BELLWOOD - Probably the best thing that could happen to Bellwood-Antis' Brian Leap was a couple of dual-meet losses to Tyrone's Charles Wilson last week.
It was the worst thing that could have happened to Leap's competition, though.
Leap came out with a purpose, setting a meet record in the triple jump, tying the meet record in the high jump and winning the long jump on his way to taking home outstanding boys jumper honors and leading the Blue Devils to an easy team victory at the Bellwood-Antis Invitational Track and Field Meet on Monday at Memorial Stadium.
"I was struggling, so I wanted to come back and get a little revenge,'' said Leap, who was topped by Wilson in both the high jump and long jump Thursday. "I just changed my steps. It just took some practice to fine tune it, and it all came together.''
Leap got his momentum rolling in the high jump, tying a meet mark that was last accomplished in 2002 by reaching 6 feet, 6 inches and just missing 6-7; he'd only cleared 6-2 last week.
After winning the long jump with an effort of 21-1, the B-A senior pulled out a 46-0 on his second attempt in the triple jump, the event in which he got an eighth-place medal at the PIAA championships last year. That shattered the previous mark of 44-7 set by Bald Eagle Area's Josh Garner in 2003.
It wasn't even Leap's best result in the event this season. He already has a 46-6.
"I definitely wanted the triple [record], and, seeded second in the long and high, I definitely wanted to get those, too,'' Leap said. "My goals this year were 21 and 6-6. It's good to start hitting the zone this time of the year.''
Leap also anchored the winning four-by-400-meter relay. He got the baton with a substantial lead, and Tyrone's Nick Patton, while able to pass two teams, couldn't catch him. B-A's 3-minute, 29.27-second time broke Tyrone's one-year-old meet record of 3:29.7 and allowed the Blue Devils to eclipse the record of 149 team points they scored at last season's meet; they finished with 164, while Tyrone placed second with 81.
In addition to Leap's first-place finishes, the Blue Devils' Seth Worthing captured the 100 dash. The rest of the scoring was a testament to Bellwood's outstanding depth.
"We've been doing awesome. The whole team's been coming together, one, two, three kids in each event, and it's really helping us out,'' Leap said.
Patton wasn't able to duplicate his record times in the 200 and 400 meters from last year's meet, but he still won both events impressively.
"I'd say the times are right about where they should be,'' said Patton, who also anchored the winning 400 relay team on his way to being voted the outstanding boys runner.
The defending PIAA gold medalist in the Class AA 200 meters and the returning silver medalist in the 400, Patton posted times of 51.91 and 22.09 seconds, respectively, in those events on Monday. Those numbers, while not quite up to Patton's 2010 standards, are all the more impressive in light of the fact that the start of the Golden Eagle junior's season was slowed by an injury.
"I feel good now. I'm not having any problems. I just strained a calf,'' Patton said. "It was just a few weeks of therapy, but I'm good now.''
Coming off a pair of victories and a record at the NBCAA Invitational last week, Central's Dan Hoover rounded out the parade of area boys double winners, taking the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles. He had to come from behind at the last hurdle to prevail at the longer distance.
"It's kind of the same thing that happened in the Northern Bedford Invite. I just had a little trouble in the corner,'' Hoover said. "But I found a way to make it up.''
It was the latest testament to the vast improvement Hoover has made since his junior season.
"It really means a lot. It's my last year. You always try to do your best your last year,'' Hoover said. "The jump I've made from junior to senior year is sizable, I'd say.''
Philipsburg-Osceola won the girls team title. P-O wound up with 109 team points, 41 more than second-place Penns Valley.
"That's a big improvement. Just four years ago, we didn't even have a track,'' Lady Mountie Alison Patrick said. "We were running hurdles in the grass, long jumping in the big sand pits.''
Patrick was a big part of the Lady Mounties' winning effort. She finished first in the 400 dash and long jump, anchored the winning 1,600 relay and came in second in the 200.
"I wanted to break a minute in the 400, but I didn't get that today [1:01.25]. But my 200 time [26.94] was all right. I just had individual goals of breaking personal records,'' Patrick said. "My long jump was awful. On Saturday, I got a 17-2. That was 1 inch away from the school record. Today I come in and jump 15-8. That was still first.''
