Cumberland Valley won the girls' team title at the Bruce Dallas Invitational on Saturday, winning three events on its own track.
The Eagles won the 4x800-meter relay with a 9:47.32 effort by Laura Barnes, Megan Howe, Carol Strock and Mady Clahane, and also picked up two gold medal efforts from Rachael DeCecco.
DeCecco won the long jump with a school-record 17-10 ½.
“My parents always tell me to not have the school record in mind,” DeCecco said. “I just wanted to PR.”
She beat Skylar Dantzler of Wilson, who had a 17-6 ½.
In the 300-meter hurdles, DeCecco built a lead over Lower Dauphin's Elle Wallace and won that event as well with a 44.95.
“I felt pretty good,” DeCecco said. “I felt that I warmed up well. I had other events during the day so it wasn't like I wasn't already warmed up to go.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Bruce Dallas Invitational
Wallace did win a closer race with DeCecco earlier in the afternoon, taking the 100 hurdles in 15.35. Wallace and DeCecco were about even after the last hurdle, but Wallace made a quicker mini-sprint to the finish line.
“I just felt like, I worked so hard in this preseason, that I really want to get that win,” Wallace said.
DeCecco had a 15.48 in the 200. She also had a third-place 26.49 in the 200.
Adding to the Eagles' team scores were a couple of second place showings Clahane and Barnes. Clahane was second in the 1600 with a 5:11.49. Barnes was second in the 800 with a 2:20.00.
Coatesville first, Cumberland Valley second on the boys' side of the Bruce Dallas Invitational
Wilson finished second with 61 team points.
Dantzler won two events. She set a meet record in the triple jump with a 36-3, and also won the 200 in 25.38.
Emily Miller also won the high jump for the Bulldogs with a 5-4.
Girls' results from the Bruce Dallas Invitational
Two other competitors won multiple individual events.
Manheim Twp.'s Meredith Newman took the 400 with a 58.84 and the 800 with a 2:19.84.
Jocelen Ruth of Kutztown claimed the discus with a 118-1 and the javelin with a 123-8. She was also second in the shot with a 36-6 ½.
Ellen Shepard of Central Columbia also won two gold medals. She finished first in the 100 with a 12.18, and was part of the winning 4x100 relay team. Also on the squad that posted a 51.14 was Collen Kitchen, Graycie Juckes and Lauren Moss.
Midstate athletes who finished second included Mechanicsburg's Abigail Martin (3200, 11:35.16), Waynesboro's Lilly Harnish (high jump, 5-0), East Pennsboro's Jackie Downey (discus, 114-5) and Bishop McDevitt's Anna Bailey (javelin, 110-2).
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