On her way to a PR in the 800 meters, GA freshman Issy Goldstein leaves the field behind on the home straight. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

The girls of Penn Charter completed a 6-0 roll through their Inter-Ac League track and field meets last Wednesday, going past host Germantown Academy, 75-51. The closest rival for the Quakers during the league season this spring was the Academy of Notre Dame, which succumbed to PC by a score of 66-60.

While Charter was able to maneuver around spells of nasty weather and fit in all six of its duals, the GA girls were never able to go head-to-head against Episcopal, Notre Dame, or Springside Chestnut Hill. Before last week's encounter with Penn Charter, the Patriots had defeated Agnes Irwin and Baldwin School.

With the team gearing up for Saturday's Hoka Henderson Invitational in West Chester and the Inter-Ac championships the following weekend, the Pats decided that there would be no racing on Wednesday for their senior distance ace Abbe Goldstein, who is headed to Harvard.

PC picked up a lot of points in the three shortest footraces, winning the 100, 200, and 400 courtesy of sophomore Ainyae Holmes, senior Amira Martin, and freshman Sara Shipon, respectively. The Quakers also collected two second-place finishes and one third place in the sprints.

As the distances got longer, GA did better. Goldstein's freshman sister, Issy, ran along with the lead pack for the first lap of the 800 meters, then dusted the field in the second circuit to win with a new PR of 2:23.5. Junior Jackie DeRusso and freshman Gianna Murgia went one-two for the Patriots in the 1600.

Penn Charter senior Felicia Robinson (right) crosses the finish line to win the 4 x 100 meter relay. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

In the 3200 there were no entries for GA and only one for Penn Charter; freshman cross country standout Sophia Solomon ran the race along with three boys.

GA received a boost in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Both races were won by senior Jamie Hermance, who established a new PR of 16.8 seconds in the 100.

The teams split the two relays. In the 4 x 100 meters, Penn Charter won in 52.1 seconds, with junior Mia Murphy, Holmes, and seniors Lexi Hnatkowsky and Felicia Robinson topping the Germantown Academy quartet of Hermance, freshman Sasha Capers, junior Jenna Schumann, and freshman Destiny Mayfield (53.2).

The Patriots wrapped up the meet by having junior Anna Hennessy and freshmen Gabby Manosis, Murgia and Mackenzie Pasquarella win the 4 x 400 in 4:34.0, two seconds ahead of PC senior Schuyler LaBarge, sophomores Haley Joyce and Alex Eley, and Martin.

PC's winning anchor in the 4 x 100, Robinson, would also place first in the triple jump to lead a Charter sweep of the top three spots. The Quakers also celebrated victories in the high jump by senior Marilyn Pease and in the pole vault by junior Jernee Watson.

PC's Hnatkowsky, who ran in the winning 4 x 100 relay, churned out second-place points in the long jump and in both hurdling events.

A member of GA's 4 x 400 quartet, Capers, moved over to the field events and won the long jump, and the Patriots had freshman Meghan Toscano lead a one-two-three sweep in the shot put.

Penn Charter will host the Inter-Ac meet on May 13, and is charging into the championships off of an impressive dual-meet showing. With a total of seven teams in the mix with their individual strengths, the formula for success on Saturday will be a lot more complicated.

GIRLS RESULTS

100

1. PC Ainyae Holmes 12.9

2. GA Kelsey O'Hara 13.6

3. PC Destiny Mayfield 13.7

200

1. PC Amira Martin 29.8

2. PC Alex Eley 31.1

3. GA Asya-Shane Milton 31.3

400

1. PC Sara Shipon 1:00.7

2. PC Jalynn Johnson 1:01.9

3. GA Kelsey O'Hara 1:02.0

800

1. GA Issy Goldstein 2:23.5

2. PC Schuyler LaBarge 2:25.6

3. GA Rachael Villari 2:26.3

1600

1. GA Jackie DeRusso 5:34.1

2. GA Gianna Murgia 5:34.73

3. PC Mary McDavid 5:50.1

3200

1. PC Sophia Solomon 13:09.0

100 Hurdles

1. GA Jamie Hermance 16.8

2. PC Lexi Hnatkowski 18.6

3. GA Cobree Hooper 19.6

300 Hurdles

1. GA Jamie Hermance 49.6

2. PC Lexi Hnatkowsky 50.2

3. PC Marilyn Pease 53.0

High Jump

1. PC Marilyn Pease 4'10"

2. PC Carmen Williams 4'6"

3. GA Jamie Hermance 4"2"

Long Jump

1. GA Sasha Capers 13'2"

2. PC Lexi Hnatkowsky 13'0.25"

3. PC Olivia Primerano 12'8"

Triple Jump

1. PC Felicia Robinson 32'10.5"

2. PC Anne Flemming 30'7"

3. PC Olivia Primerano 26'8"

Pole Vault

1. PC Jernee Watson 7'6"

2. PC Christina Kingsberry 7'0"

3. GA Grace Rittenhouse 6'6"

Shot Put

1. GA Meghan Toscano 34'2"

2. GA Katherine Weiss 29'4"

3. GA Kelsey Popolizio 24'5"