Lauren Simcox and Ashton Wasilko added first-place performances for the Lady Mounties in the 1,600 run and 300 hurdles, respectively.
Bellwood-Antis' Emiley Stapleton also won two events, placing first in the mile and the half-mile. She was voted the meet's outstanding girls runner.
Meet notes: Rich Stever (3,200) and the 3,200 relay team added winning efforts for the Tyrone boys, and Northern Cambria's Tony Rocco prevailed in the pole vault. ... Juniata Valley's Kylie Berrena was the only other girls winner from the area. She was first in the discus. ... United's Stefan Moreau set a new meet record by almost a foot in the boys shot put with a toss of 53-1. His teammate, Ray Ofman, won the 800 and 1,600 runs. ... Richland's Paige Lumley was a double winner, placing first in the 100 hurdles and triple jump. She was voted outstanding girls runner, while United's Leah Skedel was the outstanding girls thrower. Brice Beals of Bald Eagle Area was outstanding boys thrower.
BOYS
KEY, TEAM SCORING: 1, BA-Bellwood-Antis, 164; 2, T-Tyrone, 81; 3, U-United, 63; 4, R-Richland, 51; 5, CH-Cambria Heights, 40; 6, PV-Penns Valley, 36; 7, CEN-Central, 34; 8, BEA-Bald Eagle Area, 22; 9, BED-Bedford, 21; 10, NC-Northern Cambria, 16; 11, MU-Mount Union, 10; 12,SH-Southern Huntingdon, 7; 13, PO-Philipsburg-Osceola, 6; 14, WB-West Branch, 2; 15, WIL-Williamsburg, 2; 16, JV-Juniata Valley, 1.
100 dash: 1, S. Worthing, BA, 11.41; 2, Rozich, R, 11.65; 3, Emigh, T, 11.69; 4, Sweeley, PV, 11.73; 5, Malik, PV, 11.74; 6, Slippey, WB, 11.80.
200 dash: 1, Patton, T, 22.09; 2, S. Worthing, BA, 23.02; 3, Sweeley, PV, 23.07; 4, Speicher, R, 23.17; 5, King, PV, 23.74; 6, Emigh, T, 23.86.
400 dash: 1, Patton, T, 51.91; 2, Evans, BA, 53.49; 3, Eason, PO, 53.62; 4, Licastro, R, 54.10; 5, O'Shea, BA, 54.16; 6, Morder, MU, 54.31.
800 run: 1, Ofman, U, 2:01.63; 2, Montgomery, BA, 2:02.21; 3, Decker, PV, 2:03.64; 4, Brown, PV, 2:08.59; 5, Bowser, R, 2:09.43; 6, Brumbaugh, CEN, 2:09.45.
1600 run: 1, Ofman, U, 4:34.61; 2, McKeehan, MU, 4:50.15; 3, Knapic, U, 4:53.56; 4, K. Bartlett, BA, 4:55.58; 5, Lush, PV, 4:56.93; 6, Hall, SH, 4:57.02.
3200 run: 1, Stever, T, 10:31.97; 2, K. Bartlett, BA, 10:35.06; 3, Boyd, R, 10:51.33; 4, Knapic, U, 10:51.74; 5, England, 10:54.06; 6, Dean, SH, 10:59.02.
110 hurdles: 1, Hoover, CEN, 15.13; 2, Davensizer, BA, 15.61; 3, Shaner, CH, 15.63; 4, Hanley, R, 16.25; 5, Sinisi, BA, 16.43; 6, Leskovansky, BEA, 16.45.
300 hurdles: 1, Hoover, CEN, 41.76; 2, Wakefield, BED, 42.17; 3, Sinisi, BA, 42.23; 4, Hanley, R, 42.61; 5, Davensizer, BA, 43.41; 6, Russell, CEN, 43.43.
400 relay: 1, Tyrone (Burke, Patton, Emigh, Franco), 43.97; 2, Bellwood-Antis, 44.44; 3, Richland, 45.68; 4, Cambria Heights, 46.74; 5, Penns Valley, 46.68; 6, West Branch, 47.46.
