By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

Throughout her illustrious high school track and field career, Mary Witmer has been about making statements.

Not of the verbal kind, for she is one of the most soft-spoken, humble athletes you’ll find. No, she lets her work on the track do the talking.

And this past weekend at the District Three Championships held at Shippensburg University, it was just the latest example of it on full display.

Witmer, the defending champion in the girls AAA 300 hurdles, not only won her second straight gold in that event but did it in record-breaking fashion.

The Ephrata senior went out faster than normal, and kept that pace to finish with a sizzling District Three Meet record time of 42.11. That time, which is the eighth-best in the country this year, shattered the old mark of 43.53 set back in 2008 by Harrisburg’s Alysha Cook.

Witmer’s exploits highlighted a weekend in which Ephrata claimed six total medals, qualified three individuals (Kelly Liebl and Crystal Hartman, in addition to Witmer) and one relay (girls 4 X 400) to next week’s State Meet, and finished fifth in the team race with 31 points.

For the second-straight year, Ephrata’s Mary Witmer has earned the top seed in the 300 hurdles for the upcoming State Track Meet to be held at Shippensburg University Friday and Saturday.

Witmer earned top billing thanks to her record-breaking performance this past week at the District Three Championships. The Ephrata senior set the new record on her way to capturing the District gold with a blistering time of 42.11.

A year ago at States, Witmer posted a time of 43.95 to finish second in the State, behind only Dannah Hayward of Coughlin, who won the gold with a time of 43.37.

This year, the top two times behind were posted by Cheltenham’s Kayla Coley (43.44) and Cumberland Valley’s Rachael DeCecco (43.89).

In addition to Witmer, the following is a list of the rest of the Ephrata and Cocalico athletes who will compete at States, along with their events, seedings as well as times and distances:

Girls

Emily Stauffer, Cocalico- shot put, 6th, 40-7 1/2; Crystal Hartman, Ephrata- javelin, 15th, 124-0; Ephrata’s 4 X 400 relay (Andrea Castillo, Witmer, Kelly Liebl & Jordan Crills)- 16th, 3:59.73; Liebl, Ephrata- long jump, 21st, 17-7 1/4 & 200, 22nd, 26.03; Megan Gingrich, Cocalico- 800, 22nd, 2:16.57.

Todd Ruth

Ephrata Review Sports Editor

Standing on the infield of Seth Grove Stadium Saturday at Shippensburg, Mary Witmer’s 300 hurdles race was the talk of everyone.

I found it interesting listening to fellow athletes talking about her amazing race which resulted in a record time of 42.11. That’s when you know you are witnessing something special, when other competitors are as impressed as you are.

Not only was it the District Three record, but the eighth best time in the country this year (see graphic at right).

It was definitely a "wow" moment.

It just seems like Witmer has been on a serious mission ever since narrowly losing out on the State gold a year ago. And I know it must seem like forever for her, working her way back to getting another crack at State gold.

But along the way, she has done some amazing things. First she helped her team win another section team championship. Then last week, she broke the L-L record in helping her team win a league crown.

Now this.

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

A lack of offensive punch was a big reason for Ephrata’s early exit in the L-L League playoffs last week. The Mounts managed just six hits and struck out 11 times in that game which resulted in a 7-2 Manheim Central victory.

And Monday at home in the District Three opener vs. Chambersburg, the Mounts’ offensive woes continued at the worst possible time.

With the season on the line, Ephrata could muster just two hits (four for the game) through the first six innings against Trojan ace Andrew Shreiner.

Then, after the Trojans scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a commanding 5-0 lead, the Mounts did not go down without a fight, plating two runs off Shreiner in the bottom of the seventh.

But in the end, it wasn’t nearly enough as Chambersburg, winners now of six-straight games, eliminated Ephrata with a 5-2 first-round victory.

Shreiner, who recorded eight strike outs in the contest, will lead the 10th-seeded Trojans into Thursday’s second round where they’ll face Exeter (seeded 15th), which stunned second-seeded Red Land, 5-3. That game will be played Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Hershey.

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

Cocalico freshman Emily Stauffer captured her first District gold medal Friday afternoon, winning the shot put title with a throw of 40-7½. (Photo by Preston Whitcraft)

Emily Stauffer may be a ninth grader. But the Cocalico phenom certainly doesn’t toss the shot put like a freshman.

This past weekend at the District Three Track & Field Championships held at Shippensburg University, Stauffer became Cocalico’s first female District champion in 20 years when she heaved the shot 40-7 1/2 on her first throw of the day to capture gold.

Stauffer, who had three throws in the 40s Friday but admittedly was a "little off," easily defeated second-place Jocelen Ruth of Kutztown, who threw 38-1 1/2. Shanna Sweigart of Cedar Crest took the bronze with a throw of 38-1 1/4.

