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Team Champion: Erie McDowell (first girls' title in school
history)
Erie McDowell girls win their first AAA state title.
Let's just say that Tiffany Abney and Sheena Gordon are co-AAA girls'
athletes of the meet. (but those 4x800's were some of the best in the US
this year!)
Tiffany Abney, Merion Mercy, (right), in Friday's 300H trial. Upper
Darby's Kiley MacDonald would take 3rd in the 100H, and 6th in the 300H
Saturday.
Abney, the sophomore from Merion Mercy, merely defended three individual
titles and anchored her team's 4x400 to a state championship after finishing
second in 2000. Running preliminaries or semi's or both in all her events,
she ran the 7th fastest prep time in the US in the 400 with a 53.94. Her
200 was a solid 24.55, and her 43.32 was over a second better than her
nearest competition.
Sheena Gordon gathers herself (and one of four medals) after Friday's
HJ award.
If it hadn't been for one of Abney closest friends, Dominique Darden
of Harrisburg, Gordon would have swept four individual titles. As it was,
Darden took the 100H in 14:53, just .03 ahead of Gordon. On the field though,
Gordon went three-for-three as she took the high jump with a 5-09.00, the
Triple Jump with 42-03.50, and the Long Jump with18-07.50. The Triple Jump
is US#5. And only ten girls have high-jumped better.
In addition to her 100H title with a 14.53, Darden was 2nd in the 200
with a 24.97, and 3rd in the 400 with her 56.21. Her 4x400 team, the defending
state champs, had to settle for 2nd this year behind Abney's Merion Mercy
squad.
Spring Ford celebrates a 4x800 state crown.
The girls 4x800 offered a glimpse of how good PA has become, and how
it continue to develop some of the top distance relay teams in the country.
Spring Ford withstood the pressure of being the top seed and posted a 9:15.94,
within a second of state leader William Penn, and improving their own season
best by almost 4 seconds. If they hadn't improved, there would have been
a very young, but incredibly talented Haverford Township team ready to
take the state title. With three freshmen and one sophomore, Haverford
started the final leg in the lead. Their 9:19.19 is even within three seconds
of the school record. Radnor, also from the Philly-area's Central League,
ran 9:22.00. All eight medallists were under 9:30. (interview below)
North Allegheny's Stephanie Madia takes the 1600 over (sorry about
the shot, Ruth) Red Lion's Ruth Loyer, as both caught freshman sensation
Jessica Cickay, Council Rock, in the last 50 meters.
With 300 meters to go in the AAA 1600, Jessica Cickay, Council Rock,
and Ruth Loyer, Red Lion, both had leads on North Allegheny's Stephanie
Madia. Cickay, a stellar freshman, ran the race from the front. Loyer,
jumping up from the 800 in hopes of avoiding a second place finish similar
to the 2000 800, was also in great position to take the race. And with
her 800 speed, it was a sound strategy. But North Allegheny junior, Stephanie
Madia, sat back just off the leaders' pace until the final 300 meters,
when she unleashed a great long kick. All three runners were under 4:59,
and within .22 of each other. But it appeared that Loyer lunged a bit early,
and with Madia running through the finish, she pulled out the win, and
her first individual state championship.
Evelyn Dwyer, Merion Mercy, holds off Spring Ford senior Meghan O'Neill.
Evelyn Dwyer, Merion Mercy, held off a charging Meghan O'Neill of Spring
Ford in the 800. Her 2:11.88 was the fastest in the state this year. O'Neill,
who ran 2:12.39, made up 15 meters on the final lap, but Dwyer was able
to respond down the stretch. Duke-bound Paige Miller capped a great senior
year (AA Cross Country Champion, Penn Relays 300 Champion), with a winning
3200 time of 10:39.61.
Emily Tharpe, McDowell (12-03.00), and Jackie Rodgers, Baldwin (12-00.00)
showed the crowd what all the excitement is about in the girls' Pole Vault,
with great efforts.
INTERVIEWS:
Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, 1600 Champion:
(on the race): ): I knew that it was going to go out really
fast, because I heard that the girl from Council Rock (freshman Jessica
Cickay) goes out really fast, so I just laid back. I never run the first
two laps really fast.
(on the last lap): The fourth lap, I wanted it, and I just went
after it as much as I could. But in the first 100 of that last lap I was
a little discouraged. Then on the straightaway I picked up some energy,
and when I came around the bend and I heard everyone cheering and I just
went on adrenaline.
