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Mulhern conquers Igloo

Hannah Mulhern is going to have to start going to new lengths to reach new heights.

In other words, it looks like the Altoona senior track and field standout is going to need a bigger pole.

“I jump on 12-foot poles, so I have to jump over my handgrip [at the higher heights]. So, every time the bar goes up to 12, I’m like, ‘I’m not even on my 13-foot pole yet. I have to do my best to get over this,” Mulhern said. “I usually don’t get on 13 at practice, because there’s usually not that much height at practice.”

Mulhern raised the bar quite literally on Saturday at Mansion Park, setting a school record and breaking her own Igloo Invitational Track and Field Meet record by pole vaulting 12 feet, 4 inches at a chilly, drizzly Mansion Park.

Mulhern’s was the only record in the 39th running of the event, but she wasn’t the only area competitor to have a day to feel pretty good about. Hollidaysburg’s Alli Wyland went 3-for-3 in her events in terms of getting first place, while Tyrone sophomore Erika Voyzey set herself for a giant leap up in the high jump, and Bellwood-Antis’ Ellen Crook won the mile.

On the boys side, Altoona was exceptional on the track, sweeping the relays and getting first-place efforts individually from Mitch Endress, Brad Foust, Eli Mencer and Dreux Stamford. The Mountain Lions’ Bobby Corl and Manny Span won field events, as well, while Bedford middle-distance runner Zane Baker, Williamsburg thrower Mike Biddle and Northern Cambria vaulter Gus Yahner posted individual victories.

There was no team scoring.

Mulhern’s previous meet record was 11-3, set last year. She also broke her school record, also from last year, of 12-3. However, the 12-foot- mark had been something of a barrier since then, which made Saturday’s performance all the more gratifying.

“I was kind of nervous because it’s cold and it was the first outdoor meet. I didn’t get over 12 during the indoor season; I jumped 11-9. So my goal was to jump at least 12, because I want to be consistent there,” Mulhern said. “It was great to PR and set a [meet and school] record.”

Mulhern said 12 feet has been something of a measuring stick to her, no pun intended.

“Whenever the bar goes up to 12, I think, ‘OK, this is it, this is what I need to do.’ I just think, ‘I’ve been over this before, I know what I need to do,'” Mulhern said. “This kind of just tells me, last year at this meet I jumped 11-3 and I ended up jumping 12-3 by the end of the year, so I know I’m capable of jumping hopefully in the 13s by the end of the year. That would be awesome.”

Going to that height, though, will mean switching to a longer pole.

“I did my last three attempts today at 12-6 on 13. Just to get on that pole, it’s a different feel,” Mulhern said.

Voyzey bettered the performance that garnered her a sixth-place medal in last season’s PIAA Class AA championships, jumping 5-4. That was 2 inches higher than what the Tyrone sophomore did at districts and states about 10 months ago and just 2 inches away from Rachel Gehret’s meet record from 10 years ago.

Coincidentally, Gehret has been helping train Voyzey recently.

“I’ve worked with her for a couple of months. She’s given me a lot of good pointers. I had no idea she had the record. I just knew she was good, ” Voyzey said. “She just perfects my technique, which is nice. You can build up as much strength as you need, but, when it all comes down to the wire, you’ve got to work on what needs fixed.”

Voyzey also took third in the triple jump, making for an impressive meet against competition that included Class AAA performers.

“I love any kind of competition there is,” Voyzey said. “Getting challenged and having other people to compete against me, they push me to do better. I just want to be the best I can be. I just want to keep improving.”

Hollidaysburg freshman Alli Wyland made a big opening statement on her varsity career. She won the 100 meters and the 200 meters and also was part of the winning 400 relay with Olivia Brockman, Makayla Williams and Kayla Roman.

“I was nervous, because I’m a freshman, and there are all these amazing runners and older people. I was hoping to do well, but I had no clue what to expect. I knew they would all be fast,” Wyland said.

The performance set Wyland as someone to watch for in the foreseeable future. Both her times were within striking distance of meet records, and she’s clocked better in junior high – her personal record of 11.9 in the 100 would have established a new meet mark if she could have matched it.

Crook was seeded third entering the girls mile but outperformed top-ranked Morgan Keibler of Kane to win with a time of 5 minutes, 28.74 seconds, just a little off her seeded time in the event. Bellwood’s Duquesne University signee came back later to finish third in the 3200.

