Six individuals, one relay medal on second day of PIAA Championships

SHIPPENSBURG – Lungs burning and legs churning, Sam Hydro did everything he could to hold on.

The Jim Thorpe senior didn’t know who was coming behind him – and he didn’t care.

All that mattered was what he saw in front of him.

The result was the race of his life, a performance that helped him secure a silver medal Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

Though Juniata’s Garrett Baublitz won the Class 2A 800 in 1:53.96, just edging Hydro, who ran a massive personal best (1:54.24), there was little to be disappointed about on the final day of competition at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

“I really wanted to get first place,” Hydro said afterward. “I gave it my all, crushed my PR. I have to give it up to Garrett Baublitz, he’s a great runner, and it’s very well deserved. But I’m more than happy with what I did today.

“Last week, I PR’d at districts, I did a 1:56.99. It wasn’t a great race, and today, I went out hard, like I’m supposed to, and did what I could that second lap.”

Hydro kicked in the final 300 meters, making a move on the outside going down the backstretch to surge to the front.

“I felt good. Coming down, I had no idea who was behind me,” said Hydro. “I felt really good, but that last 50 meters, (my legs) felt like concrete coming down. I gave it all I could, I had nothing left, and Baublitz just had a great kick, and that’s what happened.

“That’s where I have to go. Last year, Collin Ebling (of Pottsville), he kicked at the 300, that’s what won him the race. And I’d say about the same thing happened. We came right down to that last 100, and that’s all I had. Baublitz really just had a lot more in him, and that’s about it.”

The kick sent Hydro, who was seeded third, to the lead with the race winding down, a position he has become familiar – and comfortable – with this season.

“I would say coming around that 300, everybody was kind of inside. I could tell people were slowing down,” said Hydro, who won the district title in the event last week. “Going into this, I knew that I couldn’t rely on anybody, so I just had to go out there and do my own thing, run a race I haven’t run as hard before. Coming down there, I felt so good about it; I thought I had it.

“Right there, I was just trying to hold on, hold off anybody that was there. I could hear somebody that was coming up behind me. Once he came up next to me – I usually never get out-kicked, but it’s just what it is, and I had nothing left. You got to give it to him. He ran a great race.”

Baublitz also won the 1600 in 4:11.54 on Saturday.

“Baublitz has been here before doing it,” said Hydro. “But to come here, throw down this time, that much faster, it feels great either way. I’m very happy.

“This was definitely my goal coming off cross country, not having the season I wanted. I wanted to show up this season, and make a statement, and just have a great season.”

Hydro’s runner-up finish highlighted a day that saw six individual area athletes and one relay team capture state medals.

Palmerton’s Jordan Nelson captured his first state medal in his third trip to Shippensburg, placing third in the 2A 110 hurdles with a time of 14.89.

“It feels great. I get to enjoy it with the rest of my team and celebrate after,” said Nelson. “It’s just a wonderful experience.

“I wish I would have run a faster time today. But overall, I can’t complain. It was great weather, great competition.”

Nelson, who won league and district titles in the event, ran a 15.18 in Friday’s prelims, and a 15.45 in the semis.

“The final was competitive, definitely,” said Nelson. “I feel like I had a pretty good start, and they just picked up; I just had to keep up with them.

“I’ve definitely grown a lot, especially when you see my time compared to other people. So every year, my confidence just keeps growing. My ultimate goal was just to go sub-15, and finally I did that.”

While Nelson captured his first state medal, his real breakthrough might have come at the league meet, where he won his second straight gold medal.

“I would say definitely at leagues,” said Nelson of when his confidence started to grow. “I feel like I really started to push myself then and there, and I feel like from then on, I feel like after I ran my times there, I feel like my confidence really just kept going up.”

Nelson hit his PR last week at districts, running a 14.68. Though he didn’t quite get the time he was looking for, the junior, who was seeded second, is eager to come back next year and improve his standing.

“I just wanted to get somewhat close to my district time, and third place, I’m fine with that running a 14.89,” said Nelson. “I definitely want to go for gold next year.”

Northern Lehigh’s Reagan Pender won her first medal at the PIAA Championships with a fourth-place finish in the 2A 3200 (11:10.50).

“I thought it was fast; I thought I blinked and it was over,” said Pender. “But I thought it went well. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Pender has had a stellar postseason. The junior was a Colonial League champion and a district runner-up before picking up her first state medal.

“I worried for about a month. Last night we went out to dinner, and that was fun. Then I went home and I rested. And my best friend’s up here … she’s kind of like my stress release; she knows how to talk me out of things when I start thinking a little too much. But my team, my coaches, my parents – lots of prayer — all helped.

Pender stayed in the top five throughout, and used a kick in the final 50 meters to secure fourth place.

“I think the fifth lap (I knew the race was going well), because that’s when you’re into the race,” said Pender. “We have three laps to go, and once we do that lap, it’s an 800 left, so it’s all you have left.

