Many Blue Devils ran out to celebrate with the winning team of Owen Stoltzfus, Ethan Shawley, Miles Smearman and Cameron Nelson, because the win also capped off a team championship for the B-A boys, their first in the event since the 2019 season.

“I think the 1600 relay is the most exciting event there is in track,” Bellwood-Antis boys coach Nick Lovrich said. “To see those guys do that and all the guys excited on the sideline, that was a great atmosphere. That’s high school sports in a nutshell. It was great.”

Nelson, who was named the meet’s Outstanding Boys Runner, also won both hurdles.

He won the 110 hurdles in 15.72 seconds and broke the meet record in the 300 hurdles by one-hundredth of a second with his time of 40.13 seconds, besting Bedford’s Josh Lightner’s 2006 time of 40.14 seconds.

Mirror photos by Patrick Waksmunski Bellwood-Antis' Emma Taneyhill won the discus with a throw of 131-06.

“Last year, I didn’t have a great season,” Nelson said. “I worked so hard in the offseason. I couldn’t ask for anything more than to be able to write my name in history at this event. I worked super hard, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”

The Bellwood-Antis girls, behind Outstanding Girls Jumper Ella Cherry and Outstanding Girls Thrower Emma Taneyhill, repeated as girls champions.

“I’m definitely happy for the team,” Taneyhill said. “That’s awesome to win it two years in a row. I went into this meet knowing I had a good chance to (win Outstanding Thrower), and I’m happy. It wasn’t easy, but I got it done.”

Taneyhill won the discus with a throw of 131 feet, 6 inches — a new meet record, shattering the mark of 123 feet, 10 inches by United’s Kate Kendrick in 2008. She also won the shot put with a throw of 34 feet, 3.5 inches.

“I would love to win districts, and I have a shot at winning states this year,” Taneyhill said. “I’d love to make the podium at state. My PR is 136-10, so anything past that, I would love to hit.”

Bellwood-Antis' Cameron Nelson (right) runs against United's Logan Lichtenfels to win the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.72.

Cherry won the 100 dash in 12.73 seconds, won the long jump with a distance of 16 feet, 2 inches and won the triple jump in 36 feet, 5 inches.

“I feel pretty good,” Cherry said. “I am very proud of everyone. We have come so far as a team. (Individually) I feel best about the triple jump and the 100. I have PR’d a lot in those events this season. I just want to stay consistent.”

Tyrone’s Sarah Chichester, the meet’s Outstanding Girls Runner, won the 400 in 59.05 seconds (a new Tyrone girls record). She also won the 200, denying runner-up Cherry a fourth victory, in 26.27 seconds.

In addition, Chichester was a member of the Tyrone girls relay teams which won the 400 relay and set a new meet record in the 1600 relay.

Chichester did not run the 100 dash in favor of the 400.

“They are hard races, but they push me and get the best out of me,” Chichester said. “I give it all I’ve got, and that pushes me forward. The (200 and 400) are probably my best races, because they give me more time to push myself to be the best I can be.”

Central’s Lanee Berkhimer continued her record-breaking senior season by claiming the B-A Invitational 3200 record by more than 15 seconds with a time of 11:04.53, besting Juniata Valley’s Ella McCrum’s time of 11:20.03 from last year.

Berkhimer broke the Northern Bedford Invitational record on Friday with a time of 11:06.61 and set the marks at both events despite not being pushed in either race.

The first race of the day was also a record-breaker.

The Central Cambria girls 3200 relay team of Alaina Long, Paige Alexander, Makenzie Hite and Delaney Snyder, always among the best in the state, set a new meet record of 9:46.47, breaking a record held by the 2021 Lady Devils team of Abigail George, Abigail Walwro, Faith Wilson and Stella Kuntz which held the record at 9:49.9.

Alexander also won the 1600 individually in 5:14.11.

“It is so amazing to always be up there in the (3200 relay) and keep the tradition up,” Long said. “Beating the record — obviously we don’t really come here with the intention of doing that — we just go out there and run our best and trust our training. We do it for each other and do it for our coaches, because they put everything into us, so we want to give it our all every time we step out there. We’re happy with how we performed.”

The 2021 relay team went into the PIAA meet with lower-than-usual expectations but won a silver medal in 9:40.93, almost nine seconds faster than their Bellwood-Antis Invitational time. If Central Cambria continues to improve this season, a similar jump is possible.

“I think we look really strong,” Long said. “We have great coaches and great training, so we know we’ll do well at the times we need to. I’m just happy to be part of this and part of this tradition. It has been an awesome experience every single year.”

