NTL TRACK & FIELD: TOWANDA'S BENNETT ONE OF MANY HIGHLIGHTS FOR KNIGHTS THIS SPRING (2022-04-05)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
The day after tomorrow for Towanda’s Porschia Bennett, as she will defend her state title in the chi jump from a year ago. It’s obviously a little bit different of a feeling going into the year as the clear favorite, especially in a wild event like the high jump.

“It’s super nerve racking, but it makes you excited,” Bennett explained. “I’m excited for the season.”

Bennett did some indoor meets during the winter, but didn’t quite achieve what she wanted.

“I didn’t do very well in the winter, but I think it’ll help in the long run, just getting the practice and jumps in,” she said. 

Right now she’s working on the fundamentals as he gets ready.

“I’m definitely getting my steps right, and my form,” said Bennett. “Just focusing on my form.”

The senior has an ambitious goal of trying to hit 5-feet, 8-inches right off the bat.

“I definitely want to go higher than 5-feet, 7-inches,” said Bennett.

Her coach Mark Vail is excited, and not just for Bennett, as he believes this year they can see several stand out athletes on the team get to states alongside Bennett.

One of those is Logan Lambert, who just missed the state mark in the triple jump by a quarter of an inch.

“Logan, if he gets healed up,” said Vail. “Mitchell Mosier, I think, is going to have a really good year this year. We’ve got a new kid, Mykee Nowell, he’s never been on a track before, but he’s got a lot of promise.”

Mosier will be looking to make some noise in the pole vault, as he looks to improve upon his best of 11-feet, 6-inches.

“I’m trying to get 13-foot,” Mosier remarked. “So at least 13 to 14 foot.”

He’s going to try out long jump and high jump, and possibly the 4x100 relay. Mosier can grab the rim off a standing jump, so high jump could be a calling of his.

“I’m not sure what my PR was last year, but I think 5-feet, 10-inches would be a good goal for that,” Mosier remarked. 

Of course, his favorite will always the pole vault.

“I love just going high,” he said.

Vail also mentioned Justin Schoonover and Elias Shrawder as two others who have potential this season.

“We’ve got a group of young kids for the boys who I think are going to make some noise for us,” he said.

On the girls’ side he knows what he has in Bennett.

“She can do anything on the track,” said Vail.

Besides high jump she’ll probably do some running, from the 100 up to the 400.

“I don’t really like running, but he makes do it,” Bennett said with a smile. “He’ll put me everywhere, anywhere I can help. I just do whatever the team says.”

Vail believes his team goes beyond Bennett, too.

“Anna Dunn’s on the team this year, she’s a freshman, I’m looking forward to having her,” he said. “Taylor Brennan’s back, and had a great cross-country season, so I think we have some girls who were kind of in the middle of the pack last year who are going to really kind of step up, and do very well for us.”

Bennett has one goal in mind for the girls’ team.

“We definitely want to win the NTL title,” she said. “And get as many people as we can to districts and states.”

Winning is something that Vail tries to instill in his team.

“We always have a goal to win everything that we’re in,” he said. “Whatever you do, a dual meet, a tri-meet, and a quad-meet, doing the best we can. A really lofty goal would be to see how good we can do in districts with the girls’ team, especially, you know, with Porschia, and Hannah Risch, and Hannah Ryck. They’re going to be really good for us on the track, and in the field. I think we have a decent shot of placing high in districts.”

In the league they know they’ll have some competition, particularly with Wyalusing, Athens, and Williamson.

“On the boys’ side, win the NTL like we’ve done in the past,” Vail said. “Win every meet, like we’ve done in the past, and just doing what we can do, and get as many to states as we can.”

ROSTER

Girls

Porschia Bennett

Taylor Brennan

Kelci Carle

Gracie Carter

Anna Dunn

Eliza Fowler

Summer Hunsinger

Kaley King

Alexiana Lamphere

Molly Larcom

Kailyn Nonnemacher

Madison Noonemacher

Hannah Risch

Hannah Ryck

Jocelyn Stroud

Ashlynn Vargason

Boys

John Dzurinko

Dominick Esposito

Varrius Farrell

Thomas Fink

Edan Flynn

Grady Flynn

Dillon Gallagher

Bryant Green

Jace Gunther

Jared Gunther

Brady Harrington

Logan Lambert

Alex Lantz

Eric McGee

Mitchell Mosier

MyKee Nowell

Joel Pelachik

Braeden Pratt

Justin Schoonover

Elias Shrawder

Will Shrawder

Daniel Storrs

Joseph Weinman

Michael West

Rhyan West

SCHEDULE

April 5 vs Athens, Montgomery at 4 p.m.

April 14 at Molly Dry Invitational (Mansfield University)

April 19 at Williamson, vs NPM, 4 p.m.

April 22 at Lock Haven Invitational

April 26 vs Wellsboro, NEB, Sayre, 4 p.m.

April 29 at Lasagna Invitational, 4 p.m.

May 3 at Troy, vs Sayre, Williamson, 4 p.m.

May 6 at Central Columbia Invitational

May 9 at Wyalusing vs NEB, Canton

May 13 at NTL Championships (Athens), 2 p.m.

May 19 at District IV Championships (Williamsport)

May 21 at District IV Championships (Williamsport)