DISTRICT 4 TRACK & FIELD: ATHENS' BRONSON PUNCHES TICKET TO STATES; BURGESS WINS PAIR OF THIRD-PLACE MEDALS AT CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIPS (24 PHOTOS) (2023-05-20)
By CHRIS MANNINGValley Sports ReportWILLIAMSPORT — Athens sophomore Sara Bronson ran a smart race on Saturday, and it got her to States. The Wildcat placed second in the 3,200-meter run at the District 4 Track and Field Championships with a new personal-best time of 11:13.44.
“It feels amazing,” Bronson said about taking silver and punching her ticket to States. “I’ve been wanting to do it since last year, and now that we changed to (Class AA), it was very realistic. This was my goal all season, so it feels great to get it.”
For the first six laps, Bronson sat on the shoulder of Bloomsburg’s Maizy Aikey.
“She was running a good pace,” explained Bronson. “If I stuck to that, I would be able to make it, so I sat right on her.”
With two laps to go Bronson and NEB’s Gracelyn Laudermilch took off side-by-side. Laudermilch eventually pulled away to win in 11:06.66, but Bronson was glad to be pushed.
“I just wanted to push and give it everything,” she said. “I got to see where that gets me, and it was awesome.”
The weather nearly perfect for the 2-milers — cooler and overcast, nothing like last year’s hot and humid conditions.
“The weather was really nice,” said Bronson. “It wasn’t too hot, and the rain hadn’t started yet, so I was really happy with how it turned out.”
As for States, Bronson plans on tapering a bit to get her legs rested up.
She also placed sixth in the 1,600-meter in 5:26.19.
Freshman Abby Burgess came up just short of States in the 100-meter dash, taking third in 12.72 — missing the state qualifying time by .02 seconds. She also placed third in the 200-meter dash in 26.35 seconds.
Cassy Friend, Emily Henderson, Addy Wheeler, and Jenny Ryan teamed up to finish 10th in the 400-meter relay in a time of 53.28 seconds.
Freshman Ava Hughes medaled in the 3,200-meter run, placing sixth in a time of 12:21.77. She was 17th in the 1,600-meter run in 5:56.34.
Senior Emma Bronson finished 15th in the 1,600-meter run in 5:48.96, and was 21st in the 800-meter run in 2:36.28. Junior Thea Bentley was 22nd in the 800 in 2:37.94.
Senior Natalee Watson was 12th in the shot put at 33-feet, 9-inches, while junior Mya Thompson was 19th in the triple jump at at 31-feet, 3 1/2-inches, and Jenny Ryan was 20th in the 200-meter dash in 27.96 seconds.
Junior Emma Pernaselli 22nd in the shot put at 27-feet, 3-inches and 24th in the javelin at 85-feet, 3-inches, and Henderson was 23rd in the 300-meter hurdles in 53.71 seconds.
BOYS — CLASS AAASophomore Kolsen Keathley placed eighth in the 200-meter dash in 23.15 seconds, and finished ninth in the 400-meter dash at 52.91 seconds. Senior Jaden Wright was 12th in the 200 in 23.77 seconds.
The foursome of senior Ethan Denlinger, and sophomores Ronel Ankam, Peter Jones, and Matt Driesbaugh placed seventh in the 1,6000-meter relay in a time of 3:46.7.
Wright teamed with juniors Kelley Reid and Jack Ryan, and Driesbaugh to finish eighth in the 400-meter relay in a time of 47.27 seconds.
Sophomore Ethan Hicks finished 11th in the 3,200-meter run in a time of 10:35.75. Hicks was 16th in the 1,600-meter run in 5:20.67.
Denlinger finished 10th in the 800-meter run in 2:04.74, while junior Josh Martin was 14th in the javelin with a throw of 133-feet, 9-inches, and Ankam was 15th in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.04 seconds.
Denlinger was also 15th in the 400-meter run in a time of 55.4 seconds.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens sophomore Sara Bronson. ... PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.
