PHOTO GALLERY | Central Cambria's Ethan Haycisak named 2A boys outstanding performer in Mountain Lions Classic

ALTOONA, Pa. – Central Cambria High School’s Ethan Haycisak won two long-distance runs and anchored the winning 3200-meter relay squad Friday at the Altoona Mountain Lion Track and Field Classic.

The Red Devils senior earned the Coach Bill Reimer Outstanding Performer Award in the Class 2A boys competition at Mansion Park.

PHOTO GALLERY | Altoona Mt.Lion Classic track & field meet

“It’s good to get some races against people you’re going to be seeing in the next couple of weeks,” Haycisak said of upcoming conference, district and state events. “This meet just really sets up everything for the next couple weeks. It really gets the gears going.”

The Mountain Lion Classic includes boys and girls competition in both Class 2A and 3A.

Haycisak joined Central Cambria teammates Joshua Bearer, Reed Takacs and Miles Doyle on the winning 3200 relay (8:19.6) at the outset of a nine-hour meet.

“To start off the day, the 4-by-800 went really well,” Haycisak said. “It was a good race. A lot of good drops (in time) from people we were looking for.

“We ended up winning for a second time this week with a really good time.”

Haycisak met individual goals in his next two races.

“The mile, I broke the 4:30 mark, and I’ve been working on that for a while now,” Haycisak said of a 4:29.79 finish.

“It felt really good to cross the line and see 4:29 on the board. It was a good race, good pacing from start to finish.”

He closed with another strong performance in the 3200 (9:29.42).

“The two-mile, it was a perfect pace job from Reed (Takacs),” Haycisak said of his Red Devils teammate who placed third. “It was a really fun race. I finally broke the 9:30 mark.”

Forest Hills senior Tyler Caron finished second in the 3200 at 9:40.36.

In 3A boys, Somerset Area sophomore Rodney Garwood placed first in the pole vault. Garwood cleared 14 feet on his first attempt and missed on three tries at 14-6.

“This is Rodney’s second year of pole vaulting at Somerset,” Golden Eagles coach J.R. Hemminger said. “He’s really come into his own this year. He’s been very consistent throughout the year. He started at 13-0, got up to 13-6 and PR’d at 13-7.

“He’s been consistently in that 13-6 range and has been looking forward to that 14-0 bar. The state qualifier is 14-3, so he either has to win the district meet or jump 14-3.”

In 2A, Westmont Hilltop junior Brock Bowles placed first in the 100 (11.15).

The Northern Cambria 400-meter relay squad of Levi Czar, Colton Brawley, Daniel Farrell and Zak Kirsch placed first in 44.06. The Colts’ Farrell won the triple jump (46-5).

In the field, Bishop Carroll Catholic’s Eli Cunningham had a winning long jump of 22-21/2.

United took the 2A boys’ 1600 relay (3:26.91) with the team of Matthew Beaver, Luke Shepler, Logan Lichenfels and Carter Payne.