Bishop Carroll Catholic’s Eli Cunningham is now a big fan of it. Despite finishing fourth at the District 6 meet and outside of normal qualification, Cunningham reached the standard to make Friday’s Class 2A meet — and he took full advantage by winning a silver medal in the long jump.

“Ten out of 10, I am really happy they have those,” Cunningham said. “Those saved me.”

Cunningham had a distance of 22 feet, 5.25 inches, just a quarter inch behind Richland’s Arison McCulty, who won the state title.

“I was fourth at districts. I jumped good at districts but a lot better here,” Cunningham said. “Today was a really good day for me.”

Bellwood-Antis' Emma Tanneyhill earns a bronze medal in the Class 2A discus competition. Mirror photo by Michael Boytim

Cunningham was disappointed to not win gold but said he’s used to close calls and was happy for McCulty.

“I’m used to it,” Cunningham said. “I have lost by a quarter of an inch a couple times before. It happens. But I love Arison, he’s a great guy. It’s great to see two people from District 6 first and second. I’m happy with it.”

For a moment, Cunningham thought he might have won on his final jump, but he was a few inches short. He fouled on four of his six jumps.

“Ultimately, I think I lost to the pole vault pit (which was directly behind the long jump runway),” Cunningham said. “I ran out of runway. I couldn’t move back anymore, and I just kept scratching. However, I’m happy with what I got. It’s all part of God’s plan.”

Joining Cunningham and McCulty on the podium was fellow District 6 competitor Mason Emigh of Tyrone, who was fifth with a jump of 21 feet, 10 inches.

Tyrone's Mason Emigh placed fifth in the long jump. Mirror photo by Michael Boytim

“It was good,” Emigh said. “I was hoping for second or first, but I was happy with what I got. I feel like I peaked at the end of the season. I was slow at the start. Once I picked it up was when I realized I had a chance to place at states.”

Emigh may not be done placing. He’s seeded fourth in Saturday’s triple jump.

“On to triple jump tomorrow,” Emigh said. “Hopefully, I’ll win that.”

Penn Cambria’s Blake Lilly was 23rd in the event with a distance of 20 feet, 1.25 inches.

On the girls side, Emma Taneyhill of Bellwood-Antis won a bronze medal in the discus with a throw of 133 feet, 10 inches — her final throw of the preliminary round after two throws under 120 feet.

Bishop Guilfoyle's Alex Krimmel tied for eighth in the long jump. Mirror photo by Michael Boytim

“It was a relief for sure,” Taneyhill said. “I’m going against great girls, and I needed that throw.”

Homer-Center’s Maggie Voyda won the state title with a throw of 138 feet, 10 inches, and the runner-up was Canton’s Alexis McRoberts, who threw the disc 136 feet, 10 inches.

Taneyhill fouled on all three of her throws in the championship round trying to best Voyda and McRoberts.

“I was going after it,” Taneyhill said. “I knew if I was going to go above 133, I was going to have to go after it. I tried to give everything I had, but unfortunately it didn’t go my way — but that’s OK.”

Taneyhill, a junior, did not start throwing the discus until ninth grade.

“It took some time. I wasn’t the greatest,” Taneyhill said. “Discus usually does not come easy to anyone. You have to build it up.”

All of her work paid off Friday.

“It feels good,” Taneyhill said. “It takes hours upon hours. I couldn’t do it without my coaches, especially my brother. It’s not easy, especially when you go against girls this good.”

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s Alex Krimmel tied for eighth to earn the area’s other medal Friday in the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 2 inches on his first attempt.

“It feels great, because I worked very hard in the offseason and throughout the whole year,” Krimmel said. “I wasn’t expecting it coming into the season, but I’ll take anything I can get.”

Krimmel, who was also a big part of BG’s basketball team this season as a sophomore, is hoping this is just the first of a few medals in the event.

“I think I can get a little stronger, get my form down,” Krimmel said. “And I’ll get even better.”

Bellwood-Antis hurdler Cameron Nelson qualified for the finals of the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.76 seconds, seeding him sixth going into Saturday’s final. Nelson was 11th in the 300 hurdles to just miss qualifying for today’s final with a time of 38.87 seconds.

The Tyrone girls 1600-meter relay team of Sarah Chichester, Raylee Woodring, Braleigh Flick and Claire Lehman also won their heat and qualified for Saturday’s final with a fourth-seeded time of 4:04.66. Central Cambria’s team of Alaina Long, Paige Alexander, Makenzie Hite and Delaney Snyder finished 18th in 4:16.18.

Other area results

NOTE: If a competitor or relay team did not finish in the top eight in the preliminary race, they did not qualify for finals.

BOYS

– Tyrone’s Drew Irons was 12th in the 300 hurdles prelims with a time of 40.18 seconds.

– Central’s Ben Hartman was 29th in the 1600 run with a time of 4:35.29, and Central Cambria’s Miles Doyle was 31st in 4:42.13

– Owen Stoltzfus was 17th in the 400 dash prelims with a time of 50.77 seconds, and Portage’s Josh Papcun was 22nd with a time of 51.25.

– Lilly was 14th in the javelin with a throw of 163 feet.

– The Bellwood-Antis 400 relay team of Braylon Litzinger, Owen Stoltzfus, Cameron Nelson and Miles Smearman finished 19th with a time of 44.15 seconds.

– Jayce Quick of Bellwood-Antis finished 27th in the discus with a throw of 127 feet, 4 inches.

– The Bellwood-Antis 1600 relay team of Stoltzfus, Ethan Shawley, Reid Schreier and Nelson finished 29th in prelims with a time of 3:36.29.

GIRLS

– Central Cambria’s Paige Alexander finished 17th in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:14.24.

– Chichester finished 11th in the 400 dash qualifying with a time of 58.49 seconds. She was 17th in the 200 dash prelims with a time of 26.32 seconds.

– Ella Cherry just missed qualifying for the 100 dash finals by finishing ninth in 12.41 seconds. Penn Cambria’s Kate Eckenrode was right behind her in 10th with a time of 12.48. Eckenrode was 20th in the 200 dash with a time of 26.68 seconds.

– Tyrone’s Lehman had the same fate as Cherry, coming up one slot short of today’s final in the 300 hurdles with a ninth-place finish in the 300 hurdle prelims with a time of 46.63 seconds. Central Cambria’s Bella Templeton was 11th with a time of 46.9 seconds.

– Cambria Heights’ Rachel McClellan was 24th in the 100 hurdles qualifying with a time of 16.62 seconds.

– Bellwood-Antis freshman Sophia Pullara cleared 4 feet, 10 inches in the high jump and finished 18th. Conemaugh Township’s Baylee Sleek won the state title for the second year in a row by clearing 5 feet, 9 inches. Sleek was a silver medalist as a sophomore.

– Penn Cambria’s 400 relay team of Lily Gergely, Danielle Farabaugh, Reagan Ronan and Eckenrode finished 11th in qualifying in 50.25. Tyrone’s team of Claire Lehman, Nicole Ramsey, Raylee Woodring and Sarah Chichester were 14th in 50.57 seconds, and Bellwood-Antis’ team of Chloe Stoltzfus, Cherry, Addison Pluebell and Avey Powers was 20th in 51.4.

– Portage’s Jada Irvin was 19th in the javelin with a top throw of 102 feet, 5 inches. Northern Bedford’s Amberly Detterline was 21st with her top throw of 73 feet, 11 inches.

– Cherry was 21st in the long jump with a distance of 16 feet, 7.25 inches. Cambria Heights long jumpers Brielle McMillen (24th, 16-4.5) and Rachel McClellan (26th, 16-2.25) also competed.