BLOOMSBURG – Heading into Saturday’s PHAC Track and Field Championships, Williamsport junior Madeline Sanders had other goals on top of pushing for league gold.

She had breached 11 minutes in the 3,200-meter run on multiple occasions throughout the season, a time the league meet record hadn’t yet surpassed. Even with weather conditions being less than favorable, it’s a mark she knew full well she could claim for herself.

Sanders ran a 10:52.48, beating the previous PHAC record set by Danville’s McKenzie Jones in 2017 by just over nine seconds and claiming gold by over 50 seconds. Her effort was a headliner in a strong overall day for Williamsport and the area, as the Millionaires notched a league title with a team score of 136, 38 team points over second-place Lewisburg.

“I was really excited for the opportunity to race this morning,” said Sanders. “I knew what the record was, and I felt like it was a good time to go out and get it.”

Alongside Sanders, her sister, Isabelle, the Hughesville 3,200-relay team, and Kylie Temple also set league meet records on Saturday at Bloomsburg. Isabelle Sanders broke the PHAC records in both the 1,600 and 800, beating the previous record holder in the process. And Temple broke her own record set a year ago in the 300-meter hurdles with a 44.71.

In her quest for a meet record, Sanders not only had to deal with the rain and wind, but also the anxiety of being all alone upfront. The Millionaire spent much of the 3,200 run alone aside from the occasional lapping, and that tends to have an impact when it comes to keeping pace – especially in distance.

The rain is something she’s grown used to through her last few springs competing in North-central Pennsylvania. And for keeping pace, having a good game plan helps.

“It helps to make a race plan and know what you want to do before you get out there, like pushing on the straights or going after people,” said Madeline Sanders, who also went on to claim bronze in the 1,600. “I’ve definitely improved in racing other people and mentally being prepared to go after it, even if there isn’t competition in a race.”

In regard to large leads, it was a similar story by Hughesville’s 3,200 relay team. Despite being seeded second by a lofty margin, the Spartans – consisting of Emelia Wolfe, Katelyn Temple, Sophia Poust and Kylie Temple – didn’t just win the event; they ran away with it. Running the 800 in a meet setting for the first time, Katelyn Temple ran a solid 2:18 in the second leg to build on a strong opener from Wolfe.

That helped the Spartans claim the lead before quickly breaking away from the pack, and Poust and Kylie Temple’s legs extended their final lead to over 23 seconds. As a whole, the relay team broke Lewisburg’s 12-year-old record (9:33.51) by almost six seconds as a result.

“(My 800) felt good,” said Katelyn Temple, who went on to claim bronze in the 400 with a 59.08. “I was honestly trying to get a good time and had a girl in front of me, so it was easier to chase and make up ground. I thought it was really good.”

“Everyone ran strong, and it looked really clean,” said Kylie Temple on the team’s effort. “Having nobody in front of us to chase makes it a little bit more difficult, but overall, I thought we did really well.”

In the 1,600, Sanders’s race didn’t start the way she wanted it to, with an early stumble accredited to a shortened break forcing her to go around the pack. However, she managed to get in the position she hoped for 75 meters in. And soon after, she was able to take control.

Featuring returning PIAA Class AA champ Baylee Espinosa, the race was never going to be an easy one. The pair of area phenoms battled, with Sanders ultimately being the one to break away. She edged out her opponent by just under four seconds, beating Espinosa’s PHAC record in the process with a 4:55.01.

“I thought it was a super great race,” said Sanders. “It was great to race with Maddie and Bailee, especially with being (Espinosa’s) last year of high school. It was super fun. I love getting to race with them, and I thank God that I’m still healthy this far into the season.”

It wasn’t long after that Sanders was breaking another league meet record, this time in photo-finish fashion.

Through the latter half of the 800, the Williamsport junior and Selinsgrove’s Lake Dent traded leads on multiple occasions before lining up evenly at the end. Each sprinted the last 400 meters and ultimately, it was Sanders that scraped out the victory, setting a new PHAC record with a 2:13.99 while edging out Dent by .01 second.

