Unlimited Digital Access - Start Today for 50% Off - Offer Expires 4/30/24

Chambersburg’s precocious 4x100 relay team mines PIAA gold; brings Trojans one step closer to team title

By

SHIPPENSBURG – Three sophomores and freshman equals state gold.

That was the winning equation for the precocious Chambersburg quartet of Kason Besecker, JJ Kelly, Blake Mallast and Antonio Harrison as they annexed the PIAA 3A boys 4x100 relay in a time of 41.65.

And, in the process, the victory brought Chambersburg 10 points closer to an overall PIAA team title, which seems within reach at this juncture.

The Chambersburg 3A Boys 4x100 meter relay team of Antonio Harrison II, Blake Mallast, JJ Kelly and Kason Besecker, celebrate with their gold medals at the 2023 PIAA State Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg, Pa., May. 26, 2023. Mark Pynes | pennlive.com

“Man, it’s amazing, honestly,” Harrison said moments after the medal ceremony. “JJ (Kelly) wasn’t even in it. Our second leg got hurt. We just threw JJ in there around Mid-Penns. The fact that we ran the way we ran with a put-together team is amazing.

“And we are, by far, the youngest 4x100 in the state, easily,” Harrison said. “Three sophomores and a freshman and let alone the fastest is a blessing,”

Harrison said he knew he had a fast rival in 100-meter state champion Lex Cyrus of Susquehanna Township to contend with in the final leg.

“There was no time for messing around. Once I got the baton, I knew I had to get out, find my stride, stay relaxed and come through with the victory,” he said.

The Susquehanna quartet of Ryan McClain, Akeem Mustapha, Samuel Oloiseh and Cyrus finished second in 41.88.

--

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

Follow Tom De Martini on Twitter -- @TomDeMartini1

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

X

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

If you opt out, we won’t sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.