Berks athletes win gold in 11 competitions on the second day of the District 3 Youth Athletics Championships

SHIPENSBURG – Senior Emory Thompson won gold in the triple jump and 200, and secured victory in the 400 relay team to help lead the Spartans to their second consecutive Class 2A title at the District 3 Athletics Championships at the University of Schipensburg.

Wyoming finished with 95 points. Trinity was second with 74.33.

“They’ve been competing all season and I’m amazed at how competitive they are,” said Wyoming coach Jim Delp. “Since last week’s district meeting, I was hoping we could do it in a few weeks, and they did. They were exhausted, but they just kept fighting and fighting for every point; I am very proud of them. “

Luke Seymour, senior in the Shuylkil Valley, set a Class 3A District 3A record, winning 1,600 for 4: 16.53. The previous score of 4: 18.68 was set by Barry Lopatich from Middleton in 1980. He also won gold in the 800s.

“It’s great,” Seymour said, breaking the record. “It was a pretty easy week; not very long mileage. It really helped to prepare my legs, so I didn’t get tired at all. “

Thompson, who won three gold medals and finished fifth in the 110 hurdles, said winning the team title was the Spartans ’main goal before the meeting.

“Obviously everyone is pushing for individual awards, but this team award is what we came here for, and that’s what it’s all about,” Thompson said. “We are as close as possible. We have been with each other through football seasons, basketball seasons, so everyone is comfortable with each other.

“I feel like we’re all great kids to work with, and throughout the year everyone worked as hard as they could, and it’s bearing fruit.”

Delp agreed that team chemistry in Wyoming boosts the performances of athletes, as many members of the athletics team also play other sports with talents carried over into the spring.

“I think the great thing about athletics is that you combine the fall and winter seasons together,” Delp said. “It’s such a wide range of differences in athletics, and they’re completely supportive of each other, so it’s fun to watch.”

In the triple jump Thompson was in a close fight with Aiza Dyer from Millersburg, but was able to surpass Dyer in the last jump, reaching 44-5.5. Dyer finished with a score of 43-10.5.

“My first jumps weren’t the best,” Thompson said. “And I just dropped the last jump to defeat a really good jumper, and he may have made me make two jumps, but in the last jump I pulled one over 44 feet and it was for the win.”

The Spartans 400 relay team of Thompson, Andrew Delp, William Delp and Charlie McIntyre won gold with a score of 43.65. In the 200th Thompson won with a score of 22.89. He will compete in the 200 run, triple jump and 400 relay in the states.

“I’m very excited,” Thompson said. “It will be great to go out and compete, and everyone in the states has a reason, so if you don’t bring your game ‘A’, you’ll get less success.”

Gwen Williams of Wyoming, who on Friday broke the district record in Class 2A for discus throw, won gold in the shot put for the second year in a row with a score of 57-4 on Saturday. Williams, a junior, shared Thompson’s emphasis on the importance of winning the team.

“We were helped to win in the constituencies, and we really wanted to win,” Williams said. “We know that last year we had a very good chance, so it means a lot to us this year. We have a few seniors, but most of our team is really young, so they will have a lot more opportunities to travel to the districts.

“And for the seniors, I consider myself in this group because I’ve been training with them for a while, and so I know exactly what they’ve been through; I just wanted to do it for my teammates. ”

Luke Seymour, senior in the Schuilkill Valley, set a Class 3A District 3A record, winning 1,600 for 4: 16.53. A previous record of 4: 18.68 was set by Barry Lopatik of Midtown in 1980 from Midtown.

“It’s great,” Seymour said, breaking the record. “It was a pretty easy week; not very long mileage. It really helped to prepare my legs, so I didn’t get tired at all. “

After setting a record in 1600, Seymour won his second gold medal on Saturday at 800 with a score of 1: 57.37. He said the time to cool down and take a shower between races helped him in his competitions despite Saturday’s highs.

“After I spent some time relaxing, I definitely felt a lot better,” Seymour said. “It was so hot and it wasn’t good.”

Hoping for better temperatures and even better times next week, Seymour is looking to bring home state titles at both events.

“I’m going to give away everything I have, and hopefully I’ll get the state title,” Seymour said.

In Class 2A 100 Adam Peterson of Brandywine Heights won his first district medal with a score of 11.21 after just joining the athletics team this season.

“I’m excited to start running at 100,” Peterson said. “I’ve been playing football all my life, and my friends said I should run on the track, so I said, ‘Sure.’ In the middle of the season I was more of a jumper, but then I stopped jumping and chased after 100 “.

The Bullets 1600 relay team of Dakota Thomas, Tyler McCall, Peterson and Joshua Sterner won gold with a score of 3: 29.69.

“Doing two events for the states would be bad,” Peterson said. “I didn’t expect that, but people in the districts run better; or at least I heard. And yes, I did not expect to take so far, to be honest with you. “

Camden Geris of Tulpehoken won gold in the 6-2 class sixth jump with a score of 14-2. Geris, who won gold in pole vault in the 13-9 shooting competition, attributed his improvement on Saturday to his usual training procedure

“I didn’t really do anything differently; caffeine, Cliff bars and prayers, ”Geris said.

Heading for his first performance in the states, Geris said he feels less pressure in competition with stronger competition because he believes there will be less weight on his shoulders.

“I’m sure it’s nice not to worry about being like the best guy,” Geris said. “So I think it will help me improve when there are taller jumpers next to me.”

The Berks team took home gold in both 3,200 relays. In Class 2A, Oli Valley’s team of Aaron Grimm, Joshua Wagner, Jacob Boliga and Keith Neal won 8-1, 19.46. In Class 3A, the Twin Valley team of David Sila, Frankie DiSylvester, Ben Meister and Anthony Engle won 7-56.92.

Having won the district’s gold, Zill said the Raiders relay team, made up of all the juniors, is thrilled with the potential referral to the states as well as their senior year.

“It’s really cool that we’re all coming back,” Sil said. “It means a lot; we didn’t think we would be the first, but today everyone ran as best they could and I think every PR. It will be a lot of fun in the states, and it would be cool to come home with more medals. “

The PIAA Athletics Championships will be held this Friday and Saturday at the University of Schippensburg.