“I leaned all the way over to get that one,” said Sanders. “That was one of my fastest finishes probably ever. We kept pushing each other, so I wasn’t really sure who was going to get it.”

“I didn’t look at the record for the 800 today, so I was really excited to get that,” she added.

In pursuit of its team title, Williamsport saw its athletes combine for 21 medals on the day.

Dayanna Baines (javelin), Aubrey Phillips-Cobb (100-meter hurdles) and its 400-relay team – consisting of Makayla Cerami, Phillips-Cobb, Geiani Whaley and Desiree Ware – took home titles. Whaley earned two PHAC silvers in the 200 and 400, and senior Isabelle Morrow secured three in the high, triple and long jump.

Alongside Espinosa, Lewisburg was also led by fellow senior Lydia Delsite, who took home three separate titles in the high, triple and long jump. And Maya Sak (3,200), Ziva Williams (discus) and Lewisburg’s 1,600-relay team – consisting of Batkowski, Annika Shield, Espinosa and Madison Moyers – claimed silver in their respective events.

Montoursville’s Allie Eberhart and Keira Dreese took first and second in a rain-impacted pole vault respectively. Hughesville freshman Casey Schultz earned PHAC silver in the 100, and Laura Ochs finished fourth in the 3,200.

Milton junior Sienna Short finished as a runner-up in the javelin, and Elizabeth Schrock earned bronze in the triple jump. And Loyalsock sophomore Zaryah Hawkins-Pegues took fifth in both the discus and shot put.

All in all, it was a strong day for the area to say the least, one headlined by five broken records and endless hardware. Every team mentioned here will now turn their sights to the District 4 Track and Field Championships, set to begin on Friday.

PHAC TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

GIRLS RESULTS

TEAM SCORES (top 10): 1. Williamsport 136; 2. Lewisburg 98; 3. Selinsgrove 77; 4. Hughesville 58.50; 5. Shikellamy 50; 6. Jersey Shore 32; 7. Milton 31; 8. Mifflinburg 29; 9. Mount Carmel 27; 10. Bloomsburg 25.

3,200: 1. *Madeline Sanders, Williamsport, 10:52.48; 2. Maya Sak, Lewisburg, 11:44.78; 3. Theo Wilkinson, Lewisburg, 11:51.10; 4. Laura Ochs, Hughesville, 12:26.93; 5. Ella Beal, Lewisburg, 12:35.10; 6. Clara Wade, Williamsport, 12:38.50; 7. Lucy Diehl, Danville, 13:13.45; 8. Abby Brady, Danville 13:48.78.

100 hurdles: 1. Aubrey Phillips-Cobb, Williamsport, 15.43; 2. Mikayla Martin, Selinsgrove, 15.83; 3. Elizabeth Hollick, Jersey Shore, 16.08; 4. Brenyn Wasielewski, Bloomsburg, 16.37; 5. Hannah Magill, Bloomsburg, 16.38; 6. Macia Owens, Central Mountain, 16.43; 7. Giada Mullay, Danville, 17.71; 8. Jayanah Jones, Milton, 19.33.

100: 1. Jilly Deivert, Shikellamy, 12.37; 2. Casey Schultz, Hughesville, 12.74; 3. Lily Persing, Shikellamy, 12.86; 4. Makenna Fogle, Mifflinburg, 13.04; 5. Jasmine Doebler, Mifflinburg, 13.12; 6. Makayla Cerami, Williamsport, 13.13; 7. Desiree Ware, Williamsport, 13.18; 8. Makayla Fogle, Mifflinburg, 13.33.

3,200 relay: 1. *Hughesville (Emelia Wolfe, Katelyn Temple, Grace Fortin, Kylie Temple), 9:27.54; 2. Danville (Janie Cotner, Adison Hafer, Brenna Pascual, Odin Ryer), 9:50.02; 3. Midd-West (names n/a), 9:56.63; 4. Selinsgrove (Kiana Kruskie, Isabel Clark, Lake Dent, Ashtyn Lukens), 10:07.04; 5. Warrior Run (Katie Zaktansky, Brenna Pick, Reagan Brouse, Natalie Hall), 10:12.01; 6. Williamsport (Faith Hale, Lola Kastner, Ava Nichols, Mila Veldhuis), 10:02.14; 7. Milton (names n/a), 10:28.87; 8. Central Columbia (Quinlan Blake, Grace Dussinger, Amelia Sorg, Grace Prezioso), 10:32.19.

