VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' BRONSON NAMED 'TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF YEAR;' TIOGA'S ROSSI, WAVERLY'S TWEDT, ATHENS' BRONSON, 4-X-8 RELAY ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2024-06-12)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens junior Sara Bronson took advantage of her return trip to Shippensburg by earning her first state medal. She is the Valley Sports Report 2024 Girls "Track & Field Athlete of the Year."

Tioga 8th-grader Vida Rossi is the "Field Athlete of the Year," while Waverly 8th-grader Kaylin Twedt is the "Newcomer of the Year," the Athens 4-x-8 is the "Relay of the Year," and Athens’ Mike Bronson is the "Coach of the Year."

Sara Bronson won the 800-meter run at the NTL Championships, and was second in the and 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

Bronson earned four medals at the District 4, Class AA Championships. She punched her ticket to States with a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter run, and a fourth-place finish in the 1,600-meter run, and also ran on the second-place 3,200-meter relay. She narrowly missed States with a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter run.

At States, Bronson finished fourth in the 1,600-meter run in a school-record time of 5:03.53. She finished 10th in the 3,200 in a time of 11:19.16, and the 4-x-8 relay finished 11th.

Athens’ 3,200-meter relay foursome of Bronson, senior Thea Bentley, and sophomores Ava Hughes and Lizzie Gorsline had a good regular season, but itself on the map at the District 4 Championships, where as the third seed it ran a season-best time of 9:39.26 — more than 25 1/2 seconds faster than its seed time — to finish second.

At States, the 1,600-meter relay foursome finished 11th in a time of 9:56.08.

Rossi, who consistently led the Tigers in points throughout the regular season, third in long jump at IACs, the was second at the Class C Championships.

Rossi finished second in Division 2 in the long jump at the State Qualifier, narrowly missing States.

Twedt made an immediate impact for the Wolverines earning three first-place finishes, including the 200-meter dash, and a second-place finish in the 100 in her first varsity meet at Corning.

At the Class C Championships, Twedt was sixth in the 100-meter dash, and ran on two medal-winning relays.

Mike Bronson led Athens to another NTL Large School Division title, and another team title at the NTL Championships. The Wildcats also advanced Sara Bronson to States in two individual events, as well as its 3,200-meter relay team.

The 2024 All-Valley Girls Track & Field Super 7
Sara Bronson, senior, Athens: See above.

Abby Burgess, sophomore, Athens: Burgess was a consistent triple- and quad-winner for the Wildcats during the regular season She won the 100 and 200 at the NTL Championships, and was third in the 400. She also ran on the first-place 1,600-meter relay team.

Burgess went on to win silver medals in 100 and 200 at the District 4 Championships.

Rose Shikanga, junior, Sayre: Shikanga was a consistent point-winner in both hurdle events during the regular season for the Redskins.

She focused on the 100-meter hurdles late in the season, and won an NTL title in the event. She placed sixth at Districts.

Vida Rossi, 8th-grader, Tioga: (See high jump accolades above) … Rossi was a consistent point-getter in four events for Tioga throughout the regular season.

She placed fourth in the 200 at the IAC Championships, and was eighth in 100.

At the Section IV, Class C meet, she was fourth in the 100 and sixth in the 200. She also ran on the fifth-place 400-meter relay team. At State Qualifier, she was 10th in the 200, and 17th in the 100.

Haley Larrabee, sophomore, Waverly: Larrabee got better and better as the season progressed for the Wolverines.

At the STAC Championships, Larrabee finished second in the 400-meter dash, and ran on the fourth-place 1,600-meter relay, and eighth-place 400-meter relay. She finished fourth in the 400 at the Class C Championships, and was on the fourth-place 400 relay, and the fifth-place 1,600 relay.

Emma Pernaselli, sophomore, Athens: Pernaselli was the top point-winner in the field for the Wildcats in the regular season.

Pernaselli was third in shot put, and fifth in the javelin at the NTL Championships, and fifth in discus, and 14th in javelin at the District 4 Championships.

Ava Hughes, sophomore, Athens: Not only did Hughes run on the 3,200-meter relay that finished second at the District 4 Championships, and 11th at States, she was a consistent place-finisher in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs throughout the season.

Hughes finished fourth in the 3,200, and sixth in 1,600 at the NTL Championships. She was fourth in the 3,200 at the District 4 meet, and 23rd in the 1,600.

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2024 All-Valley Girls Track Super 7 Newcomers
Kaylin Twedt, 8th-grader, Waverly.
Elizabeth Denlinger, freshman, Athens.
Kaitlyn Leonard, freshman, Athens.
Grace Howey, 7th-grader, Tioga.
Gretchen Schmieg, junior, Athens.
Emma Renninger, junior, Athens.
Lizzy Shaw, senior, Sayre.

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PAST WINNERS
"Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year"
2024 — Sara Bronson, Athens
2023 — Sara Bronson, Athens
2022 — Hannah Walker, Athens
2021 — Julia Walsh, Tioga
2020 — NONE
2019 — Rachel Hutchison, Athens
2018 — Breana Gambrell, Athens
2017 — Breana Gambrell, Athens
2016 — Breana Gambrell, Athens
2015 — Breana Gambrell, Athens
2014 — Charlsie Bowen, Tioga
2013 — Elyse Skerpon, Sayre
2012 — Charlsie Bowen, Tioga
2011 — Mariah Brown, Waverly
2010 — Autumn Johnson and Erika Kisel, Waverly


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