It seems like a very long time ago, especially to a high school senior.

But it was only a bit over two years ago that Salisbury’s Melena Koutch was already one of the best high jumpers in the state. At the time she still had over two seasons remaining in her high school career.

An injury ended her sophomore year in 2019. A pandemic wiped out everyone’s 2020 season.

Koutch had one chance left to win a Colonial League championship and she did just that. With a high jump of 5 feet, 1 inch, she took first place last week at the league championship meet at Bangor Memorial Park.

“The Colonial League has never been as competitive as it is right now [in girls high jump],” said Koutch. “I was definitely nervous coming in knowing this many girls are able to jump over 5 feet. My PR was 5-3 coming in. It wasn’t my best meet but it got me the win.”

Four other Salisbury High School athletes also picked up medals at the league championships.

Tyson Utesch earned gold with a pole vault of 12 feet. Hunter Bleam finished second in high jump and third in shot put to take home a pair of medals. Quintin Stephens had a pair of third-place finishes in jumping events, while Giovanni Hines ran to third place in the 100-meter dash.

Koutch, who had cleared 5-3 in a meet against Southern Lehigh two weeks ago, was one of six jumpers who entered Colonial League Championships seeded at 5-1 or higher. Only two cleared 5-1 at the league meet, with Koutch beating Trinity Williams (5-1) based on clearing in an earlier attempt.

Koutch, a senior who qualified for states as a freshman in triple jump, had the top high jump mark in the state early in her sophomore year when she cleared 5-4. An ACL tear ended her season and kept her out of her junior basketball season.

The pandemic shut down everyone’s season last year, but Koutch, who will jump at Lebanon Valley College next year, was able to return for her senior basketball season this winter.

A bout with COVID-19 slowed the early part of her track season, and when she got back to the jumping pit she wasn’t satisfied with the results so she made a major change nearly halfway through her final high school season, changing her take off leg from her left to right. After three weeks of working on her form, she’s ready to clear new heights.

“This is my last year,” she said. “I have to do my best at every meet I’m at.

“Right now I’m seeded tied for second in districts, but I beat all the girls in the district above me. I’m just hoping to get a good jump in next week to be able to make it to states. It’s definitely been a challenge coming off injury and with covid. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do and accomplish.”

Utesch won the pole vault by clearing 12-0, which was six inches higher than the second-place finisher.

“I’ve only been over 12 feet two other times so its nice to see I’m kind of consistent there now,” Utesch said. “I’m really happy after [at leagues]. It definitely was a confidence booster. I wanted to medal here but districts I really want to win and get to states.”

In his junior season Utesch said he’s seen the team progress to one with a bright future.

“My freshman year it was really like a social sport,” he said. “But now we have a lot of kids and upperclassmen who are coming to practice every day. They’re pushing me, maybe not in this event but in other events.”

He will be the top seed for the District 11 Class 2A Championships, which will be held Tuesday at Blue Mountain High School in Orwigsburg.

Bleam was the Falcons’ biggest point-earner at leagues, helping the team to a sixth-place finish in the boys team standings.

Bleam took second place in boys high jump at 6-1, grabbed third place in shot put at 41-10.25, and finished seventh in discus at 111-0. He also came in 10th in triple jump, but missed out on earning points by two places.

Bleam is one of three Class 2A high jumpers seeded at 6-3 for districts.

Of all Salisbury’s district qualifiers, Hines has to be the most eager to see seedings. Having run against mostly Class 3A competition at leagues, Hines will be the top seed in the 100 at districts and among the top five in 200.

He was pleased with his finish in the 100 last week with a time of 11.39, but knows he can go even faster.

“I’m extremely happy but I feel like I could have done better and got second place maybe,” he said. “I feel like I’ve just got to push myself harder and try to beat the next guy in front of me.”

Stephens hit his best long jump of the season at 20-1 1/4 to take third place. He hit another big leap in the triple jump, going 40-8 1/4 after coming in seeded at 40-1 1/4 to finish less than a foot behind winner Jake Benner of Palisades at 41-4 1/2.

Stephens said Salisbury jumping coach Dan Reichenbach “has been pushing me a lot this year. I definitely wanted to win a medal one time before I left and graduated.”

The Falcons were back in action at Tuesday’s district meet. See next week’s press for more about the district meet.

COLONIAL LEAGUE

TRACK AND FIELD

CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOYS

TEAM SCORES

1. Southern Lehigh (SL) 167.5, 2. Wilson (W) 96, 3. Pen Argyl (PA) 91, 4. Palisades (Pali) 66.5, 5. Palmerton (Palm) 65, 6. Salisbury (Sal) 55, 7. Northwestern (NW) 51, 8. Bangor (B) 29, 9. Notre Dame Green Pond (NDGP) 27, 10. Saucon Valley (SV) 26, 11. Catasauqua (Cat) 20, 12. Northern Lehigh (NL) 7.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

