SHIPPENSBURG - When it mattered most, A.J. Bailor was simply at his best.

The Jim Thorpe senior put a stamp on a stellar career with a third-place finish in the Class 3A shot put Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships for his first state medal.

Bailor uncorked two personal bests in the event, with his best mark 58-4 coming in his last attempt.

“I’m extremely happy with how today went,” said Bailor. “Coming into this week, I had an amazing week of training and I just got in the circle and I just felt really good today, just got after it and ended up finishing third, which is more than what I wanted. I’m so happy.

“I was talking to my coach the whole time, and we were right on the verge of getting that throw. We were just missing one thing. Everything came together, I felt good and when I released it, it felt perfect. l looked back and everybody was hyped. They yelled the mark and I was ecstatic. It just felt great.”

Bailor, who will continue his career at Monmouth University, ended his career at Jim Thorpe on a high note.

“Coming into today my best was 56-9.25,” he said. “My third throw was 57-0 and my last throw was 58-4. Two PRs in one day, and to PR on my last high school throw ever, felt amazing.”

It was a stellar end for Bailor, who has rewritten the school’s record books, owning the top marks in the shot put and discus.

Bailor got a finale he won’t soon forget.

“I’m really happy with today,” he said. “I came in seeded seventh, so to finish third, it was awesome. Everybody in this group is really talented, and just a great group of guys to throw against.

“My career at Jim Thorpe has definitely been a good one. I’ve had so many memories and awesome times here. To be able to go out with a bang and a medal, it feels awesome.”

Lehighton’s Abby Meckes earned her first state medal Saturday, while Jim Thorpe’s Lydia Wallace finished her career with her second.

After placing 19th in the discus earlier in the day, Meckes bounced back to finish fifth in the javelin with a throw of 129-6.

Finishing on the podium wasn’t easy, but a more than motivated Meckes made it happen.

“I went in 12th, and then I went into finals as like sixth,” said Meckes. “And then on my last throw, I was actually ninth so I knew I needed to throw better in order to get it. And I just really tried to hype myself up beforehand, and I was able to pull it out.”

Meckes was seeded 11th in the discus and 12th in the javelin.

“I always thought if I were to place at states it would be in discus, because I’ve been doing that for so long,” Meckes said. “But I think I just took me being worse in javelin that I didn’t really care how I did, and I just went for it, and was able to come back. I’m very excited.”

Meckes was a runner-up in the discus at districts, and placed third in the javelin.

“I knew I needed to do well if I wanted to (get a medal),” said Meckes. “And I didn’t really want to come home doing bad in both events, so I was able to regroup and bring it out.”

Wallace placed eighth in the 300 hurdles in 46.73. She was sixth in the Class 2A event as a sophomore.

“It feels awesome,” said Wallace. “I’m not the happiest with my performance, but to end my race with a state medal, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Wallace was seeded 12th in the event. Running in the second heat, Wallace grabbed a runner-up finish and waited to see how her time held up after the third and final section.

“I was going to try and finish the race first and get myself in a good spot to place,” Wallace said. “I stuttered a lot; I didn’t race how I wanted to. But in the end, I’m just happy to finish my high school career with another medal.

“We put in a lot of hard work, a lot of long sprints to get my legs prepared for this race. We tried working the hurdle going over with my other leg to try to eliminate the stutter; obviously, it didn’t really help, but it was worth working on and trying.”

Like Bailor, Wallace will also continue her track and field career at a Division I school, as she is set to attend Rider University.

“I’m just so grateful for my coaches and our program,” said Wallace, who also set the school record in the 100 hurdles this season. “And Palmerton for giving us a track, because we didn’t have one all season.

“And my teammates. I know we have some teammates that are here this year, and I know they’re going to do great things in the future and I’m just so grateful for everything and all my coaches.”

Jim Thorpe’s Kaila O’Connor and Aiden Clements, and Lehighton’s Kelsey Gaston and Brittney Bartasavage, also competed on Saturday.

O’Connor, who was seeded fifth in the 100, posted a time of 12.84 (16th) and did not advance to the finals. She ran a 26.02 (19th) in the 200 prelims and did not advance.

It was still a remarkable season for the freshman, who set school records in the 100 and 200.

“It’s been a really good experience,” said O’Connor. “It feels good being here, seeing the best of the best. I made it here, I ran against them, and it will just make me a better runner.

“I know I need to keep training harder in the offseason.”

Clements competed in the pole vault, which was moved indoors along with the high jump due to poor weather conditions. He registered no height in the event.

Bartasavage clocked a 16.64 (18th) in her prelim in the 100 hurdles and did not advance.

Gaston ran an 11:42.61, faster than her seed time of 11:52.66, to finish 22nd in the 3200 in difficult conditions.

“I’m a heat runner but to be honest, my top two times this year were in the cold and wind somehow,” said the senior. “Where I broke the school record the first time, it was at Blue Mountain and it was freezing. Then I ran a PR at an invitational where it was 20 to 30 mph wind and it was cold.

“So you just have to go with it and make the best of it.”

Gaston has done that throughout this season and her career. She was a state medalist during the cross-country season in the fall.

She will look to continue her career with the Marine Corps running team.

“As I always say, once you get the top of the mountain, you have to find a bigger one,” Gaston said.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS … Nazareth’s Collin Burkhart and Pottsville’s Payton Kleckner represented District 11 with gold medals Saturday. Burkhart won the javelin with a throw of 208-6, while Kleckner cleared 5-5 to win the high jump. They joined North Schuylkill’s Sarah Wagner, who won the Class 2A long jump on Friday. The Spartans also tied Schuylkill Valley with 39 points for the girls’ team title.