1,600: 1. *Isabelle Sanders, Williamsport, 4:55.01; 2. Baylee Espinosa, Lewisburg, 4:58.81; 3. Madeline Sanders, Williamsport, 5:10.53; 4. Janie Cotner, Danville, 5:22.98; 5. Kaelyn Bozella, Lewisburg, 5:25.34; 6. Evelynn Meckbach, Hughesville, 5:25.91; 7. Leah Lehman, Hughesville, 5:27.09; 8. Ashtyn Lukens, Selinsgrove, 5:41.09.

400 relay: 1. Williamsport (Makayla Cerami, Aubrey Phillips-Cobb, Geiani Whaley, Desiree Ware), 49.00; 2. Shikellamy (Jilly Deivert, Mya Bronowicz, Lily Persing, Sierra Tyler), 49.77; 3. Mifflinburg (Makayla Fogle, Jasmine Doebler, Cadence Yoder, Makenna Fogle), 50:31; 4. Midd-West (names n/a), 50.82; 5. Bloomsburg (names n/a), 50.98; 6. Hughesville (Katelyn Temple, Sierra DeWire, Casey Schultz, Kylie Temple), 51.00; 7. Shamokin (Ameera WIlliams, Kylah Tomlinson, Olivia Sobol, Nadiya Orme), 51.42; 8. Milton (names n/a), 51.46.

400: 1. Gigi Veach, Selinsgrove, 58.47; 2. Geiani Whaley, Williamsport, 58.72; 3. Katelyn Temple, Hughesville, 59.08; 4. Aaralynn Kimble, Jersey Shore, 1:01.12; 5. Cadence Yoder, Mifflinburg, 1:01.25; 6. Jasmine Doebler, Mifflinburg, 1:01.90; 7. Madison Moyers, Lewisburg, 1:02.27; 8. Lillyanna Kase, Shikellamy, 1:03.10.

300 hurdles: 1. *Kylie Temple, Hughesville, 44.71; 2. Elizabeth Hollick, Jersey Shore, 46.66; 3. Brenyn Wasielewski, Bloomsburg, 47.87; 4. Hannah Magill, Bloomsburg, 48.79; 5. Evalyn Keister, MIlton, 49.22; 6. Kaylin Mazzante, Williamsport, 49.34; 7. Taylor Stoshack, Shamokin, 49.62; 8. Adelyn Montgomery, Montoursville, 50.54.

800: 1. *Isabelle Sanders, Williamsport, 2:13.99; 2. *Lake Dent, Selinsgrove, 2:14.00; 3. Odin Ryer, Danville, 2:19.07; 4. Loisa Hofstrom, Williamsport, 2:19.18; 5. Ashlyn Hoffman, Midd-West, 2:20.88; 6. Emelia Wolfe, Hughesville, 2:21.89; 7. Mila Veldhuis, Williamsport, 2:22.06; 8. Annika Shields, Lewisburg, 2:23.90.

200: 1. Jilly Deivert, Shikellamy, 25.64; 2. Geiani Whaley, Williamsport, 26.11; 3. Ameera WIlliams, Shamokin, 26.61; 4. Evalynn Keister, MIlton, 26.63; 5. Gigi Veach, Selinsgrove, 26.70; 6. Lily Persing, Shikellamy, 26.93; 7. Cadence Yoder, Mifflinburg, 27.05; 8. Aaralynn Kimble, Jersey Shore, 27.06.