(on her first state championship): I came up here last year (2000)
and I got sprinted out in the 3200. It's (the championship) just something
that I wanted to do, and I just got it. I ran my best time.
Ruth Loyer, Red Lion, runner-up (by .05) 1600):
(on her decision not to double in the 800, where she was 2nd in
2000, and the 1600): I decided not to do both races this year because
the 800 is such a pack the last 100. Last year I was leading at 700 meters
and lost. I thought I could use my speed to better advantage if I just
ran the 1600 this year.
Rachel Giannascoli, sophomore(with three freshmen) of 2nd place 4x800
team, Haverford HS:
(on the pressure): In winter track we thought we had potential,
but we had to work on it. We got here because we did our workouts and were
really determined. Since we've been here weÃve had a million peptalks,
saying things like 'stay calm', 'we can do this', and we did it. Actually,
Districts was more nerve-wracking than this because you have to get here.
This is our last race, so we just had to do it. We didn't have any more
races to get to. Our goal will be to win it next year.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Girls AAA 4x100 Finals: Lower Merion, 47.96
Girls AAA 4x400 Finals: Merion Mercy, 3:49.04; Harrisburg, 3:50.62;
Abington, 3:54.49; Chester, 3:55.02; Cocalico, 3:55.83; Strath Haven, 3:56.12;
Norristown, 3:56.79
Girls AAA 4x800 Finals: Spring Ford, 9:15.94; Haverford Township,
9:19.19; Radnor, 9:22.00; Villa Maria Academy, 9:22.12; McDowell, 9:23.42;
Pennsbury, 9:23.61; Nazareth, 9:25.72; Hempfield Area (7), 9:25.81; Manheim
Township, 9:30.50; Cheltenham, 9:33.81
Girls AAA 800 Finals: Evelyn Dwyer, Merion Mercy, 2:11.88; Meghan
O'Neill, Spring Ford, 2:12.39; Danielle Siebert, Central Bucks East, 2;14.13
Girls AAA 1600: Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, 4:58.08; Ruth
Loyer, Red Lion, 4:58.13; Jessica Cickay, Council Rock, 4:58.30; Jessie
Yester, Downingtown, 5:02.47; Maureen McCandless, Nazareth Academy, 5:02.60;
Rebecca Powell, Pennsbury, 5:03.56
Girls AAA 3200: Paige Miller, Wissahickon, 10:39.61; Katie Ewart,
Upper Dublin, 10:48.96; Stacey Muchal, Valley View, 10:49.90; Lauren Schaeffer,
West Allegheny, 10:51.68; Angela Saterstad, Upper Dauphin, 10:57.04
Girls AAA 100 Finals: Jakki Bailey, Kennett, 11.93 (Lorraine
Welson, Lower Merion, 12.20)
Girls AAA 200 Finals: Tiffany Abney, Merion Mercy, 24.55 (Dominique
Darden, 24.97)
Girls AAA 400 Finals: Tiffany Abney, Merion Mercy, 53.94; Danielle
Rodgers, Pennwood, 55.47; Dominique Darden, Harrisburg, 56.21; Miriam Barnes,
Harrisburg, 56.46
Girls AAA 100H Finals: Dominique Darden, Harrisburg, 14.53; Sheena
Gordon, McDowell, 14.56
Girls AAA 300H Finals: Tiffany Abney, Merion Mercy, 43.32; Lauren
Kelchner, Pleasant Valley, 44.48
Girls AAA High Jump: Sheena Gordon, McDowell, 5-09.00
Girls AAA Triple Jump: Sheena Gordon, McDowell, 42-03.50; Denise
Edwards, Pottstown, 38-09.75; Farren Benson, Chester, 38-07.75; Janine
Smith, West Chester Henderson, 38-06.50; Jamie Gee, Wissahickon, 38-01.00
Girls AAA Long Jump: Sheena Gordon, McDowell, 18-07.50
Girls AAA Pole Vault: Emily Therpe, McDowell, 12-03.00; Jackie
Rodgers, Baldwin, 12-00.00; Michelle Ezzie, Upper Darby, 11-00.00; Rachel
Fardbee, Butler, 11-00.00
Girls AAA Javelin: Beth Crocus, Freedom, 142-10; Monica Salak,
139-01; Missy Cekan, North Allegheny, 138-08
Girls AAA Shot Put: Marcie Hepler, Kiski Area, 42-05.00
