蘑菇视频 All-Area Girls Track & Field Team
Scotties鈥� Mehall earns state medals in 800, 1600-meter runs
Southmoreland’s Megan Mehall decided to hang back in the first part of the 800 and 1,600-meter runs last Friday and Saturday in the PIAA Individual Track & Field Championships.
The senior knew she couldn’t get too far behind, but she made her move at the appropriate time to finish in the top eight in both races to earn state medals in the state meet at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
Mehall was the runner-up in 800 and placed fourth in the 1,600 in girls Class 2A action, which bested what she was seeded (6th in 1,600; 5th in 800), and also beat her PR (personal record) in both events.
Mehall’s effort on the state’s biggest stage in track & field has led her to being named the Athlete of the Year for the 蘑菇视频 All-Area Girls Track & Field Team.
Not bad for someone who never intended to compete in distance races when she began her track & field career in middle school to stay in shape for soccer season in the fall.
Mehall continued to play soccer throughout high school, but she caught the attention of the coaches at West Virginia University, which is where she will continue her academic and track & field careers. Mehall didn’t participate in cross country during her time as Southmoreland because of her commitment to soccer, but she may give it a shot when she heads to Morgantown in the fall.
“I started running in middle school to stay in shape for soccer,” Mehall said. “I always intended on continuing my soccer career in college. I am very happy with the way things played out. I definitely developed a deep love for running.
“West Virginia has one of the top women’s cross country programs in the country, and I have always been more of a middle distance runner, but we will see what happens when I get there.”
Mehall ran the 1,600 bright and early on Friday morning, as the girls Class 2A championship was contested at 9 to start action on the track. Mehall did have a brief wait, as she was in the second heat of timed finals. She wasn’t in the running for a medal after the first of four laps, as she sat in 18th place at 1:14.10 before moving up 11 places to sit in seventh at the halfway point of the race in 2:29.62. She ran a split of 1:15.53 on lap two.
Mehall moved into fourth place after a split of 1:15.22 on the third lap. She turned it on in the bell lap and finished with a split of 1:12.86. Mehall’s time of 4:57.70 beat her PR by eight seconds.
“The start was very overwhelming,” said Mehall of the 1,600 following the race. “I never raced in a mile that’s been that competitive, so that was definitely a big adjustment. I think I was near last place 200 meters into the race, so I had to work to get back to the front, but the competition definitely pulled me along.”
Mehall’s race in the 800 mirrored her effort in the 1,600, as she jumped nine places from the first to second lap.
The future Mountaineer was 11th after the first 400 with a time of 1:08.10. She ran 1:07.15 on the bell lap and passed Southern Fulton’s Julia Madison down the last straightaway to finish in 2:15.24. Madison clocked in at 2:15.43.
AnnaSophia Viccari of West Middlesex won the race in 2:12.95. The senior from District 10 was fourth after the first lap in 1:07.04, but put on a strong final lap in 1:05.91 to pull away from the field.
Mehall knew Viccari had taken control of the race, but she was pleased to be able to finish as runner-up. Mehall also broke her PR (personal record) in the race.
“I felt pretty awful the whole race, I’m not going to lie, but once I got to the last 100, I felt like I had a little bit left,” Mehall said. “I was like, ‘I’m here for a reason,’ and I just gave it everything I had. The only thing I would have asked for was better weather, but I was still able to PR.”
The following individuals and the events they competed in make up the rest of the all-area team:
3,200-meter relay: Addison Caruso, Charley Murtha, Paisley Murtha, Hannah Foster, Uniontown
100-meter hurdles: Aijanae Foster, Brownsville
100-meter dash: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
1,600-meter run: Megan Mehall, Southmoreland
400-meter relay: Jersey Feick-White, Aijanae Foster, Ta’Veonna Harris, Amya Wilson, Brownsville
400-meter dash: Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic
300-meter hurdles: Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic
800-meter run: Megan Mehall, Southmoreland
200-meter dash: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
3,200-meter run: Bella Baker, Laurel Highlands
1,600-meter relay: Emma Campbell, Kate Campbell, Caiya Brozeski, Megan Mehall, Southmoreland
Shot put: Skylar Salay, Belle Vernon
Discus: Alexa Lewandowsky, Brownsville
Javelin: Skylar Salay, Belle Vernon
High jump: Aijanae Foster, Brownsville
Pole vault: Madison Blair, Waynesburg Central
Long jump: Diondra Brown, Laurel Highlands
Triple jump: Hannah Conn, Southmoreland