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SCRANTON — Even with a career filled with crazy athletic accomplishments, Bree Bednarski felt she had one last goal on her list to chase.
She came in looking for her first individual District 2 gold medal in track and field.
“I had never won one as an individual,” Bednarski said.
She got two.
Bednarski put a spectacular finish on her splendid district career, walking away from the District 2 Class 3A girls track and field championships with three gold medals and a silver Monday in the most dominant performance in a star-studded field.
“Bree Bednarski comes along once in a lifetime,” Wyoming Area coach Joe Pizano said.
She came along pretty fast.
The Warriors senior blazed to individual victories in the 100 and 200 dashes, and ran anchor for a Wyoming Area 400-meter relay team that finished first.
“It was a great day,” said Bednarski, who also took second place in the javelin. “Great day for my team, too.”
Without any strong distance runners, the Warriors wound up finishing in third place in the team standings, behind District 2 champion Abington Heights and runner-up Dallas.
That didn’t stop Dallas standout Katie Kravitsky from walking out on top.
The Cincinnati-bound high jumper set a new District 2 record and matched her personal best set earlier this season when she cleared 5-7 , besting the 5-6 she matched during the past two district championships. She responded by elatedly racing over and high-fiving a circle of Dallas fans beyond the high jump fence.
“It’s been my goal since sophomore year,” said Kravitsky, a senior, three-time District 2 champion and two-time state high jump medalist. “I was tied with it for the past two years. I actually came into this meet trying to break it.”
A bunch of other Wyoming Valley Conference athletes broke through to the top.
The meet began with Lake-Lehman’s 3,200 relay team of Jade Fry, Jace Garnick, Haley Kubiski and Olivia Vasey taking the top finish in 9:36, and near the end, Dallas distance star Ally Rome avenged her runner-up finish in the 1,600 by winning the 3,200 run in 10:51.08.
In between, Coughlin’s Madisyn Hawkins matched her personal record for the third time this season while winning the pole vault by clearing 12 feet, and Hazleton Area’s Kayla Merkel won the javelin with a throw of 136-01. Bednarski and Pittston Area teammates Marley O’Brien and Taryn Ashby will join them in the PIAA meet, as the WVC will send four qualifiers in javelin to states.
And Berwick put a pair of winners in the center of the medal stand, as Payden Montana won the shot put with a throw of 40-02 1/2, while Megan Dalo captured the long jump with a leap of 16-07 1/2.
It took Kravitsky two jumps at the 5-7 height to clear, but there was never a doubt in her mind she’d at least match the personal record she’d already accomplished once before and leave as the new district standard setter.
“I cleared 5-4, 5-5, 5-6,” Kravitsky said. “After I didn’t make the 5-7 on the first attempt, I was like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ After I landed, I was like, ‘I got this.’ “
Bednarski had it all day.
The meet’s only three-time gold medal winner, Bednarski was the fastest in the time trials of both the 100 and 200.
Then she blazed to victory in the 100 with a time of 12.56, beating her Warriors teammate Jalen Rhodes across the finish line by more than two-tenths of a second.
“I think our girls had a tremendous day today,” Pisano said.
Bednarski led the favored 400 relay, which also included Rhodes, Jillian Spak, Vanessa Shedlock, to another victory for the Warriors, after picking up an unexpected silver medal in the javelin with a throw of 125-06.
That left her with one more event, where she mustered up enough energy to win the 200 in 26.13 after trailing for the first half of the race.
“It’s exhausting,” Bednarski said of her long, but highly successful, day. “But I really try to push through it. It feels really good, for it being my last year.”
