Thomas Smigo climbed the highest of any Lehigh Valley athlete on Friday’s first day of the PIAA track and field championships at Seth Grove Stadium at Shippensburg University.
And Wilson’s boys 400 ran the fastest of anybody.
Smigo, a Palisades junior, finished third in the Class 2A 1,600-meter run Friday morning in 4 minutes, 15.72 seconds. Carson McCoy of Deer Lakes (District 7) won in 4:13.14.
Smigo’s time is the fastest in the lehighvalleylive region this spring.
Wilson’s foursome of seniors Zack Gillen, Zakai Hendricks, Damian Simpson and Damon Simpson ran 41.55 in a qualifying heat, the fastest time heading into Saturday’s final.
The 41.55 is also an all-time lehighvalleylive regional record, breaking Nazaeth’s 41.64 in 2016, which was also run in a state qualifying race.
The 1,600 was the only final on the track of Friday’s weather-delayed program; all the others were qualifiers (see below).
In the field, Emmaus junior Aiden Hurlburt posted the Lehigh Valley’s top finish when he went 14 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault to finish fourth.
The Lehigh Valley won two medals (top eight finishers win medals) in the 3A pole vault. Parkland senior Coral Shivok was fifth with a vault of 12 feet while Liberty junior Annika Flanagan tied for seventh at 11 feet. Veronica Vacca of Mount St. Joseph’s won at 13 feet.
In the 2A girls long jump, Palmerton freshman Nataly Walters finished seventh with a jump of 17-2¾.
Five Lehigh Valley athletes advanced to Saturday’s finals on the track, The top eight finishers in Friday’s qualifiers moved on, and have already clinched a medal.
On the girls side, Southern Lehigh senior Madison Trout moved on in the 100-meter dash time of 12.30, the fourth-fastest overall. Laila Campbell of Spring Grove had the top time in 11.65.
Easton freshman Maggie Scalzo advanced with a 45.70 in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Sanaa Hebron of Neshaminy posted the top time in 42.59.
For the boys, the Simpson twins each clinched spots in the 100-meter dash final. Damon ran 10.80, second to top qualifier Joey Gant of Pennridge in 10.78, while Damian was eighth in 11.01.
Senior Ben Henry of Northampton moved on as the eighth-fastest time in the 200 in 22.07; the top clocking was by Cameron Sims of Williamsport in 21.53 seconds.
Saturday’s competition resumes at 9 a.m. with the 3,200-meter run finals.
Here’s a complete listing of Lehigh Valley athletes’ performances Friday. The 1,600s and all field events are finals; all other events are qualifiers.
Class 2A girls
100: 10. Fr. Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 12.72
200: 18. Walters, Palmerton, 27.07
400: 24. So. Lauren Bower, Notre Dame, 1:02.83
1,600: 22. Fr. Katelynn Barthold, Northern Lehigh, 5:43.34
300 intermediate hurdles: 21. So. Ellianna Wallbillich, Pen Argyl, 51.04
400 relay: 15. Allentown Central Catholic (Kaycee Cadden, Ava Baker, Samantha Roth, Carly Rohrbach), 51.43
1,600 relay: 9. Notre Dame (Lauren Bower, Sarah Sidoro, Emily Lessig, Favvey Kerrio), 4:07.95; 20. Palisades (Charlotte Houghton, Angela Henry, Holly Pason, Kaylei Gruver), 4:16.62
High jump: Jr. Paige Casterline, Palisades, no height.
