Record-Setters: Ortz, Harmon Snap School Marks for Redbank Valley Track and Field Team Vs. Brookville

NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) – Aiden Ortz felt like he was going to have a good afternoon.

“I did feel better than most days,” Ortz said.

(Above, Aiden Ortz/photo by Madison McFarland)

The Redbank Valley junior has had his sights set on breaking the record in the 100-meter dash for the Bulldog boys track and field team.

He eclipsed a mark on the long jump instead Thursday against Brookville with a leap of 21 feet, 11 inches. The previous record was 21-3.75 in 2009.

Ortz got the record on his third jump.

“It means a lot to me because my dad was a big track star in high school,” Ortz said. “I have been trying to break the 100 record, but then I found the long jump and I felt like that fit me more.”

Ortz wasn’t alone in jumping into the record books.

Freshman Mylee Harmon, who had already set school marks in the girls 200-meter dash and 400-meter run over the weekend, broke a third school record Thursday against Brookville by clearing 5 feet, 4 inches in the high jump.

Her previous best was 5-1.

“It means a lot to me because recently I haven’t been doing very well in the high jump and haven’t had good technique,” Harmon said. “So getting this record tonight really gave me more confidence.”

UNION/A-C VALLEY, MONITEAU SPLIT

The Falcon Knights’ throwers once again dominated, taking 26 of the possible 27 points in the shot put, discus and javelin, in a 91-59 boys win over Moniteau.

Dawson Camper win the shot (43-6.5), Landon Chalmers the discus (39-5.5) and Jay Clover the javelin (134-10) in the victory.

Payton Johnston won the 800 (2:26.2) and the triple jump (34-9.25) for Union/A-C Valley.

Hayden Smith also cleared 6-5 to win a showdown in the high jump with Moniteau’s Cody Daniels.

Daniels, though, won the long jump, edging Smith.

On the girls side, Baylee Blauser was at it again for the Falcon Knights, winning four events, but Moniteau won the meet by the strange score of 96.2-50.8.

There was a four-way tie in the high jump that produced the odd final score.

Hannah Burgoon won the 1,600 (5:48.6) and the 800 (2:34.3) for Moniteau.

Blauser again won the long jump (17-8), triple jump (36-4), 100 (12.9) and 200 (27.3).

After the meet, both the Moniteau and Union/A-C Valley track and field teams ran the large hill from the track to the top of the football bleachers in honor of Tana (Willetts) Frangioni, who died last year in an automobile accident.

Frangioni, a 1994 Moniteau graduate, was a four-sport star at the school and served for 26 years in the Air Force. She was just days away from retirement from military service when she was killed.