A Day with Hempfield Track & Field Graduates

Today I had the chance to visit with some of Hempfield's finest!  Let's begin with some coaches:

Warren Taylor - Class of 1977

Warren is the Head Track & Field Coach at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
After a great career at Hempfield, Warren went onto Thaddeus Stevens & Millersville and continued to excel as an athlete!  He has been the head track & field coach many years at Thaddeus Stevens and was inducted into the Hempfield Hall of Fame this year!  A great coach, a great athlete and an even greater person!

Alex Proctor - Class of 2004

Alex was a stellar track & field athlete at Hempfield and went on to run track & field at West Chester University.  He is now the Head Track & Field Coach at Immaculata University!


And athletes:

Eric Solomon - Widener University

Eric won the Hammer Throw today with a toss of 17.97 meters (58'-11 1/2").  Eric is ranked 11th (Division 3) in the country!  Check out the division 3 rankings.

Melissa Fellenbaum - Alvernia University

After a great weekend last week, Melissa decided to rest this weekend and prepare for MAC Championships next week at Lehigh!  Last week was a PR 3.90 meters (12'8")  Melissa is currently ranked 2nd (Division 3) in the nation!

Hempfield Team Getting Ready for Indoor States

Winter track season is coming to a close, but not for some of Hempfield's best!  The following have qualified for the State Indoor Track & Field Championships at State College!

State Qualifiers:

Tory Long             60m                200m
Devon Santos         60m Hurdles
Adam Karl              High Jump
Kayla Garpstas       Pole Vault
Dani Poletti            Pole Vault
4 x 200 Relay        (Torry Long, Dustin Koenig, Devon Santos, Zach Zeamer)


Meet Details
Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Penn State University

Good Luck Hempfield!!!

Hempfield Athlete's at Big East indoor Championships

Retirement has allowed me to try to keep up with Hempfield graduates that are involved with track & field in college.  And parents have helped to keep me up-to-date!  Here is the latest from super track Mom Kim Piper:

Korinne Piper - is running relays only(her last collegiate indoor meet)
     she is 800  leg in DMR(Sat 5:15pm) 
     and possibly the 4x8(Sun 2:15)-not sure what leg

Hansel Akers is running 500 prelims(Sat 1:40) and hopefully finals(Sun 12:50) 
     and 4x4(Sun 2:45)

Here is information from the web site:  Big East indoor Track & Field Championships

Other track meets coming up:
Feb 16 - 17     Big East Indoor Championships   Geneva, Ohio
     Korinne Piper - Pittsburgh
     Kevin Hull - Pittsburgh (do not know if he is running)
     Hansel Akers - Georgetown

Feb 23 - 24     PSAC Indoor Champioships        Edinboro University
     Ellie Ressler - Shippensburg
     Kori Meshaw - Kutztown

Feb 22 - 23     MAC Championships                   Lehigh University
     Melissa Fellenbaum - Alvernia
     Eric Solomon - Widener

As with most big track & field championships, athletes must qualify.  If anyone knows that other people have qualified, let me know.  Thanks!

Here is my list as of today of Hempfield athletes in college track & field:

David Patzer                                     Penn State University           

Kori Meshaw                                    Kutztown University             

Brian Mannino                                  Kutztown University

Hansel Akers                                    Georgetown University         

Kevin Hull                                         University of Pittsburgh

Alec Bleacher                                    University of Pittsburgh

Korinne Piper                                    University of Pittsburgh       

Matt Groff                                         Richmond University

Steve Feister                                      Liberty University

Kelley Donovan                                  Delaware University

Spencer Nenzda                                Delaware University

Chrissy Richert                                  High Point University

Kyle Long                                         Arizona State University

Ellie Ressler                                      Shippensburg University

Melissa Fellenbaum                          Alvernia University               

Connor White                                   Dickinson University

Rachel Grube                                    Gettysburg University

Eric Solomon                                    Widener University              

Hempfield Graduate Melissa Fellenbaum Among the Best in Nation Division 3 Women's Pole Vault

She has taken a different path then most college athletes, but Melissa Fellenbaum still has what it takes to break records!  Her school record(11'7") was finally broken last year, when Dani Poletti went 11'8"to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League Meet.

After beginning her career at Kutztown, and having a great freshman year, Melissa transferred to Penn State Berks to attain another degree!  After graduating, she still had two years of eligibility, so decided to pole vault for Alvernia, a division 3 collge near Reading, PA.

And her first year back was awesome.  She qualified for Nationals (finished 11th at Nationals) and has the current Alvernia school record!  This year, she broke that record and is ranked 2nd in the nation among division 3 pole vaulters!!!

Hear is Melissa's latest accomplishments: Fellenbaum Flies To The Top At Ursinus

Collegeville, Pa. (Feb. 8, 2013) - Senior Melissa Fellenbaum (Mount Joy, Pa./Hempfield) vaulted up to second overall in NCAA Division III standings smashing her own Alvernia University record in the women's pole vault Friday evening at the Ursinus Indoor Invitational.

Fellenbaum cleared 3.90m on her second attempt at the height and took a shot at 4.00m, but couldn't clear the bar.  Her 3.90m moves her ahead of a trio of vaulters on the national level who were tied for second at 3.80m.  She is .25m behind Ramapo senior Michelle Favre who leads the nation with a season-best height of 4.15m.

