PIAA TRACK & FIELD: ATHENS' BURGESS RUNS PR TO EARN FOURTH-PLACE MEDAL AT CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIPS (15 PHOTOS) (2025-05-24)
ATHENS GRAD JARRED GAMBRELL INDUCTED INTO PIAA HALL OF FAME
By CHRIS MANNING
Valley Sports ReportSHIPPENSBURG — Coming into this season, Athens junior Abby Burgess knew the odds of getting on to the PIAA Track and Field state podium this year were longer due to them moving up to Class 3A. Still, the junior snuck into the 100-meter finals, then moved up from the eighth seed to finish fourth in the state in 12.12 seconds here Saturday at Shippensburg University.
“I didn’t expect that my time would be that, and I’m just so glad I got fourth,” remarked Burgess, whose time was a new personal-best. “I was going in ranked last - I just made it by the skin of my teeth - but to come out with a PR just feels amazing because I hit both of my goals.”
She was just .02 away from a bronze medal, and did it all from the far left eighth lane.
“It’s hard not having another person to my right because I’m so used to being in the inner lanes,” explained Burgess. “But I can see everyone on my left, though. I could see all the leaders to keep pushing.”
Senior Sara Bronson took 27th in the Class 3A 800-meter run with a school-record time of 2:20.01 in the final race of her high school career.
Athens coach Mike Bronson was proud of Burgess and Sara Bronson.
“Both girls had a great weekend, both came away with new personal records, Abby with a state medal and Sara with a new school record," said Bronson. "You can’t ask for much more than that at the state championships.”
The weather was a little better - no rain, a little warmer, but still a nasty wind.
“I was a little worried this morning when we got here because it was freezing, but the weather lightened up and it got pretty nice for a running temperature,” Burgess said.
The junior was running even with the two girls on her left most of the way, then pulled ahead in the final 20 meters.
“I just wanted to keep going the entire way, and not break anything,” Burgess said. “Continue all the way past the finish line. At districts that’s what happened, I broke my form because I was in the lead.”
More than anything, though, this was a big confidence booster for Burgess going into her senior year.
“It does make me feel a lot better about moving up to Class 3A,” she said. “To know that I am in one of the tops to be able to compete, it’s pretty good.”
Athens senior Jase Babcock tied for 17th in the Class 3A high jump Saturday afternoon. He cleared 6-feet, and 6-feet, 2-inches, but couldn’t quite get 6-feet, 4-inches.
6-feet, 6-inches was needed to get on the podium, and state champion, Dallastown’s Jalen Cook, hit 7-feet, 3-inches to break the state record.
Athens also saw former standout Jarred Gambrell get inducted into the PIAA Track and Field Hall of Fame Saturday. He joins his sister Breana Gambrell as only the second brother-sister duo to achieve that honor.
Jarred Gambrell won three consecutive PIAA gold medals in the triple jump, and still holds the state record at 50-feet, 1 3/4-inches. He also set the District 4 records in the triple jump (49-feet, 6-inches) and the long jump (23-feet, 6 1/4-inches).
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.
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