HUGHESVILLE - A fierce competitor, sometimes it is hard to bring a smile to the face of Warrior Run's Alexa Muffly. The senior mustered one on Tuesday even as she collected her breath after a grueling duel in the 400-meter dash with Hughesville's Cassidy Merrifield.
Muffly finished in a career-best 59.6 seconds, 2-plus seconds ahead of Merrifield in one of the most anticipated races in a dual meet featuring the two teams that have had a hand in the past three HAC-III championships.
"She's definitely good competition and I knew she would be there right on my back," said Muffly. "It helped at the beginning of the race that she was ahead of me because I had to hunt her down."
Muffly reached and passed Merrifield on the final turn and sprinted away down the straightaway as her teammates lined the grass field inside the track and encouraged their leader to the finish. Merrifield owns a career best of 1:00.24 in the 400,
Muffly's victories in the open 400 and 3,200-meter and 1,600-meter relays helped the Defenders defeat the Spartans, 87-63.
Warrior Run's boys completed the sweep with an 81-69 win over the Spartans that was tight throughout until the final few results were completed.
Merrifield did beat Muffly in the 200-meter dash, winning in 26.7. A third anticipated showdown in the 1,600-meter relay never came to fruition as Muffly's teammates gave her a healthy lead in the final leg and allowed her to run comfortably to the finish without Merrifield breathing down her back.
"It's good for both of those girls," said Hughesville coach Rick Glenwright. "I think both of them are capable of running the qualifying time for states (in the 400) and doing something at states.
"Cassidy has the foot speed to do it and she is on schedule for this time of the year."
The team score was comfortably decided before the 1,600-meter relay as the Defenders received a strong effort in the field. Warrior Run placed at least two athletes in the top three in every field event, but one - the triple jump - and Warrior Run's Kenzie Mathna won there.
"We challenged them today in the field and we said on the track we had to stay with them and I thought we did a good job with that, especially minus (Emily) Potter and (Sarah) Grow," said Warrior Run girls coach Scott Hoffman.
Hoffman's concerns on the track were warranted with the likes of Merrifield and her sister Hannah, who won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Bry Clayton helped the Defenders limit the damage on the track as Hughesville (2-2, 1-2) held a 46-41 advantage there.
Warrior Run seniors Dan Isenberg, Ryan Hemrick and Jacob Weikel each won two individual events in the boys meet. Isenberg took a breather from the 3,200 and won the 800 and the 1,600, an event the Defenders swept.
"We had Dan do more of a speed workout today," said Warrior Run coach Shaun Landis, who also used Isenberg in the 1,600-meter relay as part of a second team. "It doesn't matter what I put him in, Dan being a competitior, he is going to give me everything he's got."
The senior also gave his coach a solid closing leg in the opening 3,200-meter relay that allowed the Defenders (3-1, 3-1 HAC-III) to win in 8:55.8.
Weikel, who helped Warrior Run win the 1,600-meter relay, swept the hurdles and Hemrick won the long and triple jumps.
Hughesville's Sam Hunter had a big day in the sprints, winning the 100, 200 and the 400-meter relay with Jared Walter, Alec Walter and Nick Coulston.
