Photo courtesy of ALAN KRATZER
Mifflin County’s Carter Smith and Caden Bell had a strong start in the 1600-meter run during the District 6 Championships in Altoona Tuesday. Smith would place first in the event.
ALTOONA — The District 6 Track and Field Championships kicked off at Mansion Park in Altoona, featuring standout performances and personal bests from several local athletes.
In the 1600 3A run, Mifflin County’s Carter Smith claimed first place with a time of 4:16.15, comfortably meeting the state standard. Smith executed a strategic race, staying behind for three laps before accelerating in the final stretch to secure the victory.
Reflecting on his performance, Smith said, “I was going for the win, so I sat behind for three laps and then outkicked. I looked back and saw I had a big gap, so I shut it down with 80 meters to go. Getting first feels pretty good, but I still got one in the 800 to get tomorrow.”
Juniata’s Wyatt Stroup and Joey Bomberger also excelled, finishing second and fifth, respectively, in the 1600 AA run, with Stroup clocking in at 4:20.12 and Bomberger at 4:27.23. Both athletes met the state standard, securing their spots at the state championships.
“We had a very exciting first day in Altoona today, pushing four athletes on to the state championship meet. Wyatt Stroup, Joey Bomberger, and Sylvia Brubaker all made it in the 1600 with personal bests.”
Brubaker finished second in the 1600, achieving a time of 5:16.55 and meeting the state standard. Her performance earned her a spot at the PIAA championships, adding to Juniata’s impressive tally for the day.
Jasper Shepps of Juniata continued his strong form, securing second place in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet 3 inches. This performance not only earned him a medal but also qualified him for the state meet.
Aumiller highlighted Shepps’ achievements, noting, “Jasper Shepps made it in the high jump, taking second place with a jump of 6’3”. Jasper will also compete tomorrow in the 110 and 300 hurdles finals.”
The Indians are currently in second place in the boys’ 2A team race with 19 points, one point behind Richland.
Mount Union’s Josh Sechrist threw 138-5 in the 2A discus, earning second place and a spot at the state championships.
The preliminary races set the stage for a competitive second day. In the 110 hurdles, Shepps qualified for the finals with a time of 16.14. In Class 3A, Mifflin County’s Michael McNitt advanced to the finals, posting a time of 17.54.
Myka Simmons of Mifflin County had a standout day, qualifying for the finals in the 100 with a time of 11.11. Simmons also excelled in the 200, finishing second with a time of 22.09, meeting the state standard and securing his place at the state meet in Shippensburg.
In the 400, Wyatt Kauffman of Mifflin County advanced to the finals with a time of 52.23. For the 300 hurdles, Mount Union’s Cailyn Skopic qualified for the finals with a first-place finish in the prelims, clocking in at 47.73. Shepps continued his versatility by qualifying for the finals in the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.57, while McNitt secured his second finals spot of the day in the 300 hurdles with a time of 43.47.
Mifflin County had several athletes earn medals on the first day. Besides Smith’s victory in the 1600, Caden Bell finished sixth, and Reese Cubbison eighth in the same event. Hannah King took fifth in the shot put, Travis Renninger finished seventh, and Ethan Plank secured fifth in the triple jump, with McNitt finishing eighth in the same event.
Sechrist added to his discus success with a fifth-place finish in the high jump, while Trojan teammate Gavin Rose finished sixth in the pole vault. For the Indians, along with the medalists in the 1600 and high jump, Aumiller celebrated her team’s achievements, stating, “Our boys 4×4 relay made up of Charlie Telfer, Caden Swailes, Ricky Guante, and Arthur Hazard had a nine-second PR.”
Day 2 action begins at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
Mifflin County Medal Winners
Carter Smith – 1st – 1600m Run – State Qualifier
Caden Bell – 6th – 1600m Run
Reese Cubbison – 8th – 1600m Run
Hannah King – 5th – Shot Put
Travis Renninger – 7th – Shot Put
Ethan Plank – 5th – Triple Jump
Michael McNitt – 8th – Triple Jump
Mount Union Medal Winners
Josh Sechrist – 2nd-Discus – State Qualifier
Cailyn Skopic – 5th – High Jump
Gavin Rose – 6th – Pole Vault
Juniata Medal Winners
Wyatt Stroup – 2nd – 1600m Run – State Qualifier
Joey Bomberger – 5th – 1600m Run – State Qualifier
Sylvia Brubaker – 2nd – 1600m Run – State Qualifier
Jasper Shepps – 2nd – High Jump – State Qualifier
