Mercer County track meet set for Saturday
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Anne Lee will look to add to her record-breaking season at the Mercer County Championships on Saturday.
The Allentown High School junior already broke the Allentown school record in the triple jump with a new best of 35-feet-10½. She’s also been a consistent winner in the long jump.
”I know there’s a couple really good jumpers from some other schools,” Lee said. “I hope I can do better than them.”
Lee is coming off a win in the triple jump at the Mercer Twilight Invitational last Saturday with a 35-6½ leap, and she was fourth in the long jump.
”It felt great thanks to my Coach (Jacqueline) Mulryne,” Lee said. “She really helped me improve a lot this year. She practiced a lot with me.
”Mulryne been pushing me a lot to practice more. I think I can get a couple extra feet.”
At the Twilight meet, AHS senior Karlee Corvasce was third in the javelin with a personal-best 107-10. Senior Kristen Chiafullo, freshman Mimi Crawford, senior Jenna Gregor and junior Julie Scesney ran a school-record 10:10.12 for second in the 4×800. All four ran personal records on their splits.
Brianna Corlette, a junior, has run a hand time of 12.4 in the 100 meters, roughly equal to the school record, and she was fifth in the 400 in a personal-best 61.44 and seventh in the long jump at the Twilight meet. Sophomore Carly DuBrosky was sixth in the 400 hurdles. The 4×400 of Corlette, sophomore Mandy Hornyak, sophomore Alyssa Sargent and DuBrosky was fourth.
For the boys, senior Nick Caruso, junior Norman Williams, sophomore Ed Rittenhouse and sophomore Scott Pleban were sixth in the 4×100. Senior Alec Townsend was seventh in the pole vault. Sophomore Davoine Thomas was 11th in the discus.
”In the beginning of the year, it was like a MASH unit,” said Allentown head coach Brian Harshman. “We had all these kids that were injured. It all seems to be coming together at the right time. The kids are really performing now when it’s the right time.”
He points to a 44-second personal best in the 3,200 meters by senior Rachel Hannon at the Twilight meet as proof of how far the Redbirds have come.
”As a coach, that’s when you start to think it’s all worth it when you start to see performances like that,” Harshman said.
The Redbird girls have set five new records coming into the Mercer County meet, while the Allentown boys have also set a new record this year. The Allentown girls are 4-3, including a win over Hopewell Valley, and they were competitive in narrow losses to Notre Dame, Robbinsville and West Windsor-Plainsboro North.
”We were pretty strong last year,” Harshman said. “It’s basically the same core group. They’re a little older, a little stronger, a little better. The nice thing is most of the girls are back next year.
”This is only my second year. Coach Mulryne has been with the program for something like 17 years, so she knows better. They were very good a few years back. We seem to be on the upswing again. Based on what we did at the Twilight Meet the other night, we set ourselves up pretty well to finish hopefully pretty high up at counties.”
The Redbirds did not compete at counties last year following the death of AHS senior Sarah Townsend, but two years ago Lee was fifth in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump. She’s hoping to medal in both Saturday.
”Coming into his season, I was hoping I would break the school record which was 35-6,” Lee said. “I got 35-10. I was hoping I could at least reach 36.”
Lee isn’t content with her development yet. She’s long jumped 16-8 in a regular-season meet and is looking to break her own school record for triple jump. Her most significant improvement has come this season.
”Freshman year, I tried long jump and my coach Mulryne made me try triple jump,” Lee said. “I was pretty nervous at first.”
Lee only did long jump in middle school, but gave triple jump a try. She stuck with it, and now has the chance to show she’s one of the best in the county and state as she takes aim at some big year-end goals in the jumps.
”I hope to get through sectionals and get to groups and hopefully get to Meet of Champions,” Lee said. “That’s been my goal since freshman year.”

