The Emmaus boys track team showed resilience and persistence during last week’s District 11 Class 3A track and field championships held at Whitehall High School as athletes were vying to perform well enough to reach this week’s state championship meet at Shippensburg University.

Earning a trip to the Ship was AJ Hurlburt, who won the pole vault with a 14 foot, 3 inch effort. Hurlburt, a junior, has been a consistent winner all season. The win is Hurlburt, who is seeded seventh for the state championship pole vault, won his second straight district title in the event. Last season he cleared 13-6 for the win. Hornet teammate Tyler Grabinski took third place in pole vault at districts.

Other Hornets who offered strong performances were Blaise Verrastro, who won bronze in the 400-meters. High jumper Lucian Freeman took sixth in the high jump and Tyler Grabinski finished third in the pole vault.

Long jumper Kyle Moore, a sophomore, provided Emmaus fans not only with stellar performances - third-place finishes in the long and triple jumps - but provided a glimpse into his future potential.

The 4x800-meter relay team also showcased its abilities with a second-place ranking, good enough to advance to states. The 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter teams also had good showings, taking fifth in each race. Conor Fisher finished in 10th place in the 3,200-meter run, while Ethan Strzempek took 11th.

Emmaus coach Kami Reinhard earlier this season placed track and field into perspective.

“The beauty of track and field is that this sport brings so many student athletes together from many different walks of life,” she said. “We have a few basketball players, swimmers, football players, soccer players, cross country athletes, field hockey players, cheerleaders, and some who are solely dedicated to track and field. The magic is bringing them all together working as one.”

The PIAA Track and Field Championships are set for May 27.