Frank Miller got a good indication of where Jim Thorpe’s track and field program stood coming out of Saturday’s Bruce Dallas Invitational at Cumberland Valley High School.

The Olympians gave their head coach an even better idea of their standing Tuesday with school records, personal bests and two impressive victories.

Jim Thorpe swept Tamaqua to open its Schuylkill League slate, with the boys posting an 89-61 victory and the girls coming away with a 85-65 win.

“We don’t have many of them on either side, but they work, they listen and when they get an opportunity to perform, they come out and perform,” Miller said.

While it was their second competition of the season, Miller said it was only the team’s fourth time on a track this year due to work being done at Jim Thorpe’s stadium.

The majority of the track workouts have taken place on the school’s turf field, though some have been held in the parking lot or in the grass.

“It’s been an adventure in creativity, but I think at the end of it, we have an appreciation for when we get to compete,” said Miller. “And as a coaching staff I think it’s going to make us better because we have to be creative in workouts to prepare kids for what’s to come.”

The Olympians looked ready against the Blue Raiders.

Lydia Wallace, A.J. Bailor and Kaila O’Connor all set new school records.

Wallace raced to a win in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.01, topping a mark previously set by Devon Matz.

“That’s a goal that I’ve been chasing and working for the past year over quarantine,” said Wallace, who also won the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.6. “I’m just so happy that we’re all out here competing, and doing great.”

Wallace, the 2019 TN/LVHN Female Track Athlete of the Year, was sixth in the 300 hurdles at states as a sophomore.

“I was kind of nervous about going into the first meet with an invite and a lot of competition,” Wallace said. “But being able to see that I’m with the competition and I’m right there really helps my confidence going into the season, and dual meets like this. I know what I can do.”

Bailor has embraced the early season competition.

After winning the shot put Saturday with a mark of 51-4.5, he threw down a 55-5 to win the event and set the school record Tuesday.

“I only got three throws today,” said Bailor. “Normally at an invite you get six, so to be able to do that with only three throws is exciting.”

Bailor was a runner-up to teammate William Munson in the District 11 Class 2A shot put in 2019, and has committed to continue his track and field career at Division I Monmouth University.

The senior also won the discus with a throw of 112-2.

Wallace, like Bailor, will be continuing her track and field career at a Division I program at Rider University.

O’Connor is still a few years away from making any college choices, but the freshman’s record-setting time of 12.69 in the 100 showed she has a bright future.

She also won the 200 with a time of 27.06.

Thorpe’s David Richards posted personal bests in two events, winning the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.76, and placing first in the high jump, clearing 6-0.

Richards had cleared 5-11 in the high jump at leagues as a freshman.

“They’re two of the most technique-focused events on the track,” Richards said of the high jump and hurdles. “And high jump specifically, it really affects your psyche ... because you know what you’re up against.

“(Clearing) 6-0 has been in my head for a while. I missed my first attempt at it, just by a little bit. But I was able to shake it off, and to get over it was a great feeling.”

Chris Condly ­­- who was second in the high jump to Richards at 5-10 - won the triple jump (36-6) and the 300 hurdles (47.13) for Thorpe, while Salvatore Capria picked up wins in the 100 (12.01) and 200 (24.92).

Caprice Lynch earned valuable points for the Olympians with victories in the high jump (4-10) and triple jump (29-9).

Grace Stegemerten ran to wins in the 1600 (6:06) and 800 (2:36.66) for the Blue Raiders.

“We know it’s the beginning of the season, but track always seems to end before it starts,” said Stegemerten. “So I knew we had to come out and push it.

“I just want to run as hard as I can throughout the season. We have a lot of good competition, so I just want to stick with them and work with them,”

Tuesday was a great opportunity for both programs to take another step closer to where they want to be at the end of the season.

“There were big improvements from last week to this week,” said Tamaqua head coach Tom Kanger. “You can really see the kids are getting the spark back in their eyes.”

THROWING DOWN

... Tamaqua’s Kaziah Streisel won both the javelin (107-7) and shot put (31-9.5), while Nathan Hope helped the Raiders sweep the javelin, winning the boys’ event with a throw of 142-0.

