BROOKVILLE — There may not be much competition between Tausha Bowser and Michelle Sweeney.

But there's certainly no shortage of talent.

The two Karns City pole vaulters finished first and second, respectively, Saturday at the District 9 Class AA Girls Track and Field Championships at Brookville High School.

Both will head to the state championships, to be held Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.

Bowser broke her own school record in the event, vaulting nine feet, six inches. Her previous best was 9-2, set earlier this season.

"I've been pole vaulting since ninth grade," said Bowser, a junior. "The biggest thing I needed to learn at the beginning was to press and turn."

Bowser seems to have learned everything she needs as she entered the meet seeded at No. 2 in the district.

"There's not a lot of competition between us two," said Sweeney, a sophomore who tied a career best with an effort of nine feet. "We help each other out more than we compete. And we're best friends, so that helps."

Karns City's Xandria White, though a newcomer to the District 9 scene, left her mark with three second-place finishes and a district title in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.31 seconds.

The performances earned her the girls' MVP award.

White was disappointed in her effort in her first event of the day, the long jump.

Despite leaping 16 feet, 8¼ inches for a second-place finish and a trip to states, she knew she had a better performance in her.

"That was not even close to my best (17-2½)," she said. "I wanted to get to states, but I also wanted to win. I want to win everything. I'm hoping to jump 17-3 at the state meet."

Before capping her day with the first-place time in the 200, White placed second behind Brookville's Danielle Weaver in the 100 dash with a time of 12.66. She also teamed with Karissa Callender, Melissa Collier and Bowser to place second in the 400 relay at 52.18.

Moniteau had its own pair of title winners with Amy Gladd in the triple jump (34-4¾) and Alyssa Deal in the 1,600 run (5:15.12).

"That was my personal record today by two feet," said Gladd, who went to states last year as a sophomore on the Warriors' 4x400 relay squad. "This title means everything to me. It's like having the whole season wrapped up into one meet."

Deal had to fight through a brisk wind in her face on the back stretch of the mile run.

"It was rough working through that," she said. "It means a lot to win here today, but next week is the meet that really counts," she added, referring to the PIAA championships.

The day's final local winner on the girls side was Union junior Tiffany Corle in the javelin. She entered the day seeded third and topped the field with a personal-best heave of 122-9.

Corle will be making her first appearance at states since competing in the high jump her freshman year.

"I'm hoping to get another personal record next week," she said.

Amy Gladd also earned a place in Shippensburg in the 800 run, finishing second with a time of 2:21.69.

Moniteau senior Haley McFeaters will head to the state meet by virtue of second place finishes in the 400 dash (1:00.81), the 200 dash (27.15) and on the 4x400 relay team with Amy Gladd, Alyssa Deal and Amanda Gladd (4:14.21).