GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD: Abington Heights dominates in Class 3A; Lakeland repeats in Class 2A
SCRANTON — A pair of track and field dynasties added to their legacies, but in much different ways.
Abington Heights and its seemingly endless depth of talent overwhelmed the competition to win the Class 3A team title with six gold medals and 164½ points. Lakeland didn't have an individual champion, but scored 49 points to win a second straight Class 2A team championship Tuesday night.
Both accepted plaques, which has become almost a ritual at the Robert Spagna Championship meet.
Abington Heights captured its 13th title, while Lakeland won its 10th in the meet that started in 2005.
Wallenpaupack finished second in Class 3A with 72 points, and North Pocono had 56 points.
"We all work very hard and push each other," said Abington Heights senior Madison Zalewski, who won the high jump. "It is really great when you get to spend every day with these girls. It is incredible to be able to perform at this level."
Lakeland didn't win a gold medal in any event, competed with only 10 girls and produced outstanding performances across the board.
Kirsten Navich won a bronze medal in the 400 (59.63) and finished fourth in the triple jump. Emily Black won a bronze medal in the 3,200 (11:49.02). The teammates also joined Faith Wormuth and Morgan Lutz to win a bronze in the 3,200 relay with a school-record time of 10.01.87.
Mid Valley finished second with 46 points, and Montrose finished third with 34.
"I am beyond happy," Navich said. "We went into the season not thinking we could win anything. We lost a lot of our throwers to graduation from last season, and they carried us a little bit. Coming into a big meet like this and everyone continuing to improve and get better is amazing. There are not a lot of us, but we all do four events, and it is amazing how we pulled this off."
In addition to Zalewski's gold, Tomara Seid won the triple jump with a distance of 36-9½, Anna Pucilowski won the 3,200 and the Lady Comets swept the three relay events.
Marygrace Sabatini competed in all three, which had her run an 800-meter distance in the 3,200 relay, a 100 in the 400 relay and a 400 in the 1,600 relay.
Calli Gilboy, Reese Morgan and Emma Horsley joined Sabatini in the 3,200 relay that started the meet; Zalewski, Lilia Calvert and Maggie Coleman were part of the 400 relay with her; and Calvert, Coleman and Horsley finished the meet with Sabatini in the 1,600 relay.
"I think that I am really happy because we have a lot of girls who can do a lot of different events," Sabatini said. "It's nice to bring such a wide selection of athletes to a meet like this."
While Abington Heights dominated the team race, North Pocono's Kaitlyn Kravitz shined as the brightest star.
She won the 100 and the 200 in school-record times, and added the 400, following her brother Colin Kravitz, who won the same three events last season in his senior year.
"I am very excited," Kravitz said. "I had a little bit of a setback after the Twilight meet through my last dual meet. I felt I put some time forward, and this was a very competitive meet. I was really able to push myself. My coaches have pushed me a ton."
Other conference champions
Montrose's Chloe Diaz won the 100 hurdles (14.92) and the 300 hurdles (46.96); Valley View's Emma Miller won the javelin with a school-record mark of 126-9; Ella Cabets won the long jump (16-10½); Honesdale's Brenna Dahlgren won the 1,600 (5:09.45); Scranton Prep's Peyton Fox won the discus (111-7); Dunmore's Maura Michalczyk won the pole vault (11-0); Carbondale Area's Kate Korty won the 800 (2:19.69); and Delaware Valley's Raina Carr won the shot put (34-5½).
