Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Rustin leads strong returning local group
The West Chester Rustin High School girls track and field team, which finished first in the District 1 3A team competition, lost a key performer to graduation last year, Ava Alexander, the Daily Local News Girls Track Athlete of the Year.
But the Golden Knights return a strong cast, led by the Daily Local News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, senior Maddie Miller, who is coming off another brilliant indoor season as a middle distance runner. Miller, who also was the 2022 Girls Track Athlete of the Year, placed fifth in the 800 at the indoor state meet and grabbed her 12th state medal in the 4×400. Senior Brooke Kruger (sprints, hurdles) anchored Rustin’s 4×400 relay at states and also qualified for states in the 200 and 4×200.
Senior Julia Snelling (long sprints) is a valuable relay member, Ryan Layton is Rustin’s top returning jumper and should play a key role in the 4×100, junior Ana Dakes is the returning Ches Mont League champion in the shot put and discus and senior Bri Ambrosine is an experienced distance runner.
Others to watch include sophomore Sophia Hnetinka 4×400, 800, mile), junior Macayla Subers (jumps), sophomore Carley Dwyer (sprints), freshman Nora Reese (sprints, jumps) and freshman Aoife Speer-Gibson (jumps).
Rustin coach Jim Collins said, “We still have a very strong team despite the loss of several seniors last year who are competing at the next level. We expect to excel in the relays and continue to be competitive for league championships. Our toughest challenge is depth. We once again have a small team, so we have to get all of our kids ready to compete at a high level.”
Here’s an early-season look at the other local teams as they head into April: AVON GROVE >> Key returning athletes for the Red Devils include sophomore Lexi Boiardi (high jump, long jump), junior Lily Schindler (400 meter run, 800, 1600), senior Eden Veenema (triple jump, sprints) and senior Ryan Boggetta (shot put, discus).
Coach Eric Broadbent said,
a key role in the 4×100, junior Ana Dakes is the returning Ches Mont League champion in the shot put and discus and senior Bri Ambrosine is an experienced distance runner.
Others to watch include sophomore Sophia Hnetinka 4×400, 800, mile), junior Macayla Subers (jumps), sophomore Carley Dwyer (sprints), freshman Nora Reese (sprints, jumps) and freshman Aoife Speer-Gibson (jumps).
Rustin coach Jim Collins said, “We still have a very strong team despite the loss of several seniors last year who are competing at the next level. We expect to excel in the relays and continue to be competitive for league championships. Our toughest challenge is depth. We once again have a small team, so we have to get all of our kids ready to compete at a high level.”
Here’s an early-season look at the other local teams as they head into April:
AVON GROVE >> Key returning athletes for the Red Devils include sophomore Lexi Boiardi (high jump, long jump), junior Lily Schindler (400 meter run, 800, 1600), senior Eden Veenema (triple jump, sprints) and senior Ryan Boggetta (shot put, discus).
Coach Eric Broadbent
said, “Our strengths are that we are diverse in our scoring. Lily and Ryan will be strong, and both have a really solid and young supporting cast. We aren’t super deep in the sprints which will be a struggle considering how strong the Ches-Mont always is in that area.”
BISHOP SHANAHAN >> The Eagles’ key returnees are seniors Meghan Willis and Penelope Loeper. Willis was a district qualifier in both the 800 and 1600 last spring, placed third in the 1600 at the Ches-Mont Championships, was a state medalist in cross country and is coming off an indoor season where she qualified for states in the mile and the 800. Loeper was second at Ches-Monts in the 3200, and was fourth at districts in cross country. Other athletes to watch include sophomore Ella Kraft (high jump), freshman Payton Nolan (sprints) and junior horizontal jumpers Sophia Ceulers and Gabby Stephens.
COATESVILLE >> Key returners include Kira Doran (sprints and jumps), Lailah Durell (long jump, triple jump), Fancy Wah (high jump) and Adriana Figueroa (javelin). Genesis Bradshaw (sprints and jumps) and Hannah Russum (sprints and hurdles) are also ones to watch. Coach Damien Henry said, “We are young team with
only one senior. Our goal is to be competitive and continue to develop the program. The young (athletes) are working hard, and will continue to progress in all areas.”
CONESTOGA >> Seniors Lila Ziegler (100, long jump), Tory Gauthier (100, 200), Angelina Pierce (4×100 relay) and Addie Delorefice (long jump) are back for the Pioneers. Others to watch include sophomore Fure Abhulimen (400), sophomore Alexia Tubbs (3200), Reese Oakes (shot put, discus) and Nicol Bovanova (triple jump, long jump). Coach Alex Foulke said, “We have a strong sprints side full of talent and potential, as well as some standout distance runners. Our biggest challenge will be growing the entire program in areas that our groups are younger such as throws and jumps.”
