ALTOONA —
A year ago, Jayna Coyle seemed to surprise even herself when she qualified for the state track
and field championships in the triple jump.
She didn’t win the event at the District 6 Class AAA meet – the only way to make it automatically – but she got a distance good enough to go.
Thursday, the Somerset junior left nothing to chance. She topped the state qualifying mark by nearly a foot, and topped the field by a half inch, winning the gold medal and clinching her second trip to Shippensburg.
“I hit the qualifying mark a couple times before this, so I was hoping I’d make it,” Coyle said. “I was pretty confident I would.”
She is the only qualifier among the two local schools in the meet.
Johnstown’s last best hope, Tashauna Smith, led half the oval in the 400, but dropped off at the end, falling by less than a second to State College’s Chandley Book.
Smith also finished second in the 100, just two-tenths of a second off state qualifying time.
Coyle knows the road will get bumpier after this, and is already mapping out her strategy.
“(I need to) work really hard throughout the week, do all my drills,” she said. “My first phase is a little high, I’ll work on that.”
Coyle looked intense just in warm-ups, but was somewhat demure about her victory. Her triple jump distance – 37 feet, 31/2 inches – was a foot off her best of the season.
“I’m happy with it. I wanted to get more,” she said. “It’s OK, I’m going to states. I’ll try my best there.”
HS Sports Greater Johnstown
Somerset’s Coyle captures triple jump crown
- HS Sports Greater Johnstown
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Subich, Dell recognized for football
Greater Johnstown High School senior Nick Subich earned the Joe Sarra Community Service Award and took a Scholar Athlete Award at the recent Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet.
The Joseph D. Sarra Community Service Award is named for the long-time chapter board member and former Penn State assistant football coach. -
Johnstowners take football talents to top
Johnstown’s football tradition was on display at the highest professional levels in both the United States and Canada during 2012.
Greater Johnstown High School graduates LaRod Stephens-Howling and Geroy Simon made their marks in the NFL and CFL, respectively. Another former Trojans standout, Antwuan Reed, finished a four-year career at Pitt and signed with the NFL Cleveland Browns, attending preseason training camp before being released. -
Athlete of the Week: Roshon Fields
Name: Roshon Fields
School: Greater Johnstown
Year: Senior
Sport: Basketball -
Friday preview: Battle of unbeatens highlights slate
A battle of two 9-0, state-ranked teams highlights our weekly look at Friday-night matchups.
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Friday preview: Forest Hills concerned about Bishop Guilfoyle
Bishop Guilfoyle accomplished something not many believed possible during last week’s win against Cambria Heights. The Marauders significantly hampered the Highlanders’ high-powered run game.
Don’t be surprised if Bishop Guilfoyle’s blueprint for defensive success is copied by other members of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference when going against Cambria Heights. -
Richland, Johnstown look to tackle bullying
Two local school districts are banding together to stop bullying.
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VIDEO | Johnstown scripts win over Westmont
Greater Johnstown offensive lineman Mike Brooks lifts quarterback Deion Moore after Moore scored a touchdown during the Trojans’ 20-17 victory over Westmont Hilltop on Friday night.
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Friday preview: Somerset basking in football success
A few more signs saying “You’ve entered Golden Eagles Territory” align the streets of Somerset these days. There are a couple more people wearing Somerset football T-shirts at the grocery store.
Funny what a couple of decisive victories can do for a program and a community seeking to move past a couple decades of mostly losing seasons. -
No rest for Johnstown defense in gritty win
If Friday night’s football game between Central Cambria and Greater Johnstown were a prizefight, the card would have given the Red Devils a big edge in punches landed.
But it also would have credited Johnstown (1-1) with connecting on a couple of haymakers, enough to score a 15-6 decision at Trojan Stadium. -
Friday night preview: It's rivalry week for Bishop McCort, Forest Hills
As Forest Hills football coach Don Bailey put it, the rivalry between his Rangers and Bishop McCort has “been good since the early 1980s.”
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Subich, Dell recognized for football
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