With her gold, Stauffer is the first female track and field winner at Cocalico since Marianne Gockley took first place in the AA high jump, and is the first girl in school history to win the District’s top prize in AAA competition. She also qualified for this week’s State competition back at Shippensburg where she is seeded sixth going into the competition.

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

Ephrataâ??s Kelly Liebl (left) hugs teammate Jordan Crills after she closed out the win in the 4 X 400 relay to clinch the teamâ??s first-ever L-L title. (Photo by Preston Whitcraft)

By the time Jordan Crills took a successful hand-off from Ephrata teammate Emily Voigt for the last leg of the girls 4 X 400 relay Saturday at Hempfield, she certainly was well aware of the stakes.

"We all knew," she would say later.

What she and her teammates were privy to was the fact that if Crills was able to maintain the 30-yards-or-so lead her three partners had given her, not only would they win Ephrata’s sixth gold medal of the L-L League Meet, but more importantly, the Lady Mounts would clinch their first L-L team championship in school history.

It was all on the shoulders of Crills, who came out for track for the first time in this her senior season, and she delivered like a seasoned veteran.

Crills maintained the lead and broke the tape first in a time of 4:01.71, well ahead of second place Hempfield, which finished in 4:06.71.

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

Ephrata goalie Justin Mease makes a key save. (Photo by Preston Whitcraft)

A year ago, Ephrata ended Carlisle’s dreams of a District Three title when the Mounts defeated the Thundering Herd, 8-5, in the championship game at Hersheypark Stadium.

Tuesday night, in the first round of Districts at Carlisle, the second-seeded Thundering Herd returned the favor with a 14-4 victory over the Mounts.

Leading 7-4 at the half, Carlisle outscored Ephrata 7-0 in the second half to pull away and advance. Carlisle will move on to face Penn Manor in the quarterfinals which are set for Thursday at Lower Dauphin, beginning at 5 p.m.

As for the Mounts, who came a long way this season after returning just a few key players from its L-L and District Three championship team from a year ago, they close out the season at 12-8.

"As a whole I’m pretty proud of the guys," Ephrata Coach Kevin Pletz said of the season just completed. "For being an unseasoned team with not much varsity experience, they definitely stepped up and above their potential from what was projected and had some really good wins throughout the season. I’m trying to take the positives out of it. We are only losing a handful of seniors so it’s going to be another good team next year."

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

While Ephrata was enjoying perhaps one of its greatest day on the track Saturday, the Cocalico girls also were reaching new heights at the L-L League Meet held at Hempfield.

Behind the strength of senior Ashley Strenko, who won three individual medals, and freshman thrower Emily Stauffer, who claimed the team’s lone gold, Cocalico (38 points) quietly captured fourth overall in the team standings behind Ephrata (89), Hempfield (85) and Garden Spot (61.33).

"This is the highest finish a girls team from Cocalico has ever had during my years as a coach," Cocalico Coach Ron Derr said. "I was very proud of the way our kids competed and we were thrilled to be mentioned following the names of Ephrata, Hempfield, and Garden Spot. I have been stressing to the girls all year what a good team that we have, and how competitive our section is, and they were very excited to hear how that was demonstrated when it was announced that we finished fourth. We had several setbacks and disappointments to deal with during the competition but the girls kept digging in and striving to perform well and picking each other up."

By:

TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com

, Staff Writer

Ephrata could actually see the light at the end of the tunnel Monday vs. Manheim Central in the first round of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Baseball Playoffs at Manheim Township.

Behind pitcher Brandon Miller, who breezed through five innings, scattering just three hits during that span, the Mounts led 2-0 with just six outs to go.

Unfortunately for Ephrata, a Mountaineer miscue opened the door for a Manheim rally in the sixth, and it was all the Barons would need to get things going.

And by the time those six outs were finally recorded by Ephrata, the Mounts were staring at a stunning 7-2 setback that knocked them out of the tournament in the first round for the second-straight year.

The Barons, meanwhile, advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal round to face Lancaster Catholic, which defeated Warwick by an identical 7-2 verdict Monday. The finals are slated for Thursday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.

"We are always disappointed when we don’t get it done in the post-season," Ephrata Coach Adrian Shelley said. "But we lost to a good team. (Manheim Central) deserved it tonight. They earned it."

Ephrata senior tennis player Gabo Murcia, who received an at-large bid to Districts following a sixth-place showing at the L-L League Tournament last week, suffered a first-round loss Saturday at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Murcia was eliminated from the tournament after dropping a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Cedar Crest’s Colin Muraika.

Muraika went on to lose a second round match to Nolan Perugini of Exeter Twp. by a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Monday afternoon in the District Three AAA final, Hempfield’s Derek Hagino defeated Conestoga Valley’s Darren Mast 6-3, 6-4 to capture the gold. It was a rematch of the L-L League final, won by Hagino, 7-5, 6-0.