Class 3A Girls
1. Abington Heights (AH) 106; 2. Dallas (Dal) 83; 3. Wyoming Area (WA) 76; 4. Pittston Area (PA) 62.50; 5. Coughlin (Cou) 47; 6. North Pocono (NP) 46; 7. Berwick (Ber) 43; 8. Wallenpaupack (Wal) 41; 9. Delaware Valley (DV) 37; 10. Lake-Lehman (LL) 32; 10. Hazleton Area (Haz) 32; 12. Scranton Prep (SP) 27; 13. Wyoming Valley West (WVW) 23.50; 14. Valley View (VV) 10; 14. Crestwood (Cre) 10; 16. Tunkhannock (Tun) 9; 17. Scranton (Scr) 8; 17. West Scranton (WScr) 8; 19. Honesdale (Hon) 1
Winner x, Loser x
3,200 relay — 1. LL (Jade Fry, Jace Garnick, Haley Kubiski, Olivia Vasey) 9:36; 2. AH (Alex Scheuermann, Kate Dammer, Blanca Calvo, Carly Denoski) 9:46.58; 3. Wal (Brianna Denniston, Molly Jansco, Sam Killiany, Alyssa Lafave) 9:47.48; 4. NP (Abigail Haines, Grace Hamilton, Alana Kravitz, Joanna Bernatowicz) 9:57.92; 5. PA (Arianna Boccardi, Tara Johnson, Sam Mayers, Maddie Mimnaugh) 9:59.51; 6. VV (Santina Burak, Charisse Mulherin, Olivia Pisarski, Niocole Welsch) 10:28.19; 7. Dal (Maxine Derome, Katie Grose, Grace Jarden, Riley Oremus) 10:31.08; 8. Haz (Sarah Myers, Kiera Feeley, Lauren Pataki, Ann Amentler) 10:39.97. 100 hurdles — 1. AH, Calista Marzolino 15.46; 2. DV, Kara Gearhart 15.51 (SQS); 3.WA, Shelby Stackhouse 16.04; 4. SP, Kaitlin McGrath 16.08; 5. AH, Natalie Reed 16.18; 6. Dal, Abby Zolner 16.66; 7. Ber, Michelle Kotarsky 16.83; 8. PA, Tiffany Tubioli. 100 — 1. WA, Bree Bednarski 12.56 (SQS); 2. WA, Jalen Rhodes 12.81; 3. Dal, Samantha Mazula 12.83; 4. WVW, Nina Dellarte 12.88; 5. AH, Allyson Derry 12.91; 6. WScr, Sophie Evans 13.05; 7. Ber, Amber Kashinski 13.09; 8. PA, Jessica Tighe 13.35; 1,600 — 1. AH, Katie Dammer 4:59.53; 2. Dal, Ally Rome 5:01.41 (SQS); 3. AH, Carly Danoski 5:11.66 (SQS); 4. DV, Vanessa Paolella 5:14.02; 5. SP, Kate Reilly 5:19.02; 6. LL, Jade Fry 5:19.63; 7. AH, Alex Scheuermann 5:27.83; 8. DV, Denali Hutzelmann 5:30.19. 400 — 1. NP, Joanna Bernatowicz 59.57; 2. LL, Haley Kubiski 1:01.02; 3. Cou, Tamar Bourdeau 1:01.24; 4. Haz, Megan Reed 1:01.39; 5. WA, Vanessa Shedlock 1:01.48; 6. Wal, Sam Killiany 1:01.90; 7. AH, Dani Beamish 1:02.33; 8. SP, Alix Westin 1:03.19. 400 relay — 1. WA (Jalen Rhodes, Jillian Spak, Venessa Shedlock, Bree Bednarski) 49.80; 2. Cou (Mary Tona, Tamar Bourdeau, Skyler Panattieri, Le’June Berry) 50.91; 3. Wal (Krystle Draidfort, Erica Hansen, Madison Nakielny, Makenzie Turner) 50.93; 4. Dal (Mikaila Chakon, Annalise Cheshire, Hollie Holthaus, Samantha Lanunziata) 51.10; 5. PA (Jamie Chisdock, Angelica Singer, Jenna Smith, Jessica Tighe) 51.35; 6. AH (Danielle Heine, Natalie Reed, Kelsey Wynn, Emily Clauss) 52.12; 7. Scr (Demi Burley, Cierra Chandler, Mickeala Hicks, Kailey Miles) 52.33; 8. VV (Aubri Fisher, Julie Maddage, Emma Fryal, Alison Staback) 52.66. 300 hurdles — 1. DV, Kara Gearhart 46.59; 2. Dal, Abby Zolner 47.60; 3. Scr, Juliana Deninger 47.99; 4. Cou, Mary Tona 48.52; 5. Ber, Michelle Kotarsky 49.02; 6. Wal, Makenzie Turner 49.03; 7. Haz, Kaitlyn Beiler 49.10; 8. WA, Jillian Spak 49.75. 