By Hannah Christopher, Running Editor, The Times
Unionville’s Kacie Breeding and coach Mark Lacianca (file photo, courtesy milesplit.com) head into this week’s District One track meet at Coatesville with high hopes after winning the Ches-Mont League meet last week.
This week, the Unionville boys and girls track team head to Coatesville for the district 1 track meet (Friday and Saturday May 20-21) to see who qualifies for the State Championship meet the following week at Shippensburg University.
The girls squeaked out a team victory last week at the Ches-Mont League Champs despite Coach Mark Lacianca holding some of the girls out of events to keep them healthy for districts. Kacie Breeding a senior, headed to Vanderbilt in the fall won the 1600 meter race in a blazing 4:55. She set a school record, breaking her friend Courtney Smith’s record, and a new Ches Mont League record. Her splits were 73, 73, 74 and a 75. Anne Juul ran the 800 and won in a 2:14 and the girls 4 by 800 won in 9:36 with Juul running the anchor. Samantha Pancoast also a senior won the javelin following in her sisters footsteps at being a great star at the field events.
For Unionville Boys they had a champion in Kent Hall who ran a 4:23 for the 1600 meter run. He should be one to watch later this week at the District 1 meet at Coatesville.
Breeding originally was a soccer, basketball and lacrosse athlete but eventually running won her over and she has excelled ever since at the sport. Kacie recognizes that in running you get out of it what you put into it. There are no politics. You are as fast as you are, and no one will be sitting you on the bench. It is completely objective and this is is coming from a mother writing this who has three boys who played sports where there is a bench or worse yet cuts.
Breeding and Juul along with all of the track members at UHS have benefitted from a coach (Mark Lacianca) who is knowledgeable and has a history of resting his athletes and not overtraining them so that they do not get injured. And most importantly he knows when to get them to peak at the right time. Not during a dual meet during the season, but at the District meet where it counts and gets you to the States. To follow how local athletes do this week go to Pennxc.com
In other running news, the Kennett Run took place last Saturday on a sunny morning…no rain it seemed like for the first time in about three weeks.. and a terrific turn out of runners and walkers. (1300) Paul Springer, former Unionville State Champion(2007) won the 5k in 16:41 and he is now 28 years old and his wife Kari Springer won the 10 k for the females in a 38:34. I see some state champions in their future if there is any offspring!
At Patton Middle School, a 7th grade girl Josie Cicchino, one of four athletes from the family set a new middle school record in the mile with a 5:32. Congratulations to her and she will be fun to watch in high school.
Lastly did you know for the fun runners/joggers who go up to the high school in off hours there is track etiquette to be followed? Faster runners who are doing intervals always get lane one. Walkers go to the outside and joggers stay in lane 2 or 3. If you are throwing around a football, lacrosse ball or any other type -do it in the middle of the field away from the runners. Take your water bottles home with you and do not forget your sweatshirts you have hung over the fence.
