Donegal Track Teams Dominate Blazers

by Vaughn Brown

 

Donegal's track and field teams have hit the ground running this season jumping out to impressive 2-0 starts that have them both sitting in first place in Section Three.

Last week proved to be another dominant showing for the Indians as they traveled to Lancaster Mennonite with the boys emerging victorious, 104-46 and the girls coming out on top as well, 120-30.

To put the icing on the cake, two records fell by the wayside as Taylor Nissly, Alice Fernald, Ashley Maxwell, and Kaylee Fahndrich's time of 50.6 in the 400 relay set a new school record and Ryan Stainecker set a new freshman record in the 400 with a time of 53.4 seconds.

While the boys controlled the entire meet, only two athletes won multiple events as Silas Buckwalter took first in the 1600 with a time of 4:49 as well as the 800, clocking in at 2:11.2, and Brooks Bear took the shot put with a toss of 46-6 and the discus with a throw of 134-1.

Bear's showing also led a clean sweep in the throws by the Indians as Nicholas Ketner (149-111), Bear (139-11), and Zecheriah Stiver (126-7) finished respectively in the javelin, while Cael Rapp (36-10), and Mason Sauder (36-2) finished second and third in the shot put and then swapped positions in the discus with respective throws of 112-4 and 106-6.

Likewise, Buckwalter's finish in the 800 was followed by Keith Atayde in second place with a time of 2:12.9, and Cody Canterbury in third with a 2:13.5. Other race sweeps included both the hurdles with Keeryen Stevens winning the high hurdles in 17.10, Calvin Woods (18.0) taking second, and Aedan Wilkinson (21.0) placing third, while in the 300 it was Woods (45.6), Stevens (46.0), and Wilkinson (47.4).

Meanwhile in the pole vault it was Jarred Ford (11-0), Davon Brantley (10-0), and Gabriel Hawley (8-6) scoring for the Indians.

Canterbury, Atayde, Dylan Zuch, and Buckwalter teamed up to win the 3200 relay in 8:52.9, while Stevens, Woods, Tyler Rupp, and Avery Walker took first in the 1600 relay with a time of 3:48.2, and Walker won the triple jump with a distance of 38-10.5

Rupp also placed third in the 100 with a time of 12.0, and second in the 200 in 24.2, Atayde (4:53.0) took third in the 1600, Cameron Arntz (56.0) finished third in the 400, Zuch (10:57.9) was third in the 3200, Payton Luft (17-2) and Joseph Schillizzi (16-8.75) finished second and third in the long jump, Adam Hawbaker (36-6.5) was third in the triple jump, and Woods (5-6) and Shane Buhrman (5-4) were second and third in the high jump.

For the girls it was much of the same as the Blazers were easily outscored by the lady Indians in every aspect of the meet.

Three girls won multiple events as Erin Slattery was first in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.6 and the 300 hurdles with a 53.6. Taylor Nissly won the 100 in 12.6 and the 200 in 25.9, and Carly Diffenderfer took first in the long jump with a distance of 14-0 and the triple jump with a 28-11.

Five events were swept by the girls as Hannah Lloyd (21.0), and Alexandra Daly (21.2) joined Slattery in the 100 hurdles, Seneca Straub (6:11.4), Miranda Nagle (6:14.5), and Megan Myers (6:16.5) took the 1600, Caroline Goodwill (1:05.4), Nissly (1:08.2), and Maxwell (1:09.5) took the 400, Jaiden Droege (13-5), and Daly (11-9.5) joined Diffenderfer in the long jump and Lauren Becker (4-6), and Alyssa McNece (4-4) took the high jump.

Other winners included Janell Brinser in the pole vault clearing 7-6, Hannah McNece in the javelin with a throw of 98-5, Rosalind Staie in the shot put with a toss of 31-11.5, and Aliza Young, Slattery, Lauren Redcay, and Fernald in the 1600 relay with a time of 4:17.9

Also, Fahndrich (13.2) took second in the 100, Daly (57.4) was second in the 300 hurdles, Straub (2:40.08) was third in the 800, Fernald (26.7) was second in the 200, Nagle ( 13:55.9) and McKenzie Dubusky (15:00.9) were second and third in the 3200, Lloyd (27-4.25) was second in the triple jump, Droege (6-6) was second in the pole vault, Alyssa McNece (96-4) was second in the javelin, Aliza Johns was second in the shot put with a 28-3.5 as well as the discus with a 79-1, with Chrysten Hynes (77-9) taking third.