LOCK HAVEN –– To say Ashton McGriff a good day on the track might be just a little bit of an understatement.
On Saturday at the Lock Haven Invitational, McGriff broke a 21-year old 200 dash record when she sprinted the half lap in 25.58, an improvement of .66 seconds from her previous best this year, which was tops in the four-county area. McGriff smashed the old record of 25.84, held by Jennifer Tessena from 1996.
“Jennifer was the dominant sprinter-hurdler in District 9 in the 1990s,” Bradford High head coach Larry Stillman said, “and it has been a goal of Ashton’s to break the record, and she did in a photo-finish race.”
McGriff also won the 300 hurdles and helped the 1600 relay team run its best time of the year as the Lady Owls finished second out of 35 teams with 54 points. Selinsgrove won with 93 points.
“[It was] an outstanding day for us with many quality performances at a high level invitational,” Stillman said. “Our sprinters dominated the track.”
Not to be outdone by McGriff, freshman sprinter Regan Johnson won the 100 dash in 12.72, her fastest time of the season. She also ran the 200 dash in 27.36, good for seventh place.
“Regan has dropped her 100 time in her last three races as her starts have really improved,” Stillman said.
Johnson teamed with Brooke McGriff, Payton Kloss and Alexis Huber to run 51.03 in the 400 relay, which is a top-five time in school history. The 1600 relay team also turned in a top-five all-time performance, as Ashton and Brooke McGriff, Mikah Watkins and Logan Sunafrank ran a season-best 4:10.12.
Brooke McGriff was fourth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.14, with Stillman pointing out the sprint and hurdles coaches Natalie Marasco, Mark Kelley and head boys coach Tom Tessena for the job they’ve done coaching the Lady Owls in these events.
The Lady Owl got points from Brooke McGriff in the pole vault (9-00) for a seventh-place finish, while Amanda Little finished eighth in the 2000-meter steeplechase (9:08.45) and Mikayla Bond seventh in the high jump at 4-09.
Also performing well for the Lady Owls were Kloss in the 100 dash (10th, 13.58), Huber in the pole vault (10th, 8-06), Abby Coffman in the shot put (9th, 31-08.50), Katie O’Neil in the high jump (9th, 4-09) and Emily Little, who finished in ninth place right behind her sister in the steeplechase (9:17.28).
The Lady Owls host Elk Catholic on Tuesday for the team’s final home meet. Senior members of the team will also be honored that night. Bradford High then travels to the West Central Coaches Invitational at Altoona on Friday.
“We are pleased with what we accomplished, but we have no time to rest,” Stillman said.