DOWNINGTOWN EAST >> Key returnees for the Cougars include senior Faith Fuqua (100, 200), senior Nia Massey (100, 200, 400), junior Dinah Mukalian (800), senior Madison Brown (800, 1600, 3200), junior Corina Colmenares-Bittar (100 hurdles), junior Sagarika Senthikumar (300 hurdles), junior Addison Fink (long jump, triple jump) and senior Anna Sardella (high jump, long jump, triple jump). Others to watch include senior Reilly Kuhn (100), sophomore
Julie Zajac (100, 200), junior Olivia Dever (200, 400), sophomore Kylie Shumate (400), freshman Addison Fink (800), sophomore Callie Comegys (1600) and junior Jocelyn Moser (1600). Coach Austin Tobelmann said, “Our biggest strength is our point-scorers on the track. We will be relying on them to place well in the Ches-Mont. We have a lot of young talent coming up in all event areas and our biggest challenge will be getting some of these young (athletes) to develop and rise to add depth to our squad.”
DOWNINGTOWN WEST >> Key returning Whippets include sophomore Molly Weitzman (200, 400), sophomore Haily Sward (200, 400), sophomore Bella Miller (200, 400, 800), sophomore Morgan Bayley (400, 800, 1600), senior Piper Cline (400, 800), junior Riley Dortone (1600, 3200), junior Lauren Sciulli (1600, 3200) and junior Saania Stewart (long jump, triple jump) and senior Devon Hart (discus, javelin). Others to watch include freshman Macy McCormick (100, 200, 400), sophomore Maia Coyle (200, 400, 800), freshman Maggie Tarpley (1600, 3200) and freshman Laila Callahan Mitchell (400, 800, 1600). Weitzmann, Miller and McCormick had notable performances at the Indoor PTFCA State Championships last winter, helping the Whippets finish
fourth in the 4×200 relay and third in the 4×400 relay.
GREAT VALLEY >> Key returning Patriots include seniors Briella Gorman (200, 400) and Kiley Mansfield (1600, 3200). Junior Katelyn Grimes (100, 300 hurdles), juniors Natalie and Aimee Dill (1600, 3200) and junior Gia Patel (1600, 3200). Great Valley head coach Nicole Jones said, “We are a young team with only four seniors but we are excited by the improvements made by our underclassman and some of the prospects in the freshman class.”
KENNETT >> John Ramagano, who is the Blue Demons’ cohead coach along with Jessica Copeland, said, “Our team will be very young but talented. We have three Indoor State/Nationals girls on this team that should be a force in the District.” Those three girls are freshman Aydriane Bowden (sprints, hurdles, jumps), sophomore Saige Pfeifer (sprints) and junior Sara Frey (pole vault). Other athletes to watch include freshman Victoria Hanson (sprints, pole vault), junior Elyssa Henry(sprints, pole vault), sophomore Stella Houghton (jumps), freshman Reece Rising (sprints), freshman Laki Frazier (throws), freshman Ellie Harper (distance runs) and senior Whitney Walker (distance runs, was a District qualifier last year).
OXFORD >> The Hornets do not feature a numerically large squad but they have some fine returning athletes, including senior Macaela Walker (hurdles, sprints), senior Jessie Cox (distance), senior Jess Shelderfer (distance) and junior Jordan Eshelman (throws).
UNIONVILLE >> Key returning Longhorns include senior Cherry Wu (sprints and hurdles), junior Sylvie Henry (sprints and hurdles), Natalie Quinlan (sprints) and three distance runners — seniors Emily Poe and Darcy Tucker and junior Erin Rapin. Unionville head coach Mark Lacianca said, “We have lots of senior leadership. We also have a great throwing (coaching) staff this year and are really hoping to develop this part of our team. We also need to find some athletes in the hurdles and jumps beyond this year.” VILLA MARIA ACADEMY >>
The Hurricanes have a new coach, Kirk Lombardi, and key returnees include senior Maddy Kelley (pole vault, 300 hurdles, 100 hurdles, 4×100 relay), senior Jill Stroup (discus, shot put), senior Talia Davidson (high jump, triple jump), sophomore Ella Tacelosky (high jump, triple jump), sophomore Rileigh O’Neill (800, 4×800), junior Reese Dyson (discus, javelin) and junior Sam Samar (400, 200, 4×400 relay). Other athletes to watch include junior Rachel Metzger (triple jump),