SHIPPENSBURG - Nataly Walters knows what works.

And she knows what doesn’t.

The Palmerton sophomore got to experience the nuances of the jumping pits at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium last year.

She was dialed in on Friday.

Walters’ record-breaking season reached new heights at the PIAA Championships, where she won the Class 2A long jump.

“The board here is actually really springy. If you hit it right, it really favors your jump,” Walters said. “So the first jump, I didn’t hit the board right, I think it was a 17-8. But the second and third jump, I got the feel for it. I moved my steps back or up wherever I needed to move them. So I kind of had to get a feel for it. Once I got it, I got it.”

In addition to Walters, Palmerton’s Emma Snyder also medaled in the Class 2A high jump.

Jim Thorpe’s Kaila O’Connor advanced to today’s finals in two events and secured a spot in the top eight, as did the Olympians’ boys 1600 relay team.

The champ is here

It didn’t Walters long to figure out what she needed to do to succeed on Friday.

She hit her best mark, 18-5.5, on her second attempt.

“Today I was a little bit nervous overall,” said Walters. “Coming into a state meet, it’s really big. It’s what you’ve been working for the whole year. So coming into it I was nervous, and usually I go off an eight or a 12 foot board. I never go off of a 10 foot board. So that made me a little bit nervous. But I think it worked out just fine.”

Walters was the top seed in the event.

And she expected the best from herself.

“So I’m a person who likes to win. I’m very hard on myself,” she said. “I’m headstrong. I know what I want, if I don’t get that, I do get mad at myself, but I figure out what I could do better.

“Coming into today I was super nervous. I could barely eat breakfast, I was so nervous. Doing my hair, I kept thinking about it. I was like, ‘You know what? I turned on some music, listened to Rhianna. It was all fine.’ I got here, did it. Now I can go back to the dorm, eat dinner, recuperate and tomorrow bring it again in triple jump.”

Walters credited her trainer Brandon Byrd and Palmerton jumping coach Jim Hay for helping her reach the top of the podium. “I owe it to them both,” she said.

Walters was seventh in the Class 2A long jump last year.

She is the top seed in today’s triple jump, another event she qualified for at states last year.

“If I predict right, I’m probably going to get really nervous again. My ultimate goal is get a gold medal in triple jump too. I have a good seed, but I just have to jump that mark and bring my ‘A-game.’ I can’t slip up. I know what I have to do.

“At Shippensburg, they only have a 30, a 34 and a 38 (foot board). There’s no 36 or 32 and that’s what I’m kind of used to going off. Usually, I would go off a 32-foot board, but tomorrow I think I’m going to move back to the 34.

“Last year in triple jump, I went off the 30-foot board and I kept almost stepping into the pit so I stopped myself from doing the furthest that I could because I was scared. This year I’m going to move back and I’m just going to jump.”

She’s off to a good start.

“It means a lot to me. All the work that I’ve done. All the training that I’ve done over the summer and the winter, it’s all finally paying off,” said Walters. “And even though I didn’t hit a PR or school record, it means a lot because I made it to this point through the whole season, with my shin splint problems and everything. And I got here and I did what I had to do. I’m really proud of myself.

“I won this for my family ... my team. It’s really cool coming home to Palmerton with a state gold medal. That means a lot. But the meet isn’t over yet. Hopefully, I can bring home another gold medal.”

Snyder’s success

Snyder tied for fifth with Quaker Valley’s Mia Gartley and DuBois Central’s Hope Jacob in the Class 2A high jump at 5-2. All three cleared 4-8, 4-10, 5-0 and 5-2 on their first attempt but none made the next height, 5-4.

“It means a lot,” said Snyder. “Last year I wasn’t able to make it to states and I had hoped to. So coming here this year and medaling when I didn’t think I would is just so exciting.”

Snyder has made great strides, something she credits Hay for helping her be able to do.

“Coach (Jim) Hay helped me a lot through it from year to year,” she said. “The main thing with it, it’s not even the leg strength you have, but it’s the mindset where you’re at and being able to convince yourself that you can jump over the bar no matter what height it is.

“I feel a lot better with that. I remember last year I took an attempt at 5-4 and I didn’t think I was even going to be close to it. And this year I went into like, ‘I’m going to get this.’ And even thought I didn’t make it, I still have a better mindset than last year.”

It’s something she is hoping to build on in the future.

“It was a really great experience,” she said. “I feel like having all the other (District 11) girls, that we’re all really close friends, and a lot of them being seniors, I’m going to miss them a lot. But I just think it was a really cool experience being out there with all of them as well.”

Marian’s Fatikha Tikhtova, the top seed in the event, cleared 5-2 and finished tied for ninth.

