Forest Hills' Delaney Dumm earns silver medal in PIAA 1600-meter run

May 27—SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — A year ago, Forest Hills High School distance runner Delaney Dumm didn't have an opportunity to compete in the 1600-meter run at the PIAA Track and Field Championship Meet.

On Friday, Dumm made the most of her chance to run in the event during the Class 2A girls race.

The Rangers standout placed second to top-seeded Jolena Quarzo of Brownsville High School. Quarzo, the defending state champion in the 3200-meter race, finished with a 4:54.08. Delaney came in at 5:01.6 at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.

"It was an amazing race," said Delaney, who entered as the fourth seed. "Having competition out there to run against was awesome. I just went out, I wasn't super confident. I had the confidence but I was just really nervous.

"I went out and just to run for the glory of God and just did what He gave me the ability to do."

Delaney was near the front of the group throughout the race and held the lead early.

"I was planning on staying with JoJo and she didn't come up for a while," Delaney said of Quarzo, who is also a junior. "I started out a little bit (in front) and I was like, 'OK, I'll just take it here.' Then she came up and I just tried to stay close to her."

Dumm also is seeded second in the 3200-meter run scheduled on Saturday morning. Quarzo is seeded first in defense of her 2021 championship run in the 3200.

"It's amazing," Delaney said of earning a medal. "I didn't make it last year in the 1600. I scratched it in the districts. To come here and win silver this year is just crazy."

The first heat of the 2A girls 1600 had a strong local presence. Central Cambria senior Faith Wilson led through the first three laps until Chestnut Ridge junior Ava Whysong passed her on the first turn in the final lap. Whysong won the heat in 5:12.39, which ranked ninth overall, and Wilson was second in the heat at 5:13.64 for 11th place overall.

The 100-meter dash was held early on Friday, before heavy rains and the threat of lightning resulted in a delay that began just before noon and lasted until 2 p.m.

Chestnut Ridge junior Belle Bosch reached the medal stand in the Class 2A girls javelin for a second straight year. Bosch placed third with a throw of 137-8.

"It's not exactly what I wanted," said Bosch, who earned a 2021 silver medal with a throw of 146-10. "I'm definitely going to come back stronger next year. It's a bump in the road, but I'm really excited I got to meet some really cool people and throw with these girls. I have new friends.

"I'll be back. I'm proud of myself but I have more to give next time."

Penn Cambria junior Jerzy Vinglish was 12th with a javelin throw of 113-2.

Somerset senior Hailey Rios qualified for the final in the Class 3A girls 100-meter dash by running 12.19.

"I'm really happy. I thought the girl in Lane 6 had me for the first 60," Rios said. "I'm happy with my time. That's my third-best time overall."

It also was the third-best time among the eight qualifiers for Saturday's final. Laila Campbell of District 3 Spring Grove had the best time at 11.65 on Friday.

"I'm just going to do the same thing," said Rios of her approach to the final. "Saturday I'm just going to give it my all."

Rios also qualified to advance in the 200-meter dash with a 25.07, which ranked seventh in the preliminaries.

Rios said her experience at the 2021 state meet helped her on Friday.

"It's good coming in actually expecting the crowd and the atmosphere," Rios said.

Rios ran a leg on the Somerset 400-meter relay squad that advanced through the preliminaries with a time of 49.11. Sydney Rush, Kamryn Ross, Abigail Urban and Rios ran the third-best time of the girls 3A preliminary.

In the Class 2A girls 100-meter dash, Conemaugh Township senior Mary Hostetter took the eighth and final qualifying spot by running a 16.22.

Blacklick Valley senior Anna Gunby was 11th in the preliminaries with a 12.9.

Portage's Cami Burkett qualified for the Class 2A 200-meter final by running a 26.49 to rank eighth in the preliminaries. Conemaugh Township's Izzy Slezak finished the preliminaries with a 26.68 to rank 12th.

In the Class 2A girls 100-meter hurdles preliminaries, Bedford sophomore Autumn Becker was 11th at 16.22; Forest Hills senior Remi Smith was 16th at 16.63; and Blacklick Valley's Morgan Slebodnick was 21st at 17.17.

Becker qualified for the final after running a 45.82 to earn the third spot in the 300-meter hurdle preliminary round. Forest Hills' Smith was 16th with a 48.88 in the preliminary.

Richland's Sasha Garrett placed ninth in the Class 2A girls discus at 103-0, and Bedford's Natalie Lippincott finished 11th in the high jump with a 5-0.

Both the Bedford and Conemaugh Township girls 400-meter relay squads advanced through the preliminary round. Bedford's relay of Ava Sipes, Becker, Jullian Beck and Grace Sarver ran a 50.52 to hold the seventh qualifying spot.

In eighth, Conemaugh Township's squad of Asia Zwick, Mary Hostetter, Ellie Speigle and Slezak ran a 50.62.

Shade freshman Deborah Bozovich was 13th during the girls 2A preliminary in the 400-meter dash.

Madison Hillegas of Chestnut Ridge was 17th in the 2A long jump.

In the final event of Friday afternoon, the Bedford 1600-meter relay squad of Becker, Meah Eshelman, Sarver and Lippincott advanced to the final by running a 4:03.98 in the preliminary. It was the third-best time.

Central Cambria was 17th at 4:15.52 with a relay of Abigail Sheehan, Abigail Walwro, Abigail George and Wilson.

The Forest Hills relay of Emma Felix, Payton McGough, Olivia McCleary and Smith was 22nd at 4:21.70.