Several other Bellwood-Antis athletes contributed to the team championships with individual championships.

Owen Stoltzfus won the 400 dash in 50.05 seconds, and Jayce Quick won the discus with a throw of 150 feet, 10 inches.

Julie Kraft went from third to first in the final 50 yards and passed Central Cambria’s Alyson Sheehan just before the finish line to win the 800 run in 2:28.63. Sheehan was second in 2:28.75, and Bedford’s Chloe May was third in 2:29.3. B-A freshman Sophia Pullara won the high jump by clearing 5 feet.

“Track is an individual sport competing as a team. Every point in every event matters and when each runner, jumper, and thrower gives their best effort, the team achieves success,” B-A girls coach Jennifer Soisson said. “The girls do a great job of pushing each other and encouraging each other at practices and meets. It’s nice when their individual hard work all comes together.”

Other local individual winners included Tyrone’s Claire Lehman, who won the 300 hurdles, in 46.59 seconds, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s Alex Krimmel, who won the high jump by clearing 6 feet and Tyrone’s Caleb Whitby, who won the long jump at 21 feet, 5 inches.

Central Cambria’s Ethan Haycisak found the winner’s circle three times by winning the 3200 and the 1600 runs and being part of the Red Devils’ 3200 relay championship team that had a time of 8:19.71.

“I made a PR (in the 3200) at the Butler Invite with a 9:32, which was a substantial drop from last year’s time,” Haycisak said. “I’m hoping to drop a little more soon with some bigger meets coming up. I’d like to be sub-9:20, that would be nice. It would help my mile and my 800 would benefit from that also because the leg speed it takes to run sub-9:20.”

Haycisak held off a late charge by Central’s Ben Hartman in the 1600. Hartman caught him with about 50 yards to go, but Haycisak found another gear and pushed himself over the finish line first in a photo finish, 4:32.63-4:32.81.

“It’s always nice to have a competitor right there with you,” Haycisak said. “It makes you better, even when you don’t expect it. They can push you and make sure you do the best you can do that day.”

Huntingdon’s Landon Erdman, who was named the meet’s Outstanding Boys Thrower, broke the shot put record, previously held by United’s Stefan Moreau (53-1.5) in 2011, with a throw of 52 feet, 8.75 inches, and his teammate Grace Buonaccorsi won the pole vault by clearing 11 feet, 3 inches and broke the meet record, previously held by B-A’s Alexis Gerwert, who cleared 11 feet in 2018.

Northern Cambria’s Daniel Farrell, who won the triple jump and was the runner-up in the long jump, won the Outstanding Boys Jumper award.

BOYS

TEAM RESULTS/KEY

1, Bellwood-Antis (BA) 114; 2, Central Cambria (CC) 70; 3, Huntingdon (H) 64; 4, Central (C) 50; 5, Bedford (B) 49; 6, Tyrone (T) 47; T-7, Northern Cambria (NC) 42; T-7, United (U) 42; 9, Bald Eagle Area (BEA) 18; 10, Cambria Heights (CH) 12; 11, Bishop Guilfoyle (BG) 11; 12, Southern Huntingdon (SH) 10; T-13, Portage (P) 8; T-13, Tussey Mountain (TM) 8; 15, Mount Union (MU) 6; 16, Philipsburg-Osceola (PO) 3; 17, Juniata Valley (JV) 1.

INDIVIDUAL

100 dash: 1, Slusher, H, 11.38; 2, Smearman, BA, 11.43; 3, Dodson, H, 11.45; 4, Koontz, B, 11.48; 5, Czar, NC, 11.511; 6, Kirsch, NC, 11.515. 200 dash: 1, Koontz, B, 23.19; 2, Irons, T, 23.33; 3, Smearman, BA, 23.47; 4, Hughes, H, 23.52; 5, Stoltzfus, BA, 23.53; 6, Beaver, U, 23.64. 400 dash: 1, Stoltzfus, BA, 50.05; 2, Papcun, P, 51.46; 3, Hughes, H, 51.62; 4, Brawley, NC, 53.83; 5, Grove, H, 54.12; 6, Walters, JV, 54.46. 800 run: 1, Redinger, B, 2:05.47; 2, Bearer, CC, 2:06.17; 3, Westrick, CC, 2:06.95; 4, Kline, CH, 2:07.28; 5, Dechow, BEA, 2:07.42; 6, Singer, BG, 2:07.43. 1600 run: 1, Haycisak, CC, 4:32.63; 2, Hartman, C, 4:32.81; 3, Takacs, CC, 4:37.11; 4, Brambley, B, 4:43.02; 5, Kline, CH, 4:43.55; 6, Davis, T, 4:50.7. 3200 run: 1, Haycisak, CC, 10:06.3; 2, Doyle, CC, 10:21.58; 3, Davis, T, 10:39.23; 4, Honn, H, 10:40.41; 5, Hollenbach, BA, 10:44.49; 6, Fyfe, B, 10:46.18. 110 hurdles: 1, Nelson, BA, 15.72; 2, Schreier, BA, 16.25; 3, Lichtenfels, U, 16.31; 4, K. Suhoney, T, 16.52; 5, Dreibelbis, CH, 16.68; 6, Horn, C, 17.06. 300 hurdles: *1, Nelson, BA, 40.13; 2, Taylor, BEA, 41.88; 3, Connelly, T, 42.75; 4, Schreier, BA, 42.86; 5, Irons, T, 43.41; 6, Kronin, BEA, 45.07.

