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SCRANTON — As the Holy Redeemer girls track and field team made its victory lap around the Scranton Memorial Stadium track, coach Kevin Walters attempted to stop them 50 yards short to give them words of wisdom.

The Royals mostly ignored him and indifferently jogged right through their coach towards the finish line.

“That’s the first time they’ve actually finished a complete lap,” Walters joked.

It was a chilly night of strong finishes for the Royals.

Holy Redeemer chipped away at a 30-plus point deficit during the race to eventually win the District 2 Class 2A girls track & field championship Tuesday. It marks the Royals’ first district team championship since 2013.

“We knew the competition was going to be tough,” Walters said. “Lakeland is always tough. Holy Cross is very tough. You chew your nails until the last race and see where you end up.”

Holy Redeemer needed to beat Holy Cross in the final event to ensure the victory, and the 1,600 relay team came through with a fifth-place finish. Nicole Cavanaugh anchored a relay that overtook Holy Cross in the second leg.

Avenging last year’s two-point loss to Lakeland, Royals beat Holy Cross by 6.5 points and the Chiefs by 17 points.

The throws put the Royals over the edge in the late stages of the meet. Alyssa Christian won the shot put with a distance of 34-7. Karen Hilenski threw 112-6 in the discus to take first place.

“I couldn’t say enough of our throwers. Unbelievable job,” Walters said. “We knew they were good. We talked them up. This year, they helped pull this thing along. I’m really proud of them. It was awesome.”

The Royals’ Caroline Banas repeated as district high-jump champion, clearing 5-6. Like all district winners, Banas moves onto the PIAA Championships in Shippensburg, where she looks to improve upon last year’s bronze medal. She will be looking to add an inch in height, a feat she accomplished during the indoor season.

“I have a week to train for it,” Banas said. “States are on the 27th so I have a week to train for it. I am going to completely focus on high jumping because now, throughout the season, I focused on sprinting and jumping.”

Autumn Kaminski will also represent Holy Redeemer at states with a qualifying time in the 100 hurdles.

Nanticoke freshman Amiah Lukowski came into states expecting a third-place finish. She found herself not only atop of the 200 dash podium, but with a new district record of 26.03 seconds.

Lukowski jumped out to an early lead and paced Dunmore’s Gillian Coar and Lakeland’s Madison Harding to the finish line.

“I was expecting to do pretty well,” Lukowski said. “I wasn’t expecting to win. I was thinking third or fourth at best. So, needless to say, I was pretty surprised.”

Meyers’ Nalasjia Harris-Johnson garnered a gold medal in the 100 dash with a time of 12.29 seconds. Harris-Johnson was just seven-hundredths of a second shy of a district record. Lukowski made an early surprise by jumping out to a tenth-of-a-second lead in preliminaries; however, Harris-Johnson withstood a late push to win by 13-hundredths of a second.

“If you don’t believe me, I literally cried before my race,” Harris-Johnson said. “I was really scared. I had that push which is good because I usually don’t. I pushed me faster.”

****

District 2 Class 2A Girls

Track & Field Championships

Scranton Memorial Stadium

Standings – 1. Holy Redeemer (HR) 118.5, 2. Holy Cross (HC) 112, 3. Lakeland (LAK) 101.5, 4. Blue Ridge (BR) 54, 5. Western Wayne (WW) 51, 6. Elk Lake (EL) 44, 6. Carbondale (CAR) 44, 8. Dunmore (DUN) 34, 9. Meyers (MEY) 29, 10. Nanticoke (NAN) 22, 10. Northwest (NW) 22, 12. Montrose (MON) 21, 13. Susquehanna (SUS) 20, 14. Mountain View (MV) 9, 15. GAR (GAR) 6, 16. Hanover Area (HAN) 4, 17. Mid Valley (MV) 2, 18. Lackawanna Trail (LT) 1

3,200 Relay – 1. HC (Abby Corrigan, Abby Guziewicz, Lexi Walsh, Mackenzie Greenfield) 9:46.71; 2. EL (Katie Bennett, Grasyn Bushnell, Justine Johns, Keri Jones) 9:50.57; 3. HR (Olivia Greer, Allison Manley, Molly Holmes, Emily Hons) 10:16.73; 4. MON (Emma Griffiths, Anna Loomis, Georgia Smith, Morgan Bush) 10:34.67; 5. DUN (Kathleen Coar, Gianna Delfino, Nicole Marzzaco, Caitlin McCafferty) 10:48.02; 6. NW (Landree Wilkin, Katie Jones, Haidyn Weber, Jordan Everett) 10:49.93; 7. MV (Marissa Bennici, Marianna Gerrity, Alyssa Sekelsky, Bonnie Wolo) 10:56.19; 8. LT (Lauren Beemer, Lilli Martin, Amanda Kinback, Kathleen Rodenbach) 12:31.7