Moving on

Jim Thorpe’s Kaila O’Connor secured her first state medal early in the day in the 100. The junior advanced to the finals and locked up a spot in the top eight, running a 12.21, third fastest in the prelims. She is seeded third in the event.

She punched in ticket to the finals in the 200 later in the day, running a 25.07, the fourth fastest time in prelims.

The Class 2A girls 100 final will take place at 10:35 a.m., while the 2A girls 200 final will take place at 2:30 p.m.

Jim Thorpe’s boys 1600 relay team advanced to finals, winning its prelim heat and running the fourth fastest time at 3:27.75. The Olympians are seeded first with a time of 3:26.93.

The 1600 relay will begin no earlier than 20 minutes following completion of the 2A girls’ 200.

Great experience

Northern Lehigh freshman Evelina Mayak just missed a spot in the finals and a position in the top eight in the Class 2A 100 hurdles. Mayak finished the prelims with the ninth fastest time, 16.26.

“It’s been a really great experience,” said Mayak. “Coming out here, I mean, it’s states, and it’s just been really fun to get to know the environment and just having all of these really, the best of the best around you. It was nice.”

She was seeded 12th in the event and won the district title in the event a week ago.

“I’m very proud of the improvement I’ve shown from the beginning of the season until now,” said Mayak.

Palmerton’s Bryson Walters also nearly made the finals and the top eight in the 2A 110 hurdles. He also finished prelims with the ninth fastest time at 15.05.

Walters, a junior, was seeded 14th at 15.26 and has a great chance to make it to the podium next year.

TIMES NEWS AREA ATHLETES

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

GIRLS

Class 2A

1600

- Celia Rodriguez Gonzalez, Jim Thorpe, 15th overall, 5:22.45

100

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 12.21 (advances to finals)

Discus

- Caitlin Kirk, Northern Lehigh, 16th overall, 106-9,

100 hurdles

- Evelina Mayak, Northern Lehigh, 16.26 (does not advance to finals)

400 relay

- Palmerton, 51.27 (does not advance to finals)

High jump

- Faith Yost, Northwestern, first overall, 5-5; Emma Snyder, Palmerton, tied for fifth overall, 5-2; Fatikha Tikhtova, Marian, tied for ninth overall, 5-2; Zoe Hathaway, Northern Lehigh, 20th overall, 4-10; Emma Rex, Palmerton, tied for 25th overall, 4-8

Long jump

- Nataly Walters, Palmerton, first overall, 18-5.5; Faith Yost, Northwestern, eighth overall, 16-10

Javelin

- Carly Minchhoff, Marian, 17th overall, 112-5

200

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 25.07 (advances to finals)

1600 relay

- Jim Thorpe, 4:09.72, (does not advance to finals)

Class 3A

Pole vault

- Reese Ruggiero, Pleasant Valley, 16th overall, 10-9,

BOYS

Class 2A

1600

- Owen Hibell, Palmerton, 18th overall, 4:30.49; Ryan Bailor, Jim Thorpe, 19th overall, 4:30.57

110 hurdles

- Bryson Walters, Palmerton, 15.05 (does not advance to finals)

300 hurdles

- Bryson Walters, Palmerton, 40.46 (does not advance to finals)

High jump

- Gavin Nelson, Northwestern, tied for 16th overall, 6-0

Javelin

- Brad Jones, Panther Valley, 11th overall, 161-1,

Discus

- Jesse Rodino, Marian, 14th overall, 135-0

1600 relay

- Jim Thorpe, 3:27.75 (advances to finals)

Class 3A

400 relay

- Pleasant Valley, 42.80 (does not advance to finals)

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

Girls

Class 2A

3200 relay

- Jim Thorpe, 12th seed (10:45 a.m.)

100

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 3rd in prelims (10:35 a.m.)

200

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, 4th in prelims (2:30 p.m.)

800

- Nicole Carroll, Jim Thorpe, 14th seed(1:55 p.m.)

3200

- Angelina Klein, Northwestern, 23rd seed (9 a.m.)

Pole vault

- Katrin Cavanaugh, Jim Thorpe, 9th seed (9 a.m.)

Triple jump

- Nataly Walters, Palmerton, 1st seed (12:30 p.m.)

Shot put

- Sadie Fenstermaker, Northwestern, 10th seed (9 a.m.)

BOYS

Class 2A

1600 relay

- Jim Thorpe, 4th in prelims (Approx. 3 p.m.)

3200 relay

- Palmerton, 9th seed (10:45 a.m.)

800

- Ridge Snyder, Jim Thorpe, 7th seed (1:55 p.m.)

3200

- Matthew Santana, Northwestern, 22nd seed (9 a.m.)