Nataly Walters has been making waves all season.

The Palmerton freshman made another big splash on Friday.

Walters continued her tremendous spring with a seventh-place finish in the Class 2A long jump at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

“I really amazed myself,” said Walters. “I’m really happy about what happened today and it feels great walking away with a medal on my chest.”

The freshman was seeded fourth with a mark of 17-8.25, which she secured with a runner-up finish last week at districts.

Walters qualified for states in four events. She opened the day at Shippensburg University with an impressive showing in the 100 prelims, which set the tone.

“Today, I was pretty nervous going in having three events,” said Walters. “But I had the 100 first, so running that kind of got nerves off my chest. And I was actually seeded 21st, and I wound up getting 10th out of everyone, so that really surprised me, and it gave me a little bit of a confidence boost.

“And then going into the long jump, I still was a little nervous, but having that race in the past kind of gave me a bit of relief. I jumped pretty well today. It wasn’t quite a PR, but I was happy with the results and I’m happy to walk away with a medal.”

Though she didn’t advance to the finals, Walters ran a 12.89 in Friday’s 100 prelims, good for 10th best overall and under her 12.97 seed time.

She made it to the podium with a leap of 17-2.75 in the long jump on Friday.

Her fourth jump was her best.

“Going into the finals I knew I needed a bigger jump to get a mark,” said Walters, whose previous best was 17-1.75 before that.

Minersville’s Devin Hubler was second with a mark of 18-4.75.

Walters also had to overcome a weather delay that paused competition for over an hour with her event scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. Action resumed at 2 p.m.

“I started warming up prior to the delay, and then I had to warm up again and get my mindset back where I was,” said Walters. “We were about 20 minutes out when they called the delay, so I was pretty ready to go. When they said lightning had struck it kind of threw everything off.

“There was always a slight chance (of a delay), so I kind of knew that it could happen, but I certainly didn’t think it would that soon. But we can’t control Mother Nature, so it is what it is, and everyone has to jump in the same weather. It was fine. I just knew what I had to do to have a good jump and be able to get a medal.”

She won the event at the Colonial League meet with a mark of 17-5.5.

Walters will return today as the fifth seed in the triple jump. She won the event at the league meet, and was second last week at districts.

“I know what to expect, so I just have to go in and do what I trained for all season,” said Walters. “Hopefully I can come out with another medal.”

Walters also ran a 27.07 in her 200 prelim on Friday. She was a runner-up at districts in the event last week with a time of 26.86.

ON THE TRACK

Nine area individuals and one relay team all competed on the track Friday but did not medal or advance to the finals.

Northern Lehigh’s Trevor Amorim raced in the 200 and was a member of the Bulldogs’ 400 relay team with Matt Frame, Alexander Jimenez Wittong and Brett Misera.

Amorim ran a 23.40 in the Class 2A 200 prelims, while the 400 relay team posted a time of 44.45 in its preliminary race.

Amorim won the 200 at districts in 23.29. Frame, Amorim, Jimenez Wittong and Misera won the 400 relay at districts with a time of 44.28.

Marian’s Grace Curnow and Jacob Fenstermaker, Jim Thorpe’s Kaila O’Connor, Palmerton’s Justin Herrmann, Northwestern’s Faith Yost, Pleasant Valley’s De’Nair Drew and Weatherly’s Rhianne Markovchick were also in action Friday.

After winning the Class 3A 100 at last week’s district meet with a time of 12.23, O’Connor ran a 12.50 in her preliminary race Friday.

She posted a 25.29 in her 200 prelim. The sophomore won the event with a time of 25.03 at districts.

“At the end of the day, to get here is the accomplishment,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Frank Miller. “Kaila ran well today ... she just missed the 100 finals, and ran her second-best 200 time ever.”

O’Connor was seeded fourth in the 200 and sixth in the 100, and making her second appearance at the state meet. She ran the 11th fastest time overall in both the 100 and 200.

Unlike in previous seasons, there were no semifinals for several on-track events, with only the top eight advancing from the prelims to tomorrow’s finals.

“Getting the opportunity to compete against this talent level is something to take in and appreciate,” said Miller. “And it’s going to push her to work harder this summer, not that she can work much harder than she does.

