Pine-Richland track and field hoping for successful WPIAL meet

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 11, 2018 | 11:10 PM

With 17 girls and 10 boys achieving qualifying marks, the Pine-Richland boys and girls track and field teams will be coming close to packing an entire school bus for the WPIAL Class AAA championship meet Thursday at Baldwin.

For the boys team, most of its qualifiers will be racing in the relays. One, however, will be taking on the WPIAL's best competition in two individual events. In addition to qualifying for the 100-meter dash, sophomore Luke Meckler, also will attempt to improve upon his fourth-place finish in the 300 hurdles in last year's event.

“Luke currently is ranked third in the WPIAL in the 300 hurdles. His time is better than the state qualifying time,” coach Bill Crummy said. “With his experience from last year, I think that's going to translate well. I think he's going to be a good kid to watch at the WPIALs, and, hopefully, he'll be progressing on to states after that.”

The Pine-Richland boys will also be represented by Meckler, Jason DeFrancisis, Jordan Crawford and Dylan Stenson in the 400 relay. Crawford also will run a leg of the 1,600 relay along with Mike Dolgos, Chris Hanlon, Seth Kornbau and Luke Brenner.

On the girls side, the Rams qualified all three relays for the WPIAL championships.

“The two girls relays, the 4-by-100 and the 4-by-400 relay, they both run at a state qualifying time already. They're both in the fast heat,” Crummy said. “I think both of them have a real good shot at making it to states. I think they'd probably be a little disappointed if they didn't make it to states.”

The 400 relay will be run by Jodie Berezo, Meghan Briski, Izzy Greco and Danielle Bryant, and the 1,600 team will comprise Berezo, Briski, Ella Rottinghaus and Bryant.

As far as individual qualifiers go, the Pine-Richland girls will have Chalondra Clarke running the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles. Natalie Christel will join Clarke in the 100 hurdles, and Bryant and Livie Miller will also run in the 300 hurdles.

Rottinghaus also will participate in the 100, and Greco will run the 200. In the 800, Tresa Coon will represent the Rams. Madi Argirio qualified in the 400.

In the field events, Devon Erb will compete in the pole vault, and Megan Donnelly will compete in the javelin. Donnelly, in her first season with the track and field team, has a chance to qualify for states, Crummy said.

Kevin Lohman is a freelance writer.

Tags: Pine-Richland