Chappell nets narrow win in 100 hurdles
PINE TWP — Lauren Chappell's eyes widened and her jaw slacked open when she realized she had won the girls 100-meter hurdles at the Pine-Richland Invitational Friday afternoon.
“I started crying because I thought I didn't win,” said Chappell, a senior on the Seneca Valley girls track and field team. “It was definitely shocking.”
Chappell was certain she had blown a chance at victory with a poor start.
“No excuse there,” Chappell said. “Something with my head wasn't ready at the start. When I got out of the blocks I was already behind the girls. It was amazing that I won.”
Chappell finished in 15.17 seconds. So did Grace Parker of Villa Maria. Track officials had to go to the video at the finish line to determine who actually won.
Chappell did — thanks to some acrobatics.
She leaned so far forward at the finish line that she lost her balance and went into a full somersault.
“All those years of gymnastics paid off, I guess,” Chappell said, laughing.
Chappell, though, didn't have her best day at Pine-Richland.
After setting the school record Tuesday in the team semifinals with a time of 14.93, Chappell was hoping to better that Friday.
But the slow start doomed her.
She did find reason for optimism, though.
“It shows me what I can do with a better start,” Chappell said. “It's good to know. My goal was 14.8 and that'll be for Monday (at the WPIAL team finals).”
Chappell said she was also worried because a runner was disqualified in the preliminaries because of a false start.
“I was shellshocked by that myself,” she said. “I didn't want that to happen to me. I wasn't ready at that race at that particular moment.”
Chappell also struggled in the long jump later in the night, jumping just 16 feet.
She had hoped to break 18 feet in the event.
Chappell said she's determined to bounce back on Monday at the WPIAL team finals.
“Monday is definitely a big day,” Chappell said. “I want to get 14 again in the 100 and 46 in the (300 hurdles).”
