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Top Seeds, Defending Champions Lead the Way For D9/10 Athletes at PIAA Track/Field Powered by Janney Montgomery Scott in Clarion

Redbank Valley's Mylee Harmon. File photo by Andy Close.

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SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Three returning state champions from Districts 9 and 10- Union/A-C Valley’s Hayden Smith, Redbank Valley’s Mylee Harmon, and Hickory’s Luca Bertolasio make their way to Shippensburg in search of repeat gold, while others look to join them.

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Of those three, Smith goes into Friday’s action as the top seed in the Class 2A high jump, and he is joined by top seeds Levi Prementine of Slippery Rock (2A boys 300 hurdles, long jump), the Brookville 4×100 relay team of Brayden Kunselman, Hayden Freeman, Nick Shaffer, and Jack Pete, Redbank Valley’s Cam Wagner in the discus and Union/A-C Valley’s Evie Bliss in the javelin.

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The action gets underway from Seth Grove Stadium at Shippensburg University at 9 a.m. on Friday.

Here’s a closer look at each classification.

CLASS 2A BOYS

The Brookville 4×100 relay team, with a time of 42.57 at the D9 championships, comes in as a favorite to win gold, with Conemaugh Township seeded second at 43.21. In addition, Kunselman is the No. 6 seed in the 100 at 10.99, with Ethan Black of Conemaugh Township the top seed at 10.48.

Prementine is a huge story here as well, with PRs in all three of his individual events at the D10 championships, he is the No. 1 seed in both the 300 hurdles (38.70) and long jump (22’10”). Issac Wetzel of Freeport is seeded second in the 300 hurdles at 38.90, while Prementine’s teammate, Eli Anderson is seeded fifth at 39.55. In the long jump, Prementine comes in with a mark of 22’10”, an event loaded with D9/10 athletes. Harbor Creek’s Brandon Konieczki is second at 22’9”, while Reynolds’ Jacob Williams is seeded sixth, Farrell’s Lamont Samuels 10th and Redbank Valley’s Aiden Ortz 11th. Prementine is also seeded fifth in the 110 hurdles at 14.83.

Smith cleared 6’8 ¼” at the D9 championships, which earned him the top seed in the high jump. Noah Gunderson of Annville-Cleona is seeded second at 6’7”, while Harbor Creek’s Boden Gushie and Kane’s Sam Lundeen both come in at 6’3”.

Wagner, meanwhile, comes in as the top seed in the discus at 165’1”, with Brady Cooper of Laurel seeded second at 160’11”, Landon Chalmers of Union/A-C Valley seeded sixth and Oil City’s Cam Crocker seeded seventh.

Chalmers is seeded fourth, Nick Krahe of Harbor Creek fifth and Wagner eighth in the shot put.

Elsewhere, Coudersport’s Kevin Sherry is seeded sixth in the 3200 and seventh in the 1600, while Punxsutawney’s Evan Groce is seeded eighth in the 800, Lakeview’s Danick Hinkson and Slippery Rock’s Tyler Arblaster eighth and ninth in the 200, Kane’s Ricky Zampogna fourth and Otto-Eldred’s Shene Thomas eighth in the triple jump, Clarion-Limestone’s Ryan Hummell sixth and DCC’s Aiden Grieneisen ninth in the javelin and Wilmington’s Solomon Glavach fifth and Punxsutawney’s Grant Miller sixth in the pole vault.

CLASS 2A GIRLS

Bliss, fresh off her District 9 2A meet-record heave of 155’9”, is the top seed in the javelin by quite a wide margin. The No. 2 seed is Morgan Reiner of Milton Area at 140’8”.

The Elk County 4×800 relay team of Grace Neubert, Sophia Billie, Sami Straub, and Gianna Bille is seeded fourth at 9:42.78, with Central Columbia the top seed at 9:36.13. Neubert is also seeded seventh in the 3200 at 11:29.29. Delaney Dumm of Forest Hill is the top seed at 10:32.57, while Mercer’s Willow Myers is seeded fifth at 11:14.95. Grove City’s Josie Jones is seeded ninth and Franklin’s Nadalie Latchaw 10th in the event.

Grove City’s Abbey Nichols is seeded second (17’8 ½”) in the long jump, with Cranberry’s Lailya Russell fifth (17’6”) and Reynolds’ Ava Murko eighth (17’3”). Nataly Walters of Palmerton is the top seed at 18’10”. Nichols is also seeded ninth in the 300 hurdles.

Reynolds’ Grace Bresnan is seeded third in the triple jump at 37’10 ½”, with Watlers the top seed at 39’2 ¾”.

Elsewhere, Lakeview’s Lydia Reed is seeded eighth (59.56) and Harmon 11th (59.76) in the 400. Ka’Nai Bey-English of Mastery Christian is the top seed at 55.30.

Sharon’s Ondrea Young is seeded third in the 100 hurdles at 15.42, with Taleea Buxton of West Catholic the top seed at 14.37. Greenville’s Karis McElhaney is seeded eighth and Myers 10th in the 1600, while Lakeview’s Erika McGowan is seeded fifth in the pole vault.

      

CLASS 3A BOYS/GIRLS

There are a few contenders here from D9/10, as Bertolasio is seeded seventh in the long jump at 22’1 ½”, with that leap coming in the wind and the rain at the D10 championships. Drake Risser of Lower Dauphin is the top seed at 15’9”.

Elsewhere on the boys’ side, Erie’s Bradon Schneider is seeded fourth in the pole vault at 15’0”, with Drake Risser of Lower Dauphin the top seed at 15’9”. General McLane’s Logan Anderson (110 hurdles) and Cathedral Prep’s Luke Brown (4:15.39) are both seeded 10th in their respective events.

On the girls’ side, St. Marys’ Gabby Pistner is seeded 11th in the 800 at 2:14.30, with Olivia Cieslak of Haverford Township the top seed at 4:09.53.

                       

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