800 — 1. AH, Katie Dammer 2:17.30; 2. AH, Carly Danoski 2:17.79 (SQS); 3. Wal, Alyssa Lafave 2:19.27; 4. PA, Sam Mayers 2:21.30; 5. LL, Jace Garnick 2:22.98; 6. LL, Olivia Vasey 2:23.36; 7. VV, Charissa Mulherin 2:26.36; 8. Hon, Mackenzie LaMorte 2:31.86. 200 — 1. WA, Bree Bednarski 26.13; 2. Dal, Samantha Mazula 26.42; 3. Cre, Idelys Reyes 27.21; 4. PA, Jamie Chisdock 27.31; 5. WScr, Sophie Evans 27.43; 6. WA, Vanessa Shedlock 27.60; 7. Wal, Madison Nakielny 27.83; 8. Haz, Megan Reed 27.88. 3,200 — 1. Dal, Ally Rome 10:51.08; 2. AH, Alex Scheuermann 11:29.74; 3.NP, Abigail Haines 11:34.19; 4. DV, Vanessa Paolella 11:44.36; 5. AH, Claire Traweek 11:44.40; 6. Dal, Rebecca Balara 12:06.16; 7. PA, Tara Johnson 12:15.94; 8. AH, Emma Marion 12:22.0. 1,600 relay — 1. Wal (Megan Guerrieri, Giulianna Iona, Sam Killany, Alyssa Lafave) 4:05.50; 2. AH (Dani Beamish, Ally Christman, Katie Dammer, Carly Danoski) 4:11.18; 3. Cou (Tamar Bourdeau, Skyler Panattieri, Le’June Berry, Mary Tona) 4:11.71; 4. DV (Brittany Brockman, Kara Gearhart, Denali Hutzelmann, Vanessa Paolella) 4:11.95; 5. LL (Jade Fry, Jace Garnick, Lynea Gregory, Haley Kubiski) 4:13.58; 6. NP (Emily Allegrucci, Susan Nitch, Joanna Bernalowicz, Amanda Peglianite) 4:13.61; 7. PA (Mia Barbieri, Sam Mayers, Maddie Mimnaugh, Jenna Smith) 4:20.40; 8. Haz (Mackenzie Aucker, Hope Little, Jayce Jennings, Megan Reed) 4:20.70.
High jump — 1. Dal, Katie Kravitsky 5-07; 2. AH, Calista Marzolino 5-01; 3. WA, Shelby Stackhouse 5-01; 4. PA, Abby Sheerer and WVW, Gabby Labar 4-11; 6. Scr, Madison Ziobro 4-11; 7. Cou, Le’June Berry 4-11; 8. Wal, Molly Jansco 4-11. Pole vault — 1. Cou, Madisyn Hawskins 12-0; 2. NP, Lucianne Burner 11-06 (SQS); 3.PA, Abby Norwillo 11-0 (SQS); 4. AH, Danielle Heine 11-0 (SQS); 5. VV, Maddy Swartout 10-0; 6. Ber, Amber Kashinski 9-06; 7. Cou, Alexis Kowalski 9-0; 8. Cre, Andrea Shipton 9-0. Long jump — 1. Ber, Megan Dalo 16-07.50; 2. Cou, Skyler Panattieri 16-06.75; 3. WVW, Ashley Blannard 16-05.75; 4. PA, Abby Norwillo 16-03.50; 5. PA, Angelica Singer 16-01.75; 6. SP, Kaitlin McGrath 16-01.75; 7. Haz, Kaitlyn Beiler 15-11.50; 8. WA, Valerie Gerchack 15-08.75. Triple jump — 1. SP (Kaitlin McGrath) 36-07.25; 2. WVW, Ashley Blannard 36-03.50; 3. WA, Vanessa Shedlock 35-10.50; 4. AH, Allyson Derry 35-02.50; 5. Ber, Megan Dalo 32-02.25; 6. WA, Alley Pettit 324-07.75; 7. Dal, Samantha Lanunziata 34-07.50; 8. PA, Abbie Sheerer 34-04.25. Shot put — 1. Ber, Payden Montana 40-02.50; 2. Dal, Kaitlyn Kochanski 34-04.50; 3. PA, Marley O’Brien 33-06.50; 4. Tun, Rebecca Avery 31-11.50; 5. NP, Jessica Slagus 31-10.50; 6. Cre, Alyson Muse 31-06.50; 7. Haz, Kayla Merkel 41-04; 8. PA, Iana Davis 31-02.50. Discus — 1. NP, Jessica Slague 130-07; 2. Ber, Payden Montana 122-02 (SQS); 3. Dal, Kaitlyn Kochanski 116-09; 4. Haz, Kayla Merkel 110-10; 5. Wal, Shannon Vennie 110-01; 6. DV, JoAnna Kutchma 102-07; 7. Dal, Alicia Langan 99-10; 8. WScr, Maddy Vinskofski 98-05. Javelin — 1. Haz, Kayla Merkel 136-01; 2. WA, Bree Bednarski 125-06 (SQS); 3. PA, Marley O’Brien 125-04 (SQS); 4. PA, Taryn Ashby 124-03 (SQS); 5. Tun, Morgan Manglaviti 121-10; 6. Haz, Paige Bonin 117-05; 7. Dal, Nikki Wren 115-08; 8. SP, A.J. Hendershot 112-11.
