Altoona junior Lutz vaults to sixth place
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SHIPPENSBURG -- Altoona's Nathan Lutz was the top finisher in the state at the Penn Relays, dominated the pole vault competition throughout the outdoor season and capped it off with a tie for sixth-place at the PIAA championships Friday at Shippensburg's Seth Grove Stadium -- the top finish of any athlete in 3A or 2A from the Mirror's coverage area on the first day of the championships.
"It felt great honestly combined with how my indoor season went," Lutz said. "To come here and get a medal in the outdoor medal as well, it's not what I wanted today, but it feels good to officially have one of those as well."
Lutz cleared 14 feet, 6 inches but failed on all three attempts at 15 feet, a height he's cleared for much of the season.
"Dealing with the winds, getting on bigger poles, using too small of a pole, it all shakes out," Lutz said. "I'm happy with what I did this season, though."
Erie senior Bradon Schneider won the event by clearing 15 feet, 6 inches, a height Lutz knew he could have reached on a better day.
"I'm fueled and ready to keep going," Lutz said. "This isn't the end for me. I have this whole summer to go, nationals to go to. Next year, I definitely want to be on that No. 1 spot. I am going to get in the gym, and I'm going to get bigger, stronger and faster. That mentality is everything."
Altoona's Hailey Kravetz guaranteed herself a spot on the medal stand today by finishing eighth in the girls Class 3A 300-meter hurdle preliminaries in 44.94.
Kravetz, who finished 18th in the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries with a time of 15.76 earlier in the day, broke her own school record in the 300 hurdles of 45.14.
"Hailey's performance in the 100 hurdles was not what she wanted today," Altoona coach Paula Foreman said. "However, she was able to refocus for the 300 hurdles and had a personal-best of 44.94. She had a great start and ran a hard race earning herself a spot in the finals tomorrow."
3A notes
– Hollidaysburg's Caden DeLattre fouled on two jumps that would have easily put him in the finals and failed to advance to the medal round of the boys Class 3A triple jump. He finished 11th with his lone qualifying jump of 44 feet, 5.25 inches.
– Hollidaysburg's Owen Bender was 18th in the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.51.
– Altoona's Xavier Williams finished 21st in the 110 hurdles preliminaries with a time of 15.22.
– Altoona freshman Kihlee Noel was 15th in the girls 3A shot put with a throw of 34 feet, 7.5 inches.
– Altoona senior Reese Wilber finished 32nd in the girls 3A 1600-meter run in 5:18.1.
– Hollidaysburg's Emily Clapper was 27th in the girls 3A 400-meter dash preliminary race in 1:01.99.