After her sixth-place finish in the 100 at the PIAA State Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University, Hailey Jenkins was satisfied.

“I had a lot of fun at states this year,” beamed Jenkins. “I’ve accomplished everything that I wanted, and I also had a lot of fun with my teammates and coaches.”

A sophomore, Jenkins finished sixth in the 100 in a time of 12.34. She also was 16th in the preliminaries of the 200 in a time of 26.16. Her brother, Hammad, was 25th in the preliminaries of the 200 in a time of 23.27.

Hailey perceived she needed to work on her start, but she appreciated all of the moments.

“I’ve realized how lucky I was to be at states,” said Hailey. “Everyone there is so talented. I’ve also learned what I have to work on my start. Once I get a good block start, I think I’ll run even faster.

“I’m very excited to see what’s next for me in these two upcoming years.”

Hamaad also realized the significance of the event.

“My thought about states are positive because not many people in my district made it, but I did unexpectedly,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, everyone in the district is a very hard worker and a hard competitor.”

He also had the same situation as his sister.

“At states, I didn’t have the best block starts, which threw off my whole race and ended up with me not making the finals. After the race, I was a little bummed. But what can you do except think about the future and make sure my block start is the best it can be.

“I will be running at different meets with my friends who are all in the district, and that will be fun.”

Head coach Kyle Rusnock tried to put everything in perspective. The girls’ 4 x 400 relay team posted a 24th finish in a time of 4:25.55 in the preliminary heats.

“It was super exciting to see our athletes compete on the biggest stage in Pennsylvania,” gushed Rusnock. “I don’t think a lot of people realize how difficult it is to get to the state meet. There is so much talent, and it is awesome to watch.

“Hamaad was ready and ran a great race in the 200. He finished above his seed and got some good experience for the future.

“Hailey looked great and was able to compete with the best in the state. In her final heat, Hailey’s hard work and determination paid off. Needless to say, we coaches were so proud of everyone and to come away with a medal was the icing on the cake.”