SCRANTON – By the time Ella McKernan finished the District 2 Track and Field Championships Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium, she had her name in the Wyoming Area record books in all four of her events.
Even more impressively, McKernan claimed a meet record, wiping out a mark that stood for 29 years.
Making the most of the two-day district format, which has replaced single-day meets by classification in recent seasons, McKernan set school and meet records on the way to her second individual gold medal Tuesday. Her time of 2:15.18 while winning the 800-meter run Tuesday broke the record of 2:15.54 set by Lora Delaney of Bishop Hoban in 1995.
McKernan already had set a school record Monday while dominating in the 300 hurdles. She won by 2.52 seconds in exactly 45 seconds.
“The two-day district meet enabled her to do the 300 hurdles, because it’s only a final and it was on Day One,” Wyoming Area coach Joe Pizano said.
McKernan’s two championships put her in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University. There, there is a qualifying step in the 300 hurdles, which if she gets through on Friday, will mean running the finals of both events Saturday.
“She’s done it in (dual) meets this year,” Pizano said.
The margin of victory in the 300 hurdles was not as large as the official results indicate.
Dallas freshman Julia Natitus, unbeaten against Wyoming Valley Conference competition up to that point, led until the last few hurdles.
McKernan surged past Natitus, who then fell over the final hurdle.
“I hit the one hurdle and noticed that I started getting myself behind,” said McKernan, who is committed to Michigan State as a field hockey forward. “But, I know I have good endurance, so I just kept telling myself to push myself and not slow down.”
Hannah Stoss followed McKernan, giving the Lady Warriors a 1-2 finish in the 800.
Stoss finished with two silver and one bronze medal because she was also part of the relay success along with McKernan. Her time of 2:20.63 held off a trio of Abington Heights runners in the 800 and was one of multiple factors that allowed Dallas to edge Abington Heights 113½-110½ for the Class 3A girls team title.
McKernan and Stoss led Wyoming Area to seventh of 19 teams with 47 points. They combined for 28 individual points and played large roles in the 14 points added in relays.
Shannon Kearns and Lucia Campenni joined them for the school record and third-place finish in the 1600 in 4:08.85, lowering their own previous-best performance from this year by a fraction of a second.
McKernan, Stoss and Nina Angeli were all part of the 3200 relay record time of 9:33.34 while winning the District 2 Class 3A title last season. Kearns, a freshman, replaced current Mississippi State University runner Madelyn Keating in that relay lineup and they finished second Monday in 9:44.92.
Taylor Gashi was fourth in the triple jump for the only field points the team produced.
BOYS
Freshman Luke Kopetchny led the way for the Warriors, finishing second in the triple jump with 43-1.
Kopetchny had his best jump on the last attempt to move up from fifth to second, but could not catch Tunkhannock’s Andrew Lupinski.
Wyoming Area was 10 th in Class 3A boys with 37 points.
The Warriors also got eight points in the shot put where John Turner was fourth and Josh Mruk was sixth.
Austin Muniz was fourth in the pole vault.
Skyler Pierce was the only Warrior to score in two events, taking fifth in the high jump and seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Discus thrower Ben Gravine added another fifth-place finish.
Aaron Crossley, in the 100, and Jack Gravine, in the javelin, were sixth.
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