If you were to write a script for the perfect ending to a track
and field season, this has to be it.

Just ask Bradford High’s Erin Hannon and coach Larry
Stillman.

Hannon became a two-time gold medalist, Sarah Lonzi won a fifth
place medal and the Lady Owls were crowned co-champions at the PIAA
Class AAA track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg
University.

Hannon won the triple jump with a leap of 39’7 3/4″ to conclude
her senior season.

On Friday, she won the high jump (5’7″) to become the first gold
medalist in Lady Owls’ track and field history. Also Saturday,
Hannon placed fifth in the 100 hurdles (14.98, personal best).

Meantime, Lonzi was fifth in the 3200 (10:59.01, school
record).

“I wanted to medal in all four events – high jump, long jump,
triple jump and 100 hurdles – and win one gold,” Hannon said Sunday
night from State College where she was competing in a volleyball
tournament. “I left there with two gold medals so it was pretty
exciting.”

Hannon, 18, had a feeling the weekend would be successful after
winning a gold medal Friday.

“Winning the high jump Friday was great,” Hannon said. “The long
jump went as well as I expected (6th place). Winning the triple
jump capped it all off.”

The Lady Owls tied for first place with Strath Haven in team
scoring with 31 points.

“Winning the team award was amazing,” Hannon admitted. “We
couldn’t have done it without Sarah Lonzi.”

Stillman was thrilled with the results.

“We went to the state meet to do our best and to compete with
the best teams and athletes in the state,” he said. “All year long
we have been working toward this weekend.

“We went to many tough invitationals to try to be ready for
this. We are so happy for our kids, program, district and community
to be able to achieve this.

“The new track facility that we had this year – thanks to the
board, superintendent Sandy Romanowski and athletic director Tim
Walter – really helped. We were able to do the quality workouts we
needed to do. We had very few injuries and the kids were ready to
go.

“What a way to finish a career for Erin. She won her first gold
medal in the high jump Friday and placed sixth in the long jump. On
Saturday she raced her way into the 100 hurdle finals for the first
time. She really wanted that medal. She has worked so hard for four
years to earn it. In the finals she had her personal best race and
placed fifth.

“In the triple jump the state was treated to a great
competition. Erin was up against her friend Rachel Gehret of
Altoona. They traded the lead with Erin finally going ahead in the
finals. It was exciting to watch and I know it was hard for them to
do being such close friends. It shows their quality as competitors
that they were able to rise to the occasion the way they did.”

Hannon leaves Bradford High with 10 state indoor medals
including two golds, eight outdoor medals including two golds and
four indoor national medals including a national title in the high
jump.

“She is the most focused and prepared athlete you will ever
see,” Stillman declared. “You don’t have to tell her what she needs
to do. She knows what she has to do and will go out every time to
win. No athlete in school history has done what she has
achieved.

“It has been an honor to coach this great athlete and wonderful
young lady. She will be missed but never forgotten.”

Lonzi’s performance was impressive as well.

“Sarah ran the race of her life in the 3200,” Stillman pointed
out. “She was determined to break 11 minutes and to win her first
medal and she did it. She went out fast and raced right up front.
In the last lap she dug down deep and sprinted in with a great
finish. She earned the first distance medal in school history. She
set two records this weekend in the 1600 and 3200.

“What can you say about Sarah and Erin? They are such great
athletes and competitors. They finished third in the state indoor
meet together. Sarah is quiet but determined. She is still learning
every time she races. She wants to be the best and is willing to
pay the price to do it. She is such a nice young lady. We are
blessed to have her for two more years.”

Commenting on the team title, Stillman said, “We are humbled by
this. To be the co-state champions with a great Strath Haven team
is beyond our wildest dreams. You always dare to think that maybe
something like this is possible. Early in the year after an
invitational I told the girls there were only two titles I wanted –
districts and states. They didn’t laugh. We worked hard all year
and it happened.

“The performances to earn this were the done by the athletes and
we are in their debt. There are many people to thank. First, I want
to thank all the girls on our team for their hard work and
dedication.

“We have a great team that is very young. We will be back next
year ready to go again. I also want to thank the parents. The
parents of our athletes are so supportive of their kids. I am
pleased to see the way they support them no matter what.

“I want to thank my assistant coaches – Greg Ambuske, Bob
Macfarlane and Mark Kelley. Greg worked with the field crew and Bob
and Mark put together a great distance program. They worked so hard
and are loyal and dedicated. They did a lot of the work getting the
girls ready and it sure paid off.

“I want to thank our boys coaches – Tom Tessena, Scott Mealy and
Bart Simpson – as well as our junior high coaches Melissa Longo and
Natalie Marasco. They were always willing to help the girls and had
great seasons in their own right. I am happy to see our boys 1600
relay win a medal. We also got great advice from our good friends
at Erie McDowell – Joe Sanford, Doug Stratton and Randy Gunther.
Our trainer John Eaton did a great job keeping us in one piece and
we would have been lost without him.

“I’d like to thank our athletic director Tim Walter and his
secretary Julie DeGolier for getting us into the competitions we
needed and our Principal Ken Coffman and Superintendent Mrs.
Romanowski for their support. And I can’t forget our fans who have
followed us for years. We look up in the stands and they are there
and we appreciate it. I also want to thank our booster club. And
last but not least our long suffering wives and families. It has
been a long climb but we finally reached the top.

“On behalf of my assistant coaches we are thankful and in awe of
the efforts of these two young ladies who won this title.”

Also competing for the Lady Owls at the state meet were district
champions Chloe Nickel and Tricia Copeland.

Hannon, who will attend Nebraska in the fall, is looking forward
to graduation and some rest.

“I’m going to relax and enjoy the summer before I leave (for
classes Aug. 21),” she said.