The Altoona boys relays put on a show – had B and C teams been allowed to win ribbons, six Mountain Lion teams would have taken them home. Foust and Stamford each were on a pair of first-place teams, collaborating on the four-by-400 with Joe Reffner and Jon Stolz.

Endress, Brett George and Dom Stroh joined Foust on the winning 3200 relay. Mencer, Stolz and Christian Toohey were with Stamford on the first-place 400.

“First, I think it’s because we have a lot of talent,” Stamford said of the success of the Lion relays. “But, two, because of the weather, a lot of teams can’t compete in this weather, so they’ll cancel practices. Rain, snow or sun, we’re practicing. Cold or hot, we’re practicing. That’s the difference between us and other teams.”

In addition to the relays, Stamford ran away from the field in the 200 meters – his 23.17-second time was 81-hundredths of a second better than anyone else.

Stamford was one of District 6’s best sprinters before injuries have slowed him down over the last couple of years. Saturday sent a message that he was back to both his competition and himself.

“It feels amazing,” Stamford said of being back out on the track. “Last year, coming into outdoor [season], I placed sixth in the 60. Then I tore my hamstring. After a long recovery, it took awhile to get my head right. This year, I placed in the 60 [in indoor season], and I’m just looking to come back.

“This means a lot, because physically I know that my hamstring is healed, and mentally I know that the cold can’t hurt me. When I hurt it, it was cold.”

Foust, a junior, won the 1600-meter run by almost 2 seconds over Kiski Area’s Patrick Miller, registering a result of 4:31.46. He might have been one of the few competitors after the meet to say “It was a nice day.”

“My times are there,” Foust said. “I feel like I just have to get a little bit stronger, and my times will be better [later in the season].”

Mencer captured the 300 hurdles with a time of 42.13, while Endress won the 800 by finishing in 2:01.42. One of the few events the Mountain Lions didn’t win on the track went to another area competitor, Baker, a sophomore who completed the 400 meters in 52.38 – Hollidaysburg’s Colin Terchanick was second at 52.92.

Mencer fell just short of taking first place in two events. Mencer, a junior, finished second to Williamsport’s Connor Oldt by a hundredth of a second; Mencer ran a 15.73. Mountain Lion sophomore Hunter Belin also narrowly missed taking first, finishing third in the long jump with a 19-9, 1 inch out of the top spot.

In the field events, Span showed no ill effects after playing in the Mirror Classic all-star basketball team the night before, throwing the shot put 46-11 to best teammate Kevin Givens by 1 inch. Corl prevailed in the triple jump by a half-inch over Richland’s Michael Somiari by leaping 42-4 1/2.

Biddle came in seeded second to Bedford’s Cody DeMoss in the javelin by 2 inches, continuing a developing rivalry from last year. This time, Biddle came out on top, throwing 177-0, while DeMoss finished second at 164-0.

Yahner, meanwhile, was convincing in winning the boys pole vault. The Northern Cambria senior cleared his seeded height of 14-6. No other competitor performed better than 13-0.

KEY

A-Altoona; BEA-Bald Eagle Area; BD-Bedford; BA-Bellwood-Antis; BG-Bishop Guilfoyle; CF-Clearfield; CP-Coudersport; CV-Curwensville; ECC-Elk County Catholic; HB-Hollidaysburg; HC-Homer-Center; HT-Huntingdon; KN-Kane; KA-Kiski Area; NC-Northern Cambria; PM-Penns Manor; PV-Penns Valley; PO-Philipsburg-Osceola; PL-Purchase Line; RV-Redbank Valley; RL-Richland; SY-Sayre; SJ-St. Joseph’s Catholic; T-Tyrone; U-United; WW-Warwick; WB-Williamsburg; WP-Williamsport

BOYS

100 dash: 1, Lucas, WW, 11.37; 2, Kinnamon, KA, 11.40; 3, Oliver, T, 11.43; 4, Talton, KA, 11.50; 5, Neumann, KA, 11.65; 6, Suchar, NC, 11.85; 7, Toohey, A, 11.88; 8, Brn. Greene, BEA, 12.07.

