Munson, Meckes, Lloyd golden at Schuylkill Track championships

ORWIGSBURG – Jim Thorpe’s junior shot put thrower Billy Munson was a happy camper on Tuesday during the first day of the Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships at Blue Mountain High School.

Munson let loose with three big throws en route to capturing first place in the event. His winning heave of 49-10 1/2 rewrote the Olympian record books in the process.

“I’ve been working like heck to win this event,” said Munson. “It’s a personal best and a school best. I’ve been chasing the record (this season).”

As much as Munson was glowing with his wide smile, his coach Frank Miller was feeling the euphoria, too.

“It was a wonderful day for Mr. Munson,” said Miller. “He also had a PR (personal best) in the javelin to get us critical team points. He’s been building all year long to get the shot put record. Hopefully, we can get him a little further at districts and to Shippensburg (states). His work ethic will allow him that opportunity.”

Munson didn’t get a first place in the javelin, but he finished in sixth spot, and could very well qualify for the District 11 event next week at Whitehall High School. It also helped add critical points overall in the boys team standings.

Munson was the top thrower in the shot put, Tamaqua’s Amodea Matthew finished third with a throw of 45-feet. Munson’s teammate Jason Scott added a fifth place with a throw of 42-11 3/4.

In the girls’ discus, Lehighton got a gold medal from Isabelle Meckes, who beat back Marian’s Emma McClafferty with a throw of 118-05. McClafferty was second, tossing it 111-01.

“It wasn’t my best throw, but I’ll take it,” smiled Meckes who’s personal best is 124-01. “My nerves usually get the best of me, but today I was a little calmer. I’m not very consistent all the time even today it showed at times. It’s just the competition against yourself.”

Lehighton’s Kaia Slaw finished second in the long jump at 17-0. North Schuylkill’s Sara Wagner (17-7) was first, Thorpe’s Marnea Wise (16-3) added a third place; Lehighton’s Isabella Baka was fourth and Tamaqua’s Megan Rolko was fifth.

Jim Thorpe’s Debbi Loyd picked up a gold medal winning the pole vault (10-6) just nipping second place Baka (10-0). Tamaqua’s Shanna Brinkworth (9-6) was fourth and Thorpe’s Anna Shigo (8-6) and Tessa Bevilacqua placed fourth and fifth respectively.

The girls’ javelin had a pair of Tamaqua throwers finished second and third behind winner Elsie Wanamker of Blue Mountain who hurled the sphere 118. Alyssa Campomizzi let loose with a 115-7 throw for the Tams and teammate Emily Titus tossed it 111-7. Lehighton’s Grace Lienhard was fourth (108-11).

Tamaqua’s Shae Blasiak was tied for second place in the high jump with Pottsville’s Lamir Walker both were at 6-0. Blue Mountain’s Blasé Carr (6-6) won the event. Blue Mountain long jumpers finished with the top three spots while Tamaqua’s Barron Stauffenberg was fourth place (20-4). In the javelin, Dave Krewson of Blue Mountain picked up the gold with a throw of 185-08. Lehighton’s Jackson Schaeffer had a 159-11 throw.

Tamaqua boys’ were favorites coming into the meet in the 3200 relay event and didn’t disappoint. The Blue Raiders’ team of Derian Stianche, Chris Osenbach, Darin Miller and Brad Clemson breezed home in a time of 8:18.48, well ahead of runner-up Jim Thorpe (8:29.28) and third place Lehighton (8:31.61).

“We felt pretty good being seeded first and we wanted to hold on to it,” said Miller who ran the third leg for the Raiders.

Clemson didn’t feel any pressure despite being the top dog. “We had a good lead going into the last lap all I had to do was hold it. We dropped our time by 18 seconds today.”

So speedy was the Tamaqua foursome that they nearly overlapped two other teams. “Seed times don’t always mean that much,” offered Osenbach who ran a 2:05 split time, “a lot of teams don’t come out and run that well so you really can’t base it on the seed times.”

Stianche knew the race wasn’t going to be easy after he took the baton on the third leg. “There were a lot of runners around me once I took the baton,” he said. “I knew I had to just run my race. I went out and ran all the corners like our coach tells us to do.”

