She said being part of the Lady Red Devils storied tradition in the event at states left her almost speechless.

Saturday as the only senior on the roster, it was her voice and wisdom that helped fuel a bronze-medal winning performance for Central Cambria at the PIAA Class 2A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

“It was really special. These are my sisters. They are my family,” Long said. “Being able to give my experience and helping teach them and get to this point was important to me. I know they are going to do great things, and it was great to be part of this. It makes me happy that I might have boosted a little of the success they are going to have.”

Long, Paige Alexander, Makenzie Hite and Delaney Snyder finished third with a time of 9:29.11 after not placing in last year’s race.

Bellwood-Antis sophomore Ella Cherry competes in the 2A triple jump. She earned a fifth-place medal in the event. Mirror photo by Michael Boytim

Alexander, who also competed in the 1,600 and 800 runs at states, said Long’s leadership helped the team rebound from last year’s disappointing finish.

“She’s the only senior, and she’s been helping all of us,” Alexander said. “She’s very nurturing. She’s there for all of us. I had a race yesterday, and she came and was there with me the whole time so I wasn’t alone. She really helps us all through and gives us the confidence we need so we never think we’re solo in this race. We’re a team.”

Hite and Snyder are new additions to the team, though Snyder — a freshman — has been watching Long for most of her life.

“Since my cousin (Long) has been on the team, I have been watching them for years,” Snyder said. “I came to Shippensburg every year to watch her, and it’s amazing to see how well this relay has done for so many years.”

Hite was in Shippensburg to watch last year’s race and was determined to leave feeling better than she did a year ago.

“Going into it, I was a little nervous,” Hite said. “This is the first big race I have ever been part of. It’s a great feeling knowing I belong here with my teammates. Last year, I was the alternate, and things didn’t go how we wanted. This year, we wanted to make our mark, go in confident and feel like we belong.”

Hughesville won the state title in 9:23.39, but Central Cambria ran its best time of the season despite pouring rain and very cold temperatures.

“We weren’t worried about the conditions, because our coach (Randy Wilson) makes us train no matter what the weather is,” Hite said. “We weren’t worried about rain or cold, because we’re trained to do this in whatever conditions.”

Alexander plans to take over a leadership role next season.

“I think so. I’ll be the next upperclassman being a junior next year,” Alexander said. “We’ll have upcoming freshmen and the freshmen now will be sophomores, and I can help them next year the way Alaina helped us.”

And perhaps when Alexander is a senior, she’ll find herself back on the medal stand with another girl experiencing her first state medal.

“It’s amazing,” Long said. “It is about tradition, but it’s also new people every year. There are new teams. Although Central Cambria has a tradition, it’s just as special year after year. When I was younger, I got to learn from some great runners. Being able to be the link and the connection to this year’s group and give them that guidance is special and an honor.”

On the field side in 2A, Bellwood-Antis sophomore Ella Cherry placed fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 37 feet, 9 inches.

“I got what I was seeded, so I got what I expected,” Cherry said. “I’m pretty proud of myself.”

Cherry improved during her sophomore season after picking up track and field following a focus on gymnastics.

“I think being a gymnast for so long really helped my strength,” Cherry said. “It helped make this event click in my head really fast.”

Mid Valley’s Olivia Thomas won the state title with a jump of 39 feet, 11.5 inches. Cherry fouled on four of her six attempts as she tried to match Thomas.

“I think I got very cold, and then I started changing my steps too much,” Cherry said. “It kind of messed me up a little bit. Some of the jumps I scratched felt pretty good. Maybe I could have had a better jump.”

Other area results

CLASS 3A GIRLS

– Altoona’s Kihlee Noel qualified for the finals of the discus but came up just short of earning a state medal with a ninth-place finish after her best throw of 116 feet, 11 inches. State College’s Alyssa Lipski won the state title with a throw of 138 feet, 2 inches.

– Altoona’s 3200 relay team of Brionna Adams, Ashlyn Noce, Lana Luke and Emma Etters finished 11th in 9:30.47.

– Annalyse Yost of Altoona fouled on all three of her throws in the javelin.

– Altoona’s Hannah Owulade finished 11th in the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 5.75 inches.

CLASS 2A GIRLS

– Central’s Lanee Berkhimer finished 11th in the 3,200 run with a time of 11:16.59, and Julie Kraft of Bellwood-Antis finished 22nd in 12:15.74.

– Bella Gable of Northern Bedford finished 12th in the shot put with a top throw of 34 feet, 8.25 inches.

– Alexander was 17th in the 800 run with a time of 2:23.60, and her teammate Snyder was 25th with a time of 2:34.23.

– Bellwood-Antis pole vaulter Olivia Rishel finished 14th after clearing 9 feet, 6 inches.

– The Bellwood-Antis 3,200 relay team of Marissa Cacciotti, Alexis Wagner, Kraft and Blake Pennington finished 17th in 10:10.53.

– Brielle McMillen of Cambria Heights finished 11th in the triple jump with a distance of 36 feet, 3.75 inches. Tyrone’s Nicole Ramsey was 28th with her leap of 33 feet, 3.25 inches, and Northern Bedford’s Halle Baker finished 31st with a distance of 32 feet, 4 inches.