200 dash: 1, Stamford, A, 23.17; 2, Brc. Greene, BEA, 23.98; 3, Buey, SJ, 23.98; 4, Styles, BEA, 24.09; 5, Cook, BD, 24.29; 6, Chadbourn, BG, 24.54; 7, Farina, RL, 24.61; 8, Minter, KA, 24.72.

400 dash: 1, Baker, BD, 52.38; 2, Terchanick, HB, 52.92; 3, Edwards, A, 53.45; 4, Styles, BEA, 53.72; 5, Udovich, KN, 53.77; 6, Johnson, WP, 53.89; 7, Bearer, NC, 54.65; 8, Jn. Capitosti, HC, 56.20.

800 run: 1, Endress, A, 2:01.42; 2, Schwoyer, WP, 2:06.03; 3, George, A, 2:06.82; 4, Hackman, SJ, 2:06.91; 5, Johnson, WP, 2:07.36; 6, Learn, PL, 2:09.08; 7, Freeman, CF, 2:09.75; 8, McGarvey, WP, 2:10.24.

1600 run: 1, Foust, A, 4:31.46; 2, Miller, KA, 4:33.33; 3, Kennedy, KA, 4:40.87; 4, Hackman, SJ, 4:42.20; 5, Kachman, BD, 4:42.32; 6, Freeman, CF, 4:42.69; 7, Snyder, HB, 4:44.62; 8, Hunt, KN, 4:45.96.

3200 run: 1, Kennedy, KN, 9:31.96; 2, Kachman, BD, 10:08.89; 3, Stroh, A, 10:15.63; 4, Fahenstock, KA, 10:21.09; 5, Bartlett, BA, 10:22.68; 6, Uliano, A, 10:23.42; 7, Snyder, HB, 10:25.26; 8, Urban, SJ, 10:36.07.

110 hurdles: 1, Oldt, WP, 15.72; 2, Mencer, A, 15.73; 3, Carper, A, 15.77; 4, Arnold, BD, 16.04; 5, Roundtree, KA, 16.74; 6, Moore, KN, 16.74; 7, McMillan, BA, 17.54; 8, Shultz, HB, 17.78.

300 hurdles: 1, Mencer, A, 42.13; 2, Moore, KN, 42.72; 3, Stoltz, A, 43.05; 4, Baker, HB, 43.61; 5, Carper, A, 43.89; 6, Warshel, RL, 44.28; 7, Oldt, WP, 44.36; 8, Arnold, BD, 44.52.

400 relay: 1, Altoona (Mencer, Stolz, Toohey, Stamford), 43.41; 2, Tyrone, 46.26; 3, Bald Eagle Area, 46.33; 4, Bellwood-Antis, 46.80; 5, Bedford, 46.82; 6, Redbank Valley, 47.53; 7, Clearfield, 47.93; 8, Kane, 47.98. (note: Altoona B team ran 46.69).

1600 relay: 1, Altoona (Foust, Reffner, Stolz, Stamford), 3:27.63; 2, Kane, 3:38.68; 3, Kiski Area, 3:40.78; 4, Bald Eagle Area, 3:41.77; 5, Bedford, 3:42.75; 6, Hollidaysburg, 3:44.13; 7, Bellwood-Antis, 3:51.93; 8, Richland, 3:55.43. (note: Altoona’s B team ran 3:30.56 and Altoona’s C team ran 3:45.51).

3200 relay: 1, Altoona (Endress, George, Stroh, Foust), 8:17.52; 2, Williamsport, 8:20.35; 3, Hollidaysburg, 8:37.72; 4, Kane, 8:40.47; 5, Bedford, 8:41.05; 6, Clearfield, 9:05.40; 7, Bellwood-Antis, 9:12.86; 8, St. Joseph’s, 9:15.20.

High jump: 1, Jn. Capitosti, HC, 6-2; 2, Massey-Porter, WP, 6-0; 3, Je. Capitosti, HC, 6-0; 4 (tie), Foreman, A, and Miller, A, 5-10; 6 (tie) Hornberger, RV, and Kendall, BD, 5-8; 8, Watson, A, 5-6.

Long jump: 1, Jn. Capitosti, HC, 19-10; 2, Somiari, RL, 19-9; 3, Belin, A, 19-9; 4, Hoffman, CP, 19-7 1/2; 5, Massey-Porter, WP, 19-6 3/4; 6, Russo, A, 18-9 1/2; 7, Barnes, HB, 18-7 1/2; 8, Cook, BD, 18-2 1/4.

