Sechler, Wert set new school records at State College Invitational

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: December 15, 2021

By Kenny Varner

UNIVERSITY PARK – Off and running, literally!

The high school indoor track season started Wednesday when the MIfflin County Huskies, Juniata and East Juniata indoor track and field teams

traveled over the Seven Mountains to Penn State University’s Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track and Field Complex for the State College Invitational.

Highlighting the night was Kylee Cubbison’s first place finish in the mile, blowing away the competition with a blistering time of 5:11.92.

She also shined in the 3000-meter as well, finishing first in that event as well. Her top time was 10:47.77.

The Huskies boys highlighted its day with a first place finish by Dillon Wert in the long jump. His jump of 20’ 11.55” was good enough to nail down first place.

Finishing right behind Wert was a familiar face in teammate Josiah Sechler who finished second with his leap of 20’ 9.75”. Rounding out the jumpers was Ty Small who finished 11th.

Mifflin County also got a first and second in the high jump. Caden Kauffman lit it up for a jump of 5’ 10”.

Coming in second place was Wert with a jump of 5’ 8”.

“For the first meet we are very pleased. We really don’t have too many practices under our belt but the kids came out and performed. We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said MIfflin County coach Scott Gantz. “We have two new school records. Dillon Wert’s set a new school record in the boys long jump and Josiah Sechler he captured a new school record in the 60-meter dash. Fittingly it was his brothers Malik’s record that he took down. So, two new school records and a lot of great performances.”

In the opening race of the Invite, the Huskies 4×800-meter relay team battled throughout, at one point running in the second place position, in the end the Huskies anchor blew away almost all the competition turning on the jets in the last leg of the race good for a time of 8:57.90 and a second place finish.

In the boys 60-meter hurdles Tanner finished 5th with a time of 9.49 while teammate Cole Chilson hustled his way to a time of 11.57.

Mifflin County’s Sophia Plank finished 13th in the 60-meter dash with a mark of 9.10 while teammate Lexi Anderson finished with a time of 9.83.

Josiah Sechler paced the Huskies in the 60-meter run with a four place finish time of 7.32.

Colby Yoder also participated in the event finishing with a time of 7.90.

Teammate Brandon Schaeffer finished with a time of 8.11 to round out the Husky runners.

In the mile, Justice Sheaffer finished 15th with a time of 6:34.36.

East Juniata’s Logan Strawser took the second place spot in the Boys mile run, sporting a finish time of 4.36.97.

Juniata’s Wyatt Stroup finished in 12th with a 5.02.32.

Mifflin County teammates Caden Bell and Cody Fultz finished 15th and 16th with times of 5:03.80 and 5:04.21, respectively.

In the Boys’ 400-meter run Benjamin Hartzler led a hard running squad of Huskies to the finish line with a 7th place finish time of 54.66. Teammate Dominic Reed placed 8th notching out a time of 55.73.

Rounding out the Husky finishers was Chase Parks who finished 13th.

In the 800, the Huskies’ Isaac Hallock finished 28th with a time of 2:26.13.

Lily Yoder finished strong with a fourth place nod in the triple jump with a leap of 32’ 11.50”. She also finished with a fourth place finish in the long jump as well with a launch of 15’ 5.25”

Teammates Macaela Christie and Tai Ematat finished in 9th and 10th place, respectively.

Ematat finished sixth in the triple, sporting a jump of 28’ 5”.

She also placed 4th in the high jump with a mark of 4’4”.

Yoder showed her versatility on the track as well finishing third in the 200-meter run sporting a time of 28.69.

Teammate Sophia Plank finished in 11th place as she finished with a time of 30.30.

Rounding out the MIfflin County runners was Lexi Anderson with a 27th place finish of 33.45.

The Mifflin County 4×200-meter relay team finished fourth with a time of 2:06.41.