Nataly Walters was on the runway preparing for a landing in Palmerton’s famously hard sand pit after in the triple jump at an April 9 tri-meet against Notre Dame-Green Pond and Pen Argyl.
But it wasn’t what the returning PIAA Class 2A champion in that event felt when she landed.
“I heard a pop,” Walters recalled. “I originally thought it was my knee.”
It wasn’t Walters right knee. It was her right ankle.
The next time Walters jumped was two weeks later in the long jump at Southern Lehigh. The Blue Bombers junior jumped off her left leg. She was still in protection mode.
The results, however, were predictably good. Walters jumped a season- and area-best 17-11.25. It was a far cry from her career-best (19-1.5 in 2023). She later took only one attempt in the triple jump. It was a season- and area-best 37-5.25. It was a far cry from her school-record 39-8 from last season.
Tuesday’s performance showed that Walters is feeling better than she did two weeks ago.
“The doctor said there was no broken bone,” she said. “I waited to go [to the doctor]. I was scared my season would be over, that the doctor would say no more track. Your junior year is the most important season. I was crying, upset, thought my season was over.
“The doctor decided there no sprain, no break, maybe a dislocated ankle that popped back in because my tendons are so strong, ligaments are so strong, my bones are so strong.”
Nataly Walters sat on the back of a golf cart Tuesday with her right ankle wrapped in ice after an encouraging return with wins in both jumps and a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash in the Colonial League tri-meet against Salisbury and host Southern Lehigh.
She is better than she was two weeks ago but just two weeks away from the postseason.
The state’s premier jumper is anxious.
“I’m a lot more nervous going into leagues and districts because last year I had experience against all the other teams,” Walters said. “I knew who the jumpers, who to worry about. I could compare myself to them. I’m still not 100%. I have titles to defend, records to defend.”
And goals to reach. Walters wants the Colonial League meet long jump record, set last season by Northwestern’s Faith Yost (18-9).
“I’m hungry,” she added. “I don’t just want to keep records, I want to put them so high that they will never be broken. I want to be like [Palmerton’s] Debbie Rodrigues and have a girl come along 50 years from now and say, ‘I broke (Walters’) record.'”
No need to run for this good cause
Athletes Against Hunger once again will be collecting nonperishable food items at the Colonial League and EPC Track and Field Championships on May 7-8, at Whitehall’s Zephyr Sports Complex. Everything collected will be donated to local food banks. Monetary donations (cash, Venmo) also will be accepted.
Alex Kane started Colonial League Cares while competing for Southern Lehigh’s cross-country and track and field teams. The Spartans collected items at home meets and the league cross-country meets in 2022 and 2023.
His sister, Ellie, is now involved in the project that has been renamed Athletes Against Hunger.
Penn Relays
Whitehall’s Tommy Lloyd finished ninth in the boys’ javelin throw at the Penn Relays with a top toss of 181 feet, 8 inches.
Bangor’s Julia Pinter was 15th in the girls event after twice throwing 118 feet.
New area bests
Parkland’s Ethan Willard knocked more than 20 seconds off his previous area best and career-best time with a 9:26.01 in the 3200 meter to finish fourth at the 97th annual Roddick High School Invitational at Shippensburg University.
Here are the other new area bests:
— Wilson sophomore Givanchy Durandisse ran the 200 Tuesday against Bangor and Northern Lehigh in 22.34, 1/10 of a second faster than the previous best.
— Stroudsburg boys trimmed nearly three seconds off the previous best in the 1,600 relay with a 3:30.64 in Monday’s tri-meet against Allen and Pocono Mountain West.
— It was a banner meet Monday for the Mountaineers. Kamoni Smith Johnson cleared 6 feet, 7 inches to nudge past Whitehall’s Ian Thomas for the top spot in the high jump.
— Stroudsburg’s Julia Grant took over the top spot in the girls 800 with a 2:15.74 in Monday’s meet, nearly four seconds better than the previous mark.