Triple jump: 1, Corl, A, 42-4 1/2; 2, Somiari, RL, 42-4; 3, Frederick, HT, 41-1; 4, Je. Capitosti, HC, 39-7; 5, Burch, BA, 39-1; 6, McDermitt, A, 38-10 1/2; 7, Maurer, PO, 38-10 1/2; 8, Li, RL, 38-1.

Shot put: 1, Span, A, 46-11; 2, Givens, A, 46-10; 3, Joy, RL, 44-11; 4, Livermore, A, 42-11 1/4; 5, Hoffman, WP, 42-4 3/4; 6, Foor, BD, 41-10 1/4; 7, Koontz, BD, 41-8 1/2; 8, Greenwalt, KN, 41-8.

Discus: 1, Lucas, WW, 170-2; 2, Koontz, BD, 137-10; 3, Hornberger, RV, 131-7; 4, Bowser, RV, 123-2; 5, Miller, HC, 120-8; 6, Herbstritt, ECC, 120-1; 7, Hall, BEA, 118-8; 8, Nealen, NC, 112-9.

Javelin: 1, Biddle, WB, 177-0; 2, DeMoss, BD, 164-0; 3, Hill, NE, 161-6; 4, Torsell, BA, 151-9; 5, Paronish, NC, 149-1; 6, Growden, BD, 139-7; 7, Carper, A, 135-9; 8, Herbstritt, ECC, 134-3.

Pole vault: 1, Yahner, NC, 14-6; 2, Schreckengost, RV, 13-0; 3 (tie), S. Rolick, KN, and T. Rolick, KN, 12-6; 5, Smith, A, 11-6; 6, Uncapher, KA, 11-6; 7, Russo, A, 11-0; 8, Tucker, PV, 11-0.

GIRLS

100 dash: 1, Wyland, HB, 12.48; 2, Maeshack, WP, 12.97; 3, Wagner, A, 13.18; 4, Swogger, BA, 13.35; 5, Kerner, KN, 13.47; 6, Palfey, A, 13.61; 7, Bair, PV, 13.62.

200 dash: 1, Wyland, HB, 27.10; 2, Fleming, HT, 27.75; 3, Florio, ECC, 28.02; 4, Palfey, A, 28.32; 5, Panasita, BA, 28.38; 6, Collini, KA, 28.42; 7, Heichel, CF, 28.68; 8, Gindlesberger, RL, 29.12.

400 dash: 1, Weisner, ECC, 58.14; 2 (tie), Pond, HB, and Swogger, T, 1:01.95; 4, Fleming, HT, 1:02.33; 5, Dyne, KN, 1:03.19; 6, Palfey, A, 1:03.23; 7, Strickland, CV, 1:03.56; 8, Johnson, KN, 1:03.94.

800 run: 1, Aller, KA, 2:28.11; 2, Weber, WP, 2:29.54; 3, Lednak, KA, 2:29.62; 4, Wilkinson, HB, 2:30.30; 5, Pensyl, A, 2:33.92; 6, Hohman, KA, 2:36.53; 7, McElheny, HC, 2:38.49; 8, Strickland, CV, 2:39.53.

1600 run: 1, Crook, BA, 5:28.74; 2, Kiebler, KA, 5:35.46; 3, Smeltzer, KA, 5:46.57; 4, Wiser, T, 5:51.00; 5, Perry, HB, 5:51.70; 6, Cousins, SJ, 6:00.13; 7, Paynter, HC, 6:02.21; 8, Cingle, BEA, 6:04.04.

3200 run: 1, Weisner, ECC, 11:03.90; 2, Dippold, ECC, 11:19.76; 3, Crook, BA, 11:52.46; 4, Wiser, T, 12:46.25; 5, Limbaugh, PV, 12:46.85; 6, Sohmer, A, 12:54.24; 7, Geist, A, 13:00.26; 8, Person, HT, 13:01.96.

100 hurdles: 1, Warshel, RL, 16.80; 2, Palfey, HB, 16.92; 3, Cummings, KN, 18.01; 4, Paronish, NC, 18.16; 5, Albright, A, 18.31; 6, Stessney, A, 18.42; 7, Roberts, BA, 18.86; 8, Mendez, BD, 19.17.

