Obama able to halt Allderdice run

Benton helps Eagles end Dragons’ nine-year City League title streak

There was the briefest pause when the girls team champions were announced at the City League track and field championships at Oliver.

It took the briefest second for it to ring in the competitors’ears. Secondplace — Allderdice. A moment later, the field erupted with screams of joy after it was confirmed that, indeed, Obama Academy had won its first title and ended the Dragons’ nine-season reign at the top.

“It definitely means a lot to the kids,” Obama Academy coach Keino Fitzpatrick said. “Wehave a couple of young ladies who have been running track for a very long time and have been part of the program and had a lot of younger girls that really contributed.”

Allderdice began its run in 2012 and won every year except the 2020 campaign which was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous girls team other than the Dragons to win the team title was Schenley, which won fourin a row from 2008-11.

What helped Obama Academy win the team title — aside from the obvious of capturing quite a few individual titles — was that the team actually had athletes filling lanes. One of the reasons why Allderdice had been able to put up such a lengthy streak was a dearth of competitors fromother district schools.

This year, however, Obama had more than 40 girls on the roster, approximately 25of whom earned spots in the championships. Having those much-needed points helped the Eagles immensely in their 189-178win.

“I think the numbers helped us,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it was also having quality kids to come in and run goodtimes.”

Junior Ny’Asia Benton won three individual titles as she swept the 100 and 300 hurdles for the second consecutive year and added the 200 to her resume. She was also a part of the Eagles 400 relay teamthat won the title.

And, unlike previous years, she’ll actually have an opportunity to show what she cando at the state level.

For the first time in several years, the City League is leaving it up to the coaches as to whether or not champions in the individual events will compete in the PIAA Class 3A track and field meet at Shippensburg University on May 27-28. Previously, the district, which has one automatic bid in every event, opted to only send athletes that met or exceeded the state qualifying standard.

Had the old policy been in place, the only female athlete Obama Academy — or any other City League school for that matter — would have sent to the PIAA meet would have been Eagles senior and University of Chicago recruit Leslie Manson, who made the cut with a City League-record 37feet, 10.25-inch performance inthe triple jump.

Mansonfinished 19th at the 2021PIAA Class 3A finals with a jump of 16 feet, 3.5 inches that was the same distance as her best attempt in the City League championships. She also placed fifth in the triple jump a year ago with a 3706.75.

This season, despite dealing with an impingement in her hip throughout the year which will require physical therapy in the summer, she was able to repeat in both events. Manson won her third

City League long jump title withan attempt of 16-8.

While Obama Academy took the girls title away from Allderdice, the Dragons were able to hold onto the boys crown for the 10th consecutive season as they rolled past second-place Westinghouse, 212-97.

As has been the case in recent years, Allderdice dominated the distance events and the 3,200 relay comprised of Aleff Teshome, Owen Bluman, Jack Barnhisel and Holden Eagle. They ran a 7:59.21 to come in under the state qualifying standard of 8:02.04.

Dragons sprinter Will Coleman was the only other boys runnerto better the state qualifying standard. He won the 100in 11.02.