3200 – 1. Alexander Kane (SL) 10:07.38, 2. Cole Chukoskie (NW) 10:20.94, 3. Owen Hibell (Palm) 10:25.99; Long jump – 1. Jacob Fauzio (SL) 20-5.5, 2. Jake Benner (Pali) 20-5.5, 3. Quentin Stephens (Sal) 20-1.25; Javelin – 1. Zach Morro (PA) 176-4, 2. Dorian Hoagland (Cat), 3. Brody Muniz (Palm) 153-4; Shot put – 1. Josh Meshach (W) 46-2, 2. Zach Morro (PA), 3. Hunter Bleam (Sal); 3200 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 8:18.40, 2. Notre Dame Green Pond, 3. Pen Argyl, Northwestern 8:37.54; High jump – 1. Jacob Fauzio (SL) 6-1, 2. Hunter Bleam (Sal) 6-1, 3. Lucas Maggipinto (PA) 6-1; Pole vault – 1. Tyson Utesch (Sal) 12-0, 2. Taylor LaBarre (PA), 3. Corlan Wood (Palm) 11-6, 8. Kyle Artis (Sal) 8-6; 110H – 1. Jonathan Perloni (Palm) 16.06, 2. Maxwell Pristas (SL), 3. Jatden Ofray (W), 15. Jairo Suarez (Sal) 18.91, 18. Jack Monahan (Sal) 19.33; 100 – 1. Damon Simpson (W) 10.74*, 2. Zakai Hendricks (W), 3. Giovanni Hines (Sal); 1600 – 1. Matt Chaikowski (SV) 4:25.98, 2. Dominik Lisicky (SL), 3. Alexander Kane (SL); 400 relay – 1. Wilson 43.44, 2. Southern Lehigh, 3. Northwestern 45.82, 6. Salisbury (Giovanni Hines, Quintin Stephens, Kyle Artis, Noah Kichline) 46.82; 400 – 1. Gabe Lawler (B) 51.72, 2. Aiden Tobin (SL), 3. Alec Di Cesare (SL), 20. Noah Kichline (Sal) 59.22; Discus – 1. Max Mueller (W) 139-5, 2. Zach Morro (PA), 3. Owen Buck (Palm) 123-2; 300H – 1. Maxwell Pristas (SL 43.09, 2. Jayden Ofray (W), 3. Jonathan Perloni (Palm) 43.50, 18. Jack Monahan (Sal) 48.45; 800 – 1. Chase Hensinger (SL) 1:57.91, 2. Josh Deremer (PA), 3. Anthony Clinton (SL); 200 – 1. Damon Simpson (W) 22.50, 2. Aiden Tobin (SL) 23.11, 3. Alexander Lyon (SL) 23.43, 6. Giovanni Hines (Sal) 24.65; Triple jump - 1. Jake Benner (Pali) 41-4.5, 2. Kody Kratzer (Palm) 41-3.25, 3. Quentin Stephens (Sal); 1600 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 3:34.56, 2. Palisades, 3. Bangor.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES

1. Southern Lehigh (SL) 162.5, 2. Palisades (Pali) 153, 3. Northwestern (NW) 73, 4. Pen Argyl (PA) 72, 5. Notre Dame Green Pond (NDGP) 61, 6. Palmerton (Palm) 39.5, 7. Northern Lehigh (NL) 39, 8. Wilson (W) 34, 9. Bangor (B) 27, 10. Saucon Valley (SV) 21, 11. Salisbury (Sal) 10, 12. Catasauqua (Cat) 9.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

3200 – 1. Sarah Pezzino (PA) 11:43.39, 2. Emma Szydlow (SV), 3. Alaina Patel (SL); High jump – 1. Melena Koutch (Sal) 5-1, 2. Trinity Williams (Pali), 3. Paige Casterline (Pali); Discus – 1. Hailey Evans (NL) 102-10, 2. Delaney Hilferty (Pali), 3. Marilyn Dergham (NDGP); Pole vault – 1. Mackenzie Reffle (SL) 9-0, 2. Ana Recker (Palm) 8-6, 2. Ashley Hass (NW) 8-6; 3200 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 10:05.75, 2. Palisades, 3. Notre Dame Green Pond;

Triple jump – 1. Trinity Williams (Pali) 35-7, 2. Emma Christman (Palm) 32-6, 3. Lucia Brunton-Dardaris (Pali), 17. Brooke Bleam (Sal) 26-6.5;

Javelin – 1. Katelyn Shoemaker (Pali) 119-4, 2. Caitlyn Miller (NW) 116-7, 3. Katya Hoover (PA); 100H – 1. Faith Yost (NW) 16.32, 2. Skye Porter (Pali), 3. Morgan Magditch (Pali); 100 – 1. Madison Trout (SL) 12.5, 2. Marley Chase (SL), 3. Jocelyn Smith (W), 13. Katherine Medina (Sal) 13.8;

1600 – 1. Sarah Pezzino (PA) 5:30.69, 2. Emily Stock (SL), 3. Alaina Patel (SL); 400 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 50.62, 2. Wilson, 3. Palisades;

400 – 1. Delaney Porter (PA) 1:00.92, 2. Lauren Bower (NDGP), 3. Lauren Schellhammer (NW) 1:02.63, 23. Sophia Ascani (Sal) 1:10.52;

Shot put – 1. Delaney Hilferty (Pali) 33-0.5, 2. Hailey Evans (NL) 32-11.5, 3. Paige Sevrain (NW) 30-2; 300H – 1. Faith Yost (NW) 49.17, 2. Melissa Shunk (W), 3. Ellianna Wallbillich (PA); 800 – 1. Autumn Garges (SL) 2:28.26, 2. Amelia Smith (Pali), 3. Carina Schell (SL); 200 – 1. Madison Trout (SL) 26.21, 2. Marley Chase (SL), 3. Jocelyn Smith (W), 21. Katherine Medina (Sal) 29.49; 1600 relay – 1. Notre Dame Green Pond 4:17.66, 2. Palisades, 3. Northwestern 4:21.21; Long jump - Trinity Williams (Pali) 15-7, 2. Emma Christman (Palm) 15-1, 3. Paige Casterline (Pali) 14-10.25, 17. Brooke Bleam (Sal) 12-7.25.