High Jump – 1. HR Caroline Banas 5-6, 2. LAK Brooke Estadt 5-2, 3. HR Nicole Kerestes 4-10, 3. LAK Sara Wanat 4-10, 5. MON Radvil Vaiciulyte 4-10, 6. WW Caitlin Henneforth 4-10, 7. LAK Kayla Agentowicz, 8. WW Kaitlyn Juhasz 4-8

100 Hurdles – 1. LAK Madison Harding 15.02, 2. SUS Skyla Wilson 15.49 (SQS), 3. HR Autumn Kaminski 15.52 (SQS), 4. HC Jilliam Warabak 15.69 (SQS), 5. WW Kirsti Metschulat 16.72, 6. MEY Ilequa Adams 16.76, 7. MV Alexia Presley 19.55

Long Jump – 1. LAK Brooke Estadt 17-2.5, 2. MEY Nalasjia Harris-Johnson 16-9.75, 3. NW Emma Wyllie 16-1, 4. HR Nicole Kerestes 15-11.5, 5. HC Monica Seamon 15-11.25, 6. BR Kalynne Myers 15-11, 7. HAN Nadia Lamoreux 15-5.25, 8. HC Shannon McDonough 15-1

100 Dash – 1. MEY Nalasjia Harris-Johnson 12.29, 2. NAN Amiah Lukowski 12.42 (SQS), 3. DUN Gillian Coar 12.7 (SQS), 4. BR Amber Brecht 12.96, 5. HC Allie Rainey 13.34, 6. WW Brianna Neales 13.38, 7. HR Autumn Kaminski 13.53, 8. MON Madison Gilhool 13.63

Discus – 1. HR Karen Hilenski 112-6, 2. LAK Mikayla Marino 107-6, 3. HR Alyssa Christian 101-11, 4. CAR Mikenna Walsh 101-2, 5. HR Gabby Tomasura 99, 6. CAR Alex Artone 95, 7. LAK Taylor Flynn 93-9, 8. WW Zoey Rosensweet 93-1

Javelin – 1. HC Madison Ware 121-7, 2. CAR Mikenna Walsh 115-4, 3. NW Kennedy Maclean 113-7, 4. MON Kourtney Snigar 110-4, 5. NAN Amber Grahowski 104-7, 6. HR Gabby Tomasura 102-2, 7. HAN Asdone Hooper 99-8, 8. WW Ariana Sanders 97-10

1,600 Run – 1. CAR Jenn Korty 5:12.75, 2. WW Annie Skirpan 5:23.23, 3. HC Mackenzie Greenfield 5:31.12, 4. HR Lindsey Williams 5:36.31, 5. HC Zoe Haggerty 5:40.6, 6. BR Karris Fazzi 5:41.16, 7. HR Olivia Greer 5:44.45, 8. NW Katie Jones 5:52.26

Pole Vault – 1. LAK Corah Krantz 9-6, 2. HC Cassie Groncki 9-6, 3. HC Monica Seamon 8-6, 4. HC Shannon McDonough 8-6, 5. NW Haidyn Weber 8’

Triple Jump – 1. LAK Brooke Edstadt 36-4.5, 2. HR McKenna Dolan 34-5, 3. HC Monica Seamon 34-3.5, 4. HC Rosaline Bennie 32-11.25, 5. HR Jesse Ornoski 32-9.75, 6. BR Kim Klim 32-9, 7. EL Eliza Bosscher 32-6.5, 8. EL Mikaela Meaders 32-6.25

400 Dash – 1. EL Lydia Ofalt 1:00.72, 2. HR Caroline Banas 1:00.87, 3. BR Isabella Cosmello 1:02.02, 4. HC Molly Burda 1:03.36, 5. LAK Cassie Stracham 1:03.65, 6. MV Stephanie Ostir 1:04.17, 7. SUS Bethany Mabo 1:05.1; 8. DUN Alexia Fangio 1:05.36

400 Relay – 1. BR (Amber Brecht, Isabella Cosmello, Gwen MacConnell, Lindsey Rupakus) 51.48; 2. MEY (Ilequa Adams, Tattiana Monroe, Divine Howard, Nalasjia Harris-Johnson) 51.61 (SQS); 3. DUN (Kathleen Coar, Samantha Domzalski, Serena Pane, Emma Coar) 52.04; 4. EL (Grasyn Bushnell, Adrianna Meaders, Mikaela Meaders, Lydia Ofalt) 52.67; 5. LAK (Corah Krantz, Brooke Longstreet, Emily Sashko, Cassie Stracham) 53.18; 6. WW (Skyler Booths, Gianna Debastiani, Brianna Neales, Ariana Sanders) 53.2; 7. NW (Ashley Brubaker, Olivia Kester, Kelsey Jones, Emma Wyllie) 53.95; 8. MON (Gabrielle Davis, Madison Gilhool, Amber Kadlecik, Kourtney Snigar) 54.27