Boys:?Warrior Run 81, Hughesville 69
3200 relay 1. Warrior Run (Jeramiah, Peeler, Keiser, Isenberg), 8:55.8; 100 1. Hunter, H, 11.8; 2. Coulston, H, 12.1; 3. A. Walter, H, 12.1; 110 hurdles 1. Weikel, WR, 16.6; 2. O'Connor, H, 16.9; 3. Byerly, WR, 17.1; 1600 1. Isenberg, WR, 4:53.6; 2. Williamson, WR, 5:00.0; 3. Keiser, WR, 5:07.4; 400 1. George, WR, 52.8; 2. Akpakip, H, 54.0; 3. Swartz, WR, 54.8. (35-24 WR); 400 relay 1. Hughesville (Hunter, A. Walter, J. Walter, Coulston), 46.6; 300 hurdles 1. Weikel, WR, 42.9; 2. Byerly, WR, 43.7; 3. O'Connor, H, 44.1; 800 1. Isenberg, WR, 2:15.1; 2. Akpakip, H, 2:24.8; 3. Gavitt, H, 2:24.8; 200 1. Hunter, H, 24.0; 2. Coulston, H, 24.1; 3. Swartz, WR, 24.2; 3200 1. Williamson, WR, 10:36.0; 2. Keiser, WR, 10:56.5; 3. Hiller, H, 11:32.7; 1600 relay 1. Warrior Run (Jeramiah, Byerly, Weikel, George), 3:47.4; Long jump 1. Hemrick, WR, 17-6; 2. McKenzie, H, 15-11; 3. McHenry, WR, 15-7; Triple jump 1. Hemrick, WR, 37-10; 2. Hiller, H, 34-6 ; 3. McKenzie, H, 32-11 ; High jump 1. Sahowski, H, 5-2; 2. McKenzie, H, 5-2; 3. Yonkin, WR, 5-0; Pole vault 1. A. Walter, H, 12-0; 2. McHenry, WR, 11-0; 3. Heimrich, H, 8-0; Shot put 1. Oliver, H, 49-0; 2. Frederick, WR, 44-4; 3. Dill, H, 42-6; Discus 1. Frederick WR, 116-8; 2. Oliver, H, 116-7; 3. Rosencrans, WR, 112-10; Javelin 1. Hiller, H, 155-0; 2. Rosencrans, WR, 138-6; 3. Frederick, WR, 131-8.
Records: Warrior Run 3-1, 3-1 HAC-III; Hughesville 2-2, 1-2.
Girls:?Warrior Run 87, Hughesville 63
3200 relay 1. Warrior Run (Finan, Johnson, Grow, Muffly), 11:37.8; 100 1. C. Merrifield, H, 12.8; 2. Clayton, WR, 13.1; 3. Basile, H, 13.2; 100 hurdles 1. Clayton, WR, 16.3, 2. Landis, WR, 17.0; 3. Michael, H, 17.7; 1600 1. H. Merrifield, H, 5:58.8; 2. Akers, H, 6:15.2; 3. Finan, WR, 6:27.9; 400 1. Muffly, WR, 59.6; 2. C. Merrifield, H, 1:01.8; 3. Mostowy, H, 1:02.6; 400 relay 1. 1. Hughesville (Michael, Basile, McCracken, Shearer), 54.3. (54-37 WR); 300 hurdles 1. Clayton, WR, 50.6; 2. Landis, WR, 54.2; 3. Michael, H, 56.0; 800 1. H. Merrifield, H, 2:33.2; 2. Johnson, WR, 2:33.7; 3. Akers, H, 2:49.0. (65-44); 200 1. C. Merrifield, H, 26.7; 2. Muffly, WR, 27.4; 3. Basile, H, 28.2; 3200 1. H. Merrifield, H, 12:34.0; 2. Akers, H, 14:00.0; 3. Savage, H, 14:35.0; 1600 relay 1. Warrior Run (Johnson, Grow,Clayton, Muffly), 4:24.4; Long jump 1. Hartman, WR, 14-3; 2. Mathna, WR, 13-1; 3. Warg, H, 12-6; Triple jump 1. Mathna, WR, 30-8; 2. Shearer, H, 30-5, 3. McCracken, H, 30-2 ; High jump 1. Hartman, WR, 4-10; 2. Shearer, H, 4-8; 3. Kenzie, WR, 4-6; Pole vault 1. Bush, WR, 8-3; 2. Procopio, WR, 8-0; 3. Randall, WR, 8-0; Shot put 1. Bliss, H, 28-6; 2. Shamburg, WR, 28-2; 3. Crouse, WR, 23-5; Discus 1. Shamburg, WR, 83-4; 2. Bliss. H, 78-11; 3. Krammes, WR, 70-3; Javelin 1. Shamburg, WR, 101-7; 2. Crouse, WR, 91-7; 3. Bliss, H, 87-9.
Records: Warrior Run 3-1, 3-1, HAC-III; Hughesville 2-2, 1-2 HAC-III.
