By Lee Goodwin
WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Maidens varsity track and field team won all three relay events and got double wins from True Benchoff and Jada Creager on Tuesday.
In all, Waynesboro garnered firsts in 14 of 18 events during a 90-60 victory over Shippensburg on a warm and breezy afternoon at the Charles A. “Rip” Engle Sports Complex.
“What carried the girls was the field events,” said Waynesboro head coach Jim Rickett. “We outscored Ship by 10 in the throwing events and 16 in the jumps and pole vault.”
Creager had a ‘field day’ (no pun intended). The senior pole vaulted 11 feet to not only win the event but establish a new personal best. Before she competed in the pole vault, Creager left the competition behind when she won the 100-meter dash in 12.66 seconds.
“There were several PRs throughout the girls’ meet, including several in the distances races,” Rickett said. “But the standout performance was by Jada Creager in the pole vault. She broke the pole vault record held by Rachael Johnson in 2016 of 10 feet, 7 inches. Jada increased the record to 11-0. She has been stuck at 10-6 for the past two seasons, so getting that record was long overdue but well-deserved as she had been so close for so long.”
Katie Baker helped Waynesboro’s cause when she placed first in both the shot put (29 feet, 7 ¾ inches) and the discus throw (95-2). Angie Ayala-Luna won the javelin throw (91-11) to give the Maidens a sweep of the throwing events.
Up the hill and inside Buchanan Automotive Stadium, the Maidens were also doing well in the jumps. Jaeda Dockman took the top spot in the high jump (5-2). Teammate Genesis Alvarez won the long jump (16-2 ¾). Ana Enfusse placed first in the triple jump (33-1).
Rickett was expecting a close competition in the track events, and he wasn’t disappointed.
“The track side was even the whole meet until the last two events. We surprisingly took first and second in the 3200 and in the 1600 relay the girls ran an 8-second PR,” Rickett said.
Sophomores Maddie Ruefle and Ella Swart finished one-two in the 3200, with Ruefle winning comfortably at 3:19.9.
In the 1600 relay, the team of Gracie French, Sierra Rea, Isabella Ruefle, and True Benshoff edged Shippensburg’s foursome with a winning time of 4:16.9. The Greyhounds completed the four laps in 4:17.8.
Benshoff had a monopoly on the hurdle events. She won the 100 hurdles in a virtual photo finish. Her time of 16.4 seconds was a blink faster than Shippensburg’s 16.5 seconds. Benshoff then placed first in the 300 hurdles (47.44).
On the boys’ side, Waynesboro managed to win just one relay event – the 1600 (Julian Mencia, Cole Peyton, Chance Atkinson and Michael Calo) with a time of 3:39.6).
The Indians did get some really good individual performances. Preston Hammond turned on the jets to win the 100 dash in 11.25 seconds. He followed that up with a win in the 200 dash (23.2 seconds).
In the field, Grant Thompson was victorious in the high jump (6-0) as well as the triple jump (42-0).
Ben Williams garnered second place in the shot put and discus throw and was third in the javelin throw.
Owen Shockey won the 300 hurdles (43.5 seconds) to round out Waynesboro’s top finishes.
“We knew going in it was going to be an uphill battle,” Rickett said. “Individuals that stood out and continue to stand out are Owen Shockey in the hurdles, especially his 300. His times keep dropping as the season goes. Ben Williams in all three throws is always getting points in each of the three events. Preston Hammond was strong in the 100 and 200. He just doesn’t want to lose any close races. Also, Grant Thompson PR’d in both the high jump at 6-feet and the triple jump at 42 feet. He continues to improve in both events as he’s still learning that the little things make a big difference in technical events.”
RESULTS
BOYS
Shippensburg 95, Waynesboro 55
3200 meter relay – 1. Waynesboro (Miller, McKean, Stevens, Helman) 9:42.1
110 hurdles – 1. Fogelsonger (S) 17.1; 2. Rodriguez (S); 3. Shockey (W)
100 dash – 1. Hammond (W) 11.7; 2. Williams (W); 3.
1600 run – 1. Osper (S) 4:43; 2. Roschek (S); 3. Erikson (S)
400 dash – 1. Pattillo (S) 51.8; 2. Mencia (W); 3. Corson (S)
400 relay – 1. Waynesboro (Mogley, Williams, Mata, Hammond) 44.7
300 hurdles – 1. Shockey (W) 43.5; 2. Rodriguez (S); 3. Brook (W)
800 run – 1. Serrocho (S) 2:07.6; 2. Calo (W); 3. Soffe (W)
200 dash – 1. Hammond (W) 23.2; Corson (S); 3. Mogley (W)
3200 run – 1. Asper (S) 10:32; 2. Dunkle (S); 3. N.Bockstie (W)
1600 relay – 1. Waynesboro (Mencia, Peyton, Atkinson, Calo) 3:39.6
High jump – 1. G.Thompson (W) 6-0; 2. Fogelsonger (S); 3. Pattillo (S)(
Pole vault – 1. Snyder (S) 10-6; 2. H.Nolan (W); 3. Lynch (W)
Long jump – 1. Chamberlin (S) 20-8; 2. Keetch (S); 3. Nori (S)
Triple jump – 1. G.Thompson (W) 42; 2. Nori (S); 3. Chamberlin (S)
Shot put – 1. Wagner (S) 42-11-5 ; 2. B.Williams (W); 3. Garvin (S)
Discus throw – 1. Lynch (S) 150-2; 2. B.Williams (W); 3.Foust (S)
Javelin throw – 1. Wenner (S) 150-5; Cella (S); 3. B.Williams (W)
GIRLS
Waynesboro 90, Shippensburg 60
3200 relay – 1. Waynesboro (Warner, Roell, Price, Turner) 11:54.1
100 hurdles – 1. Benshoff (W) 16.4; Kyner (S); 3. French (W)
100 dash – 1. Creager (W) 12.66; Turner (S); 3. Renshaw (S)
1600 run – 1. Shope (S) 5:42.7; 2. Quintino (S); 3. Ruefle (W)
400 dash – 1. Renchoff (S) 1:01.0; 2. Fisher (S); 3. Briegel (W)
400 relay – 1. Waynesboro (Anderson, Peyton, French, Creager) 51.0
300 hurdles – 1. Benshoff (W) 47.44; 2. Kalp (S); 3. Rea (W);
800 run – Martina (S) 2:28.2 ; 2. Ruefle (W); 3. Swart (W)
200 dash – 1. Turn (S) 27.0; 2. French (W); 3. Creager (W)
3200 run – 1. Ruefle (W) 13:19.9; 2. Swart (W); 3. Burrows (S)
1600 relay – 1. Waynesboro (French, Rea, Ruefle, Benshoff) 4:16.9
High jump – 1. Dockman (W) 5-2. Turn (S); 3. Rhodes (W)
Pole vault – 1. Creager (W) 11-0; 2. Bonner (W); 3. Patton (S)
Long jump – 1. Alvarez (W) 16-2 ¾; 2. Kalp (S); 3. Dockman (W)
Triple jump – 1. Enfusse (W) 33-1; 2. Massara (S); 3. Kurtz (W)
Shot put – 1. Baker (W) 29-7 ½; 2. Dietrich (S); 3. Dingzon (W)
Discus throw – 1. Baker (W) 95-2; ; 2. Luffy (S); 3. Dingzon (W)
Javelin throw – 1. Ayala-Luna (W) 91-11; 2. Winters (S); Conner (S)
