SHIPPENSBURG – The mid-afternoon sun was beaming over Seth Grove Stadium, shining in the beads of sweat that poured down the faces of Cumberland Valley’s triumphant girls 4x400-meter relay team. Minutes earlier, the Eagles’ Cora Heilman, Ashley Pines, Mia Boardman and Riley Ebersole had stormed to a District 3 Class 3A title in the final event of the day at a season-best time of 3 minutes, 52.33 seconds, the top time among any girls district championship 4x400 race in the state of Pennsylvania.
They shrugged.
“The one thing we do a good job with,” said Pines, “is we’re never satisfied. If you would have told us last year that we we’d be able to run a 3:52, we would have been more than happy with that.
“It’s still not good enough.”
With Mid-Penn and District 3 gold around their necks in the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays, the Eagles aim for the postseason sweep when they swoop in for the PIAA Track and Field Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday back at Seth Grove Stadium. Cumberland Valley had struck 4x400 gold in the conference and district meets last year but finished second in the state finals at 3:57.23 behind Central Bucks West (3:55.69), which returns as another state title contender.
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“We don’t want that to happen two years in a row,” Boardman said.
Building momentum
Heilman stepped in for Sydney Manns, who graduated, in the leadoff leg of the 4x400. She was a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles last year as a junior. Ebersole (400-meter dash), Boardman (400-meter dash) and Pines (800-meter run) also qualified for states in their individual events and are set to compete in them again.
“We’re all very good individually,” Heilman said, “but we’re even better together.”
During the winter, the Cumberland Valley quartet struck gold at the state indoor championships and parleyed it into a fifth-place finish at the New Balance Nationals indoor meet.
The success continued outdoors, where they picked up victories at Chambersburg’s Tim Cook Invitational, their home Bruce Dallas Invitational and Shippensburg University’s Jack Roddick Invitational. CV’s 4x400 finished second to McCaskey at the April 9 Coatesville Invitational but posted a time of 3:54.56 at the Penn Relays, a school record they had whittled down since.
Despite the results against other teams, Cumberland Valley coach Derek Hockenberry said competition within the team has kept everyone sharp.
“It’s depth of our team,” he said. “They know that they have to run well. We have five girls that can run on that 4x4, and it constantly demands your best to be on the track to be able to run.”
Complementing the seasoned 4x400 team – composed of juniors Ebersole and Pines, and seniors Boardman and Heilman – is an equally competitive 4x100 squad that features Boardman, Ebersole, junior Ashley Ross and freshman Quincey Robertson, who broke the one-minute barrier in the 400-meter dash at the district meet.
“Even though I’m leaving,” said Boardman, who’s committed to continue her career at Wake Forest, “our 4x1 team is relatively young. There’s so much room for development.”
Like the 4x400 team, the Eagles’ 4x100 authored a pair of championship runs at the conference and district meets with a season-best time in each race at 48.55 and 48.31.
“Our handoff was a little shaky,” said Ebersole, who ran the third leg at districts, “and we still PRed. Once we get that down, next week, we’re going to hit another PR, and it’s going to be really exciting.”
No holding back
Despite the relay success, the Cumberland Valley girls found themselves wanting more in their individual events. Ebersole and Boardman traded second and third-place finishes behind Shippensburg’s Jill Sydnor in the 400-meter dash at Mid-Penns and districts, Heilman felt disappointed after a seventh-place finish in the District 3 Class 3A 300 hurdles, and Pines, seeded first and second in the 800-meter run at the conference and district meets, finished fourth both times.
“The open events always get me more anxious,” Ebersole said. “I think the team aspect with a relay is why we do so well. We don’t get as anxious because it’s everyone’s job to do them.”
Individually, Ebersole and Boardman are seeded third and fourth heading into the open 400 at the state meet. Pines, also a member of the Eagles’ state-qualifying 4x800-meter relay team, is part of a competitive open 800 field.
But when it’s time to line up for their relay events, no matter their individual results or the amount of energy they’ve already exerted, the Eagles know they’ll have something left.