Palmerton’s Jake Martinez was fifth in the 2A 1600 with a time of 4:23.43 to capture his second state medal.

“Honestly, when I thought back to freshman year, this is what I always dreamed of being. It’s pretty crazy. It’s my last race, and to be able to medal again, and to be on the podium with some great runners, is just a dream come true.”

Martinez, who was eighth in the race a year ago, picked his way through the field to work his way into contention. Martinez was next to last after the first lap, and hung around eighth over the next 800.

“I’m a guy that really likes to race plan, but it got completely blown up after the first lap,” Martinez said. “We took it out so fast, and I was just struggling to stay attached. But I stayed calm. My coach, and my parents, they always have taught me through the workouts we do, just how to stay calm when the situation changes.”

Jim Thorpe’s Lydia Wallace earned her first state medal with a sixth-place finish in the 2A 300 hurdles in 46.63. Wallace was seeded 22nd overall coming into the event with a 48.28, but the sophomore ran a huge PR of 45.97 in Friday’s prelims to advance to the final.

“It means a lot,” said Wallace. “Just starting the hurdles this year, I never would have thought I would have gotten here. My goal was to medal in the 800 by my senior year, and now I’m a sophomore, and I medaled in an event I never would have medaled in at states.”

Wallace also qualified for states in the 800, but did not make it into the finals.

“I think the other events, the sprints, and the mid-distance races, they definitely helped me. They helped me get used to the feeling.”

Tamaqua’s Grace Stegemerten, Sarah Maue, Brianna Dumond and Frances Kabana collected their first state medal together, placing sixth in the 2A 3200 relay with a time of 9:46.41.

“It’s amazing,” said Dumond. “It means the world to me just to see how much we’ve all grown and how far we’ve come. It’s just been an amazing season, and it’s great to see the payout come out this well for us.”

The Raiders, who eclipsed their seed time of 9:49.46, hung in medal contention throughout, running eighth after the second leg before Dumond raced up to fourth before handing off to Kabana, the anchor.

“The goal was to go out, stay fast, and try to stay with the next person in front of you,” said Kabana.

“Try to pass as many people as possible,” added Maue.

“Just stay in position to get a medal,” said Dumond.

Jim Thorpe’s Jarrin Geisinger collected his second state medal, placing seventh in the 2A 100 with a time of 11.19.

“It definitely feels good for my last year being here. I could have not placed, so I’m definitely grateful that I placed in the top eight. I wished to be higher, but you can’t be greedy.”

Geisinger, who also qualified for states in the 200 and made it to the semis, ran an 11.04 in the prelims and semis in the 100.

For Geisinger, it was about more than just him on Saturday.

“I came out here to give it all to my boy Tyler (Kowatch), that passed away of heart problems,” Geisinger said. “And I definitely wanted a medal for him, for sure.”

Geisinger was also seventh in the 100 as a sophomore while competing for Marian.

“I just want to thank everyone from Jim Thorpe,” said Geisinger. “They were all supporting me through this, and I can’t thank them enough.”

PIAA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS (DAY 2)

RESULTS OF AREA ATHLETES

GIRLS

CLASS 2A

3200 – Reagan Pender, Northern Lehigh, 11:10.50, fourth overall

3200 relay – Tamaqua, 9:46.41, sixth overall

Shot put – Emily Titus, Tamaqua, 34-04.0, 16th overall

Pole vault – Debbie Loyd, Jim Thorpe, 9-6, 15th overall

300 hurdles – Lydia Wallace, Jim Thorpe, 46.63, sixth overall

CLASS 3A

Discus – Isabelle Meckes, Lehighton, 114-06, tied for 12th

High jump – Kaia Slaw, Lehighton, 5-3, tied for 14th; Armani Dunkley, Pleasant Valley, 5-0, tied for 24th

Long jump – Kaia Slaw, Lehighton, 17-0.0, 19th overall

BOYS

CLASS 2A

110 hurdles – Jordan Nelson, Palmerton, 15.45, second in semifinals, advances to final; Nelson, 14.89, third overall

100 – Jarrin Geisinger, Jim Thorpe, 11.04, first in semifinals, advances to final; Geisinger, 11.19, seventh overall

Triple jump – Jordan Nelson, Palmerton, 41-06.00, 14th overall

1600 – Jake Martinez, Palmerton, 4:23.43, fifth overall

200 – Jarrin Geisinger, Jim Thorpe, 25.44, eighth in semifinal heat, does not advance

800 – Sam Hydro, Jim Thorpe, 1:54.24, second overall; Jake Martinez, Palmerton, 2:04.48, 11th overall

Shot put – William Munson, Jim Thorpe, 46-08.0, 17th overall

CLASS 3A

Long jump – Barron Stauffenberg, Tamaqua, 21-01.25, 16th overall