Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

They’ve gone neck-and-neck for a couple of seasons now.

And the area’s two best girls pole vaulters will try to one-up one another again in a famed area meet that should help prepare them for much higher stakes to come over the next few weeks.

Returning state medalist Abby Norwillo of Pittston Area and defending District 2 champion Madisyn Hawkins of Coughlin are set to compete in the annual James Cross Wilkes-Barre Invitational, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Plains Solomon Complex.

“You get some friendly competition,” said Coughlin coach Paul McGrane, “with (Wyoming) Valley West, Meyers, Coughlin, GAR. It’s the only time some of us get to run against each other. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

Coughlin’s Hawkins is coming off an exhilarating victory in the high school division of the prestigious Penn Relays, where she edged Pittston Area’s Norwillo — who placed second in that event 10 days ago.

Hawkins also bested Norwillo for last year’s District 2 Class 3A pole vault title. Yet, in the biggest showdown yet between the two star vaulters, Norwillo finished with a sixth-place PIAA Class 3A medal last season, while Hawkins was left out of the state finals.

They’re seeded first and second for Saturday’s meet, with Hawkins coming in at No. 1 with a season best height of 12-7.5 and Norwillo right behind at 12-3.5.

“It’s very friendly,” McGrane said of the competition between the two. “Those girls help each other. They just want to see each other go higher and higher.”

McGrane noted both also train together at the Hudson Valley Vaulting Club in New York.

“But I know they want to beat each other,” McGrane said, “and hit their best jumps. But they’re always rooting for each other.”

Area fans will have plenty to root for at the Cross Invitational.

It starts with the hurdles, where Ron Sepkoski of Coughlin and Nazir Dunell of Meyers will square off in the 110 boys race and Autumn Kaminski of Holy Redeemer and Shelby Stackhouse of Wyoming Area get to decide who is faster in the girls 100. Neither of them had a chance to test each other this season, while competing in different divisions of the WVC.

Then there’s the team tests that don’t often occur during regular-season meets.

Who’s the fastest Valley West runner in the boys 400 dash, Ray Richard or Mitchell Forgash?

Who is the real speed demon at Coughlin in the 100 sprints, Jordan Austin or Rafael McCoy?

We’ll get to find out as those runners are all among the top two in those events.

“And the four-by-four (1600 relay) should be a nice race,” McGrane said. “Pittston Area, Coughlin, Meyers and Wyoming Area have real good teams. Those teams will be within a tenth of a second of each other, boys and girls.”

The event is also one of the final chances athletes will have to qualify for the District 2 championships, which will be held May 15 and 16. The field is expected to include 15 teams from Northeastern Pennsylvania and organizers plan to start it, rain or shine, since it would be difficult to find another date for the race before districts.

“I don’t think we could,” McGrane said. “Everybody’s running on Monday. We’re just hoping for the weather to cooperate. If it is a nice day, people will be coming out.”

For other sports stories, click here.

Pittston Area pole vaulter Abby Norwillo, who won a state medal in the event last season, will get another chance to compete against her good friend Madisyn Hawkins of Coughlin during Saturday’s Cross Invitational at the Plains Soloman Complex.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_track2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgPittston Area pole vaulter Abby Norwillo, who won a state medal in the event last season, will get another chance to compete against her good friend Madisyn Hawkins of Coughlin during Saturday’s Cross Invitational at the Plains Soloman Complex. Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader

Coughlin’s Madisyn Hawkins, coming off her pole vault victory in last week’s Penn Relays, tries to defend her title in the event at the Cross Invitational on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_track7.jpg.optimal.jpgCoughlin’s Madisyn Hawkins, coming off her pole vault victory in last week’s Penn Relays, tries to defend her title in the event at the Cross Invitational on Saturday. Michael Bupp file photo | For Times Leader

By Paul Sokoloski

[email protected]

Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski