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District III shines on final day of PIAA Track and Field Championships

District III has more gold medal winners.

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Student athletes from across the state put it all on the line for the final day of the 2023 PIAA State Track and Field Championships. 

District III, once again, had a spectacular showing taking home a lot of hardware.

Day Two kicked off with the 3200 and it's a good thing it was the first event as the day heated up quick with the temperature and in the events.

Chambersburg's Camryn Kiser doubled up with another sixth place finish and Dallastown's Kailey Grander in eighth in AAA.

Susquehannock's Matthew O'Brien finished 4th and Lampeter-Strasburg's Colin Whitaker finished sixth.

Spring Grove’s Laila Campbell, once again, put on a clinic. She just missed her 100-meter record by one hundredth of a second 11.56. Then, hit a 23.54 in the 200-meters, missing that record by two hundredths of a second.

"To three peat in both events, it took a lot of work to just continue, you know, staying at the same marks and improving I did .04 last year this year's .02 off the mark so I'm happy what I did, today," said Campbell, while making dad proud, watching his daughter capture her sixth state title.

The hardest thing to do as a sprinter is win from an outside lane. The sophomore Lex Cyrus from the first lane knew he had one mission, and that was for 100-meter gold. Chambersburg’s Kason Besecker was right with him, on the other side of the track. The District III duo went one-two in AAA.

"If you would have told me back in March, beginning in April if you would have told me I was going win states, I don't know, I might look at you like you were crazy," said Cryus.

Susquenita's Samantha Wechsler captured the bronze in the AA girls 100 hurdles and in the triple jump with a jump of 37' 7".

In the AAA hurdles, Susquehannock's Ryleigh Marks peaked at the right time. She ran a blazing silver medal time of 14.11 seconds and she couldn't even believe it.

In the AA boys 110 hurdles, Steel-High's Daquan McCraw picked up the bronze in 14.81 seconds and finished 8th in the 300 hurdles.

Sticking with the hurdles, South Western's Bernard Bell first placed second in the 110s, but he wanted gold and he gets it winning the 300s in 37.28 seconds.

"I wasn't trying to go home without a gold today. So, I pushed myself for that," said Bell.

In the 400, the freshman Cedar Crest's Kaddel Howard won indoors and now outdoors with a smoking fast time, 54.64. Ship's Jillian Sydnor captured the silver.

"(It) means everything because like I've been working hard for a long time. So, for it to come up to this point, it feels good," said Howard.

Another freshman, Spring Grove's Ella Bahn got after it in the 300 hurdles 42.62 finishing. Making the race up in the last 75-meters. She also placed fifth in the high jump and speaking of the that. Warwick's Katie Becker cleared 5 feet, 5 inches for the bronze.

Greenwood's Zane Cassell helped the 4x800 to bronze while he took silver in the open 800 and the Ole Miss commit, Hempfield's Aiden Hodge captured gold in AAA with Tim Roden from Central Dauphin in 3rd.

In the AA girls pole vault, Bermudian Springs Lilyana Carlson to only one to clear 12 feet as Trinity's Adeline Woodward captured the silver.

"That's pretty exciting. I really enjoyed it. I think it's fun. The excitement, the adrenaline rush of having one jump to determine pretty much at all," said Carlson.

It was all smiles as she entered the ring, Warwick's Ella Lucas hit a person record in the AAA discus with a throw of 163 feet, 9 inches. The senior has had a spectacular final season. She won Penn Relays and now, improving her state medal from silver to gold.

"I was going to go into my last series and I was like man, this is my last time repping the Warwick jersey. So, I'm happy I got a PR. I'm happy I got the gold and I had a really great series," said Lucas.

Harrisburg's Erick Jackson finished third and also grabbed the bronze in the javelin.

Chambersburg's JJ Kelly cleared 6' 8" inches for gold in the high jump and finished third in the long jump.

In the girls, Lebanon's Mileyska Calderon hit 18' 3.75" on her only recorded jump for fourth.

On his last throw, York Tech's Matthew Arnold jumped up to finish second in the discus.

In the relays, Chambersburg's 4x100 takes the AAA title in 41.49. District III actually swept the top spots with Susquehanna Township and Cedar Crest.

McCaskey nearly swept them all. They won the 4x800 by five seconds, get second in the 4x100 by four hundredths of a second. Then, to close out their final meet together by hitting a personal best two win gold in the 4x400

Chambersburg is the only District III team to win a team title. They capture the boys AAA team title. 

It was an all-around awesome weekend for District III.

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