With dual meet action going into full swing this week, we take a quick look at each of the LebCo Girls Track & Field programs and what to expect in 2025.
Check back with LebCoSports.com regularly to keep up with all of the news surrounding these talented athletes.
Click here for the Lebco Boys Track & Field Season Outlook
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Annville-Cleona Dutchmen
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Caitlin Heller – 2nd season
Key Returners: Colbey Brown (Sr); Sophia Caporaletti (Sr); Kendall Cooper (Sr); Miracle Hershey (Sr); Kya Missimer (Sr); Lilly Sanchez (Sr); Audrey Sider (Sr); Rowan Ulrich (Sr); Madi Long (Jr); Caitlin Shay (Jr); Mackenzie Stellmach (Jr); Jada Morales (So), Bella Pulaski (So); Addy Sanchez (So)
Key Newcomers: Ava Hoover (Sr – returning from injury); Leah Rotunda (Fr); Lucy Stellmach (Fr); Kora Wolfe (Fr)
Key Losses: Megan Brophy, Emily Maag
2024 Record: 7-0 overall, 7-0 in Section 3, LL Section 3 Champions / District 3 AA Runner-up
Outlook: After finishing last season as Section 3 Champion, the Dutchmen enter 2025 with a wealth of talent and experience that will allow them to again vie to be one of the top teams in District 3. To start, they are returning Kendall Cooper, the speedy senior who is the reigning District 3 Champion in the 100m and silver medalist in the 200m. However, Cooper may be at her best when she is running in the relays. The great news is that all four relay team members that made up the 4x100m and 4x400m that set the school records in both events. On those relays, Cooper is joined by Miracle Hershey, Sophia Caporaletti, and Jada Morales. Combining their talents, they medaled in both events at the PIAA State Championship Meet, earning silver in the 4x100m and 6th place in the 4x400m. That dynamic foursome will be joined this year by returning State qualifiers Madi Long (triple jump), Addy Sanchez (4x800m), and Mackenzie Stellmach (3200m/4x800m).
While those are the names of the returning State qualifiers, make no mistake as to how deep Annville’s roster runs this year. It is indicative of the strong female athletics that have emerged at the school in recent years. They will look to keep the momentum going with what Coach Heller describes as “a great core of hardworking, dedicated ladies who are setting a great example for our freshmen to learn from.” This season has the potential to rewrite many of the record books for the Annville-Cleona Girls Track & Field program.
Additionally, Heller has built out a coaching staff that includes former local standouts Reagan Hess (Annville/Slippery Rock) and Hannah Woelfling Soda (Cedar Crest/Millersville), along with new coaches Da’Modric Green (Annville-Cleona) and Sidney Wike (Lebanon / LVC).
Annville-Cleona Girls Track Schedule
Cedar Crest Falcons
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Rob Bare – 10th season
Key Returners: Audrey Fugate (Sr); Alaina Miller (Sr); Opeyemi Ojo (Sr); Emma Pavlesich (Sr); Ava Schreier (Sr); Ruby Wolfe (Sr); Camilla Zimmerman (Sr); Kaddel Howard (Jr); Eliana Schneider (Jr); Hayden Wamsher (Jr); Makenzie Wamsher (Jr); Mikayln Weaber (Jr)
Key Newcomers: Mikayla Fripps (Fr)
Key Losses: Hailee Kreiser, Lizzie Lowe, Maddie Lowe, Emma Spittle
2024 Record: 5-1 overall, 5-1 in Section 1
Outlook: The Falcons return in 2025, again with a line-up that offers elite talent and depth. This combination makes them among the best teams in Central Pennsylvania, especially when it comes to the range and flexibility offered by many of the athletes. Co-headlining the roster are juniors Kaddel Howard and Eliana Schneider. Howard, a generational talent, is the two-time outdoor 400m State Champion and is coming off of winning the 200m/400m gold medal double at indoor states. Going into the season, she will be in a solid position to contend for titles in both events when the season concludes Memorial Day Weekend. Schneider offers insane athleticism that makes her a cheat code, excelling in middle-distance events, the high jump, and javelin. Last year, she set the League record in the Javelin on her way to a District Championship and a 4th place finish at States. She was also the League Champion in the High Jump and claimed League bronze in the 800m. Speaking to their range, Howard and Schneider teamed with Audrey Fugate and Class of 2024’s Lizzie Lowe to win District 3 gold in the 3200m relay. Lowe, now at Vasser, won the ECAC Cross Country Championship. In addition to those already mentioned, several top performers from last year’s team will be looking to make a leap forward with another year of training and maturity. If you’ve seen the CCHS Weight Training videos, you should’ve seen several of these young ladies working hard to reach the next level. With the tradition of excellence in place and daily reminders of the Ten Bricks that make up the foundation of Cedar Crest Track & Field (Built Different, Energy, Family, Tradition, Heart, Desire, Falcon Pride, #teamTIFF, Compete, and Champions), look for this group of Falcons to once again push to new limits.
