BROOKVILLE — Phoebe Brandon admits she felt a bit underwhelmed by her previous trips to the District 9 Track and Field Championships.

She made up for it and then some on Friday.

Karns City’s junior won the Class 2A girls 100-meter dash, anchored KC’s winning 4x100 relay team, placed second in the long jump and fourth in the high jump.

She will be competing at the state meet in the first three of those events as District 9 sends its top two in each event to Shippensburg University. The combined effort earned her MVP honors at Brookville Stadium.

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“She’s the kind of athlete who can compete and do well in whatever events she chooses to do,” KC coach Rob Pennington said.

Brandon’s victory in the 100 dash came with a personal-best time of 12.55 seconds, beating her previous best by .15 seconds. She placed fourth in the event here last year.

“This feels very good,” she said. “I was upset with myself the last two years, just felt like I did not perform as well as I’m capable of.

“I’m not good off the blocks, was probably in last place early in the (100), but once I get a few strides in, I can make up for it.”

When Brandon received the baton for the final leg of the 400 relay, the Gremlins trailed DuBois Central Catholic and Keystone.

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She passed both, the Panthers just before the finish line, and Keystone had to settle for runner-up by .31 seconds.

Brandon’s teammates in the event were Ava Kamenski, Brinleigh Kaufman and Mya Jones.

Then came the long jump, an event Brandon said she expected to do well in as the No. 2 seed.

“I started out at 15 feet, then hit 16 on my third jump. My last jump, I think the anger and disappointment up to that point helped me finish second.”

The 16-8.75 was another career-best.

“She made me nervous with her first five jumps, but she got a big one when she needed it,” KC jumping coach Josh Stimac said.

KC pole vaulter Alex Wilson stood on the medal stand, not on top of it as he had hoped, but as a runner-up.

He and Brookville’s John Paul Fritsch had both reached 14 feet, six inches. Fritsch was declared the winner due to less misses, but later in the meet, it was determined that an error was made during the event and Wilson now owns his first district championship.

A junior, he had already earned two medals here the last two years.

“I was hoping to go 15-6 today, but now that’s my goal at states,” Wilson said prior to finding out he was the champion. “I was taking off with my foot a little further than I should have and that caused my hips to sink.”

It was during a ride back from an indoor meet at Edinboro University a few months ago that Karns City distance runners were in search of someone to complete their 4x800 relay team in the spring.

Mason Bell, Noah Weiland and Carter Farren were already in place.

“They asked me what I thought of running in the event,” Owen Kaufman said. “I was hesitant at first. I’d never run that distance (800 meters) in a meet.

“I did join, but it was just recently at the KSAC Championships that I ran an OK time, think it was a 2:10.”

On Friday, Kaufman found himself running the anchor leg of the event, and he capped a school-record effort of 8:23.14 that sends the Gremlins to states as district runner-up behind Central Clarion.

“I’m honored to be part of this relay,” Kaufman said. “These guys have been working their butt off all season for this.”

Weiland ran the relay’s second leg.

“Owen is a 400 and 200 guy,” he said. “He has improved drastically to help us out.”

Following are the Karns City, Moniteau and Union/A-C Valley athletes who earned a medal at the District 9 Class 2A Track and Field Championships, held Friday at Brookville High School.

Boys

3,200 relay: 2-Karns City (Mason Bell, Noah Weiland, Carter Farren, Owen Kaufman) 8:23.14

110 hurdles: 3-Nick Ielase (U/ACV) 16.36

100 dash: 5-Logan Skibinski (U/ACV) 11.22

1,600 run: 6-Noah Weiland (KC) 4:40.19

400 run: 2-Owen Kaufman (KC) 51.39; 4-Aiden Kern (M) 51.81; 6-Carter Farren (KC) 53.2

400 relay: 2-Union/A-C Valley (Aidan Fox, Logan Skibinski, Carter Snyder, Parker Wilson) 43.99

300 hurdles: 5-Nick Ielase (U/ACV) 43.21

200 dash: 3-Logan Skibinski (U/ACV) 22.59

3,200 run: 5-Noah Weiland (KC) 10:02.0

1,600 relay: 3-Karns City (Mason Bell, Cole Johnston, Carter Farren, Owen Kaufman) 3:27.06

Shot put: 6-Kolby Blair (KC) 45-0

Discus: 5-Kolby Blair (KC) 134-7

Javelin: 2-Hudson Bliss (U/ACV) 175-11

Long jump: 5-Alex Wilson (KC) 20-10.5

Triple jump: 2-Aidan Fox (U/ACV) 41-7.25

Pole vault: 1-Alex Wilson (KC) 14-6; 3-Harry Bliss (U/ACV) 12-0; 4-Hudson Bliss (U/ACV) 12-0

Girls

100 hurdles: 5-Alexis Kirschner (M) 16.32; 6-Abigail Galan (KC) 17.29

100 dash: 1-Phoebe Brandon (KC) 12.55

400 run: 5-Gianna Louise (U/ACV) 1:02.0

400 relay: 1-Karns City (Ava Kamenski, Brinleigh Kaufman, Mya Jones, Phoebe Brandon) 51.14

300 hurdles: 5-Alexis Kirschner (M) 48.45; 6-Emily Matz (M) 48.92

Shot put: 6-Jessica Young (M) 31-11

Discus: 3-Jessica Rodgers (KC) 107-8

High jump: 2-Mya Jones (KC) 5-0; 4-Phoebe Brandon (KC) 4-10

Long jump: 2-Phoebe Brandon (KC) 16-8.75; 5-Emily Matz (M) 16-0.5

Pole vault: 5-Annalyce Baptiste (M) 8-3

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