HS TRACK AND FIELD: Lackawanna Track Conference Girls Past Individual Champions — The Distance

This spring, as active high school sports stopped, ON THE BLOG decided to do some research. History has always interested me when it comes to high school sports. I do, of course, hate being asked who is the greatest of all time, because there are just too many factors. Era, running surfaces, training, timing systems, coaching have all improved even in single year increments.

What I always tell people about track and field is:

 

• The clock and tape measures don’t usually lie

• You know greatness when you see it.

 

What makes the LTC championships so unique is that there is no separation for classifications in the races, which is not how the district or state champions are determined.

So, with this being a week where we normally would crown the latest Lackawanna Track Conference individual event and team champions, let’s take a look at the past champions.

DISCLAIMER: Track and field media coverage was hardly a priority way back when, so gathering first names became the most daunting challenge of this project. If there are any missing in the lists, and you know who said person is, please let us know.

 

REMINDERS

 

• The LTC sponsored a partial conference championship meet for girls in 1978.

 

• Each LTC team was allowed ONE entrant per event from 1978 to 1989.

 

• Races were converted to meters following the 1982 season and all records were retired.

 

• The LTC conference meet was put on hiatus following the 1989 season due to a PIAA rule and all meet records were RETIRED.

 

• The LTC conference meet returned in 2005 with Fully Automatic Timing and new meet records were established.

 

• The LTC conference meet was dedicated to Robert Spagna that same season

 

• Champions for Class 3A and Class 2A were crowned starting in 2005.

 

 

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: 

 

MONDAY: The Hurdles

TUESDAY: The Sprints and Dashes

WEDNESDAY: The Distance

THURSDAY: The Throws

FRIDAY: The Jumps and Pole Vault

SATURDAY: The Relays

 

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880-yard
1978 Karen McIlenney (Abington Heights) 2:37.5 (meet record)
1979 Karen McIlenney (Abington Heights) 2:34.5 (meet record)
1980 Cheryl Stambone (Valley View) 2:28.3 (meet record – retired)
1981 Barb Sochovka (Riverside) 2:32.2
1982 Pam Brazil (Dunmore) 2:32.2
800-meter
1983 Mimi Kilcullen (Central) 2:27.2 (meet record – retired)
1984 Kris Stambone (Valley View) 2:31.5
1985 Lisa Patuk (Carbondale Area) 2:34.0
1986 Amy Para (Valley View) 2:34.6
1987 Lisa Patuk (Carbondale Area) 2:33.7

1988 Kathy Maguire (Dunmore) 2:27.7
1989 Nicole Sandone (Central) 2:31.60
2005 Emma Kostiak (Carbondale Area) 2:25.30 (meet record)
2006 Kim Meyer (Abington Heights) 2:24.90 (meet record)
2007 No event (Rain)
2008 Allison Hall (Blue Ridge) 2:23.11 (meet record)
2009 Allison Hall (Blue Ridge) 2:24.61
2010 Brittney Martin (Abington Heights) 2:21.78 (meet record)
2011 Allison Hall (Blue Ridge) 2:23.75
2012 Kaitlyn Lewis (North Pocono) 2:18.80 (meet record)
2013 Kaitlyn Lewis (North Pocono) 2:20.46
2014 Kaitlyn Lewis (North Pocono) 2:24.94
2015 Mackenzie Greenfield (Holy Cross) 2:21.44
2016 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 2:19.71
2017 Sam Killiany (Wallenpaupack) 2:19.57
2018 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 2:14.96 (meet record)
2019 Hannah Hughes (Abington Heights) 2:22.55

Total champions Abington Heights (7); Blue Ridge (3); Carbondale Area (3); North Pocono (3); Valley View (3); Central (2); Dunmore (2); Holy Cross (1); Riverside (1); Wallenpaupack (1).

