased with her busy day.
“I had a good time Tuesday in the hurdles (at Southmoreland). Today was alright,” said the junior. “I only needed one jump in the long jump. It was decent. Then I had to go down to the high jump.
“I scratched twice in the triple jump, but had two good jumps. I have the school record. I want to break that.”
Baciak added, “I barely grazed it at my attempt at 5-3. The bar fell off.”
The track season is relatively short with the meet schedule ending in less than a month, so Baciak is simply enjoying herself.
“I think a lot of kids (do track) to have fun. If you have the mentality to win all the time, you don’t have fun. We sing on the bus and have a good time,” said Baciak.
Baciak competes in four events, but understands that’s a far-reaching goal for the postseason.
“To go 4-for-4 at the WPIAL, that would be nice. I definitely want to go back to states,” said Baciak.
Ezra Johnson (discus, 113-10½) and Casey Weightman (javelin, 104-5) also finished first for the Lady Leopards.
The Fillies’ Bailey Rohm finished second to Henderson in the 1,600, pulling ahead of teammate in the final two laps. The senior is pushing to break six minutes by the end of the season.
“I paced myself in the beginning. I didn’t want to go out too fast. I wanted to be smart,” Rohm said of her strategy. “My PR (personal best) was six minutes when I was a sophomore. I hope to get under that. That’s my goal.
“I was a lot faster today than I thought I’d be. The first mile (of the season) is hard to know because it’s the first meet.”
Laurel Highlands won the 400 relay (54.72). Adriane Mattey finished first in the 800 (2:51.05), as did Tara Rankin in the pole vault.
Ellie Krinzer won the triple jump (33-8½) and Emily Buwawa finished first in the shot put (32-6½).