Zaza, Benninghoff repeat at district meet

Wellington Zaza and Amanda Benninghoff have been two of the area's preeminent track and field athletes all season. Nothing changed Friday when they repeated as champions on Day 1 of the PIAA District 1 meet at Coatesville.

Zaza, a senior at Garnet Valley, sailed 48 feet, 6 inches in the Class AAA boys' triple jump to top the second-place effort of 47-03/4 by North Penn's Jared Alston.

Benninghoff, a Council Rock South senior bound for North Carolina, cleared 12-31/2 in the Class AAA girls' pole vault. Kennett's Brittany Plummer finished second at 11-6.

Zaza has a chance to add to his haul. He also qualified as the top seed for Saturday's finals in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

Several other athletes also reclaimed their crowns from last year. Chris Stone of Springfield (Montco) improved his toss in the Class AA javelin from last spring by more than 26 feet, heaving it 187-7.

Also winning back-to-back titles were Bristol's Kieran Greenfield in the Class AA boys' shot put (48-71/4, Michaela Hollister of Villa Joseph Marie in the Class AA girls' high jump (5-0), and St. Basil's Katie Cassidy in the Class AA girls' long jump (17-43/4).

St. Basil teammate Sheila Plunkett won the AA girls' discus (101-1).

1. Wellington Zaza, Garnet Valley, 48-6; 2. Jared Alston, North Penn, 47-0 3/4; 3. William Royal, Coatesville, 46-1; 4. Chris Spadaro, Council Rock South, 45-7 1/4; 5. Melik Rocgesrer, Kennett, 44-11.

Discus: 1. Dylan Morgan, Coatesville, 165-1; 2. Darrik Muroski, Coatesville, 163-10; 3. Brandon Waller, Haverford, 162-05; 4. Paul Sommerville, Cheltenham, 153-5; 5. Andrew Varichione, Quakertown, 147-8.

CLASS AAA GIRLS

High jump: 1. Claudine Andre, Upper Darby, 5-5; 2. Sammy Lochner, Abington, 5-4; 3. Shannon Taub, Council Rock South, 5-4; 4. Victoria Matthews, Abington, 5-4; 5. Rachel Nowoswiat, Penncrest, 5-4.

Pole vault: 1. Amanda Benninghoff, Council Rock South, 12-3 1/2; 2. Brittany Plummer, Kennett, 11-6; 3. Moriah Fitzgerald, Avon Grove, 11-6; 4 (tie). Alyssa Sniechoski, Oxford, 11-0; 4 (tie). Kristin Beatty, Methacton, 11-0.

Long jump: 1. Holly Sullivan, Owen J. Roberts, 18-10 1/4; 2. Ariana Przybylowski, Pennridge, 18-1 1/4; 3. Aghina Marshall, Methacton, 18-1 1/4; 4. Kim Lapczynski, Unionville, 18-1 1/4; 5. Claudine Andre, Upper Darby, 17-9 1/4.

Shot put: 1. Taylor Hojnacki, Central Bucks South, 40-6 1/2; 2. Macey Tanesco, Perkiomen Valley, 40-1; 3. Tyra Roberts, Bensalem, 40 3/4; 4. Erin Sample, Nazareth Academy, 38-8 3/4; 5. Elizabeth Forcellini, Gwynedd Mercy, 38-6 1/2.

Javelin: 1. Cait Mautz, Central Bucks West, 144-07; 2. Ella Fox, Pennridge, 131-11; 3. Jenny Martin, Methacton, 125-1; 4. Heather Homola, Oxford, 123-5; 5. Marley Golato, Pope John Paul II, 122-2.

CLASS AA BOYS

Triple jump: 1. Aondofa Anyam, Church Farm, 42-9; 2. Ryan Schwarz, Lower Moreland, 42-4; 3. Matt Gallagher, Lower Moreland, 38-6; 4. Michael Mohamed, Church Farm, 37-7 1/2.

Shot put: 1. Kieran Greenfield, Bristol, 48-7 1/4; 2. Kemarni Munroe, Church Farm, 45-5; 3. Mlynue Reeves, Church Farm, 44.

Javelin: 1. Chris Stone, Springfield-Mont., 187-7; 2. Marcus Pereira, Church Farm, 142-6.

CLASS AA GIRLS

High jump: 1. Michaela Hollister, Villa Joseph Marie, 5-0; 2. Lauren Anderson, Christopher Dock, 5-0; 3. Jackie Hawkins, Delco Christian, 4-10; 4. Keyen Green, Phil-Mont Christian, 4-10; 5. Tiara Demetrius, Christopher Dock, 4-10.

Pole vault: 1. Niki Clements, Christopher Dock, 8-0.

Long jump: 1. Katie Cassidy, St. Basil, 17-4 3/4; 2. Bailey Kratz, Christopher Dock, 17-0; 3. Annelise, St. Basil, 16-4 1/4; 4. Jamie Givnish, Lower Moreland, 15-11 1/2; 5. Cassidy Foxhoven, Delco Christian, 15-11 1/2.

Discus: 1. Sheila Plunkett, St. Basil, 101-1; 2. Jana Goodman, Phil-Mont Christian, 98-9; 3. Kereece Seuren, Christopher Dock, 98-7; 4. Olivia Onal, Bristol, 96-2; 5. Kiersten Moylan, St. Basil, 92-7.