400 relay: 1, United (Beaver, Lichtenfels, Oleksa, Payne), 43.79; 2, Bellwood-Antis, 44.05; 3, Huntingdon, 44.19; 4, Bedford, 44.39; 5, Central Cambria, 45.71; 6, Tussey Mountain, 45.86. 1600 relay: *1, Bellwood-Antis (Stoltzfus, Shawley, Smearman, Nelson), 3:26.75; 2, United, 3:26.81; 3, Bedford, 3:34.96; 4, Huntingdon, 3:35.23; 5, Tyrone, 3:39.9; 6, Central Cambria, 3:48.26. 3200 relay: 1, Central Cambria (Bearer, Takacs, Doyle, Haycisak), 8:19.71; 2, Central, 8:21.73; 3, United, 8:22.24; 4, Tyrone, 8:35.11; 5, Bald Eagle Area, 8:38.59; 6, Bellwood-Antis, 8:58.49. High jump: 1, Krimmel, BG, 6-0; 2, Patterson, TM, 6-0; 3, Morris, H, 5-8; 4, Horn, C, 5-8; 5, Norris, H, 5-8; 6, Blickenderfer, NC, 5-8. Long jump: 1, Whitby, T, 21-5; 2, Farrell, NC, 21-3.75; 3, Litzinger, BA, 20-6; 4, C. Heuston, C, 20-2.5; 5, Swope, CC, 19-9.5; 6, Norris, H, 19-9. Triple jump: 1, Farrell, NC, 44-9; 2, Litzinger, BA, 42-9.5; 3, C. Heuston, C, 41-11.5; 4, Beach, C, 40-6.25; 5, Norris, H, 40-3; 6, McClenahan, PO, 40-2.5. Shot put: *1, Erdman, H, 52-8.75; 2, Quick, BA, 45-7; 3, Tew, B, 44-3.5; 4, K. Suhoney, T, 42-7; 5, Lake, SH, 42-6; 6, Bellinger, C, 40-4.75. Discus: 1, Quick, BA, 150-10; 2, Lake, SH, 136-3; 3, Hartman, MU, 132-4; 4, Ingraham, B, 128-7; 5, Burroughs, BA, 125-9; 6, Rivello, H, 122-9. Javelin: 1, Costello, NC, 155-11; 2, Staruch, CC, 148-1; 3, Shutty, NC, 144-11; 4, Skebeck, CH, 142-11; 5, McClure, PO, 142-2; 6, Ferree, BEA, 139-7. Pole vault: 1, Garshnick, U, 12-9; 2, J. Heuston, C, 12-9; 3, Hart, C, 12-3; 4, Uberti, BEA, 12-3; 5, Hostler, BA, 12-3; 6, Riffer, U, 11-9.

GIRLS

TEAM RESULTS/KEY

1, Bellwood-Antis (BA) 135; 2, Central Cambria (CC) 88; 3, Tyrone (T) 78; 4, Bedford (B) 58; 5, Huntingdon (H) 48.5; 6, Cambria Heights (CH) 38.5; 7, Portage (P) 19; 8, Northern Cambria (NC) 18; 9, Central (C) 17; 10, United (U) 16; T-11, Tussey Mountain (TM) 14; T-11, Bald Eagle Area (BEA) 14; 13, West Branch (WB) 6; 14, Juniata Valley (JV) 4; 15, Southern Huntingdon (SH) 1.

