Track and Field: Delco hurdlers live up to their billing at states

SHIPPENSBURG — It wasn’t a surprise that Strath Haven’s Teghan Sydnor and Haverford’s Aubrey Leneweaver took first and third, respectively, in the girls Class 3A 100 meter hurdles Saturday morning at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

Nor was it a shock when Leneweaver, Ridley’s Emma Winward and Sydnor finished second, sixth and eighth, respectively in the 300 hurdles.

All three, along with Chester’s Alina LaForest, have been among the state leaders in the hurdles all season.

Sydnor, who will continue her track career at Tufts, entered the championships seeded sixth in the 100 and third in the 300. Leneweaver was seventh and second, respectively. LaForest was 11th and fourth, while Winward ninth in the 300. That made hurdles events at Delcos some of the most contested of the weekend.

“We always have great competition,” said Sydnor, who ran a personal best 14.71 to win the 100 hurdles. “Every league meet we were always there, even last year.”

“Last year, for my first year hurdling, it was nice to have people like Teghan and Emma to push me to get better,” Leneweaver said.

Sydnor, Leneweaver, Windward and LaForest went head-to-head on almost a weekly basis, whether it was in Central League action or invitational meets on the weekends.

Sydnor is the first Delco athlete to win Class 3A 100 hurdles since Penn Wood’s Molly Logan in 1998. Sydnor also is the first Central League athlete to win the event since Lower Merion’s Eliana Yankelev in 2012 and the fifth Strath Haven female to claim an individual state title.

Sydnor won the 100 hurdles at the Haverford Invitational and the Central League Championships, was second at the District 1 Championships and third at the Delco Championships. She was first in the 300 at Haverford, second at Delcos and Centrals, and third at districts.

Leneweaver took second in the 100 at Haverford and Delcos, and was third at the District 1 Championships. She set the county record (43.17) while winning the 300 at Centrals. She also won the event at Delcos and was second at the district championships.

LaForest was fifth in the 100 hurdles at Delcos and District 1 to go with second in the 300 at Haverford, third at Delcos and fourth at districts.

Winward, who plans to run club track at Connecticut, took third in the 300 at Delcos at sixth at districts. She ran a personal best 44.52 to qualify for the 300 final at states.

That constant competition made all of them better.

“Once you have people to push you, then it’s anybody’s game,” Sydnor said. “It’s not like someone is blowing us all out. We’re right there with each other.”

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From left, Strath Haven's Teghan Sydnor, left, Ridley's Emma Winward, center, and Haverford's Aubrey Leneweaver, right, pose with their medals from the girls Class 3A 300 meter hurdles at the PIAA Track and Field Championships on Saturday. (DFM Photo)