Sophomore Bria Edwards saved her best for last and ensured a Lady Cougar will compete at the PIAA State Championship meet for the seventh straight season. Edwards began her day at the District 2 AAA Championships by breaking her own school record in the 1600 meter run. Her time of 5:17 not only bettered the Lady Cougar mark of 5:21 (shared with sister Brenae) but also broke the all-time Hazleton Area School District mark held by West Hazleton's Kelli Hunt and set in 1991. However a fast D2 field this year left Edwards 3rd behind Crestwood's Hannah Coffin and Wallenpaupack's Rachel Schmazel. A few hours later Edwards would break another record and this time get her gold medal and ticket punched to stated by capturing the 3200 meter run in 11:24. The mark broke Brenae Edwards school record of 11:37 and was one of the fastest times in the event in recent memory for District 2 competitors.
While Edwards was the only Lady Cougar to mine gold at districts, several teammates earned medals to help Hazleton Area finish sixth in the fifteen team field. Junior Kayla Mantush earned a second consecutive silver medal in the high jump with a distance of 5'1". Also in the field events, senior Amy Cheeseman grabbed 4th in the shot put and 6th in the javelin, classmate Michelle Swedon placed 6th in the shot put, senior Maria Fendrick was 4th in the long jump, and Lauren Smith placed 4th in the high jump.
On the track sophomore Allie Petsuck had a PR in the 1600 meter run and placed just behind Edwards in 4th place with a time of 5:22.
This years District 2 Championships featured a slew of record-breaking performances. Coughlin junior Shelley Black won 3 golds and established two new records. Black leaped 37'8" in the trip jump and stopped the clock at 45.08 in the 300 hurdles (both records). She also won the 100 hurdles with a near record miss of 14.76 (the event record is 14.7 set by Valley West's Kelly O'Kane in 1982-the oldest D2 AAA record). Crestwood's Mandissa Marshall bettered her district record in the pole vault with a mark of 12'5" and Dalla's Ellen Arnaud shattered the mark in the javelin with a heave of 133'2".
Abington Heights rolled to the team title for the third straight year with 117 points. Coughlin was a distant second with 65 points followed by Holy Redeemer (61), Crestwood (56.25), Dallas (51), and Hazleton Area (50).
NOTES: Bria Edwards became the first female athlete in Hazleton Area High School history to qualify for the PIAA State Meet in three different sports during the same school year (also competed in cross country and swimming states this year). Abington Heights stronghold on the D2 team championship has given the Lackawanna League only its 4th team title in AAA girls meet history (all coming from Abington Heights High School). The WVC teams have dominated the meet titles over the years but have failed to bring home the crown since Hazleton Area's last championship in 2006.
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