300 Hurdles – 1. SUS Skyl Wilson 45.31, 2. BR Lindsay Rupakus 45.83, 3. LAK Madison Harding 46.37, 4. HR Autumn Kaminski 47.71, 5. WW Samantha Atcavage 48.65, 6. WW Kirsti Metschulat 48.79, 7. HC Jillian Warabak 50.11, 8. HC Rosaline Bennie 51.09

Shot Put – 1. HR Alyssa Christian 34-7, 2. LAK Mikayla Marino 34-2, 3. GAR Marie Skrepenak 33-8.5, 4. CAR Alex Artone 32, 5. MW Emmille Miller 31-7, 6. WW Zoey Rosensweet 29-8.5, 7. EL Kaitlyn Hongach 28-7, 8. MON Audra Everitt 28-3

200 Dash – 1. NAN Amiah Lukowski 26.03 (DR), 2. DUN Gillian Coar 26.39, 3. LAK Madison Harding 26.78, 4. BR Amber Brecht 26.95, 5. DUN Emma Coar 27.11, 6. MON Madison Gilhool 27.96, 7. WW Brianna Neales 28.41, 8. HR Caroline Banas 28.75

800 Run – 1. CAR Jen Korty 2:22.42, 2. HC Mackenzie Greenfield 2:23.02, 3. HC Abby Corrigan 2:23.92, 4. EL Justine Johns 2:27.86, 5. WW Annie Skirpan 2:28.58, 6. HR Leah Mullery 2:28.79, 7. HR Molly Holmes 2:31.12, 8. HR Emily Hons 2:31.98

3,200 Run – 1. HC Lexi Walsh 11:30.19, 2. EL Keri Jones 11:51.4, 3. HR Lindsey Williams 11:54.42, 4. WW Paige Barillo 11:58.05, 5. HC Abby Guziewicz 12:26.85, 6. CAR Jenn Korty 12:29.05, 7. HR Olivia Greer 12:49.38, 8. BR Jessie Purdum 12:54.61

1,600 Relay – 1. BR (Amber Brecht, Isabella Cosmello, Karris Fazzi, Lindsey Rupakus) 4:11.52; 2. LAK (Brooke Estandt, Madison Harding, Corah Krantz, Brooke Longstreet) 4:12.47; 3. WW (Samanta Atcavage, Caitlin Henneforth, Grace Hollister, Annie Skirpan) 4:12.65; 4. DUN (Kathleen Coar, Gianna Delfino, Emily Pavlowski, Alexia Fangio) 4:13.81; 5. HR (Emily Hons, Leah Mullery, Caroline Banas, Nicole Cavanaugh) 4:16.29; 6. EL (Grasyn Bushnell, Justine Johns, Adrianna Meaders, Mikaela Meaders) 4:16.67; 7. HC (Abby Corrigan, Rosaline Bennie, Jillian Warabak, Molly Burda) 4:27.51; 8. MON (Emma Griffiths, Anna Loomis, Georgia Smith, Madison Gilhool) 4:30.46

Jillian Smith of Holy Redeemer competes in Tuesday’s District 2, Class 2A Girls Long Jump at Scranton High School’s Memorial Stadium. (Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader)
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_d2class2atrack01.jpg.optimal.jpgJillian Smith of Holy Redeemer competes in Tuesday’s District 2, Class 2A Girls Long Jump at Scranton High School’s Memorial Stadium. (Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader)

Nalasjia Harris-Johnson of Meyers, left, holds off Nanticoke’s Amiah Lukowski to win the girls 100 meter dash in Tuesday’s District 2, Class 2A Track & Field Championships at Scranton High School’s Memorial Stadium. (Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader)
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_d2class2atrack02.jpg.optimal.jpgNalasjia Harris-Johnson of Meyers, left, holds off Nanticoke’s Amiah Lukowski to win the girls 100 meter dash in Tuesday’s District 2, Class 2A Track & Field Championships at Scranton High School’s Memorial Stadium. (Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader)

By Jay Monahan

For Times Leader

VIDEO

To see video of the Holy Redeemer girls track and field team take a victory lap after winning the District 2 Class 2A title, visit the online version of this story on timesleader.com.

Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @ TLSports

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