Red Raiders bring home fist full of medals from Hurricane Invitational

Coatesville won the 100 meter dash and made their impact known in an elite field By Dave Conard Sports editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com

Red Raiders senior Karli Dibenedetto finished sixth in high jump.

MALVERN—With the Penn Relays just around the corner on the schedule, Saturday’s’ 13th annual Hurricane invitational serves as a great warm up for the bi event as medals are awarded for the top five spots in each event but no team score is tabulated.

The no team score format allows runners and field athletes the liberty and freedom to stretch their normal boundaries and work on improving their personal times and distances, in hopes of qualifying for districts.

For Coatesville high jump specialists Karli Dibenedetto and Emily Brubaker meets like the annual event hosted by Villa Maria Academy also afford an opportunity to study the techniques and styles of some of the districts best from other conferences such a Upper Dublin’s Taylor Morgan who won the High Jump by four inches with a height of 5 foot six inches.

Three jumpers made and impact for the Red Raiders at Villa Maria

“We definitely watch the other girls at a meet like this,” said Red Raiders senior Karli Dibenedetto. “Some of the girls arch themselves a little more and that is something I can work on. I don’t throw my head back like some do.”

“Our coaches are awesome and very supportive especially coach Smith,” added Dibenedetto, who missed her personal best by two inches with a jump of 4’10”, which was good enough to claim sixth place overall. “I didn’t jump my highest today, but I know what I need to work on trying to get to districts.”

The Red Raiders dominated the sprint portion of the show with Lyanna Austin posting a time of 12.77 in the 100-meter dash, along with the 4 x 100 relay team claiming the gold with a circuit of 50.88.

Coatesville senior Emily Brubaker posted a height of 4'6" at Villa Maria

In other field action Gabby Nagy’s throw of 113 feet 8 inches garnered her a second place medal in javelin while Devon Carey fourth place in the discus with a toss of 98 feet 8 inches.

“We really encourage each other and coach Smith really helps us,” said senior long jump/ high jumper Emily Brubaker, who’s personal best in 4’ 6”. “At a meet like this we try to be intimidated by any one, we just need to work on our mechanics and approach. It is important to focus on doing our own thing and block out what heights the other girls may hit.”

Coatesville won the 4 x 100 relay at the 13th Hurricane Invitational

Alyssa Hoop’s distance of 32’ 9 ½ “ in shot put snared a fourth place finish which along with a fifth place finish in the 100-meter dash by Kira Laurento with a time of 13.21 rounded out the other Coatesville top five performers of the day.

Coatesville was strong in all of the relays on Saturday getting ready for the Penn Relays and districts