Fellenbaum won the event when she cleared 3.35m on her first attempt.  She pushed the bar to 3.71m and cleared that on her first attempt to break her indoor record.  She only needed one vault to clear 3.80 and one to clear 3.85.  She failed in her first attempt at 3.90 then cleared it on her second attempt before taking a crack at the 4m mark.

Melissa's career at Hempfield was one for the recored books!  School Record 11'7", at the same time set the District 3 record, with the same jump of 11'7".  Qualified for the PIAA State Championships two years in a row!  Melissa paved the way for the new wave of talented young lady pole vaulters!

Best Hempfield Track Teams Ever???

Over the past 50 years, Hempfield Track & Field has been blessed with incredible athletes! And in certain years, the timing was perfect to allow many of these athletes to be on the same team!!  So, what teams over the past 50 years have been the best?  Let's start with a look at the Boys Track Teams, I will use the Hempfield Boy's Track & Field Brochure.

Championship Seasons
1970   Lancaster County League Meet Champions
1972   Lancaster County League Meet & Dual Meet Season Champions
1986   L-L League Meet Champions and Section 1 Co-Champions
1992   L-L Section 1 Co-Champions
1995   L-L Section 1 Champions
2001   L-L Section 1Co-Champions
2002   L-L Section 1 Co-Champions and L-L League Meet Champions
2008   L-L League Meet Champions
2009   L-L Section 1, League Meet, District 3, PIAA State Champions
2010   L-L League Meet Champions
2011   L-L Section 1, League Meet, District 3, PIAA State Champions

Up to the year 2009, it was unclear which team was the best!  But 2009 was a year that the stars & planets aligned to create a team that made Hempfield History!!!  "STATE CHAMPIONS!"

Over the next few week we will look at the Hempfield Boys & Girls Teams!  Stay tuned!

Hempfield Track & Field's Winter Track Team Points to State Championships

The Indoor Track season at Hempfield is over half way through the season!  One goal is always qualifying for the Indoor Championships at Penn State.


Here are the qualifying standards:


Event                        Women(flat/banked track)         Men(flat/banked track)
60 Meters                              7.43(55)/8.03(60)                 6.65(55)/7.15(60)
60 Hurdles                            8.95(55)/9.65(60)                 7.95(55)/7.15(60)
200 Meters                           26.83 / 26.43                         23.33 / 22.93
400 Meters                           61.03 / 60.53                         51.83 / 51.33
800 Meters                          2:23.93 / 2:23.33                   2:00.73 / 3:00.13
Mile                                    5:23.43 / 5:22.73                   4:32.43 / 4:31.73
3000 Meters                      10:45.63 / 10:44.83               9:00.23 / 8:59.43
Shot                                             37'0"                                   51'0"
Pole Vault                                   10'9"                                   13'9"
High Jump                                   5'3"                                      6'3"
Long Jump                                  17'3"                                   21'9"
Triple Jump                                 35'3"                                  43'3"
4 X 200                            1:50.23 / 1:48.63                   1:35.17 / 1:33.57
4 X 400                            4:11.40 / 4:09.40                   3:33.23 / 3:31.23
4 X 800                            9:58.78 / 9:56.38                   8:22.06 / 8:19.66
Dist. Medley                    12:57.05 / 12:54.55               10:49.23 / 10:46.73

Several Hempfield Athletes are ranked in the top of the state, check out:

Women Top 2013 Indoor Performances

Men Top 2013 Indoor Performances

Hempfield Athletes on the List of top Performers:
Dani Poletti & Kayla Garpstas - 10'9" in the Pole Vault
Devon Santos - 60 Hurdles - 8.63
Tory Long - 200 meters - 23.12
Men's 4 x 200
Men's High Jump - Adam Karl 6'4"

More Hempfield Track & Field College Athletes

There are some great things happening at the collegiate level!  Hempfield alumni are having great success!  Here are two great stories!

How about an All-American!!!  Kori Meshaw! Last year, Kori ended the season as an All-American!!!

PUEBLO, Colo. – Kutztown University's Kori Meshaw (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield)finished eighth in the 400-meter hurdles to earn All-America status in the event. 

Meshaw turned in a time of 52.16 to edge his way into All-America honors in the event. 

In Thursday's preliminaries, he ran a career-best 51.93, the fifth fastest time of the prelims, to advance to the finals.  He moved into second place all-time at KU with the effort and the second Golden Bear to break 52 seconds in the event.

He was the 16th seed entering the event and peeked at the right time to become one of Division II's elite hurdlers. 

This year, Kori should have another great season - check out his bio at:  Kori Meshaw - Kutztown

And how about a thrower - Eric Solomon!

Here is what happened last week!!

Widener junior Eric Solomon (Columbia, PA) benefitted from breaking a school record last Saturday by being named the Middle Atlantic Conference Men’s Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week.

Solomon obliterated the school record in the weight throw at 59’ 1.5” to best the previous mark held by Jacob Munick, who had a toss of 54’ 7.5” on February 26, 2011.  Solomon ended second in the event.

Solomon had a big hand last season in the Pride winning their third straight MAC indoor conference title.  He closed second in the weight throw at the MAC Championships, second at the Jack Pyrah Invitational and first among Division III competitors, as well as third in the hammer at the MAC Outdoor Championships.

Eric has made his mark at Widener University!  And there is more to come!!!!!