1600 relay: 1, Bellwood-Antis (S. Worthing, DeGol, Montgomery, Leap), 3:29.27 (new meet record); 2, Tyrone, 3:33.30; 3, Richland, 3:34.86; 4, Penns Valley, 3:35.62; 5, United, 3:40.80; 6, Bedford, 3:44.17.
3200 relay: 1, Tyrone (Zook, Russell, Makdad, Stever), 8:31.23; 2, Bellwood-Antis, 8:32.82; 3, United, 8:41.55; 4, Penns Valley, 8:45.24; 5, Richland, 8:59.52; 6, Southern Huntingdon, 9:08.73.
High jump: 1, Leap, BA, 6-6 (tied meet record); 2, Wilson, T, 6-4; 3, DeGol, 5-10; 4, Caldwell, CH, 5-8; 5, Lacue, CH, 5-8; 6 (tie), Olish, NC, and Weicenburg, JV, 5-6.
Long jump: 1, Leap, BA, 21-1; 2, Prohonic, CH, 20-4; 3, DeGol, BA, 20-4; 4, Rozich, R, 19-2; 5, Caldwell, CH, 18-10; 6, Reed, U, 18-4.
Triple jump: 1, Leap, BA, 46-0 (new meet record); 2, Montgomery, BA, 41-4; 3, Prohonic, CH, 40-4; 4, Rocco, NC, 40-4; 5, Wilson, T, 39-10; 6, Frost, BEA, 38-8.
Shot put: 1, Moreau, U, 53-1 (new meet record); 2, Beals, BEA, 48-11; 3, Minori, BA, 45-8; 4, Gongloff, BA, 44-7; 5, Leberfinger, CEN, 41-8; 6, House, MU, 40-10.
Discus: 1, Beals, BEA, 153-5; 2, Miller, CH, 135-4; 3, Moreau, U, 134-6; 4, Davis, BED, 127-2; 5, Thompson, BA, 123-6; 6, Dininny, R, 118-10.
Javelin: 1, Nothstein, CEN, 177-9; 2, Anderson, U, 163-9; 3, Snyder, T, 158-3; 4, Minori, BA, 152-8; 5, Hicks, BEA, 143-6; 6, Gardner, JV, 140-7.
Pole vault: 1, Rocco, NC, 12-9; 2, Albert, BA, 12-3; 3, Noye, BA, 11-9; 4, Cornelius, SH, 11-3; 5, Yahner, NC, 11-3; 6 (tie), Rocco, PO, and Russell, T, 11-3.
GIRLS
KEY, TEAM SCORING: 1, PO-Philipsburg-Osceola, 109; 2, PV-Penns Valley, 68; 3, NC-Northern Cambria, 56; 4, SH-Southern Huntingdon, 55; 5, R-Richland, 52; 6, BA-Bellwood-Antis, 52; 7, U-United, 51; 8, JV-Juniata Valley, 28; 9 (tie), BED-Bedford and CEN-Central, 20; 11, CH-Cambria Heights, 14; 12, MU-Mount Union, 12; 13, T-Tyrone, 10; 14, BEA-Bald Eagle Area, 7; 15, WB-West Branch, 3; 16-WIL-Williamsburg, 0.
100 dash: 1, Witter, PV, 13.18; 2, Swogger, T, 13.29; 3, Saulen, MU, 13.61; 4, Miller, CEN, 13.80; 5 (tie), Miller, BA, and Nevling, BA, 13.87.
200 dash: 1, Darr, PV, 26.35; 2, Patrick, PO, 26.94; 3, Josephson, PO, 28.70; 4, Hershberger, R, 29.09; 5, M. Bernard, NC, 29.10; 6, Patton, T, 29.12.
400 dash: 1, Patrick, PO, 1:01.25; 2, Baker, BED, 1:03.36; 3, Granlun, BA, 1:04.22; 4, M. Bernard, NC, 1:04.56; 5, Bills, CH, 1:04.93; 6, B. Bernard, NC, 1:04.97.
