Feeling Right At Home
ADAMS TWP — The Mars Athletic Complex proved very kind to two of its own this week.
Competing on their home track for the second time in three days, Zach Leachman and McKenna Bowes, a junior and sophomore respectively, both won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs Friday at the Mars Track and Field Invitational.
On Wednesday, Leachman won both events while breaking the school record in the 1,600 (4:25.33) while competing in the Midwestern Athletic Conference Championship meet. Bowes was runner-up in both distance races and broke the school record in the 1,600 (5:16.58).
Leachman's effort helped Mars' boys grab the team title Friday with 59 points, edging out North Hills (54), Clearfield and Hampton (both with 52). He has now won the 3,200 at his school's invite three straight years.
“I see myself more of a two-mile guy, but my 1,600 has definitely improved,” Leachman said after accepting his first-place medal in the latter Friday. “I was looking forward to going up against (Grove City's Jonah Powell, who placed third in the state in the 1,600 last year), but they left before the race.”
Leachman won the 3,200 in 9:46.66 and was 36 seconds faster than North Hills' Joey Buehner. Leachman was also part of Mars' 4x400 relay quartet that placed second to clinch the team title. He teamed with Blake Edwards, Evan Thompson and Sam Bean to post a time of 3:37.88.
The Planets entered that final relay event three points behind North Hills, but the Indians were not entered into the event. Clearfield was just five points behind Mars, but the Bison finished nearly two seconds behind the Planets.
Leachman burst onto the varsity track scene two years ago, winning the 3,200 run here with a school-record time of 9:45.69. Setting the bar that high so early in one's career adds a lot of pressure, but Leachman has taken it all in stride.
“He's handled it extremely well,” said Mars distance coach Scott Bowes. “He consistently shows improvement and is a diligent worker.”
Focusing on the 3,200 last season, Leachman medaled at WPIALs and placed 10th in the state.“I'm not sure yet which one I will be running at WPIALs,” he said.Bowes' performance tied her with Pine-Richland's Danielle Bryant for the invite's Track MVP, with both girls finishing with 20 points. The former's first win came in the 1,600 with a time of 5:18.21 and came in wet and windy conditions.“On Wednesday, it was warm and sunny,” said Bowes, “and I was more focused on time. I knew what the weather was going to be like here today and focused more on place.“Today gave me a good feeling. It's nice to win.”Bowes spent the first half of the 1,600 lurking in between third and fifth place. She made her move on the back straightaway of the third lap, passing Our Lady of the Sacred Heart's Haley Hamilton for the lead. The latter placed third while Fairview's Maddison Hayes was runner-up at 5:22.9.“I start out a little slow because I want to hit my splits,” said Bowes. “That's what I work on in practice.”At the recent Butler Invitational, Bowes ran an 11:27.29 in the 3,200, breaking a 39-year old school record by three seconds, previously held by Rachel Brooks.Bowes finished the event Friday in 11:41.16.“She's very dedicated and trains year-round,” said Mars coach Natalie Bufalini of Bowes. “And here she is, a sophomore, breaking school records.”Mars' girls finished second in the team standings with 53½ points, behind only Pine-Richland (68).
