Tornado girls dominate field
BUTLER TWP — Butler's girls had already wrapped up their fourth straight team title at their own invitational, but the Golden Tornado capped the victory in style.
The quartet of Chesna Tomko, Gabby Boden, Taylor Timmons and Liz Simms earned first place in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
When Simms received the baton for the anchor leg, she was 30 meters behind front-running Pine-Richland. But the senior soon overtook her Rams' counterpart and coasted to the finish line with a finish of four minutes, 5.5 seconds.
“I knew I could catch her,” said Simms. “I know their regular 4x4 team and that wasn't it. They had three fast girls to start, then just tried to hang on.
“It's always a big deal for us, closing out the invite with this relay,” Simms added. “We try not to stick a lot of pressure on ourselves, but winning it means a lot.”
The Tornado had not met with victory in the first two relays of the day. They were seeded second in the 4x800 and placed runner-up behind Greensburg Salem. In the 4x100, a top seed turned into second place behind Latrobe.
Butler coach John Williams has high hopes for many of his athletes as the WPIAL and PIAA meets loom, the 4x400 team included.
“Our girls put an exclamation point on this one,” he said. “We know we have to run faster, but that time was nice for tonight.”
Butler earned its seventh team title overall here.
“I've been part of two of them,” said Boden, a sophomore. “It's nice to know that we're a consistent program and can keep winning here.”
It's been quite a sophomore spring for Maryann Ackerman. The Slippery Rock star shrugged her shoulders when asked if she expected to be as strong a force in the javelin.
“Yeah, to a point I thought I was going to have a really good season,” she said after accepting her first-place medal. “But I'm still grateful to win at events like this.”
She did so in dominant fashion with a heave of 134 feet, 9 inches. Second place went to Armstrong's Kylie Grafton and her 116-7.
“I didn't know the condition of the runway here,” Ackerman said. “I just wanted to make that first throw and keep improving on it and I did.”
Ackerman did well as a freshman, placing second in District 10 and qualifying for the state meet last spring. But she has spent the first month of this season taking her throws to a new level. Twice she has broken the school record, which currently stands at 144-10.
It wasn't long ago that Ackerman considered dropping the javelin.
“I wasn't planning on throwing it last year, but my coaches suggested that I do,” she said. “I wanted to focus on the shot put and discus, but now the javelin is my best event.
“I want to win at districts and get back to states. Placing in the top five there would be great.”
Rockets' throwing coach Bre Northcott sees all the traits needed if Ackerman is to continue to improve.
“I've seen a lot of talent out of her,” she said, “but she also puts in the work. She knows what she wants and is very driven.”
