Richland girls claim District 6 team title, Portage's Burkett aces 100 and 200

May 16—ALTOONA, Pa. — Richland's Addison Piscatello may own the District 6 sprints the next couple of years, but Portage's Cami Burkett still is the present.

And the Mustang gatekeeper wasn't letting anyone past her at Mansion Park Stadium Wednesday night.

"She's a sophomore. She'll have two more years," Burkett joked when asked about Piscatello.

Burkett's talent is no laughing matter, though. The Portage senior came into Wednesday's second day of the District 6 track and field championships with three gold medals and went home with two more to highlight the meet for area girls.

Burkett prevailed in the Class 2A 100- and 200-meter dashes for the second year in a row, with Piscatello on her heels in both finals.

The top three finishers in each Class 2A event and the winner in each Class 3A event advance to the state meet in Shippensburg, as did any other competitor achieving a pre-established qualifying time, height or distance.

Forest Hills won three Class 2A events — the 100-meter relay, the 100 hurdles with Mylee Glessner and the pole vault with Monica Krug. Richland's Sasha Garnett captured the shot put as the Rams collected the girls' team championship and Central Cambria continued its mastery in the 3200 relay with another championship.

Burkett wasn't taking anything for granted entering the meet.

"There's great competition here, so you're never sure. Trials are really close," Burkett said.

Burkett's day began with triumph in the 100, when she finished in 12.57 seconds, about four-tenths of a second ahead of Piscatello.

That left Burkett's specialty, the 200.

There, her winning time, was a personal-record 25.66.

"I felt great. That was my strongest race of the year, I think," Burkett said.

"I just felt really good, more powerful than usual."

Krug and Richland's Karsyn Ford were half of the four qualifiers for states in the Class 2A pole vault.

Krug set a personal and school record by achieving 11 feet. Ford, the No. 1 seed going in, was third, one of three vaulters to clear 10-6.

"I just tried to stay confident," Krug said. "I've been consistently jumping 10-6, so I knew what I was capable of.

"Then it all depends on other girls, if they just have a good day.

"I'm just happy the four of us were able to make it to states. That was the scary part, because there were four of us."

Glessner was 2-for-2 in her career in the Class 2A 100 hurdles. Glessner edged Huntingdon's Addison Young for first by six-hundredths of a second, reaching the tape in 15.68.

Glessner was seeded second.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to win," Glessner said. "She pushes me to go faster, so I felt better (about my race) in a way."

Cambria Heights' Rachel McClellan led for about the first 40 meters and ended up third, her time 16.40.

The Rangers ended the night with Liv McLeary, Emma Felix, Bella Carpenter and Sam Papcunik timing 4:09.93 to claim the top spot in the 1600 relay over Central Cambria's Alaina Sheehan, Abigail Sheehan, Lola Taylor and Alaina Long. The Red Devils finished in 4:13.49.

It was the second straight year for Forest Hills to win the event. The quartet is experienced, with McLeary, Felix and Papcunik all holdovers from 2023.

"Continuity's really important (in relays). We'll have Bella for four years. We work as a team better and have a better connection," Papcunik said of the advantage of experience. "Back-to-back champs feels pretty good."

Garnett was left with something to hunger for as she goes to states. Garnett won her second gold medal of the meet, following Tuesday's win in the discus with one in the Class 2A shot put.

Garnett's throw of 42-91/4 won with plenty of room to spare, but she was about 18 inches shy in her bid to unseat Homer-Center's Justley Sharp for the meet mark.

"I didn't do what I wanted to do. ... I didn't hit my PR or close to my PR. I don't know. It was just an off day for me," Garnett, the Penn State recruit, said. "I think, with a little more work, I'll be able to straighten it out for states."

Central Cambria opened the day by once again winning the Class 2A 3200 relay.

The Red Devils — Morgan Brandis, Alaina Long, Abigail Sheehan and Alaina Sheehan — finished in a time of 9 minutes, 51.65 seconds.

Forest Hills' quartet of Papcunik, Carpenter, Joslyn Valko and Bailey Brown qualified for the PIAA meet as the silver medalist, in 10:02.71.

"We were just looking for a win, just to make it to states," Alaina Sheehan said. "We just need to believe in each other. That will take us to a championship or a moment like this. (The state) is looking more competitive."

Alaina Sheehan also qualified individually in the 800 meters, where she was third with a 2:23.53. Bishop Carroll Catholic's Ava Pablic was runner-up to Penns Valley's Abby Stitzer, clocking 2:23.52.

Other area girls advancing to the PIAA meet as third-place finishers were Forest Hills' Addison Schirato (34-0.25), Richland freshman Natalia Mavridis in the 400 (59.92) and the 3200 (11.36.67) and Westmont Hilltop's 400 relay team of Christiana Gordon, Maggie O'Neil, Ava Stager and Gracie Cramer (51.62).

In addition, triple jumpers Trinity Macey of Richland and Julia Kane of Westmont Hilltop advanced to Shippensburg by virtue of their distances in finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Macey registered a 36-11/2 and Kane a 35-101/2.