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IMG_0491BY JEFF FALK

SHIPPENSBURG – Foot speed produces the forward inertia. The height results from pure jumping ability.

The length? Well, if you’ve got speed and height, the distance sort of takes care of itself.

On a steamy Friday afternoon, during the opening day of the annual PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium, Reagan Hess combined flawless technique and undeniable talent to reach a personal best in the Class AA long jump competition. The Annville-Cleona junior leaped 19-1, an inch better than her previous best, to grab the state silver medal in the event, a shade more than two inches shorter than Athens Area sophomore Breanna Gambrell’s victorious effort of 19-3.25.

IMG_0510Hess was the lone Lebanon County competitor to earn a medal during the first day of the state track and field. The prestigious event continues Saturday morning, back at Shippensburg University, where the locale is expected to leave a bigger impression on the proceedings.

“The competition drives me,” said Hess. “I love the competition. I love pushing myself. She (Gambrell) got me going a little bit. She’s a sophomore and she’s a really good jumper. Today I needed to up my game a little bit.

“I love the long jump because I get six chances,” Hess continued. “I also like that you can see what your competition is doing. I think there’s a little bit of pressure. It’s my returning year and I’m coming off three District gold medals, so I think there are some expectations. It’s just from myself, because I know I can do so well.”

IMG_0521Hess entered the fray seeded second, by two inches, to Gambrell’s 18-8.25.

But she battled a lingering hamstring issue as much as she did her foe from District Four. While Hess did not appear to be favoring her leg during the competition, she did push it only when she needed to.

She could be seen continuously stretching her hamstring, between jumps, despite the warm conditions.

“My right leg is really good,” said Hess of the injury that held her out of last season’s District Three and PIAA Track and Field Championships. “But my left leg has been killing me. I think it is over compensating, and it’s been through a lot. It just shoots up with pain sometimes.

“I’m kind of beating myself up a little bit,” continued Hess. “But she’s (Gambrell) a great jumper. I’m getting better and better. I’m really happy with my P.R. (personal record).”

Hess also captured a state silver medal in the Class AA long jump during her freshman campaign of 2014. During that PIAA meet, Hess was third in the Class AA 100-meter dash.



“I just got on the runway and told myself I’ve got to go for it on this last jump,” said Hess. ” ‘You’ve already got second.’ It is so hot out here. I just kept thinking, ‘Next jump. Next jump. Next jump. I’ve got to go higher.’

IMG_0499“I think once it sinks in, I probably won’t be as disappointed,” Hess added. “I guess just looking back I’ll be happy with second.”

Hess will be seeking to add to her state medal haul on Saturday. On Friday, she advanced through the preliminaries in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes, events in which she captured gold medals at last weekend’s District Three Track and Field Championships.

“That was just with heats, and with heats you’ve got to pace yourself,” said Hess of the 100-meter. “But my heat was pretty fast.

IMG_0480“That’s (the 200 meters) an iffy one, because my leg has started to hurt at this point,” added Hess. “When you come to these big meets, you’ve got to push yourself.”

Also competing for the pride of Lebanon County was Northern Lebanon senior Dakota Leonhard, in the Class AAA shot put. Leonhard, who will also throw in Saturday’s Class AAA javelin, entered that particular competition seeded fifth, but did not earn a medal.

The Class AAA shot put was won by Knock junior stud Jordan Geist, with a national-best throw of 74-3.5, on his first attempt.

 To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to www.http://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/gallery-ten/.

 

 

 

 

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Event 214  Girls Long Jump AA
===========================================================================================
 NFHS Record: ! 22-01.75  1976        Kathy McMillan, RaefordHCHS,NC           
 PIAA Record: R 19-10.75  2000        Cassie Richards, WinchThurstHS 7         
NFHS Hnr Rol: #    18-06                                                       
                16-11.00  SQS
    Name              Year School                  Seed     Finals              Wind Points
===========================================================================================
Finals
  1 Gambrell, Breana    10 Athens Area 04      18-08.25   19-03.75#SQS     NWI  10   
  2 Hess, Reagan        11 Annvll-Cleona 03    18-06.00   19-01.00#SQS     NWI   8   
  3 Rutherford, Raja    12 Seton-LaSalle 07    17-07.50   18-08.75#SQS     NWI   6   
  4 Bauer, Lindsay      12 Salisbury Twp 11    17-10.50   18-06.75#SQS     NWI   5   
  5 Schry, Miranda      11 Shenango 07         18-00.00   18-01.75 SQS     NWI   4   
  6 Doherty, Brinn      12 Palmerton 11        17-02.75   18-00.25 SQS     NWI   3   
  7 Cadden, Alexis      12 Villa Maria 10      17-02.00   17-10.25 SQS     NWI   2   
  8 Ponton, Trinity     11 Wyomissing 03       17-08.50   17-09.75 SQS     NWI   1   
  9 Dorsey, Avani       11 Imhotep 12          17-09.00   17-06.00 SQS     NWI 
 10 Antal, Elsa         11 Riverside 07        17-01.00   17-05.25 SQS     NWI 
 11 Martinazzi, Alyssa  10 Bshp Carroll 06     17-03.75   17-04.25 SQS     NWI 
 12 Young, Kaylee       11 Ft Leboeuf 10       16-06.00   17-03.50 SQS     NWI 
 13 Gonsar, Marie       11 Shenango 07         17-05.75   17-02.25 SQS     NWI 
 14 Kwashie, Ama-Pauli  11 Imhotep 12          17-02.00   17-01.00 SQS     NWI 
 15 Werner, Lydia       12 NE Bradford 04      16-11.75   17-00.75 SQS     NWI 
 16 Seto, Maris         12 Brownsville 07      17-02.50   17-00.50 SQS     NWI 
 17 Tama, Ally          11 Towanda 04          17-05.50   16-11.25 SQS     NWI 
 18 Barnett, Sophia     11 Saint Basil 01      17-00.75   16-08.50         NWI 
 19 Estadt, Brooke      11 Lakeland 02         17-02.50   16-07.50         NWI 
 20 Gnall, Samantha     11 Mahanoy Area 11     17-01.50   16-06.50         NWI 
 20 Wittman, Hannah     12 Elk Cnty Cath 09    17-01.50   16-06.50         NWI 
 22 King, Cassidy        9 Johnsonburg 09      16-07.25   16-02.25         NWI 
 23 Roush, Zoe          10 Forest Hills 06     16-11.25   16-01.75         NWI 
 24 Clayborn, Tawilia   10 Mount Union 06      17-03.00   16-00.00         NWI 
 25 Olewine, Jillian    10 Nrthrn Lehigh 11    17-05.75   15-09.75         NWI 
 26 Bechter, Claire     10 Meyersdale 05       16-05.75   15-05.75         NWI 
 27 Bynum, Katrina      11 Mstry Chrtr N 12    17-02.00   15-05.50         NWI

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