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Umpstead helps Montgomery girls beat South

BRETT R. CROSSLEY/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Jessica Umpstead competes in the long jump during a dual meet against South Williamsport on Thursday.

MONTGOMERY –Jessica Umpstead looked up at the official and laughed as she told him her third and final jump of the day was her worst.

It turns out she might have miscalculated as her mark of 15 feet, 1 1/2 inches was a season long for the four-year athlete. She also ran the 100 hurdles and competed in the triple jump, claiming a top finish in the triple and finishing second in the hurdles.

The extra help appeared to benefit the team as Montgomery defeated South Williamsport, 94-47. The South Williamsport boys won 104-41 over Montgomery.

“I haven’t been hitting my mark and before I’ve tried loosening my legs a little more,” Umpstead said. “My stride is very consistent now that I loosen up before the jump.”

Umpstead sat in a chair right next to the pit and coached her teammates up throughout the event. Once her name was called for being on hold, she would quickly jump out of the chair and run across the football field to get ready.

She was even asked to participate in the 300 hurdles, but elected not to after the quick warm-up. She’s lucky she didn’t as the final jump ended up being the best of the season for the Montgomery senior.

“I’ve always been doing it, but recently I’ve been doing more,” Umpstead said of the warm-up. “I do it until I’m out of breath instead of a quick sprint and it’s been working out for me.”

Umpstead had a little extra motivation throughout the meet as she and the handful of Montgomery seniors were honored before he meet.

“It means a lot,” Umpstead said “I’ve been involved in Montgomery athletics all four years I’ve been here and I love the people, the coaches, and the community. I love being at the stadium. It’s special.”

Umpstead also helped with the hurdles as she competed against her teammates in an effort to push them to even better times.

“The other hurdles are usually pretty close to one another so I just wanted to push them a little bit,” Umpstead said. “I just told them I would jump into the race.”

Umpstead jumped into the race in the hopes of pushing her teammates to better times. She might have found an event in the process as the finished second with a final time of 20.71. Montgomery swept the event as Aubry Divler finished first with a 20.05 and Katie Forrestal finished with a 20.73 for a third-place finish.

“It worked,” Umpstead said of pushing the other runners. “Aubry seemed to get a better time than she normally does. I think I pushed her a little bit.”

Austin Nash didn’t need any extra push as he cleared the field in the 100 to post a final time of 12.49.

The key to Nash’s success in the event might have started in the middle of the day when he stretched throughout his weightlifting class at school.

“I just make sure I’m stretched throughout the school,” Nash said. “I have a weightlifting class where I just stretch the entire time and make sure I’m loose to perform the best I can out here.”

Nash certainly did perform his best as his helped the 400 relay as well as competing in the 200.

In the 100, Nash used his start to build a lead nobody in the race would come close to challenging.

“My starts are really good and I just build on that,” Nash said. “I work through practice to build my endurance.”

Nash also finished with the top spot in the long jump with a long of 18-2 3/4.

As groups of competitors clumped together throughout the meet in support of their teammates, Hunter Leet was by himself at the pole vault.

His coach couldn’t make the meet and South Williamsport didn’t have a single vaulter as Leet competed without the pressure of beating anyone.

“I’m learning and I’m having a lot of fun with it,” Leet said. “I don’t want to just run. I want to throw myself eight, nine feet in the air hopefully to clear a bar.”

Leet topped out at 7-0, winning the event, but wishing there was a little more competition to push him.

“It’s hard not having a coach or anyone to push you,” Leet said. “I don’t have anyone to look to and say ‘I’m going to beat him or her.’ I wrestle where it’s a man-on-man sport and the take away is it’s not as nice winning knowing you don’t have to be at your best to win.”