INDIVIDUAL

100 dash: 1, Cherry, BA, 12.73; 2, Powers, BA, 13.37; 3, McMillen, CH, 13.41; 4, Lehman, T, 13.43; 5, Ramsey, T, 13.49; 6, Smay, C, 13.67. 200 dash: 1, Chichester, T, 26.27; 2, Cherry, BA, 26.85; 3, Woodring, T, 27.49; 4, Bednarski, P, 27.56; 5, Depetro, NC, 27.58; 6, Powers, BA, 27.83. 400 dash: 1, Chichester, T, 59.05; 2, Depetro, NC, 59.74; 3, Wagner, BA, 1:01.16; 4, Hite, CC, 1:02.47; 5, Brallier, B, 1:03.74; 6, Crynock, CH, 1:03.77. 800 run: 1, Kraft, BA, 2:28.63; 2, Sheehan, CC, 2:28.75; 3, May, B, 2:29.3; 4, Pennington, BA, 2:31.9; 5, Hilyer, CH, 2:33.71; 6, Eveleth, BEA, 2:34.54. 1600 run: 1, Alexander, CC, 5:14.11; 2, May, B, 5:18.54; 3, Long, CC, 5:33.95; 4, McCrum, JV, 5:37.61; 5, Dixson, BEA, 5:43.66; 6, Eveleth, BEA, 5:45.16. 3200 run: *1, Berkhimer, C, 11:04.53; 2, Sheehan, CC, 12:10.43; 3, Henning, U, 12:19.47; 4, Dixson, BEA, 12:29.39; 5, Yinkey, B, 12:31.53; 6, Kraft, BA, 12:35.74. 100 hurdles: 1, Young, H, 15.8; 2, McClellan, CH, 16.14; 3, Bryan, BEA, 16.67; 4, Stoltzfus, BA, 16.901; 5, Templeton, CC, 16.905; 6, Koontz, B, 17.18. 300 hurdles: 1, Lehman, T, 46.59; 2, Stoltzfus, BA, 48.49; 3, Templeton, CC, 48.51; 4, Young, H, 48.67; 5, Dunn, C, 49.57; 6, Koontz, B, 50.06.

400 relay: 1, Tyrone (Lehman, Ramsey, Woodring, Chichester), 51.06; 2, Central Cambria, 52.41; 3, Bedford, 52.89; 4, Portage, 52.9; 5, Cambria Heights, 53.1; 6, Philipsburg-Osceola, 53.96. 1600 relay: *1, Tyrone (Chichester, Woodring, Flick, Lehman), 4:06.62; 2, Central Cambria, 4:14.19; 3, Bedford, 4:17.32; 4, Central, 4:18.04; 5, Bellwood-Antis, 4:22.68; 6, Northern Cambria, 4:25.58. 3200 relay: *1, Central Cambria (Alexander, Hite, Long, Snyder), 9:46.47; 2, Bellwood-Antis, 9:59.44; 3, Bedford, 10:42.2; 4, United, 10:43.02; 5, Cambria Heights, 10:44.71; 6, Portage, 10:45.28. High jump: 1, Pullara, BA, 5-0; 2, Brallier, B, 4-10; 3, Woomer, T, 4-10; 4, McDevitt, B, 4-10; 5, Teno, P, 4-8; T-6, Karlheim, CH, 4-6; T-6, Kyper, H, 4-6. Long jump: 1, Cherry, BA, 16-2; 2, McMillen, CH, 16-0.25; 3, Young, H, 15-9; 4, Bednarski, P, 15-2; 5, Powers, BA, 15-2; 6, Ramsey, T, 14-11.5. Triple jump: 1, Cherry, BA, 36-5; 2, McMillen, CH, 34-8; 3, Powers, BA, 33-10; 4, Buonaccorsi, H, 33-3; 5, Wanyo, CC, 33-0; 6, McClellan, CH, 32-9. Shot put: 1, Taneyhill, BA, 34-3.5; 2, Anderson, CC, 33-10; 3, Walters, H, 33-1.5; 4, Dicken, T, 31-10.5; 5, Yutzy, TM, 31-7; 6, Miko, P, 30-10.5. Discus: *1, Taneyhill, BA, 131-6; 2, Kyper, H, 103-5; 3, Gokey, CC, 100-2; 4, Dicken, T, 99-9; 5, Yutzy, TM, 97-10; 6, Holloway, SH, 97-8. Javelin: 1, Yutzy, TM, 109-6; 2, Messina, NC, 107-6; 3, Hebel, WB, 107-5; 4, Irvin, P, 107-4; 5, Shank, U, 105-1; 6, Naylor, T, 104-6. Pole vault: *1, Buonaccorsi, H, 11-3; 2, Genditzki, B, 10-9; 3, Rishel, BA, 10-3; 4, Ressler, U, 9-9; 5, Wanyo, CC, 9-3; 6, Loupe, BA, 8-9.

*Meet records