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NTL TRACK & FIELD: A BIG DAY FOR TOWANDA TRACK AT DISTRICTS WITH TWO RELAYS, TWO INDIVIDUALS GOING TO STATES (2023-05-21)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
WILLIAMSPORT — For the second year in a row Towanda qualified a small army to take the PIAA Championships. The girls’ 4x400 will be returning, along with their 4x100, while Anna Dunn and Logan Lambert earned individual berths.

The 4x400 was second in 4:04.52, less than .30 off the school record, while their 4x100 was fourth, hitting state title in 50.61. Dunn took third in the 400 in 59.62 with Lambert second in the triple jump at 43-feet, 1/2-inch.


Dunn came in as the top seed in the 400 but was edged at the line in a highly contested race.


“I’m so happy, that was my whole goal for this season,” Dunn said about going back to states. 


She led for much of the race, but couldn’t hold off the final charge, particularly from Wyalusing’s Olivia Haley who it in 59.26. Dunn had just finished anchoring the 400 meter relay, and that might have taken a small toll.


“I think my legs were tired,” she said. “I wanted to try to get out a lot faster than I usually do.”


She hopes to improve upon the last 50 meters of the race for states.


For Lambert, this was a long time coming. Two years ago he missed states by a quarter of an inch, last year he was injured for half the season.


“It feels very good, very satisfying,” remarked Lambert.


He came in the second seed, but wanted to finish on top.


“My mindset was to beat the next guy ahead of me,” he remarked.


He led after the first flight at 42-feet, 9-inches, then uncorked a 43-feet, 1/2-inch jump on his final attempt.


“I didn’t think about it,” Lambert said about leading after the first flight. “I was just kind of focused on what I had to do.”


It tied the winner, Bloomsburg’s Nasir Heard, but Heard won on tie-breaker, next furthest jump.


Lambert is no stranger to close calls, and will use this as motivation for next week.


“I’m used to it,” he said.


He plans on working on his flexibility to get ready for next week.


“Definitely a lot more stretching,” he said. “That’s definitely helped me get to where I am right now, and just practicing my phases.”


For the 400 meter relay they knew they had a chance to hit state time coming if they had a good race.


“It’s so exciting,” Dunn remarked. “I knew we had a chance to do it, and I’m glad we made it. I’m glad that I get to run it with my friends again.”


When she got the baton in the anchor spot Dunn had one thing on her mind.


“I was going to try and catch the girl in front of me,” she said. “I knew we had to PR by a little bit in order to get to states, so I was just trying to get that mark.”


Getting the 4x100 time took some pressure of them when it came to the 4x400.


“It makes it so much more relieving,” said lead-off leg Kelsea Allen-Smith. “It takes a weight off your back, and just makes you more focused to just lock in for the next race.”


For their third leg this will be Kelci Carle’s third trip to states.


“I am thrilled to en my senior year by going to states,” she said. “I was really concerned about the 4x100 because of the time, we have much more time than in the 4x400.”


It wasn’t easy as they had to run the race out in lane seven.


“Seven is really intimidating,” said second leg Eliza Fowler. “But sometimes those outside lanes can be surprising. You never know what you’re capable of.”


Fowler did like the idea of being up ahead on the stagger.


“It feels like you’re out in front of everybody,” she said. “You’ve just got to keep that lead.”


Three of the four were on the mile relay that medaled at states a year ago, but they still hadn’t hit state time until Saturday.


They saw defending state champions Central Columbia set a new district record in their winning time of 3:54.51.


Allen-Smith led off with a 1:01.9, while Fowler ran a 59.3 second leg. Carle ran 64.5 for the third leg, and Dunn went 58.6 for the final leg.


With a three turn stagger lead-off leg Allen-Smith was really focused on giving her team a good start.


“I just wanted to come out of the blocks fast,” she said. “Just focus on my race, my running against the clock and not trying to worry about the girls beside me.”


Being on such a steep stagger can make it tough to gauge where everybody is.


“It gets difficult, especially at the end when you get all shaky,” said Allen-Smith. “But you’ve just go to focus on where you’re going, and just look ahead.”


Fowler did her best to hang with the Central girl ahead of her.


“I just knew that the girl to my left was an absolute stud,” she said. “I knew I needed to keep myself with her, and not let anybody come get me as I was trying to go get her.”


She didn’t quite catch her, but did break 60 seconds for the first time in her career.


“I’ve been wanting to do that since I started running track,” she said. “It was my goal by the time graduated to go under 60 seconds.”


Carle got the baton in second, but fell to third as Southern Columbia passed her down the stretch. She did keep it close enough for Dunn, but will plan to do better at states.


“I want to try and keep the lead,” she said.


Dunn ran down the Southern girl in the final 100 to take second, though both teams will be going to states on time.


“The only thing I was focused on the whole lap was running down the girl from Southern Columbia,” said Dunn. “I knew I could. I knew I should wait until about there so I don’t burn out at the end.”


Carle also medaled in the 100 hurdles, taking fifth in 16.77.


Marisa Wise was 14th in the high jump at 4-feet, 6-inches, while Marin Maynard took 16th in the pole vault at 8-feet. Athena Chacona was 17th in the shot put at 29-feet, 5-inches, while Kaitlyn Nonnemacher was 21st in the javelin at 86-feet, 3-inches.


For the boys, Towanda’s Mitchell Mosier got on the podium for pole vault, taking seventh at 12-feet.


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PHOTO CAPTION: Towanda’s Anna Dunn runs to a second place finish in the 4x400 relay…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING



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