Lampeter-Strasburg slips by Mounts

It’s hard to imagine the Lancaster- Lebanon League Section Two track and field showdown would be any closer than the girls meet between Lampeter-Strasburg and Ephrata.

In fact, the only thing closer would have been a criteria-based decision following a tie as the Pioneers and Mountaineers staged an epic battle at Ephrata on Tuesday afternoon.

Yet the sport is called track and field for a reason, and the field is where Lampeter-Strasburg found just enough to help squeak past the hosts 75.5-74.5.

While the Pioneer girls pulled a switch from last season’s result against Ephrata, the Mounts boys squad reversed its fortune from last year’s meet, winning 82-68.

“If you lose two relays, you need your field to come through, and they really did,” L-S coach Calvin Esh said. “If you had asked me a year ago, that would be surprising. Coming into the meet, it looked like our girls had a better chance. That is such a narrow margin.”

Three Maggie Swarr wins in the throwing events and Alexis Moran taking the honors in two jumping events ended up making a big difference, helping L-S overcome Ephrata’s 45-41 lead on the track.

Swarr’s winning tosses included the javelin (91-feet-9), Shot put (31-8½) and discus (130-1). Moran had a triple jump of 35-2¾ and high jump of 5-3.

“I am very happy with the way I did … especially in jav, which was my main event. To get that PR was huge for me,” Swarr said. “You can’t forget about those teammates. Someone like Kelsey McTaggart is right behind me and she makes me better. I have so much support from my team.”

The Pioneers did not lack for motivation.

“Ephrata definitely has a name,” Swarr said. “When we hear Ephrata girls, we get ready. We work really hard in that week coming up to it because we know they are really going to put us to the test, and they did.”

“We had a first in the high jump with a PR,” Esh said of Moran. “She’s a good jumper, I am not surprised that she jumped well. But she hadn’t done that yet. She picked a perfect day to do that.”

Madison Malcolm winning both hurdles (300, 48.8) and 100 (16.7), helped L-S overcome three individual wins by Ephrata sensation Jianna Long in the 100 (11.9), 200 (25.1) and 400 (58.2).

Lampeter-Strasburg became the first team to outscore the Ephrata girls since 2011, ending a long streak of section supremacy.

Afterward, Ephrata coach Matt White held a hand above his head and one down near his feet to display the range of emotions he was feeling.

“I broke down crying with those guys,” he said of talking with his girls team. “How do you look a squad in the face when you lose by half a point? But, it’s life.

“If you look here, I had our girls pegged at 76 and our boys at 80. When Cal comes to town with his crew, they are so well-coached. It comes down to just a few things and they just by a hair out-executed us in a few areas. It’s no dishonor to our girls squad. They gave the last full measure and then some.”

Capturing all three relays went a long way to helping the Mounts.

Although no one scored two individual events, Kyle Emery (300 hurdles, 42.0) and Enrico Faccio (110 hurdles, 14.8) posted victories and were on two of those winning relays.

Noah Keller and Miles Campbell were also on two of those relays.

“We pride ourselves on relays here at Ephrata. My former boss told me you have got to win two out of three,” White said. “Our coaching staff, we have been thinking about this from last year. We put the plan together. I credit our coaching staff and the kids. They really came through today.”

Teagan Weaver did his part for the Pioneers taking home the honors in four events, the 100 (10.8), 200 (22.66), long jump (21-4) and triple jump (40-11½).

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