 

 

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Mile
1977 Julie Rowland (Carbondale Area) 5:47.1
1978 Terri Purcell (Abington Heights) 5:55.0
1979 Donna McHugh (Abington Heights) 5:25.5 (meet record – retired)
1980 Teresa Leo (Carbondale Area) 5:40.0
1981 Sue Orzel (Riverside) 5:37.4
1982 Eileen Conaboy (Abington Heights) 5:36.9
1600-meter
1983 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 5:20.3 (meet record – retired)
1984 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 5:28.8
1985 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 5:34.7
1986 Alana John (Abington Heights) 5:39.1
1987 Alana John (Abington Heights) 5:37.3
1988 Tara Newhart (North Pocono) 5:38.4
1989 Nicole Sandone (Central) 5:35.8

2005 Jessica Hunter (Wallenpaupack) 5:24.60 (meet record)
2006 Jessica Hunter (Wallenpaupack) 5:22.10 (meet record)
2007 Grace Brier (Scranton Prep) 5:22.41
2008 Kathleen Casey (Holy Cross) 5:17.23 (meet record)
2009 Rachel Schmalzle (Wallenpaupack) 5:20.98
2010 Summer Hill (Honesdale) 5:24.32
2011 Erin Jaeger (Abington Heights) 5:19.22
2012 Summer Hill (Honesdale) 5:03.14 (meet record)
2013 Tessa Barrett (Abington Heights) 4:55.63 (meet record)
2014 Payton Padgett (Delaware Valley) 5:16.04
2015 Mackenzie Greenfield (Holy Cross) 5:14.11
2016 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 5:08.93
2017 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 5:08.42
2018 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 4:55.99
2019 Brianna Zipay (Valley View) 5:20.51

Total champions Abington Heights (10); Honesdale (5); Wallenpaupack (3); Carbondale Area (2); Holy Cross (2); Valley View (1); Central (1); Delaware Valley (1); North Pocono (1); Riverside (1); Scranton Prep (1).

 

 

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Two-mile
1978 Terri Purcell (Abington Heights) 12:50.8 (meet record)
1979 Terri Purcell (Abington Heights) 12:33.5 (meet record)
1980 Teresa Leo (Carbondale Area) 12:45.4
1981 Teresa Leo (Carbondale Area) 12:17.7 (meet record – retired)
1982 Janine Franko (Tunkhannock) 12:32.1
3200-meter
1983 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 11:36.4 (meet record)
1984 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 11:46.4
1985 Renee Robbins (Honesdale) 11:27.0 (meet record – retired)
1986 Linda Gelatt (Honesdale) 12:19.7
1987 Linda Gelatt (Honesdale) 12:08.0
1988 Ludmilla Janeka (Honesdale) 12:08.8
1989 Ludmilla Janeka (Honesdale) 11:52.7
2005 Nicole Falcaro (Delaware Valley) 11:46.14 (meet record)
2006 Jessica Hunter (Wallenpaupack) 11:35.12 (meet record)
2007 No event (Rain)
2008 Rachel Schmalzle (Wallenpaupack) 11:37.26
2009 Rachel Schmalzle (Wallenpaupack) 11:38.29
2010 Summer Hill (Honesdale) 11:57.05
2011 Summer Hill (Honesdale) 11:45.61
2012 Payton Padgett (Delaware Valley) 11:53.09
2013 Jenn Burke (Abington Heights) 11:43.53
2014 Tess Kearns (Holy Cross) 11:20.50 (meet record)
2015 Erin Feeney (Scranton Prep) 10:46.98 (meet record)
2016 Erin Feeney (Scranton Prep) 11:08.81
2017 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 10:40.45 (meet record)
2018 Katie Dammer (Abington Heights) 11:34.11
2019 Laina Bogusta (Delaware Valley) 11:33.31

Total champions Honesdale (9); Abington Heights (5); Delaware Valley (3); Wallenpaupack (3); Carbondale Area (2); Scranton Prep (2); Holy Cross (1); Tunkhannock (1).

 

 

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