800 run: E. Stapleton, BA, 2:27.60; 2, Baker, BED, 2:28.33; 3, Feather, U,2:31.74; 4, Benfer, PV, 2:35.66; 5, Bodenschatz, R, 2:37.07; 6, Speed, PO, 2:37.64.
1600 run: 1, E. Stapleton, BA, 5:41.57; 2, Simcox, PO, 5:52.40; 3, Clark, CEN, 5:53.78; 4, Kurtz, JV, 5:55.35; 5, Yahner, NC, 5:58.44; 6, L. Paronish, NC, 6:00.19.
3200 run: 1, Simcox, 12:48.12; 2, Kurtz, JV, 12:56.21; 3, L. Paronish, NC, 13:21.78; 4, Komisar, PO, 13:25.45; 5, Federinko, PV, 13:38.26; 6, Thomas, SH, 13:49.96.
100 hurdles: 1, Lumley, R, 16.32; 2, Revercomb, SH, 16.57; 3, Wood, PO, 17.67; 4, Jenkins, JV, 17.72; 5, Maurer, CEN, 17.73; 6, Henry, CH, 17.83.
300 hurdles: 1, Wasilko, PO, 48.78; 2, Cunningham, NC, 50.93; 3, Czar, PO, 50.93; 4, Revercomb, SH, 51.39; 5, Jenkins, JV, 52.09; 6, Warshel, R, 52.97.
400 relay: 1, Penns Valley (Darr, Witter, Lindsay, Gover), 51.20; 2, Richland, 54.32; 3, Bellwood-Antis, 54.43; 4, Philipsburg-Osceola, 54.70; 5, West Branch, 55.24; 6, Bald Eagle Area, 55.49.
1600 relay: 1, Philipsburg-Osceola (Czar, Speed, Wasilko, Patrick), 4:14.25; 2, Penns Valley, 4:26.05; 3, Bellwood-Antis, 4:26.06; 4, Northern Cambria, 4:26.96; 5, Cambria Heights, 4:27.08; 6, United, 4:27.97.
3200 relay: 1, United (Feather, Overdorff, Mehalik, Bloom), 10:36.37; 2, Cambria Heights, 10:37.73; 3, Northern Cambria, 10:39.26; 4, Richland, 10:57.05; 5, Philipsburg-Osceola, 11:05.57; 6, West Branch, 11:06.00.
High jump: 1, Granlun, SH, 5-0; 2, Gover, PV, 4-10; 3, Wasson, PV, 4-8; 4, Hamman, MU, 4-8, 5 (tie), Pfeil, R, and Wasilko, PO, 4-6.
Long jump: 1, Patrick, PO, 15-8; 2, Kirsch, NC, 15-5; 3, Wood, PO, 15-3; 4, Lumley, R, 15-1; 5, Granlun, SH, 14-10; 6, Revercomb, SH, 14-7.
Triple jump: 1, Lumley, R, 35-1; 2, Kirsch, NC, 34-5; 3, Revercomb, SH, 32-10; 4, Baker, BED, 32-8; 5, Lindsay, PV, 31-10; 6, Czar, PO, 31-8.
Shot put: 1, McGaha, U, 34-6; 2, Bean, CEN, 31-4; 3, A. Paronish, NC, 30-7; 4, Damiano, BA, 30-6; 5, Crawley, MU, 30-5; 6, Yeager, CH, 30-0.
Discus: 1, Berrena, JV, 96-10; 2, Fletcher, U, 94-11; 3, Skedel, U, 92-6; 4, Damiano, BA, 90-0; 5, Pecora, R, 89-4; 6, Woodward, SH, 88-7.
Javelin: 1, Skedel, U, 109-5; 2, Holmes, PV, 107-3; 3, Walker, SH, 102-8; 4, Bertothy, PO, 101-5; 5, Simicisko, BEA, 97-8; 6, Krepps, BA, 97-3.
Pole vault: 1, Thomas, SH, 8-9; 2, Mercer, BA, 8-3; 3, Feather, R, 7-9; 4, Kachick, BEA, 7-9; 5 (tie), Bowser, T, and Czar, PO, 7-3.
