WRIGHT, BRONSONS NARROWLY MISS OUT ON TRIP TO STATES — SARA BRONSON, EMMA BRONSON EACH BREAK SCHOOL RECORD

By: Tim Birney  /  May 21, 2022  /  Photo: Chris Manning

WILLIAMSPORT — Athens saw several athletes come up just short of making States at the District IV Track and Field Championships here Saturday.

It’s the first time in recent memory, dating back more than 15 years that no Athens track & field athlete advanced to the State meet.

For the boys, junior Jaden Wright (11.38 second) was sixth in the 100, less than 0.1 second away from the state standard. He also took sixth in the 200 in 23.30 seconds.

For the girls, freshman Sara Bronson (3,200 meters) and junior Emma Bronson (1,600 meters) both set new schools records.

Sara Bronson’s time of 11:29.32 was good enough for second. She hung with winner, Selinsgrove’s Shaela Kruskie (11:21.58) for seven laps, but Kruskie pulled away at the end.

Senior Hannah Walker was second in the 300 hurdles (48.32 seconds) leading the race through the first 200. She took fourth in the 200-meter dash in 27.26 seconds, and sixth in the 100 hurdle finals in 17.06 seconds.

The Lady Wildcat 400-meter relay of sophomore Emily Henderson, junior Jenny Ryan, senior Taylor Walker, and freshman Addyson Wheeler was fifth in 55.21 seconds, while their 1,600-meter relay of junior Cassy Friend, Emma Bronson, sophomore Mya Thompson, and Hannah Walker was sixth in 4:23.78.

Thompson (15-feet, 11 1/2-inches) was fourth in the long jump, while Friend (14-feet, 9 1/2-inches) took ninth, and Taylor Walker (13-feet, 1-inch) was 16th.

Senior Olivia Bartlow (93-feet, 10-inches) placed third in the discus, while sophomore Emma Pernaselli (76-feet, 6-inches), and Rachel Jellif (63-feet, 6-inches) were 11th and 16th, respectively.

For the boys, freshman Kolsen Keathley (23.90) was 12th in the 200-meter dash, while freshman Carter Lewis (24.11) came in 14th. Freshman Ronel Ankam (44.77) was 14th in the 300-meter hurdles.

Junior Ethan Denlinger (2:10.79) was 14th in the 800-meter run, followed by senior Ryan Thompson (2:11.62), and senior Kyle Anthony (2:13.03) in 16th and 18th, respectively.

Anthony (4:33.45) was just a couple seconds off the state time in the 1,600-meter run, finishing fifth overall after leading the race through the first two laps.

Freshman Ethan Hicks (5:04.93) was 19th in the 1,600-meter run, while also finishing ninth in the 3,200-meter run in 10:35.48.

Peter Jones (35-feet, 7 1/2-inches) was 23rd in the triple jump.

The 1,600-meter relay of Ankam, Thompson, Denlinger, and Anthony finished 11th in 3:44.08.