Wehrhan sets Falcon mark

By: Sean Moylan
   The Peddie girls’ varsity track and field has known it was good ever since the winter indoor season. But last Wednesday (April 18th) the Falcons showed everyone just how good they were by taking down the big, bad Lawrenceville Big Red, 73-67.
   Peddie also beat Blair Academy, 117-33, but decided not to count that score because the two teams would go on to face each other again this past Saturday.
   "Wednesday was a big day for us because we beat Lawrenceville for the first time since 2000," said Peddie head track and field coach Mark Gartner.
   It was also another record-setting day for Sarah Wehrhan, who broke the Peddie outdoor record in the shot put with a throw of 36′ 10 ½". And Natasha Kardassis vaulted a school record 8 feet to win the pole vault. Rachel Provost won both the 1,600 and the 3,200. Connor Ahlborn was triumphant in the javelin, Sarah Guilbert won the 800 (2:27) and Nekole Jackson won the long jump.
   "We did a nice job picking up seconds and thirds and our throwers outscored Lawrenceville, 23-3," added Gartner.
   On the boys’ side Lawrenceville outscored Peddie, 111.5-18.5. The Peddie boys’ team also beat Blair, but that, too, was a non-scoring meet. Max Hodak accounted for the Falcons’ lone victory with a win in the 3,200.
   Peddie was able to follow up that great day with another one as the Falcons’ girls’ track team pounded Blair Academy (123-14), the Hill School (94-30) and Mercersburg Academy (103.66-36.33) this past Saturday in Hightstown.
   Virtually untested, R. Provost won the 3,200 (12:26.60) and the 1,600 (5:13.60) while her sister Melissa finished second in the 3,200 (13 minutes flat) and third in the mile (5:45.60).
   Wehrhan’s wins came in the shot (35′ 3") and the discus (90′ 8").
   Katherine Manuelli won the 400 hurdles (1:13.60) while Zara Stasi placed second in that event (1:16.50) and took home gold in the 110 hurdles (17.4 seconds).
   Kardassis matched her 8-foot school record to win the pole vault and teammate Helene Sajer placed second with a vault of 6′ 6".
   Ahlborn won the javelin (97′ 4") and placed second in the shot (31′ 9") and the discus (84′ 11"). The winner of the triple jump was Sandra Peprah (31′ 4") while Amber Scott was the runner-up with a 30′ 5" jump. Scott also took second in the long jump while Peprah placed third in that event.
   Annie McDonald finished second in the high jump (4′ 6") while Brooke Azcuy took third (4′ 4"). Alex Von Arx ran a 2:25 time to place second in the 800 and Guilbert finished third in that race. In the 110 hurdles Neha Sobti and Portia Jones placed second and third respectively. Ria Zanetich placed third in the javelin while Peddie won the 4 x 400 relay with a 4:28.60 time.
   On the boys’ side, Peddie beat Blair, 104-23. Unfortunately Mercersburg Academy won a 82-56 decision over Peddie while the Hill School topped Peddie 99.5-39.5.
   Michael Choi won the 400 meter dash (56.6 seconds), Mark Stauning captured the 110 high hurdles (17.4 seconds) and Alexander Amodol was the victor in the 400 meter hurdles (1:01.40). Max Lipton took second in both the shot and the javelin while Joe Urankar placed second in the 110 high hurdles and Michael Nyman placed third in the 400 hurdles. Peddie’s 4×400 relay squad took second.
   "In both meets on Saturday, regardless of the scores, our kids came to compete and they competed well. They did their school and their teams proud which is all you can ask for," said Gartner, who, win or lose, is always a positive role model everyone can respect.
   The Peddie girls’ track team is 5-0 while the boys’ team is 1-4.
   R. Provost was scheduled to have ran in the Invitational 3,000 at the Penn Relays yesterday (Thursday). Peddie was also scheduled to bring a 4×100 team (Jackson, Scott, Charlie Debrabandere and Peprah) and a 4X400 team (Kardassis, Von Arx, Manuelli and Guilbert) to that event.
   On the boys’ side Peddie’s 4×100 relay squad (Gary Sharp, Isaac Gittens, Justin Aryiku and Amodol) is scheduled to compete at the Penn Relays today (Friday) and its 4×400 relay team (Stauning, Nyman, Choi and Amodol) is scheduled to compete tomorrow (Saturday).