300 hurdles: 1, Skerpon, SY, 47.24; 2, Palfey, HB, 50.50; 3, Albright, A, 53.20; 4, Cummings, KN, 53.24; 5, Woomer, A, 53.56; 6, Surovec, SJ, 54.20; 7, Warshel, RL, 54.26; 8, Williams, WP, 54.60.

400 relay: 1, Hollidaysburg (Brockman, Williams, Roman, Wyland), 54.12; 2, Penns Valley, 54.16; 3, Tyrone, 54.55; 4, Clearfield, 55.00; 5, Bedford, 55.11; 6, Kane, 55.66; 7, Elk County Catholic, 56.04; 8, Bellwood-Antis, 56.63. (note: Williamsport’s B team ran 55.14).

1600 relay: 1, Elk County Catholic (Weisner, Glatt, Sweeney, Florio), 4:18.32; 2, Hollidaysburg, 4:26.81; 3, Altoona, 4:29.79; 4, Richland, 4:35.83; 5, Kiski Area, 4:38.82; 6, Bellwood-Antis, 4:40.07; 7, Clearfield, 4:40.62; 8, Williamsport, 4:43.06.

3200 relay: 1, Kiski Area (Aller, Lednak, Kiebler, Smeltzer), 10:11.52; 2, Hollidaysburg, 10:31.36; 3, Clearfield, 10:57.72; 4, Altoona, 10:58.48; 5, Bellwood-Antis, 11:06.36; 6, Elk County Catholic, 11:11.58; 7, Homer-Center, 11:12.29; 8, Williamsport, 11:12.86.

High jump: 1, Voyzey, T, 5-4; 2, Florio, ECC, 5-2; 3, Lippencott, BD, 5-0; 4, Kubalak, PV, 4-10; 5 (tie), Baldessaro, A, and Williams, HB, 4-10; 7 (tie), Fink, CD, and Mulhern, A, 4-8.

Long jump: 1, Gabreski, CP, 16-0 1/4; 2, Lippencott, BD, 15-7 1/4; 3, Pavelko, NC, 15-0 1/2; 4, Meyers, BD, 14-10; 5, Luciano, A, 14-5 1/2; 6, Fryzlewicz, KN, 14-1 1/2; 7, Polenik, PM, 14-0 1/2; 8, Wittman, ECC, 13-10.

Triple jump: 1, Gabreski, CP, 35-4 1/2; 2, Bucheit, KN, 33-8; 3, Voyzey, T, 33-8; 4, Warshel, RL, 32-11; 5, Lidwell, A, 32-6; 6, Cummings, KN, 32-3; 7, Wilkinson, HB, 32-2; 8, Stessney, A, 31-8 1/2.

Shot put: 1, Robinson, WP, 36-11; 2, Nicholson, KN, 35-9 1/2; 3, Emel, PV, 34-2; 4, Fletcher, U, 32-9 1/2; 5, Pridgen, RL, 32-8; 6, Damiano, BA, 32-2 3/4; 7, Lippencott, BD, 30-10 1/2; 8, Smithbauer, ECC, 30-6 1/4.

Discus: 1, Fletcher, U, 114-8; 2, Emel, PV, 104-1; 3, Hinderliter, RV, 102-5; 4, DaBella, PM, 100-11; 5, Edmonds, RV, 97-11; 6, Meyers, BD, 97-3; 7, Betar, HB, 94-10; 8, Bracy, KA, 93-9.

Javelin: 1, Hinderliter, RV, 135-5; 2, Nicholson, KN, 130-8; 3, Mirenda, A, 115-0; 4, Edmonds, RV, 110-1; 5, Fletcher, U, 106-0; 6, Lash, CF, 104-2; 7, Orndorff, PV, 100-11; 8, Bertothy, PO, 99-11.

Pole vault: 1, Mulhern, A, 12-4 (meet and school record); 2, Gourley, RV, 10-6; 3, Baldessaro, A, 10-0; 4, Lidwell, A, 9-6; 5, Feather, RL, 9-0; 6 (tie), Park, HT, and Schafer, KA, 8-0; 8, Bratton, PM, 8-0.

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