Lohg jump: 7. Walters, Palmerton, 17-2¾
Discus: 15. Sr. Katelyn Shoemaker, Palisades, 90-9
Javelin: 11. Shoemaker, Palisades, 113-11
Class 3A girls
100: 4. Sr. Madison Trout, Southern Lehigh, 12.30; 17. Jr. Naeema Salau, Parkland, 12.66
200: 14. Trout, Southern Lehigh, 25.52; 19. Salau, Parkland, 25.93
400: 19. Fr. Lucy Tobia, Parkland, 1:01.01; 23. So. Raegan Day, Easton, 1:00.68
1,600: 16. Jr. Hailey Reinhard, Emmaus, 5:00.83
100 high hurdles: 22. Jr. Faith Yost, Northwestern Lehigh, 16.88
300 intermediate hurdles: 7. Fr. Maggie Scalzo, Easton, 45.50; 15. Sr. Jayla Reinert, Easton, 46.31
400 relay: 11. Southern Lehigh (Alexandra Lea, Madison Trout, Taylor Graver, Marley Chase), 49.45 (school record); 19. Nazareth (Violet Alao, Hailey Falzone, Zoey Emrick, Amanda Mercurius), 50.30
1,600 relay: 14. Easton (Erin Vincent, Jayla Reinert, Raegan Day, Sophie Emin), 4:01.37; 20. Nazareth (Violet Alao, Hailey Falzone, Skyler Jordan, Amanda Mercurius), 4:08.78
Pole vault: 5. Sr. Coral Shivok, Parkland, 12-0; 7 (tie) Jr. Annika Flanigan, Liberty, 11-0
Triple jump: 10. Sr. Grace Nation, Parkland, 37-5½; 26. So. Brooke Rawls, Liberty, 33-5 ½
Class 2A boys
200: 23. Sr. Trevor Amorim, Northern Lehigh, 23.40
400: 15. Sr. Gavin Grim, Allentown Central Catholic, 51.60
1,600: 3. Jr. Thomas Smigo, Palisades, 4:15.73
110 high hurdles: 25. Jr. Justin Herrmann, Palmerton, 17.27
300 intermediate hurdles: 12. Jr. Bryce Guthier, Palisades, 41.71
400 relay: 18. Northern Lehigh (Matt Frame, Trevor Amorim, Alexander Jimenez Wittong, Brett Misera), 44.45
1,600 relay: 20. Palisades (Bryce Guthier, Mitch Campbell, Hugh Salva, Thomas Smigo), 3:36.84
High jump: 11. Sr. Hunter Bleam, Salisbury, 6-0
Lohg jump: 20. Jr. Wyatt Younes, Catasauqua, 19-5½
Discus: 15. Sr. Dean Bartels, Palisades, 126-8
Javelin: 15. Bartels, Palisades, 147-11
Class 3A boys
100: 2. Sr. Damon Simpson, Wilson, 10.80; 8. Damian Simpso, Wilson, 11.01; 14. Sr. Jaiden Lee, Whitehall, 11.12; 15. Ben Henry, Northampton, 11.14; 20. Sr. Joshua Farrell, Liberty, 11.29; Jr. Nakhi Bullock, Parkland, 11.38.
200: 8. Sr. Ben Henry, Northampton, 22.07; 19. Sr. Aiden Tobin, Southern Lehigh; 22.80; 25. Jack Sanchez Cuesta, Dieruff, 23.13
400: 19. Sr. Joshua Farrell, Liberty, 50.01; 20. Sr. Kensley Joasil, Bethlehem Catholic, 50.09.
1,600: 28. Sr. Alex Heidemann, Freedom, 4:33.59
110 high hurdles: 18. So. Joseph Phillips, Notre Dame, 15.82
300 intermediate hurdles: 9. Sr. Shaun Apsley, Northampton, 39.89; 13. Sr. Jake Hilarczyk, Nazareth, 40.38
400 relay: 1. Wilson (Zack Gillen, Damian Simpson,Zakai Hendricks, Damon Simpson) 41.55
1,600 relay: 18. Southern Lehigh (Dominik Lisicky, Jack Inglis, Aiden Tobin., Chase Hensinger), 3:27.03; 19. Northampton (Victor Hunt, Shaun Apsley, Logan Henry, Ben Henry), 3:28.92
Pole vault: 4. Jr. Aiden Hurlburt, Emmaus, 14-6
Triple jump: 17. Jr. Samuel Chedester, Easton, 42-8¼
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Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com.
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