“We’re coming to the end,” Boardman said. “There’s absolutely no reason for me to hold back.”
It’s the product of adrenaline and of teamwork. It’s also conditioning – mentally and physically – that has been forged through team practices throughout the spring.
“Our coaches are still working us really hard at practice,” Boardman said. “They want us to be as ready as possible. Even though we aren’t having meets during the week anymore, they want to give us that meet feeling to get us prepared.
“We’re ready to peak,” she continued, “and we haven’t peaked yet.”
Photos: Day 1 of District 3 Track and Field
Boiling Springs' Michelle Lee competes in the Girls AA Discus in day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Trinity's Isabelle Roes competes in the Girls AA Discus in day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
West Shore Christian Academy's Joshua Lehman competes in the Boys AA Javelin on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Trinity's Tyler Rossi competes in the Boys AA Long Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Northern's Joe Ryan competes in the Boys AAA Pole Vault on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Trinity's Joe Durle clears the bar as he competes in the Boys AA High Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Trinity's Danny Britten clears the bar as he competes in the Boys AA High Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Cumberland Valley's Alicia So competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Cumberland Valley's Maria Ratnasamy competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Carlisle's Ally Richwine competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
East Pennsboro's Breckin Swope clears the bar as he competes in the Boys AAA Pole Vault on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Cumberland Valley Chloe Pyles competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Carlisle's Rhyan Mitchell competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Northern's Rebecca Tirko competes in the Girls AAA Triple Jump on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Shippensburg's Patrick Reed competes in the Boys AAA Shot Put on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University
Cumberland Valley's Wade Shomper competes in the Boys AAA Shot Put on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Mechanicsburg Olivia Walter leads the pack for a few laps as she competes in the Girls AAA 3200m Run on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Trinity's Jasper Burd, front, competes in the Boys AA 3200m Run on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Kevin Shank competes in the Boys AAA 3200m Run on day 1 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Photos: Day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships
Carlisle's Ally Richwine clears the bar as she competes in the Girls AAA High Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Shippensburg's Dakota Arana competes in the Boys AAA High Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Mechanicsburg's Olivia Walter competes in the Girls AAA 1600 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Big Spring's Megan Zimmerman competes in the Girls AAA High Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Shippensburg's Alyssa Trn competes in the Girls AAA High Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Gabe Vigliano competes in the Boys AAA Javelin on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
East Pennsboro's Zebariah Kalb competes in the Boys AAA Javelin on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Shippensburg's Carter Funk competes in the Boys AAA Javelin on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Jeremiah Hargrove competes in the Boys AAA Javelin on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Brock Shughart competes in the District 3 Class 3A Boys Javelin on Day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Mechanicsburg's Maria Clark competes in the Girls AAA Discus on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Cedar Cliff's Ethan Dorrell competes in the Boys AAA Javelin on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Trinity's Kaitlyn Baranko competes in the Girls AA Shot Put on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Shippensburg's Traevon Kater competes in the Boys AAA Long Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Boiling Springs' Molly Kimmel competes in the Girls 100M Hurdles on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Shippensburg's Spencer Edey competes in the Boys AAA Long Jump on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Rhyan Mitchell smiles after competing in the Girls AAA 100 Meter Dash on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Cedar Cliff's Jontae Morris competes in the Boys AAA 100 Meter Dash on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Vanessa Alder competes in the Girls AAA 1600 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Trinity's Jasper Burd competes in the Boys AA 1600 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Trinity's Isaac Burd competes in the Boys AA 1600 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Carlisle's Kevin Shank competes in the Boys AAA 1600 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Cedar Cliff's Cassie Nugin competes in the Girls AAA 400 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
From left, Cumberland Valley's Mia Boardman, Riley Ebersole and Shippensburg's Jillian Sydnor compete in the Girls AAA 400 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Camp Hill's Jake Brungard compete in the Boys AA 400 Meter Run on day 2 of the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Tim Gross is the sports editor at The Sentinel and cumberlink.com. Email him at tgross@cumberlink.com and follow him on Twitter at: @ByTimGross