Cedar Crest Girls Track Schedule
ELCO Raiders
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Robert Miller – 17th season
Key Returners: Chloe Behney (Sr); Shawna Donough (Sr); Bre Etherson (Sr); Makenna Haas (Sr); Reece Woelfling (Sr); Kenzi Gery (Jr); Kenzie Eckhart (Jr); Ayla Zwally (So)
Key Newcomers: Maddie Nelson (Fr); Kierra Sholl (Fr)
Key Losses: Sara Miller, Lizzie Dimov, Nina Milosevic, Becky Dimov
2024 Record: 5-2 overall, 5-2 in Section 3
Outlook: If there is one thing that is guaranteed year after year, it is that ELCO’s Girls Track & Field athletes will be competitive. After each successful regular season, many Raider athletes go on to find success in the postseason. This year’s biggest name is Makenna Haas, who returns for her senior season after finishing 9th in the Triple Jump at last year’s State Championship. Coach Miller’s roster will also feature several other strong veterans, including speedster Reece Woelfling, who joined Haas as a member of last year’s 4x100m that set the ELCO school record. With a culture that values hard work and encouragement among teammates, look for ELCO to continue with its rich tradition of success in 2025.
Click here for the Lebco Boys Track & Field Season Outlook
Lebanon Cedars
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Keith Rolon – 1st season
Key Returners: Liliana Harrison (Sr); Karmia Scotland (Sr); Yuna Mercedes (Jr); Olive Brandt (Jr); Lisbeth Ortiz (So)
Key Newcomers: Natalina Harrison (So); Caleigh Shaak (Fr); Mya Pauleus (Fr); Joannielys Arenas (Fr)
Key Losses: Zariyah Whigham, Zianna Whigham, Dora Lopez, Dimaris Rivera Colon
2023 Record: 0-6 overall, 0-6 in Section 1
Outlook: Two things can be true at once: 1) The Lebanon Cedar Girls Track & Field program has struggled with numbers, losing meets to larger opponents; 2) The Lebanon Cedar Girls Track & Field program has produced elite-level individual talent. Someone who understands this equation is Coach Keith Rolon as he takes over at the helm this season after spending close to a decade as an assistant coach. Rolon, a Lebanon High School alumnus who won several State medals running for the Cedars, will continue to hold his athletes to a high standard, pushing each one to be her best on a daily basis. He will have to do it without last year’s seniors, a class that included Zariyah Whigham, the triple jumper who set records on her way to winning Districts and is now tearing it up at Shippensburg. That said, for Lebanon, there is plenty of individual talent to be excited about this season, such as senior Liliana Harrison (throws) and a crop of talented sprinters who will provide scoring options within the lineup.
On a final note, after being displaced since May 2022 due to construction and a sinkhole, there is hope that the Cedars will be able to return to hosting home meets in 2025. However, logistical pieces with the set-up of the new facility may delay that plan.
LebCo Girls Track & Field All-County Team: 2024
Northern Lebanon Vikings
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Adam Molinaro – 3rd season
Key Returners: Mariah Kipp (Jr); Jobrianna Long (Jr); Mackenzie Miller (Jr); Saoirse Phillips (Jr); Ella Carpenter (So); Saleh Martino (So); Hope Shaffer (So); Elsie Shuey (So)
Key Newcomers: Sara Feagley (So); Haylee Mullens (Jr), Emily Marinkov (Fr), Mara Grubb (Fr); Emma Yordy (Fr)
Key Losses: Ayva Sechman, Isabella Seibert
Outlook: Just like last season, the Vikings remain young, with just two seniors on the roster. However, they will be reliant on a strong contingent of juniors and sophomores. Through competition, the girls are gaining more experience and are beginning to compete with many of the teams in Section 3. If the progression goes according to plan, look for the Vikings to win several meets this season.
Northern Lebanon Girls Track Schedule
Palmyra Cougars
Mid-Penn Conference – Keystone Division
Head Coach: Danny Byrd – 17th season
Key Returners: Delaney Miler (Sr); Sofie Price (Sr); Avery Rohrer (Sr); Ellie Schaffer (Sr); Isabella Temple (Jr); Amber McCurdy (So); Maddy Waldron (So)
Key Losses: Abby Berarducci, Carmen McConaghy
2024 Record: 5-2 overall, 5-2 in Keystone
Outlook: Already this season, the Cougars defeated Lower Dauphin in a closely contested 75.5-74.5 matchup. For as competitive as Palmyra was last year, Lower Dauphin accounted for one of their two losses. While they will have to forge ahead without Abby Berarducci, the school record holder in the 1600m, many of the key pieces from last year’s team are back and ready to improve on what they did last year. Leading that list is Maddy Waldron, the sophomore sprinter who advanced to Districts in the 100m & 200m in her first year running at the varsity level. She will be joined by senior sprinter Delaney Miller, who also qualified for Districts in both events last season. Together, Waldron and Miller offer a strong 1-2 punch that quickly puts points on the board. Sofie Price will be another top-tier athlete to watch this season. Price, now a senior, was the Mid Penn Javelin Champion last season and went on to qualify for States. While there are several other athletes who could be considered for top billing, the strength of this team is really its depth. There are several events in which Palmyra has several options they can turn to for points. This team mentality will help the Cougars win many meets this year but will also help them drive each other to be better in practice. The results of their hard work should be fun to watch.
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