“So we learn from it, as we always do, and do what we need to do to give us our best shot next year at getting that state medal. There’s a lot of kids who compete in track and field that are phenomenal athletes that don’t get state medals at the end of the day. The conversation was to hold her head high, she performed, and we appreciate everything and look back at the season that she had: two-time district champion, lowered two school record, broke the 300 hurdle record and doing all of those things, and realize she’s just a sophomore and she has two more years to go after it.”

A week after a 1-2 finish at districts, Yost and Drew both competed in the Class 3A 100 hurdles. Yost ran a 16.88 in the prelims, while Drew finished in 16.27.

Yost won the event at districts with a time of 15.5, while Drew finished in 15.88.

Yost will be the fourth seed in the high jump today.

Fenstermaker posted a time of 11.68 in his Class 2A 100 meter preliminary race. He won the event last week at districts with a time of 11.24.

Herrmann, who won the Class 2A 110 hurdles last week with a time of 16.01, crossed the line in 17.27 in the prelims.

Curnow and Markovchick both capped their senior seasons in Shippensburg.

Curnow ran a 1:02.38 in her Class 2A 400 preliminary after a runner-up finish at districts in 1:02.08.

Markovchick finished her Class 2A 100 hurdle prelim with a time of 16.80 after placing second at districts last week with a time of 16.43.

IN THE FIELD

Jim Thorpe’s Laura Clarke and Katrin Cavanaugh, along with Marian’s Carly Minchhoff were in action in field events.

Clarke’s mark of 34-3.75 in the Class 3A shot put placed her 17th overall. The senior won the event with a mark of 37-0.75 last week at districts and was seeded 12th.

“It was her first time out here, and she had some nerves,” said Miller. “But it settles her down and her goal tomorrow is to go out and throw a PR, and whatever happens, happens.”

Clarke will return today as the 17th seed in the discus for the Olympians, another event she also won last week at districts.

Cavanaugh cleared 10-6 and was tied for 19th overall in the 3A pole vault. She cleared 10-0 to place second last week at districts.

“That’s her second-best vaulting day ever,” Miller said of Cavanaugh. “Laura has another opportunity tomorrow in the discus, and with Kaila and Katrin being underclassmen, they have the experience.”

Minchhoff threw 92-4 to place 21st in the Class 2A javelin. The sophomore’s throw of 108-1 placed second last week at districts.

COMING BACK

Palmerton’s Ana Recker and Northern Lehigh’s Emily Moyer will compete in the Class 2A pole vault today.

Recker, a back-to-back district champion in the event, is seeded seventh, while Moyer, last week’s runner-up, is seeded 10th.

Panther Valley’s Izabella Bochicchio will also be competing in the Class 2A shot put. A district champion a week ago, Bochicchio is seeded 17th in the event.

Northwestern’s boys will be on track as the 24th seed in the Class 3A 3200 relay.

Girls

Class 2A

100 hurdles - Rhianne Markovchick, Weatherly, 16.80 in prelims, does not advance to finals

100 - Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 12.89 in prelims, does not advance to finals

1600 - Katelynn Barthold, Northern Lehigh, 5:43.34, 22nd overall

400 - Grace Curnow, Marian, 1:02.38 in prelims, does not advance

200 - Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 27.07 in prelims, does not advance to finals

Long jump - Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 17-2.75, seventh overall

Javelin - Carly Minchhoff, Marian, 92-4, 21st overall

Class 3A

100 hurdles - Faith Yost, Northwestern, 16.88 in prelims, does not advance to finals; De’Nair Drew, Pleasant Valley, 16.27 in prelims, does not advance to finals

100 - Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 12.50 in prelims, does not advance to finals

200 - Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 25.29 in the prelims, does not advance to finals

Pole vault - Katrin Cavanaugh, Jim Thorpe, 10-6, tied for 19th overall

Shot put - Laura Clarke, Jim Thorpe, 34-3.75, 17th overall

Boys

Class 2A

110 hurdles - Justin Herrmann, Palmerton, 17.27 in prelims, does not advance to finals

100 - Jacob Fenstermaker, Marian, 11.68 in prelims, does not advance to finals

400 relay - Northern Lehigh (Matt Frame, Trevor Amorim, Alexander Jimenez Wittong, Brett Misera), 44.45 in prelims, does not advance to finals

200 - Trevor Amorim, Northern Lehigh, 23.40 in prelims, does not advance to finals