It wasn’t hard for Manheim Central to find a volunteer to run the steeplechase. Julie Lindberg has been lobbying to try the event for years.
The senior was intrigued by the novelty of it. She, like everyone else, wanted to experience the water jump.
“Playing in puddles has been my favorite rainy day thing,” Lindberg said. “You can ask my teammates. I splash them a lot.”
This was Lindberg’s last chance to compete at the Cy Fritz Open, which is the only Lancaster County track and field meet to offer the quirky race.
Lindberg did more than enter the steeplechase. She won the girls 2,000-meter spectacle at Millersville’s Biemesderfer Stadium Friday. It was the first time she placed first in an individual event at an invitational.
2024 Cy Fritz Track and Field Open [photos]
Solano’s Olianna Oravitz, left, and McCaskey's Aasly DeLeon, right, compete in the girls 100 meter dash during the 16th Cy Fritz Track and Field Open at Millersville University’s Biemesderfer Stadium on Friday April 26, 2024.
The distance runner, who typically competes in the 1,600, 3,200 and 3,200 relay, came in with no expectations. She left with a lasting memory.
The steeplechase is sprinkled into a few meets across the state each season, typically when they take place at a university. Shippensburg’s Jack Roddick Invitational earlier this month is another District Three venue that offers it.
Runners must overcome several barriers as they run a little more than five laps around the track. One of those barriers features a water hazard on the other side.
Athletes from other events gathered along the fence so they could watch their teammates try to navigate this one-of-a-kind challenge. They pulled out their phones to capture the moment for posterity.
Some runners catapulted themselves off the top of the barrier and nearly cleared the water unscathed. Some lost their balance and became completely drenched.
Lindberg said only two of the 17 girls who entered the steeplechase had ever tried it before. Manheim Central’s senior looked like a pro. She barely touched the water each time the obstacle tested her.
“I didn’t seem to be too tired,” Lindberg said. “I think I could have gone faster for sure. But I had no idea how to pace it. I anticipated it being a lot harder.”
Manheim Township’s Luke Oles was inspired by watching one of his teammates attempt the hurdles. That’s how the sophomore ended up in the 22-man field for the boys race.
Oles said he was supposed to compete alongside teammate Devon Cleaveland, who had to drop out because of an injury. Oles still enjoyed the experience. Even the splash landing and the soaked shoes.
“You can definitely see all the people watching you run by,” Oles said as he changed his socks while sitting on the infield turf. “It really is a confidence booster if you can get over that and keep going.”
Solanco’s Dominic Arbogast decided to attempt the steeplechase after watching former teammate Joey Hartigan compete at Millersville two years ago.
Arbogast made a 30-minute trip from Quarryville earlier in the week for a 45-minute practice session with the barriers. Then he gave it his best shot. The junior said he wishes he could run the event two or three times per season. Every week might be a bit too much.
“It’s a slower race,” Arbogast said. “It’s not all about the times. Your mind’s not on the race really. It’s on the water and the hurdles.”
There were some lessons learned from this annual diversion to the track season. The barriers don’t have any give, so one false step can result in a painful fall, and the water is deeper than it looks.
Lindberg offered advice to those intrigued by the steeplechase.
“I definitely recommend anyone who wants to do it to go ahead and try,” she said. “It’s a lot of different events combined together and it’s really fun.”
Manheim Central's Julie Lindberg wins the girls 2000 meter steeplechase during the 16th Cy Fritz Track and Field Open at Millersville University’s Biemesderfer Stadium on Friday April 26, 2024.
Records fall
Solanco’s Olianna Oravitz set a Cy Fritz record when she reached 18-7.25 in the girls long jump. That ranks fifth in Lancaster-Lebanon League history and surpasses Penn Manor’s Kate Harnish for the No. 1 jump this season.
McCaskey’s Genesis Castro hit 139-2 in the girls discus. That ranks sixth all-time in the L-L and surpassed Niecy Houston’s school record of 133-10 set in 1981. Castro is No. 1 in the league, ahead of Lancaster Catholic’s Margaret Bila at 134-4.
