Leah Graybill’s 2021 campaign is on repeat like a newly released Taylor Swift album.
Meet in and meet out, the Shippensburg University freshman continues her historic pace of breaking school records, some being improvements of records she already owns.
And Saturday’s Last Dance Invitational at West Chester University was no exception as Graybill enhanced her 200-meter record pace (24.63 seconds), a record she previously broke this season at Lehigh University’s Happy Easter Races. It is the fourth time this year Graybill has either eradicated a new school feat or heightened one of her own.
Other than Graybill’s duplicative success, both the men’s and women’s teams saw oodles of top marks, a handful of Raiders solidifying their acceptance entries in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.
In the field, the Raiders cemented themselves with a trio NCAA provisional throws. The pairing of graduate student Cam Strohe and sophomore Pat Maloney bested their previous season lengths in their respective events (hammer and discus). Strohe topped teammate Josh Herbster for best throw in the conference and Maloney setting a new personal record by 6 inches. Freshman Jordan Leake launched a second-place throw in shot put.
For the women, junior Kate Matrisciano upped her preceding throw in shot put, posting another NCAA provisional throw. Her new personal record sits at 14.27 meters. Sophomore Madisen Kling also measured impressive hurls in discus and hammer, claiming second and fourth place.
Freshman Maddie Sieg rounded out the throwing squad, tossing a 33.78-meter throw in javelin, good enough for second.
Back on the track, the Raiders combined – outside of Graybill’s performance – for five first-place times.
Graduate student Charles Bowman Jr. returned to gold-medal form, clocking the best time in the 400 hurdles. Bowman would later contribute to the 4x400 relay first-place finish, a time that the foursome of Stephon Brown, Josh Booth, Drew Dailey and Bowman improved by nearly two seconds.
Freshman Eric Kirk – coming off a week which included PSAC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honors – ran to first in the 200-meters at 22.50 seconds. Freshmen Mo Whittle and EJ Dorwil sprinted to first and third in the 100-meters, respectively. Freshman Cole Harris debuted in the 3K steeplechase, finishing third with a navigation of 10:33.83.
On the women’s side, freshman Lieke Black paced the 400-hurdles in 1:05.10 for first place. Junior Rachel Bruno was a hair under a second off Graybill’s pace in the 200-meters and sophomore Adriana Baxter jetted to third in the 100-meters.
In the infield, the women’s team reached two gold-medal jumps. Freshman Kayla Dalhouse tied atop the high jump at 1.55 meters and senior Zarria Williams marked 5.70 meters in the long jump. Sophomore Jenna Lytle followed Williams to the tune of second place in the long jump.
Junior Shaquille Mitchell had the best jumping performance for the men, notching third in the triple jump. Freshman Robert Lissner rose to sixth place in the pole vault.
The Raiders now transition to the PSAC Championships, hosting the three days of events Thursday-Saturday. The top 16 athletes in each event from across the PSAC will compete in the championships. Action is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday with the men’s decathlon as the first scheduled event.
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