Setting the standard for girls’ 2A discus in the state, Lancaster Catholic’s Margaret Bila defended her PIAA title at the Track and Field Championships in Shippensburg this past weekend, claiming the top spot on the medals stand in the final event of her high school career.
Bila had to dig deep for the gold medal. Besting her competition by 30 feet in the District 3 finals a week earlier, she threw 137.3 in the state championships to beat out second place by a margin of 2.1 feet.
The senior was one of three Diocesan high school athletes to step onto the podium at Seth Grove Stadium May 23 and 24 in the 100th anniversary of the state-wide competition.
After Bila’s gold medal performance on Friday, fellow Lancaster Catholic Crusader Gabe Hollenbacher cleared 13.6 feet in the boys’ 2A pole vault on Saturday to earn sixth place in the competition. It was the first statewide podium for Hollenbacher, who was this year’s District 3 champion with a vault of 14 feet.
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional senior Liv Kopitsky finished her high school career with another trip to the podium, throwing 39 feet, 3.5 inches in girls’ 2A shotput for a bronze medal. The performance caps an astounding high school career for Kopitsky, who previously placed eighth and tenth in states and is a District 4 and Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association indoor state championship in the sport.
(Pole vault and discus photos by Jen Reed, shotput photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
