SHIPPENSBURG – Of the 26 Class 3A girls who pole vaulted Friday at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Track and Field Championships, none soared higher than Abby Norwillo.

The Pittston Area junior earned a state silver medal by clearing 12-6 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

Only Carena Nottoli from Hatfield joined Norwillo in making that height, but Nottoli took the gold medal on a tiebreaker because she had fewer misses.

Norwillo needed to get over that height for just the second time – a dual meet at Crestwood was the first – in order to secure the second-place finish.

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“It was just exhilarating,” said Norwillo, who came into the meet seeded fourth after finishing second in District 2 behind state seventh-place finisher Madisyn Hawkins from Coughlin. “I knew I was capable. I did 12-6 at Crestwood in the middle of the season, but I haven’t made that height since. I was just at the end of the runway, thinking, ‘I’m just going to leave it all out here, give it 110 percent and whatever happens, happens.’

“It’s more about where you are mentally. It was a relief off my shoulders to know I’m on my way to doing my best.”

The state medal was the second for Norwillo, who was fourth a year ago.

“I had two good meets here and I still have another year left,” Norwillo said. “Last year, I didn’t have any expectations of myself. This time around, I wanted to keep that same attitude, and not worry about where I was seeded.”

Wyoming Area’s Vanessa Shedlock finished in the top half of the field in both of her events, also in Class 3A.

Shedlock finished 11th out of 27 in the 400-meter dash and 12th out of 19 in the triple jump. Her 400 time of 58.9 fell short of the eight spots in the finals. Shedlock triple jumped 36-7.

Pittston Area had athletes scheduled to compete in field events Saturday afternoon in Class 3A.

Taryn Ashby, who was ninth a year ago, is in the girls javelin. Paul Moska is in the boys high jump. Both of those events are scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.

Pittston Area junior Abby Norwillo earned a state silver medal by clearing 12-6 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_Track2.CMYK_-3.jpg.optimal.jpgPittston Area junior Abby Norwillo earned a state silver medal by clearing 12-6 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium. File photo | Sunday Dispatch

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For results on Pittston Area’s Taryn Ashby in the javelin and Paul Moska in the high jump Saturday afternoon in Shippensburg, go to psdispatch.com/sports.

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