Winter Track head coach Danielle Stauffer was very pleased after Saturday's outing at Kutztown for the team. On Saturday, two individuals and three relay teams qualified for the state competition. Stauffer said a lot of good came out of the Maroon & Gold Invitational at Kutztown University.
"Jesse Magolon was named MVP of the team by his teammates, finishing with three wins," said Stauffer. "He took first in the 800 meters and qualified for states with a 2:00.29, and ran on two winning relays, the 4x800 and 4x400."
The 4x800 relay took first with a state qualifying time of 8:20.63, with Magolon, David O'Such, Adam Musetti and Joe O'Such. The first-place 4x400 (3:35.20), which had previously qualified for states, was Magolon, Jared Shoemaker, Yusef Lundi and Mike Novarina.
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The Rams 4x200 also won and qualified for states with a 1:34.53, with Nick Ondo, Joe Bush, David O'Such and Xavier Ingram. Bush also took third in the 400 meters (54.38).
On the girls side, Brandy Nice won the 400 meters and qualified for states with a 61.02. Nicole Cornell won the high jump with a 4-10. Mikaila White took second in the 55 hurdles (9.07). Samantha Christman took fourth in the 3,000 (11:46.26), Mikayla Francis fifth in the long jump (16-3, PR) and the 4x200 took first with a state qualifying time of 1:49.62, with White, Morgan Fenerty, Francis and Nice. The 4x400 took fifth (4:23.2) with Samantha DiPiedro, Emma Kruger, Leah Oehlert and Krista Cartacki.
Overall, Kutztown was a big success.
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"A huge thank you goes out to the coaching staff and meet directors of Kutztown University," Stauffer said. "The original meet schedule did not include a 4x200 relay, but the staff agreed to run one after hearing it was our last meet and we were trying to qualify for states. They announced the extra event throughout the arena to try to get a full heat (and legitimize) the race and then ran it as an "invitational" 4x200."
As this was the last competition before states, it was a big deal for the kids to have the opportunity to qualify and Stauffer said she was very grateful to the staff of Kutztown for making it possible.
The state championship competition will be on Feb. 25 at Penn State University.
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