NORTH EAST - Looks like a tremendous day for members of the Sheffield and Youngsville track teams at Saturday's North East Invitational - especially when you start with the first-place finishers and school record-breakers.
Sheffield senior Kalil Slaughter ran a 100-meter dash faster than he ever has, breaking the previous school record of 10.79 seconds in 10.3 seconds.
"When he got his time, his eyes lit up and he looked right at me," said Sheffield coach Bryan Gould.
Slaughter later won the 100 in 11.04 seconds, after the final race had a false start the first attempt out of the blocks.
Slaughter also won the 200-meter dash in 22.66 seconds, and placed third in the long jump at 20 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
The 4X100 relay team of Deonte Clay, Kwante Johnson, Dylan Reynolds and Slaughter won with a time of 44.26 seconds.
"(Kalil) and the rest of the team are peaking at the right time," said Gould. "The four-by-one team is 1/10th off the school record and they know they're 1/10th off.
"And placing three in the 200 at the North East Invitational was pretty cool," said Gould.
The top eight in each even at the near 20-team event earned recognition. In addition to Slaughter, Johnson was fifth and Clay sixth in the 200 for Sheffield. George Fitch placed twice in throwing events - eighth in the discus and fifth in the javelin. The 1600 relay team of Dylan Reynolds, Johnson, Marc Nadal and Keon VonHendricks finished fifth. The 3200 relay team of Ryan Johnson, Shequan Wright, Nadal and VonHendricks placed sixth.
Another record-breaker was Youngsville senior Cassie Swartzbaugh in the 100 hurdles. Swartzbaugh tied her own record on the cinder track at Youngsville recently, and broke it on Saturday, winning in 16.67 seconds.
Youngsville girls track coach John Victor sees even greater improvement as the post-season approaches.
"I expect her to be in the 15's," he said on Sunday.
Swartzbaugh also won the 300 hurdles, and the Lady Eagles had a number of top-eight finishers; Abbey McLaughlin was sixth in the 200, Lexi Robinault qualified for districts with a fifth in the 800 in 2:35.33, freshman Piper Olsen was fifth in the 1600, and Youngsville had three placewinners in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. In addition, to Cassie Swartzbaugh, her sister Abbie Swartzbaugh was third in 17.46 seconds, and Mallory Eastman fifth in 17.83. Abbie Swartzbaugh was fourth in the 300 hurdles, and Eastman fifth.
Cassie Swartzbaugh was fifth in the triple jump.
Victor said the freshmen 4X100 relay team of Emily McChesney, Emily Cedrone, Eastman and Aubrey Hendrickson slashed 2 1/2 seconds of its previous best time, finishing sixth.
The 1600 relay team of Cassie Swartzbaugh, Robinault, McLaughlin and Hendrickson was fifth.
"I thought the kids had a good day, we had a lot of kids place and a lot of PR's," said Youngsville boys track coach Jeff Manelick of the Eagles.
Manelick said Austin Mechling had an "unbelievable improvement," by 30 feet in a week, to finish third in the discus at 136 feet. Mike Hamrick was third in the triple jump, and he can do better, said Manelick. Mitch Wilcox was sixth in the javelin.
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Lady Knights 4th
COUDERSPORT - The Eisenhower girls track team was fourth at Friday's Coudersport Invitational.
"We were looking to be competitive, and see if we could get our times closer to districts," said Ike girls coach Mike Logue.
Coudy wn the home invite with 99 team points, followed by Port Allegany's 97, Smethport's 89, and Eisenhower with 75.
In the last event of the night, after a rain delay, Eisenhower's 1600 relay team of Taylor Talasky, Julia Bauer, Aprille Seamens and Bizz Baran won with a time of 4:33.30.
Erica Littlefield, Courtney Jewell, Molly Marsh and Bauer finished second in the 3200 relay. Bauer was also second in the 1600.
Taylor Talasky was third in the 100 and 200, Baran in the 400 and 800, and the 400 relay team of Holly Chapman, Jackie Talasky, Tara Sleeman and Taylor Talasky was third.
Sydney Wallin was fourth in the 100 hurdles, and Bauer in the 800, and Chapman tied for fourth in the high jump.
Jessica Haskins was fifth in the shot, Baran in the long jump, and Sam Dalrymple in the triple jump.
Sixth-place finishes were by Wallin in the 300 hurdles and Chapman in the triple jump.