Hereford girls track and field off to strong start at Class 2A championship meet

Since the moment they clinched the Class 2A indoor track and field state championship, the Hereford girls set their sights on doing it again during the spring outdoor season.

The Bulls got off to a good start in their title chase during their opening day of competition at the state track and field championships. Wednesday was the second day of the championships overall, but the first for classes 2A and 1A.

With six of 18 events completed, Hereford’s girls sit in first place with 35 points, 15 better than second-place Middletown. The Bulls were powered by a one-two finish in the 3,200-meter race with Rebekka Hillier winning the state championship in 11 minutes, 29.46 seconds. Her teammate Sylvia Snider was a little over a half-second behind her, taking second in 11:30.08.

Snider also teamed with Ridley Lentz, Lauren Mathews and Scarlett Seitz to place second in the 2A 4×800 relay. Hereford also got a fourth-place finish from Maddie Drylie in the pole vault and a sixth-place finish from Sophia Richardson in the triple jump.

Several area athletes earned state championships Wednesday. In Class 2A girls, Century’s Emily Mitroka, Gracie Tourangeau, Elizabeth Mitroka and Cailyn Stine beat out Hereford by more than 13 seconds to win the 4×800 relay.

Earning silver in field events were Fallston’s Gabrielle Curriden, clearing 12 feet in the pole vault, and Hammond’s Meion Ligons in the triple jump.

In 2A boys, Southern’s Eric Penkala, a three-time gold medalist at the indoor championships, won the 3,200 in 9:52.21, beating out Winters Mill’s Jackson Steinbrenner.

In Class 1A, Liberty’s team of Gregory Schellberg, Ben Smith, Neal Sanchez and Scott Feaga won the 4×800 relay in 8:05.03. Feaga and Smith took third and fifth, respectively in the 3,200.

Also, Western Tech’s Elijah Smith won the shot put with a personal-record toss of 50 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

In the 1A girls meet, South Carroll’s Delaney Freed won the state title in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet. Earning second-place finishes were Ogechi Uzoukwu of Western Tech in the pole vault and the Patterson Mill 4×800 relay team of Sarah Muller, Abigail Horsmon, Carli Lenhoff and Leila Sollas.