BOYS

Jim Thorpe 89, Tamaqua 61

3200 relay - 1. Tamaqua (Tait Ehrig, Andrew Fiorilla, Brady Sherry, Tyler Steigerwalt) 9:12.82; 110H - 1. David Richards (JT) 16.76, 2. Alexander Nattress (T), 3. Jacob Basrawl (T); 100 - 1. Salvatore Capria (JT) 12.01, 2. Cameron Lewis (T), 3. Love Ortiz (T); 1600 - 1. Tyler Steigerwalt (T) 5:06.83, 2. Ryan Bailor (JT), 3. Jordan Remmel (JT); 400 relay - 1. Jim Thorpe (David Fiorito, Ja’Dier Smith, Salvatore Capria, Aiden Clements) 47.41; 400 - 1. Cameron Lewis (T) 57.19, 2. Andrew Coolbaugh (JT), 3. Brady Sherry (T); 300H - 1. Christopher Condly (JT) 47.13, 2. Jacob Basrawi (T), 3. Alexander Nattress (T); 800 - 1. Ridge Snyder (JT) 2:15.04, 2. Tait Ehrig (T), 3. Christopher Strika (JT); 200 - 1. Salvatore Capria (JT) 24.92, 2. Ja’Dier Smith (JT), 3. Sean Wall (T); 3200 - 1. Ryan Bailor (JT) 12:05.60, 2. Jordan Remmel (JT), 3. Jessie Gormley (T); 1600 relay - 1. Jim Thorpe (Benjamin Seachrist, Ja’Dier Smith, Aiden Clements, Christopher Strika) 3:53.83; High jump - 1. David Richards (JT) 6-0, 2. Christopher Condly (JT), 3. Harry Swinehart (T); Pole vault - 1. Aiden Clements (JT) 9-6, 2. Cole Ackerman (T), 3. Tegan Devlin (T); Long jump - 1. Harry Swinehart (T) 17-7.25, 2. David Fiorito (JT), 3. Luke Verta (T); Triple jump - 1. Christopher Condly (JT) 34-6, 2. David Fiorito (JT), 3. Luke Verta (T); Discus - 1. A.J. Bailor (JT) 112-2, 2. Jacob Wasserleben (T), 3. Toby Berg (T); Javelin - 1. Nathan Hope (T) 142-0, 2. Alexander Barron (T), 3. Brett Balliet (JT); Shot put

- 1. A.J. Bailor (JT) 55-5, 2. Toby Berg (T), 3. Luca Cammarota (T).

GIRLS

Jim Thorpe 85, Tamaqua 65

3200 relay - 1. Jim Thorpe (Katelyn Bos, Nicole Carroll, Megan Rosahac, Abigail McGinley) 10:52.05; 100H - 1. Lydia Wallace (JT) 16.01, 2. Molly Murphy (T), 3. Leah Wasko (JT); 100 - 1. Kaila O’Connor (JT) 12.69, 2. Caitlin Smith (T), 3. Riley Rushatz (JT); 1600 - 1. Grace Stegemerten (T) 6:06.0, 2. Katelyn Bos (JT), 3. Nicole Carroll (JT); 400 relay - 1. Tamaqua (Sophi Boyle, Molly Murphy, Caitlin Smith, Alexa Stianche) 53.22; 400 - 1. Frances Kabana (T) 1:04.46, 2. Kaila O’Connor (JT), 3. Olivia Rosenberger (JT); 300H - 1. Lydia Wallace (JT) 47.60, 2. Leah Wasko (JT), 3. Molly Murphy (T); 800 - 1. Grace Stegemerten (T) 2:36.66, 2. Katelyn Bos (JT), 3. Nicole Carroll (JT); 200 - 1. Kaila O’Connor (JT) 27.06, 2. Lydia Wallace (JT), 3. Caitlin Smith (T); 3200 - 1. Megan Rosahac (JT) 14:05.52, 2. Isabella Acker (JT), 3. Makenzie Snyder (JT); 1600 relay - 1. Tamaqua (Sophi Boyle, Makenna Carroll, Ashley Jones, Frances Kabana) 4:37.60; High jump - 1. Caprice Lynce (JT) 4-10, 2. Alexa Stianche (T), 3. Brandy Montemuro (JT); Pole vault - 1. Sophi Boyle (T) 8-6, 2. Katrin Cavanaugh (JT), 3. Olivia Rosenberger (JT); Long jump - 1. Megan Rolko (T) 14-5, 2. Caprice Lynch (JT), 3. Serena Jones (T); Triple jump - 1. Caprice Lynch (JT) 29-9, 2. Megan Rolko (T), 3. Serena Jones (T); Discus - 1. Laura Clarke (JT) 80-6, 2. Ivy Stauffer (JT), 3. Shayann Weighknecht (T); Javelin - 1. Kaziah Streisel (T) 107-7, 2. Laura Clarke (JT), 3. Ivy Stauffer (JT); Shot put

- 1. Kaziah Streisel (T) 31-9.5, 2. Rylee Wenzel (T), 3. Laura Clarke (JT).