The Tamaqua girls didn’t equal the boys run, however they finished in second place with a time of 9:52.23 behind, Minersville which ran a clipper-like 9:43.44. In the girls’ 300 meter hurdles, Tamaqua’s Kane Makenna was fifth and Lehighton’s Karissa Hough sixth. Blue Mountain’s Jacey Miller was the winner (47.12).

The 3200 meter run for the boys found Shenandoah Valley’s Luis Velazquez winning in a time of 10:05.75, while Thorpe’s Chris Valdez (10:27.87) and Weatherly’s Scott Zoscin (10:40.53) added a fourth and fifth place respectively.

In the girls’ 3200 meter run, Pine Grove’s Christina Difalco (11:18.46) captured the top spot, Tamaqua’s Sarah Maue (12:11.93) was third and Marian’s Carolyn Mehallo (12:51.59) fifth.

TEAM SCORES ... The Blue Mountain boys are sitting atop the leader board with 72 points after the first day of competition, followed by Pottsville (41), Jim Thorpe (35), Tamaqua (22 ½) points and Lehighton (20). Thorpe’s Miller was glowing about where his team is positioned. “We’re very happy after the first day,” he said. “Chris Valdez got us some critical points finishing fourth in the 3200 run. We’re set up for our sprint races, which is a very strong point of our team.”

Meanwhile, on the girl’s side of the ledger, Lehighton pulled ahead of Tamaqua. The Indians are in front after day one with 52 ½ points, Tamaqua is second at 46 ½ points, followed by Blue Mountain (43), North Schuylkill (37) and Jim Thorpe (26).

MORE TO COME … Today will feature round two starting at 4 p.m. Several area thinclads have qualified in a number of events. In girls events, Jim Thorpe’s Kylee Dulski and Mackenzie Rosenberger are in the 100 hurdle finals; Weatherly’s Emily Zoscin will race in both the 100 and 200; Thorpe’s Emma Dunbar is in the 100; Tamaqua’s Kayla Sherry is in the 200. On the boys side, Thorpe’s Tom Layden and Tamaqua’s Nicholas DiMarco are in the 100 hurdles. Tahmir Spencer of Lehighton drew the best qualifying time in the 200-meter dash, while a trio of Olympians led by Nujai Walcott, Jarin Geisinger and Jeffrey Gorman will also race in the 200. Matt Kistler of Tamaqua is also in the event.

SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP

Legend

Blue Mountain (BM), Jim Thorpe (JT), Lehighton (L), Mahanoy Area (MA), Marian (Mar), Minersville (Min), Nativity (N), North Schuylkill (NS), Panther Valley (PV), Pine Grove (PG), Pottsville (P), Schuylkill Haven (SH), Shenandoah Valley (SV), Tamaqua (T), Weatherly (W).

Results

(top four plus other locals)

BOYS

3200 - 1. Luis Velazquez (SV) 10:05.75, 2. Wayne Reilly (Min), 3. Travis Anderson (PG), 4. Chris Valdez (JT), 5. Scott Zoscin (W), 10. Noah Rodgers (JT), 11. Evan Beers (L), 13. Anthony Maguschak (W), 14. Isaac Miller (T), 16. Blake Kilmer (JT), 17. Eddie Pulaski (Mar).

300 H - 1. Mike Holobetz (P) 40.74, 2. David Krewson (BM), 3. Robert Walchak (P), 4. Kris Boxter (MA), 7. Thomas Layden (JT), 8. Zeno Zukovich (T), 10. Justin Ellis (JT), 14. Ryan Chapman (Mar), 15. Dawson Schriner (JT), 18. Nicholas DiMarco (T), 19. Xavier Cuadrado (T), 20. Ben Mathisen (L), 21. Joseph Jordan (Mar).

3200 Relay - 1. Tamaqua (Derian Stianche, Christopher Osenbach, Dair Miller, Brad Clemson) 8:18.48, 2. Jim Thorpe (Chris Valdez, Blake Kilmer, James Schwartz, Samuel Hydro), 3. Lehighton (Anthony Tavella, Nathan Lucykanish, Caine Carpenter, Evan Beers), 4. Mahanoy Area.

High jump - 1. Blase Carr (BM) 6-6, 2. Lamir Walker (P) and Shae Blasiak (L), 4. Benjamin Bunnick (BM), 6. Frank Prisinzano (JT), 7. Adam Depew (PV), 8. Billy Shilko (T), 10. Ryan Chapman (Mar) and Justin Ahner (L), 14. Jayvon McDowell (L).

