Bishop McDevitt's Anna Bailey repeated as the District 3-AA girls' javelin champion Friday afternoon at Seth Grove Stadium at Shippensburg University.
The Penn State-bound senior threw a 131-0 on her first attempt of the finals for the victory, though she was already ahead with a 130-0 from preliminaries.
“I felt good,” Bailey said. “I was more consistent that I have been lately, which is a positive situation.”
Bailey, who already holds the meet record with a 137-5 from last year, nearly set a new mark on her last attempt of the prelims. But a throw that appeared to be around 138 or 139 feet was wiped out when she just went over the foul line.
“It's okay to have an aggressive foul,” Bailey said. “It's better than having a vector foul.”
Bailey did have a vector foul on a shorter throw on her first attempt of the competition, which went out of bounds to the right.
Bailey now has two gold medals just 15 months after first competing in javelin.
“When I was in seventh grade, I was playing field hockey, softball, and soccer with soccer being my No. 1 passion,” Bailey said. “My dad said I should try javelin, that I'd be great in it.”
Bailey started javelin last spring when girls' soccer moved to fall.
Alexis Lipnicky of Trinity was second with a 125-6.
Click here for the live blog from Friday's District 3 Meet
Brabham-Lawrence begins big weekend
Harrisburg's Sierra Brabham-Lawrence entered the district meet as the No. 1 seed in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles. But she is dangerous as an underdog as well.
The Cougar junior was the No. 3 seed in the AAA girls' triple jump, but won with a 39-9 on her final attempt of the finals.
“I just felt very, very aggressive,” Brabham-Lawrence said. “I wanted it really bad.”
Stephanie Laudien of Hempfield, the top seed, finished second with a 38-10 ¾.
All eight medalists from the AAA girls' triple jump qualified for states.
Brabham-Lawrence also had the best time in the 100 hurdles semifinals with a 14.37.
Clahane runs away in AAA 3200
Almost from the starting gun, there was no doubt that Cumberland Valley's Mady Clahane would win the gold medal.
Clahane led by several strides early and built on that lead to win the AAA girls' 3200 with an 11:03.01.
“I just get in a zone,” Clahane said. “I just tell myself to keep the pace if it feels comfortable.”
Clahane has a chance at more golden hardware, as she will be the No. 1 seed in Saturday's 800 and 1600.
“Today, I just wanted to do what I needed to win, so I had enough for tomorrow,” Clahane said.
There was a pack of runners several meters behind Clahane. Palmyra's Miranda Salvo made a charge in the last 100 meters to place second with an 11:10.26.
Matherne takes AA 3200
Camp Hill's Zoe Matherne had a little bit more of a challenge in her 3200, as Trinity's Emily Dethlefs stayed stride for stride with her for six laps.
But Matherne hit a new pace with two laps remaining and took the AA gold title with an 11:14.25.
“My coach told me not to take the lead any sooner than with 800 to go,” Matherne said. “I did try to pass her a couple of times against my coach's wishes, but Emily put up a great fight.”
Like Clahane, Matherne has another distance race on Saturday. She is the top seed in the 1600.
“That did cross my mind,” Matherne said. “But tonight is an ice bath night. I'll get a good dinner, go to sleep and hopefully tomorrow it's like this race never happened. I've never run this double before.”
Dethlefs placed second with an 11:31.07.