Bedford's Sarver an unlikely standout at Altoona Mountain Lion Track and Field Classic

May 8—ALTOONA — On an overcast, rainy Friday when thunderstorms didn't seem out of the question at Mansion Park Stadium, it wasn't lightning that stunned Bedford Area High School sophomore sprinter Grace Sarver. It was her performance.

"I was pretty amazed. Actually, I was in shock, I would say," Sarver said.

Sarver's from-out-of-nowhere meet record effort in the Class 2A 100-meter dash was one of the highlights of an Altoona Mountain Lion Track and Field Classic where the sun shined on area athletes figuratively, if not literally.

Sarver later returned to the track and won the 200 meters, making her one of a half-dozen area competitors to take home gold medals in two individual events. In 2A girls, Richland's Tierney Beebout prevailed in the high jump and triple jump, while United's Maizee Fry duplicated that feat in the shot put and javelin.

It was a good day for area throwers in general. Richland's Bryce Batche won the 2A shot put and discus, and Somerset's Dustin Hyde triumphed in those events in Class 3A.

Penn Cambria's Nick Marinak rounded out the group by placing first in the 2A 100 meters and long jump.

Central Cambria was the 2A boys team champion with 93.5 points, easily outdistancing second-place Richland with 66.

Forest Hills finished second in the girls meet to Lewisburg, although the Rangers didn't win any events.

While the weather wasn't conducive to great times, heights and distances, Sarver might have been one of the few performers to benefit. She's been battling shin splints, and perhaps the colder temperatures numbed the pain a bit.

Sarver wasn't sure, but, whatever the reason, she sparkled. She posted a 12.89-second time in the 100 preliminaries, lowering her personal record by eight-hundredths of a second. She posted the best time in the 200 prelims, as well in 26.87.

Then, in the 100 finals, Sarver took it to another level, where her time of 12.38 bested a 21-year-old meet record by six-hundredths of a second.

She came back about 90 minutes later to run a 26.36 in the 200 finals, trimming almost a half-second off her best time of the spring.

"I just had a good day. I'm feeling good. I came in not expecting a whole lot," Sarver said. "But after running the (100) prelim, I was feeling pretty good, and I just left it all out."

Unlike Sarver, Fry entered the meet a well-known commodity, as her scholarship to Robert Morris attests. However, she opened the meet being upset by Homer-Center's Justley Sharp in the discus.

Instead of letting that discourage her, Fry responded by winning the shot put, where she was seeded first, with a best throw of 41 feet, 10 inches and pulling an upset of Forest Hills senior Josi Wehner in the javelin by beating her PR by 2 feet (117-6).

"There are definitely going to be days when you don't throw as good or someone just beats you. (Sharp) was awesome," Fry said. "I wanted to use that as motivation."

Beebout was the No. 1 seed in both of the events she won, but she admitted she was somewhat disappointed with her marks: 5-0 in the high jump and 33-11 in the triple jump.

"For me, it's the distances and the heights (even in this kind of weather). This year, I'm all about personal records. These aren't where I wanted them to be," Beebout said. "It was really hard in the beginning with the rain. I fought through that."

Her male teammate, Batche, was in a little better spirits after throwing 45-10 in the shot put and setting a personal record by more than 10 feet with a 155-7 in the discus.

"I'm really proud of that, because it's only 6 or 7 inches off the school record. That's my goal for this season," Batche said. "Coach (Virgil) Wintering drilled me really well. He got me ready."

Hyde was expected to do well in his throws and didn't disappoint, tossing the shot put 58-0 and the discus 155-10.

"I knew all week it was going to rain and it was going to be cold. I was just coming out to make a performance and keep my technique down. The big throw didn't come, but it was still a really good day for being in the cold," Hyde said.

Marinak flashed an 11.01 to win the 100 and long jumped 20-6. He also was second in the javelin and the 200.

"Everything he gets, he earned. He's just a great kid," Panthers coach Todd Niebauer said. "He's just a hard-working kid. Any event I put him in, he's going to compete."

After the meet, Hyde and Marinak were named the Bill Reimer Outstanding Performer Award winners in their class.

Central Cambria produced three event winners, including two in relays. The Red Devils' 3200-meter boys relay ran 8:33.46 and won the race by 15 seconds, while the four-by-400 capped the evening by posting a 3:33.90. Central Cambria's only individual winner was Adam Lechleitner, who pole vaulted 13-0.

Other Class 2A gold medalists from the area included Bedford's Elijah Cook (boys javelin, 162-4), Richland's Charlie Levander (boys 300 hurdles, 41.16) and Westmont Hilltop's Jacob Mann (boys high jump, 5-10) and Madison Knupp (girls pole vault, 9-0).

Along with Hyde, Somerset had two 3A event winners on the girls side. Despite a big wrap on her leg, Haley Stickle breezed to victory in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.05.

Hailey Rios ran 12.69 in the 100 dash to secure gold in that event.