Long jump - 1. Benjamin Bunnick (BM) 21-1 1/2, 2. McClay O’Donnell (BM), 3. Blase Carr (BM), 4. Owen Williams (P), 5. Barron Stauffenberg (T), 7. Caine Carpenter (L), 9. Cody Scherer (L) and Isaiah Wetzel (L), 12. Justin St. Hill (JT), 14. Frank Prisinzano (JT), 17. John Franko (T), 18. Aiden Hinchey (Mar), 19. Jonathan Reynolds (PV).

Shot put - 1. William Munson (JT) 49-10 1/2, 2. Joshua Gurzynski (SH), 3. Matthew Amodea (T), 4. Aaron Bensinger (BM), 5. Jason Scott (JT), 8. Tyler Disbrow (T), 11. Alan Bailor (JT), 12. Carson Schoener (T), 15. Dakota Hiester (L), 18. Andrew Osilka (Mar), 19. Blake Morgans (PV).

Javelin - 1. David Krewson (BM) 185-8, 2. Chris Stoudt (P), 3. Mason Geary (NS), 4. Jackson Schaeffer (L), 6. William Munson (JT), 11. Jacob Rudy (T), 12. Carson Schoener (T), 14. Ben Schatz (L), 15. Jason Scott (JT), 17. Johnny Malarkey (Mar), 18. Carter Brettle (PV).

GIRLS

3200 - 1. Christina Difalco (PG) 11:18.46, 2. Cori McCormick (NS), 3. Sarah Maue (T), 4. Angelique Antonini (BM), 5. Carolyn Mehallo (Mar), 6. Kelsey Gaston (L), 7. Kailee Carroll (T), 9. Paige Wehr (L), 10. Madelyn Jones (T), 11. Alyssa Williams (L).

300 H - 1. Jacey Miller (BM) 47.12, 2. Meredith Rhoades (MA), 3. Brittney Dunleavy (BM), 4. Caitlin Coyle (P), 5. Makenna Kane (T), 6. Karissa Hough (L), 10. Molly Murphy (T), 13. Kaitlin Lowery (Mar), 14. Autumn Steibler (PV), 15. Mackenzie Rosenberger (JT), 16. Morgan Hadesty (T), 17. Olivia Frendt (L), 19. Isabella Wagner (W), 22. Chelsea Eckhart (L), 23. Kylee Dulski (JT), 24. Autumn Snyder (JT).

3200 Relay - 1. Minersville 9:43.44, 2. Tamaqua (Brianna Dumond, Sarah Maue, Frances Kabana, Olivia Stanek), 3. North Schuylkill, 4. Lehighton (Amanda Mathisen, Kelsey Gaston, Madison Cressley, Tinaya Klotz).

Pole vault - 1. Debbie Loyd (JT) 10-6, 2. Isabella Baka (L), 3. Shanna Brinkworth (T), 4. Anna Shigo (JT), 5. Tessa Bevilacqua (JT), 6. Sarah Laible (L) and Sophia Boyle (T), 9. Megan Rolko (T).

Long jump - 1. Sarah Wagner (NS) 17-7 1/2, 2. Kaia Slaw (L), 3. Marnea Wise (JT), 4. Isabella Baka (L), 5. Megan Rolko (T), 12. Alexa Ruzicka (PV), 13. Ashley Beers and Shanna Brinkworth (T), 15. Abigail McGinley (JT), 17. Ariel Stanalonis (Mar).

Discus - 1. Isabelle Meckes (L) 118-5, 2. Emma McClafferty (Mar), 3. Emma Green (NS), 4. Emma Nalesnike (NS), 8. Devon Lignore (JT), 11. Holly Skrimcovsky (JT), 12. Rhylee Sherwood (L), 13. Meghan McArdle (T), 15. Angela Ceci (T).

Javelin - 1. Elsie Wanamaker (BM) 118-0, 2. Alyssa Campomizzi (T), 3. Emily Titus (T), 4. Grace Lienhard (L), 6. Emily Miller (L), 11. Jacqueline Kokinda (PV), 13. Lillian Brown (L), 14. Kristen Scott (L), 15. Sophia Bauer (Mar).