H.S. TRACK AND FIELD: Gergely, Luckenbach, Stank top 2023 All-Area Team

Jul. 8—Rosalind Gergely and Viktorya Luckenbach stood atop the podium in the middle of the field at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium on a May afternoon.

Their gold medals shone brightly in the sun.

Each achieved the ultimate goal of high school track and field athletes. They were PIAA state champions.

It was the culmination for both of what had been a terrific postseason — Schuylkill League meet, District 11 meet, PIAA state meet. Yet for each, it's really only the beginning.

Gergely, a Blue Mountain junior, has one more season to add to her accomplishments. Luckenbach, a Pine Grove sophomore, has two.

For Michael Stank, the scenario is slightly different, yet equally promising for what lies ahead. Stank, a Nativity sophomore, also had a fantastic postseason. He piled up medals, including three golds and one silver each in the league and district meets, along with a bronze and a fourth-place medal at the state meet.

As with Gergely and Luckenbach, the sky is the limit when it comes to Stank's track and field future.

For their efforts and accomplishments, all three have been selected for the highest honors on the 2023 Republican Herald All-Area Track and Field Team.

Gergely and Luckenbach are the female Co-Track and Field Athletes of the Year, while Stank is the 2023 Boys' Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

On the coaching front, Jim Thorpe's Frank Miller, who guided the Olympians' girls and boys to second- and first-place finishes, respectively, in the Schuylkill League meet, has been selected as 2023 Coach of the Year.

Strong Throws

Gergely's postseason run was nothing short of outstanding and her selection for this award is well-deserved.

"I am so excited and honored to receive this title," Gergely said. "It means so much to me that all the work I put into this year got me to where I am today."

At the league meet, she won gold in both the javelin and shot put. At the District 11 Class 3A championships at Whitehall, she matched that finish.

And, at each stop along the way, she was extending personal records.

At Shippensburg, surrounded by and competing against the best from around the state, she clinched the Class 3A state gold medal in the javelin with a throw of 150 feet, 8 inches. It was not only another personal record but also the throw that earned her a place on the National Federation of High School Track and Field Honor Roll.

"I think it really shows the dedication and hard work put in throughout the whole year, and how much I really wanted this," said Gergely on claiming a state championship to cap a fantastic junior season. "It makes a positive look on my future and hopefully that I will be remembered."

And, while track and field is a sport competed in the spring, that's only a small part of what goes into becoming a champion.

"Lots of work went into getting ready for this year," Gergely said. "I trained all winter, and any opportunity I could in the offseason."

The Eagles' standout is already preparing for and looking forward to her senior season with high expectations and lofty goals.

"I am looking to win states again, keep breaking my own personal best, and also any records I can throughout the season," Gergely said.

Speed To Burn

For Luckenbach, the strong postseason included nine medal-winning performances. There were golds in the 400-meter relay at both the league meet and District 11 Class AA meet, along with two silvers at the league meet and a silver and bronze at the district meet.

Then came states, where the showdown with her friend and Schuylkill League rival, Kaila O'Connor of Jim Thorpe, continued.

At the league meet, Luckenbach finished second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, both times to O'Connor. At the district meet, she was second in the 200 and third in the 100, with O'Connor winning both.

The came the PIAA Championships and Luckenbach rose to the top on the biggest stage.

With a time of 24.72 seconds, the Pine Grove sophomore earned state gold, sprinting to victory in the 200-meter dash. She added a bronze medal in the 100 and was part of the Cardinals' 400-meter relay team that earned a fifth-place medal.

"To me, being a state champ means that despite the challenges I had to face all throughout the season in the end I pushed through, never gave up on myself and went for gold," Luckenbach said. "It was a lot of practice out in the heat and being pushed every day by my coaches that I was able to achieve my goals."

And, like Gergely, her focus is already clearly honed in on the 2024 season with goals in sight.

"I am very proud of myself for having accomplished what I did this early on, but as of next year I hope to repeat my gold and take gold in the 100-meter dash as well," Luckenbach said.

As for earning the honor on the All-Area team, Luckenbach said, "I feel very honored and appreciated that all the long days of training for my accomplishments did not go unnoticed."

More Speed

Battling calf and ankle injuries through most of the season, Stank acknowledged his expectations weren't over the top. Then, as the postseason meets approached, his injuries began to ease up.

He was ready and took off.

"I didn't come into this track season expecting a lot," Stank said. "I had an injured calf and and injured ankle.

"On top of that, it was only my sophomore year. Then, coming into (the postseason), my calf felt better and my times got better."

At the Schuylkill League meet, there were individual golds in the 100 dash and 400 dash, a relay gold in the 1,600 and a silver in the 400 relay.

At the District 11 Class AA meet at Whitehall, Stank won two more golds in the same individual events and was part of the Hilltoppers' gold-medal 400 relay squad and the 1,600 squad that earned silver.

At the state meet, Stank added a bronze medal in the 400 dash and was part of the 1,600 relay squad that earned a fourth-place medal.

"I'm really amazed at myself," Stank said. "It was tons of work in the offseason that made for a big outcome."

That hard work, Stank says, will continue and his expectations will rise.

"Honestly, it's amazing," Stank said. "I can work harder and know what I can achieve.

It's going to push me to work harder. I'm pretty excited."

Outstanding Olympians

Under Miller's guidance, both the boys' and girls' teams from Jim Thorpe were nothing short of amazing at the Schuylkill League meet.

The boys' team captured three golds and outpointed Nativity 130.5-95 to earn the team title.

The girls, while finishing a point behind Blue Mountain in the team race, were extremely impressive by earning nine gold medals over the two-day competition.

Contact the writer: croth@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6025; @repheraldsports on Twitter