Photos by Kathy Reed
By Kenny Varner
LEWISTOWN – Honoring one of their own.
In their last home meet of the season the MIfflin County track and field team honored former Huskies coach Scot Sechler in the first ever Scot Sechler Memorial Melanoma Awareness Meet.
It was black out conditions as fans, athletes and even the visiting State College team wore black for the event.
Both the girls and boys teams fought valiantly both came up short to the Little Lions.
In boys action, the Huskies fell 90-59 while the girls lost 107-43.
There were strong efforts on the afternoon.
“State College is an amazing program and it’s always a challenge going up against them. So our kids did a really really good job trying to stay step-by-step, race-by-race with them,” said MIfflin County boys coach Tamara Sechler. “They got us in the end but we had a valid shot.”
Jayden King won the long jump (20’ 7 1/2”), the triple jump (49’ 9 1/2”) and finished second in the high jump (5’8”).
Mifflin County’s Nahfee Jones took top honors in the 110-intermediate hurdles with a time of 17.39. Teammate Joshua Cruz finished third with a mark of 18.21.
Jones also notched a win in the 300-meter hurdles with a finishing mark of 46.03. Cruz finished a close second posting a 46.51.
In the 100-meter dash Myka Simmons placed first with a time of 10.83.
Dylan Liggett finished third with a time of 12.02.
In the relays, MIfflin County took the 4×100-meter relay with a mark of 45.41. Running on the winners were Myka Simmons, Josiah Sechler, Jayden King and Cruz.
Sechler also placed first in the javelin with a launch of 174’ 4”.
Simmons took top honors in the 200-meter with posting a 22.76.
Rounding out the winners for the Huskies was 800-meter runner Carter Smith who blazed his way to an impressive time of 2:05.78.
“It was kind of what we expected. State College is one of the top teams in the conference. We were looking at their results from the Shippensburg meet this last weekend and we knew it was going to be an uphill battle,” said MIfflin County girls coach Scott Gantz. “But the girls came out, gave it their all. There were quite a few PRs today. That’s what we preach. Get better each day, get better each meet. Shoot for those personal records and let the chips fall where they may.”
On the girls side, the Lady Huskies
got a win in the shot put by Madison Leister who threw for a winning distance of 28’ 10” while teammate Tess King captured third with a 27’3” toss.
In the high jump, Tai Ematat finished in third with a jump of 4’ 8”.
Mifflin County captured first in the 100. Lyza Underhill landed the top spot with a time of 13.01. She also finished first in the 200 with a mark of 28.21.
In the 1600-meter run, Adeline Leason placed in third with a time of 5:47.63.
Mifflin County captured a win in the 4×100 relay with a mark of 53.34.
Justice Sheaffer finished second in the javelin with a throw of 89’ 3”.
Danielle Warfel finished second in the 400-meter run with a post of 1:05.19.
In the 300 hurdles, MIfflin County placed third thanks to a time of 54.71 by Lillie Markley.
Bailey McNitt placed second in the triple with a launch of 32’11”.
Mifflin County placed second and third in the discus. Sarah Kanagy and Hannah King finished with distances of 84’ 6 1/2” and 79’ 9”, respectively.
Rounding out the place winners on the night were second and third place winners in the Leason and Amilia Coffey in the 3200-meter run.
At the end of the meet with both teams in attendance and many fans and friends as well as family met and ended the day with an honorary ceremonial walk around the track, united for the memory of their friend.