1,600 relay: 1. Selinsgrove (Gigi Veach, Lake Dent, Caitlyn O’Neill, Kaia Hoke), 4:04.04; 2. Lewisburg (Katherine Batkowski, Annika Shields, Baylee Espinosa, Madison Moyers), 4:08.32; 3. Jersey Shore (Kathleen Loomis, Marlee Lehman, Aaralynn Kimble, Elizabeth Hollick), 4:09.56; 4. Montoursville (Elizabeth Wanner, Adelyn Montgomery, Macey Sheets, Faith Berwanger), 4:23.13; 5. Central Columbia (Quinn Yachimowski, Grace Dussinger, Quinlan Blake, Kayleah Hostetter), 4:23.70; 6. Loyalsock (Olivia Alberts, Bella Allen, Rachel Buffington, Lucy Ecker), 4;25.20; 7. Shamokin (Rayne Harner, Alessia Horning, Laila Troutman, Taylor Stoshack), 4:26.93; 8. Southern (Olivia Jones, Amelia Leslie, Madison Brill, Ralen Ferrara), 4:30.73.

High jump: 1. Lydia Delsite, Lewisburg, 5-4; 2. Isabelle Morrow, Williamsport, 5-2; 3. Gabby Jacoby, Shamokin, 5-0; 4. Tessa Fourspring, MCA, 5-0; t-5. Casey Schultz, Hughesville, 4-10; t-5. Sofia Kelly, Central Mountain, 4-10; t-7. Elizabeth Hollick, Jersey Shore, 4-10; t-7. Emma Bolton,Lewisburg, 4-10; t-7. Hannah Fourspring, MCA, 4-10.

Triple jump: 1. Lydia Delsite, Lewisburg, 36-8; 2. Isabelle Morrow, Williamsport, 35-2 1/4; 3. Elizabeth Schrock, Milton, 34-10 1/2; 4. Hannah Fourspring, MCA, 34-3; 5. Sofia Kelly, Central Mountain, 34-2; 6. Alivia Kohl, Lewisburg, 34-0; 7. Parice Shuck, Mifflinburg, 33-9 1/2; 8. Isabelle Lowe, Danville, 33-2.

Long jump: 1. Lydia Delsite, Lewisburg, 18-1; 2. Isabelle Morrow, Williamsport, 17-9 1/4; 3. Aamiyah Gallishaw, Williamsport, 16-6 1/2; 4. Mikayla Martin, Selinsgrove, 16-5 1/2; 5. Jayanah Jones, Milton, 16-5 1/4; 6. Kelsey Deitrich, Shikellamy, 16-4; 7. Makayla Fogle, Mifflinburg, 16-2; 8. Lucy Maclay, Bloomsburg, 15-9 3/4.

Javelin: 1. Dayanna Baines, Williamsport, 122-4; 2. Sienna Short, Milton, 116-2; 3. Mallory Forti, MCA, 112-7; 4. Ella Vance, Lewisburg, 109-9; 5. Isabella Hudick, MCA, 109-3; 6. Teagan Osunde, Lewisburg, 108-11; 7. Kalia Hack, Hughesville, 108-5; 8. Lily Persing, Shikellamy, 103-11.

Pole vault: 1. Allie Eberhart, Montoursville, 96-; 2. Keira Dreese, Montuorsville, 8-6; 3. Kinsey Erb, Selinsgrove, 8-0; 4. Sophia Martinez, Shamokin, 7-6.

Shot put: 1. Isabella Furgison, Selinsgrove, 45-3; 2. Gabriella Chambers, Shikellamy, 36-7; 3. Gwynn Rowe, Lewisburg, 35-6; 4. Mia Haggerty, MCA, 34-9; 5. Zaryah Hawkins-Pegues, Loyalsock, 34-5; 6. Kalia Hack, Hughesville, 33-1; 7. Leigha Wenger, Midd-West, 32-11; 8. Nevaeh Katalinas, MCA, 31-6.

Discus: 1. Isabella Furgison, Selinsgrove, 134-2; 2. Ziva Williams, Lewisburg, 118-6; 3. Annabelle Pierce, Warrior Run, 112-1; 4. Alison Bilbay, Jersey Shore, 104-8; 5. Zaryah Hawkins-Pegues, Loyalsock, 102-0; 6. Brenlynne Rogers, Williamsport, 101-7; 7. Brylee Kessler, Shamokin, 100-8; 8. Gwynn Rowe, Lewisburg, 95-5.

* — meet record