EAST STROUDSBURG - It was hard keeping a smile off Carter Green's face Wednesday evening.
Then again, who could blame the North Schuylkill senior?
For the first time in her high school career, Green won two events at a district meet, finishing first in the Class AA discus and shot put at the District 11 Track and Field Championships on Wednesday at East Stroudsburg South High School.
The discus championship was the fourth consecutive for Green, who is headed to the University of Virginia next fall, as she reached 126 feet to beat Marian's Brenna Karnish (94-7). Green then hit 37-9 to
win her first district shot put title. No other results of that event were provided.
"It is nice to place first in shot put for the first time and it is nice to win discus four times in districts," Green said. "I can't be sad."
Green was one of three champs from the Schuylkill League on Wednesday.
As expected, Pottsville's Paige Stoner won her second consecutive Class AAA 3,200-meter run in dominating fashion in 10:45.92 to beat Freedom's Shaina Palmer (11:11.80). In somewhat of an upset, at least based on the seeds, Marian's Christy Digiandomenico won the Class AA 300 hurdles, taking the lead for good over the final hurdles to finish in 48.42 seconds. Pine Grove's Kelli Readinger (48.64) was second.
With their second-place finishes, both Karnish and Readinger are headed to next weekend's PIAA Championships. Tamaqua's Morgan Boyle was the runner-up in the Class AA pole vault to qualify for states, too, as did Blue Mountain's Carissa Lorimer and Madyson Riegel, along with Jim Thorpe's Brooke Cope in the Class AAA javelin. Lorimer (129-1) finished third, Cope (124-9) was fourth and Riegel (124-7) was fifth, but all three bettered the state qualifying standard of 122-0.
Green figured to have no trouble winning the fourth discus title, coming in seeded first at 134-0, while Karnish was at 99-5. Green reached what turned out to be her winning distance on her first throw of the preliminaries.
"I was happy with my first throw, but I was hoping to get better, but I can't really complain and get ready for next week," she said.
Green has struggled somewhat this season, and after last week's league meet when she threw 130-1, she talked about getting back to basics. Green feels that is going to be a key for her if she hopes to at least better her runner-up finish in the event at the PIAA Championships last year.
"I am leaning a lot," Green said of her throws. "I just need to get back to whatever a discus thrower does and not worry about all the fancy, finesse stuff and just get back to basics."
Her performances in the shot put continue to surprise her. Green hit her winning throw on her second attempt of the preliminaries and enters states with a shot at earning at least two medals.
"I think I am doing better in the shot put because there are no expectations, so I don't feel pressure. I just go out there and have fun," she said. "And it is fun to win."
Green would like to do that at states in the discus next weekend.
"I would love to win," she said. "I am going to try my very hardest to win, but I would also like to PR (personal record) for the season. I think my biggest goal ⦠my most reasonable goal would be to hit 140, but my goal is to win."
Stoner, who was fifth at states in the 3,200 as a sophomore and seventh last year, would like tot grab her third career medal in the event next weekend. Her goal Wednesday was just to run a good time and save herself for next week.
"I really didn't have a time in mind, I just wanted to run hard but nothing crazy," Stoner said. "I went out a little quicker than I thought I would."
Stoner believes she is ready for the 3,200 at states, thanks to her Schuylkill League meet and overall league meet time of 4:56.60 in the 1,600 at leagues last Wednesday at Tamaqua.
"I think the mile from last week gave me some confidence," said Stoner, who will go for her second straight district 1,600 championship today. "I think that will be a pretty quick first mile at states and knowing that I ran that mile will help me know when I go through the mile next week that this is something I can handle."
Digiandomenico, who's been sick the past two weeks, was the runner-up in the 300 hurdles last season and was seeded fifth Wednesday at 49.49. Readinger was the top seed at 49.14.
Digiandomenico felt a lot better Wednesday.
Readinger took the lead around the turn, but Digiandomenico started to catch her. Then at the last hurdle, Digiandomenico passed Readinger and pulled away for the victory.
"I am very excited to finish off my senior year by going to states," Digiandomenico said. "I can't wait. All my hard work I put into it, all the hard work practicing paid off."
"The end is like my strongest point. That is where I built up my endurance from all the way over."