Multiple area athletes earn titles, qualify for states on first day of District 4 T&F Championships

Amidst an event where every point is likely to matter, the Williamsport boys kicked things off in one of the best ways imaginable.

In the triple jump finals on Day One of the District 4 Track and Field Championships, junior Aiden Everett logged a mark of 44-8 ¾ to earn district gold. With senior Connor Poole taking sixth, outshining his triple jump seeding by four slots, it put the team in a great position to start.

"I knew I had the ability to do well today. I just had to put it all together, and that ended up happening," said Everett, who capped his day by taking sixth in the high jump. "It's a good motivator for the team, so it was good to contribute to that."

It wouldn't take long for the area to see its second title, with Montoursville senior Anna Baylor throwing a 115-5 in discus and Williamsport sophomore Isabelle Morrow logging a 5-1 in the high jump to earn titles on the girls side. Milton's Charles Wright would later log a 6-3 in the AA boys high jump to take first there, rounding out the area's individual titles at four, with Lewisburg adding two 4×800 titles through relays.

Baylor headlined a strong outing for Montoursville, which saw Emma Cline advance to the finals in the 100-meter hurdles and the boys' 4×800 team take fourth. Montoursville head coach Sean Walker was happy with what he saw from the team today, crediting Baylor and Cline for being up for the challenge.

"Watching (Baylor) throw today, you could see the confidence, the love of the sport and competitive nature in her. Very proud of her today, she's excelled at another level this year," said Walker on Baylor. "This is the time where we excel. We really come to life at this moment, championship time."

On Morrow's end, she headlined a great day for Williamsport's field team, rounding things out with a second-place finish in triple (33-10). Najiyah Smith, Nataliya Mills and Dayanna Baines finished second in the high jump, shot put and javelin respectively, and Taitum Zarzyczny placed fifth in shot put.

On the boys side, third place finishes from senior Indigo Koch and freshman Brayden Ungard helped the Millionaires further bolster their score, helping them go into Saturday in first and each logging PRs in the process. For Koch, he'd ultimately post back-to-back PRs to cap his high school career and looks forward to getting back to it next year at Lock Haven.

"I feel like I could've had more there but I'm glad I got that PR (13-9). It's my senior season, it's over but I'll keep pursuing my career (at Lock Haven) and surpass 14-3 there hopefully, and just keep climbing," said Koch. "I see the progression and I keep climbing heights."

"We definitely stepped up in a lot of areas," said Williamsport boys head coach Jeremy Steppe on the overall performance. "In a lot of these events, anything can happen. Don't look at seed because ultimately for districts, it's just who wants it. I think we had a lot of positive surprises, and I was very happy with how today went."

Hughesville senior Hailey Myers logged a 16-4 ½ in the long jump to take home district silver, punching her ticket to states for the first time in her career. Though she's excited for the opportunity to compete at Shippensburg, her focus remains on Saturday, where she'll look to pursue a title in the triple jump.

"I wasn't really expecting it because I wasn't really performing my best in the prelims, but I pulled through in finals and I'm super happy," said Myers. "Triple jump is definitely more of my event, so I'm super excited for that."

South Williamsport junior Dylan Scheller is set to represent the Mounties at states, punching his ticket with a 21-3 mark in the long jump, which granted him silver. And along with both Lewisburg teams, both Hughesville teams and the Williamsport boys will see their 4×800 relay teams at states come next weekend.

For Loyalsock, senior Jamaire Harden and sophomore Jeremiah Johnson fell just short of qualifying but still saw success. Harden placed third in the long jump with a 21-0 ½, less than six inches away from a qualifying mark, and is set to compete in the 100-meter dash finals on Saturday. And Johnson placed fourth in shot put with a mark of 46-8.

"The percentage of our kids who are getting medals and making the finals based on who we had competing today is high, so that's all I can ask for," said Loyalsock boys head coach Matt Hill on his team.

Day 2 of the District 4 Track and Field Championships are set to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Williamsport Area High School. With every individual track final and half the field ones left to go, the excitement is just getting started.