he High School South girls scored 92 points to win the Mercer County track championship held May 10 at Steinert High School, while the Pirate boys and teams from North also made strong showings. The South boys placed 10th with 23 points. Both North teams finished in seventh place overall.
The Pirate girls were led a by a strong distance corps and an up-and-coming sprinter. Sophomore Kathryn Schoenauer, sister of former South football star Brian, earned three individual medals with a victory in the long jump, a third place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, and a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter dash.
But it was in the distance races where South amassed most of its points. The girls took three of the top five spots in the 1,600, led by a second-place finish from Christina Racan, and four of the top six in the 3,200 behind Deirdre Casey’s third-place finish.
Casey also won the 800 meters, in which South also had third-place finisher Edlyn Gulama and sixth-place finisher Rancan. As a team, South won the 4×800 meter relay.
The North girls were led by senior star Patrycja Dziekonska, who placed second in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump and fifth in the 400-meter hurdles.
On the boys’ side top finishers included North’s Jamel Johnson, who placed third in 110-meter hurdles and second in the 400-meter hurdles. Robert Peterson finished second in the 100-meter dash, and Jack Schilder was third in the javelin. Aathreya Thuppul took home two medals for his third place performance in the triple jump and fourth place showing in the long jump.
South was led by Nikhil Pulimood, who placed third in the 1,600 meters, and Nicholas Benfer, who was third in the shot put. The Pirates’ 4×800 meter relay team took second place.
North Boys: 100 meters: 2. Robert Peterson, 11.37. 110 hurdles: 3. Jamel Johnson, 15.35. 400 hurdles: 2. Johnson, 56.47. 4×100: 5. 46.21. Javelin: 3. Jack Schilder, 158’09”. Long Jump: 4. Aathreya Thuppul, 20’2.5”. Shot Put: 6. Angelo Lopez, 44’1”. Triple Jump: 3. Thuppul, 42’4.5”.
South Boys: 110 hurdles: 5. Koran Goldstein, 15.74. 1,600 meters: 3. Nikhil Pulimood, 4:22.17. 4×800: 2. 8:14.52. 800 meters: 6. Zabih Kotecha, 2:01.27. Shot Put: 3. Nicholas Benfer, 46’5.5”
North Girls: 100 hurdles: 2. Patrycja Dziekonska, 14.51. 1,600 meters: 6. Simone Counts, 5:18.06. 400 hurdles: Dziekonska, 1:07.91. 4×800: 5. 10:31.76. 800 meters: 4. Counts, 2:18.57. Javelin: 5. Easter Rucci, 88’5”.
South Girls: 100 hurdles: 3. Kathryn Schoenauer, 15.5; 4. Kalayha Smith, 15.88. 1,600 meters 2. Christina Rancan, 4:54.85; 4. Deirdre Casey, 5:00.66; 5. Edlyn Gulama, 5:14.28. 200 meters: 6. Schoenauer, 27.18. 3,200 meters: 3. Casey, 11:42.76; 4. Penny Luan 11:49.23; 5. Rancan, 11:50.52; 6. Alexandra Hesterberg, 11:50.63. 400 meters: Edwina Gulama, 1:00.34. 4×100: 2. 50.69. 4×800: 1. 9:45.8. 800 meters: 1. Casey, 2:16.59; 3. Edlyn Gulama, 2:17.63; 6. Rancan, 2:20.77. High Jump: 6. Smith, 4’10”.
