Abington Heights’ Anna Pucilowski makes her way past runners in the 3A Girls 1600-meter run. She finished second.
Abington Heights’ Aliya Lucarelli leans into the finish with North Pocono’s Pia Zandardi trailing in the AAA Girls 100-meter dash.
Wyoming Area’s Lucia Campenni wins her heat in the Girls AAA 100-meter hurdles.
Abington Heights’ Aliya Lucarelli wins her heat in the Girls AAA 200-meter dash.
SCRANTON – Abington Heights freshman Aliya Lucarelli had a simple thought as she approached her first District 2 Track and Field Championships.
“The faster I run, the faster I’m done,” Lucarelli said. “That’s the quote in my head.”
Lucarelli got done even faster than she anticipated, winning a pair of gold medals to lead the Lady Comets to the Class 3A girls team title May 11-12 at Memorial Stadium.
“I wanted to win because I wanted to be a freshman who went to states,” Lucarelli said. “That was my hope.”
Lucarelli acknowledged that she had high hopes in the 200-meter dash, but her expectations were not as high in the 100-meter.
After finishing second in 100-meter qualifying with a time of 12.38 on the first day, Lucarelli’s time of 12.46 seconds produced her first gold on May 12. Lucarelli led all 200-meter runners, first with a time of 25.47 in qualifying, then with a winning time of 25.36.
Lucarelli also anchored a second-place finish in the 400-meter relay and took fourth in the long jump.
Anna Pucilowski and Kiana Seid each won one event and finished high in others while helping Abington Heights remain in front of Crestwood by a 110-98 margin in the team race. Wyoming Area and North Pocono were a distant third and fourth with 68 and 67 points, respectively.
Pucilowski won the 3200-meter run in 10:46.65, took second in the 1600-meter run in 5:04.85 and was third in the 800-meter run in 2:21.98. She helped the 3200-meter relay team win a silver medal in 9:47.60.
Seid won the pole vault by clearing 11-0 and was third in both the high jump (5-1) and triple jump (35-11½).
Julia Schuster, Elsianna Phillips and Bergan Price were also on the 400-meter relay team.
Marley Gilboy, Giada Lovecchio and Addisyn Mummert were the others on the 3200-meter relay.
Schuster was third in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.47 and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles.
Gilboy was fifth in the 3200-meter and seventh in the 1600-meter.
Emily Dennis took fifth in the javelin.
Julia Hawley was seventh in the 3200-meter and Sofia Mirza was eighth in the 3200-meter.
Boys
Abington Heights and Crestwood were tied for the Class 3A lead after one day, but were both passed by team champion Dallas, which finished with 100 points, and three others.
Wallenpaupack had 84½ points and Hazleton Area had 72. Crestwood tied Wilkes-Barre Area for fourth with 66. Abington Heights placed sixth of 17 teams with 66 points.
Jack Shoemaker led the way for the Comets, finishing second in the 1600-meter run in 4:27.53 and the 3200-meter run in 10:33.90.
Anthony Piccotti cleared 12-9 in the pole vault for the team’s other silver medal.
Carter Plantz, in the shot put, joined Owen Morgan, in the 3200-meter, and the 3200-meter relay team in all taking fourth.
Joseph Grad was sixth in the 800-meter, Derek Williams was seventh in both the shot put and discus, and the 400-meter relay team placed eighth.