Leet might have lacked the competition, but he has looked good throughout his freshman season. He will meet with his coach later to go over the jumps and work on the small things in practice.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Montgomery 94, South Williamsport 47

3,200 relay: 1. South Williamsport (Peck, Pierce, Steinbacher, Bradley), 14:01. 100 hurdles: 1. Divler (M), 20.05; 2. Umpstead (M), 20.71; 3. Forrestal (M), 20.73. 100: 1. Manning (S), 13.58; 2. Rishel (M) 14.01; 3. Simpson (M), 14.34. 1,600: 1. Barkley (S), 6:33; 2. Peck (S), 6:48; 3. Steinbacher (S), 6:59. 400: 1. McClure (M), 1:05.96; 2. Manning (S), 1:06.02; 3. Monoski (S), 1:27.58. 400 relay: 1. Montgomery (Rishel, Ryder, Simpson, Twigg), 1:01.54. 300 hurdles: 1. Anderson (M), 56.65; 2. Divler (M), 57.74; 3. Fester (S), 1:07.09. 800: 1. Barkley (S), 2:55; 2. Bradley (S), 3:04; 3. Depasqua (M), 3:11. 200: 1. Manning (S), 31.05; 2. Twigg (M), 32.24; 3. McClure (M) 32.43. 3,200: 1. Peck (S), 15:15; 2. Miller (M), 16:55; 3. Bradley (S), 19:51. 1,600 relay: 1. Montgomery (Twigg, Ryder, Rishel, McClure), 5:03.

Shot put: 1. Dgien (M), 25-7.5; 2. Showers (M), 25-4; 3. Miller (M), 24-7. Javelin: 1. Dgien (M), 90-6; 2. Miller (M), 58-8; 3. Showers (M), 55-4. Long jump: 1. Umpstead (M), 15-1 1/2; 2. Rishel (M), 14-8 1/2; 3. Ryder (M), 14-6 1.2. High jump: 1. Forrestal (M), 4-6; 2. Divler (M), 4-4; t3. Fessler (S), 4-2; t3. Caroway (S), 4-2. Triple jump: 1. Umpstead (M), 33-8; 2. Ryder (M), 30-1 1/2; 3. Anderson (M), 28-4 1/2. Discus: 1. Showers (M), 69-5; 2. Roupp (S), 60-2.5; 3. Dgien (M), 55-1.

Boys TRACK AND FIELD

South Williamsport 104, Montgomery 41

3,200 relay: 1. South Williamsport (Laudenslager, Er. Laudenslager, Kiribati, Molino), 10:33. 110 hurdles: 1. Hunsinger (S), 19.05; 2. Weaver (M), 12.84; 3. Cuevas (S), 12.85. 100: 1. Austin Nash (S), 12.49; 2. Showers (M), 12.84; 3. Cuevas (S), 12.85. 1,600: 1. Habalar (S), 5:31; 2. Kuriga (S), 5:31; 3. Ev. Laudenslager (S), 5:31. 400: 1. Marino (S), 56.65; 2. Bossley (M), 57.84; 3. Flerlage (S), 1:00.74. 400 relay: 1. South Williamsport (Weaver, Cuevas, Flerlage, Huntsinger), 50.96. 300 hurdles: 1. Et. Laudenslager (S), 48.02; 2. Huntsinger (S), 53.61; 3. Weaver (S), 55.40. 800: 1. Habalar (S), 2:17; 2. Jackson (S), 2:27; 3. Hockman (S), 2:28. 200: 1. Nash (S), 26.78; 2. Showers (M), 27.74; 3. Huntsinger (S), 27.87. 3,200: 1. Ev. Laudenslager (S), 12:00; 2. Habalar (S), 12:22; 3. Jackson (S), 14:06. 1,600 relay: 1. South Williamsport (Molino, Kuriga, Hackman, Laudenslager), 4:12.

Shot put: 1. Lusk (S), 41-2; 2. Ayers (M), 34-9 1/2; 3. Rupert (M), 33-1 1/2. Javelin: Johnson (M), 117-11; 2. Showers (M), 107-0; 3. Lusk (S), 104-11. Pole vault: 1. Leet (M), 7-0. Long jump: 1. Nash (S), 18-2 3/4; 2. Bower (M), 17-7; Bossley (M), 17-7. Javelin: 1. Johnson (M), 117-11; 2. Showers (M), 107-0; 3. Lusk (S), 104-11. High jump: 1. Bossley (M) 5-6; 2. Et. Laudenslager (S), 5-4; 3. Bower (M), 5-9. Triple jump: 1. Kuriga (S), 33-2; 2. Weaver (S), 33-2; 3. Cuevas (S), 32-5. Discus: 1. Lusk (S), 105-7; 2. Ayers (M), 79-11; 3. Rupert (M), 71-0.

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