— Nazareth girls took the top spot in the 1,600 relay with a 4:08.34 in Thursday’s meet at Liberty.
— Southern Lehigh’s Faith Schiffer ran a 14.64 on Tuesday against Palmerton and Salisbury for a new mark in the 100 hurdles.
— Maggie Scalzo lowered her 300 hurdles top time to 44.47 in Monday’s meet against Parkland.
— Stroudsburg’s Alena Murray cleared 5 feet, 3 inches in the high jump to move past four others by an inch. — Palmerton’s Nataly Walters pushed her area bests in the long jump (17-11.25) and triple jump (37-5.25) in Tuesday’s meet at Southern Lehigh.
— Northwestern’s Sadie Fenstermaker added a few inches to her best in the shot put (37-6.5) in Tuesday’s meet against Notre Dame-GP and Saucon Valley.
— Nazareth’s Naomee Adisa took over the area lead in the pole vault after clearing 10-9 on Tuesday at Parkland.
Lehigh Valley area track and field bests
(Through Friday)
BOYS
100 : Kamal Crockett, Bangor, 10.84
200 : Givanchy Durandisse, Wilson, 22.34*
400 : Andrew Beers, Parkland, 49.07
800 : Giovanni Mastromonaco, Nazareth, 1:53.92%
1,600 : Giovanni Mastromonaco, Nazareth, 4:18.27
3,200 : Ethan Willard, Parkland, 9:26.01
400 relay : Stroudsburg, 42.74
1,600 relay : Stroudsburg, 3:30.64**
3,200 relay : Emmaus (Jared Petre, Miles Cook, Conor Fisher, Tyler Finck), 8:11.57
110 hurdles : Andrew Beers, Parkland, 14.21
300 hurdles : Andrew Beers, Parkland, 37.29%
High jump : Kamoni Smith Johnson, Stroudsburg, 6-7***
Long jump : Jayden Ekoko, Easton, 24-0%
Triple jump : Kevin Polonia, Stroudsburg, 47-1
Javelin : Thomas Lloyd, Whitehall, 184-11
Shot put : Clark Gulycz, Central Catholic, 59-6
Discus : Ryan Burkett, Palmerton, 171-5
Pole vault : Tyler Grabinski, Emmaus, 15-2
*Blue Mountain’s Cole Swick ran a 22.25
**Nativity BVM has run a 3:25.64
***North Schuylkill’s Tyrone Chambers also has cleared 6-7
%-State’s top performance across both classes
GIRLS
100 : Hailey Jenkins, Catasauqua, 12.14
200 : Alexandra Lea, Southern Lehigh, 24.54
400 : Julia Grant, Stroudsburg, 57.41
800 : Julia Grant, Stroudsburg, 2:15.74
1,600 : Madelyn McCartney, Emmaus, 5:02.04
3,200 : Payton Campbell, Emmaus, 11:05.90
400 relay : Southern Lehigh (Chloe Posavek, Faith Schiffer, Malya Best, Alexandra Lea), 49.38
1,600 relay : Nazareth, 4:08.34
3,200 relay : Emmaus (Mady McCartney, Payton Campbell, Sophia Kovalski, Addison Kleinle), 9:38.76
100 hurdles : Faith Schiffer, Southern Lehigh, 14.64
300 hurdles : Maggie Scalzo, Easton, 44.47
High jump : Alena Murray, Stroudsburg, 5-3
Long jump : Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 17-11.25
Triple jump : Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 37-5.25
Javelin : Julia Pinter, Bangor, 138-6*
Shot put : Sadie Fenstermaker, Northwestern, 37-6.5**
Discus : Lorah Thomas, Lehighton, 118-10
Pole vault : Naomee Adisa, Nazareth, 10-9
*Blue Mountain’s Gergely has thrown 155-1
**Blue Mountain’s Rosalind Gergely has thrown 38-11
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