Through the first four weeks of Gettysburg High School’s Track & Field season, the squad has seen a mix of veteran talent and newcomers stepping up to the moment on both the boys’ and girls’ sides.
Both squads are currently sitting at 3-1 and on the outside looking in for a chance to repeat as Mid Penn champions.
The distance groups for both teams have been their anchors. With returning key scorers like senior Nico Oshunrinade and junior Samantha Campbell, you can at least expect points in the 1600m and 3200m, if not first-place finishes. Oshunrinade’s best mile time so far this season is an impressive 4:28.3, qualifying him for the Mid Penn championships. Also qualifying for Mid Penns in the mile are senior Paul Kennedy (4:43.8) and junior Brody Herbert (4:44.6). Herbert and Oshunrinade have also punched their postseason ticket for the 3200m as well, with qualifying times of 10:30.37 and 10:18.3, respectively.
Sammy Campbell, in front, left, and Nico Oshunrinade have been two of Gettysburg’s top performers.
Campbell has picked up right where she left off last season as she continues to sweep 1600m & 3200m races. She has been dominant so far this season, always with a smile on her face, as Coach Doug Crist will point out. She has qualified for Mid Penns with times of 5:35.77 in the mile and 12:14.8 in the 2-mile.
Gettysburg boys’ jump squad came into this season with big shoes to fill following the graduation of Kye’mere Robinson, and they’ve done just that. Junior Donte Howard and teammate Ben Celius (Senior) have gone back and forth for wins in both long jump and triple jump, only making each other better. They both cleared 40’ last week at Big Spring to qualify for Mid Penns. Both jumpers are also knocking on the doorstep of qualifying for the long jump. With warmer weather ahead of us, they should break through that 19’ threshold.
On the girls’ side, sophomore Gabby Scavitto has been a consistent point scorer in both triple jump and high jump, qualifying for Mid Penns in the latter with a clearing height of 4’10”. She is getting very close to qualifying in the triple as well, so be on the lookout for some big jumps the rest of the season, much like the boys in the LJ.
Trevor Cunningham (sophomore) has been the main Warrior sprinter to score consistent points so far this season with two 100m victories, a 200m win, as well as multiple 2nd and 3rd place finishes. He punched his Mid Penn tickets with an impressive 11.20 mark in the 100m and crossed the line at 23.6 in the 200m last week at home against Boiling Springs. Sophomore Ryan Harlow seems to be hitting his stride at the right time of the season, as he has gone as low as 53.0 in the 400m and punched his ticket to Mid Penns with that time.
Up-and-comer Averee Servant has been the focal point for the sprints on the girls’ side. The sophomore has qualified for the conference meet in both 100m (12.8) & 200m (27.3) and has also been a contributing factor to relay teams. This past week at Big Spring, she ran the anchor leg in the 4×400, holding off Big Spring ace Allah Mellott by one tenth of a second, to lead the ladies to an exciting 76-74 victory. Fellow sprinter Lauren Rarrick was the one who gave her the space she needed to do so with an incredible 3rd leg. Rarrick has also contributed by securing valuable 2nd- and 3rd-place finishes in sprint events to help her team.
The javelin throwers have been another highlight of the group, with sophomore Aleyjah Collins hitting over 100’ for the first time in her career with a throw of 101’4”. The boys’ javelin throwers have been consistent with scoring points from multiple different athletes. Juniors Noah Stuab and Christian Williams, as well as sophomore Will Codori, have all surpassed the 100’ mark this season and will be looking to make a push into the postseason.
With the Mid Penn championships a month away, the Gettysburg Warriors still have plenty of time to reach the upcoming meets. It will be interesting to see exactly how many athletes these two teams will send, how many have already qualified, and how many are so close.
Gettysburg Track & Field will be home for the final time this season on Wednesday, April 8th, against Shippensburg High School before competing on the road for the rest of the season.
