SHIPPENSBURG - Competition is what drives them.

And there’s no better place for athletes to test themselves among the best of the best than at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

It’s an opportunity that each embraces and appreciates.

And one that produced multiple medals for Jim Thorpe athletes on Saturday.

Kaila O’Connor captured two individual medals for the Olympians, while Ridge Snyder also had an individual medal for the Olympians and was on the relay team that finished in the top eight.

O’Connor captured her first state medal in the 100, running to a second-place finish with a time of 12.27.

“Definitely yesterday was not my best race,” O’Connor said of the prelims. “I was not used to these blocks and I was like, ‘Wow. I don’t know what I’m going to do.’

“I definitely came here early this morning to really work on it, and I’m definitely proud of my achievement today. I’m not really mad that I got second, I’m actually quite happy because I wasn’t seeded high originally after prelims yesterday, so I’m definitely proud of the way I came back and was able to do today.”

She ran a 12.21 as the third-fastest time in prelims.

O’Connor’s biggest adjustment with her start came from just becoming more comfortable at the line.

“I didn’t really change anything, I was just trying to get a better feel for it,” she said. “Yesterday, I kept fidgeting with it even when they were saying, ‘To your marks.’ Then today I just had to make sure I knew my steps ... and there was no excuse. Everyone has a new experience with the blocks, it’s not new.”

Defending champion Tatum Norris of Susquehanna won with a time of 12.19. Pine Grove’s Viktorya Luckenbach, who has competed with O’Connor through the Schuylkill League meet and at districts, was third at 12.28.

“I was definitely excited today, with the hopes that they could push me to PR and maybe a win,” said O’Connor. “I definitely love competition, and definitely embrace that aspect.”

O’Connor returned for the 200 final later in the day, where she placed fourth with a time of 24.96. Luckenbach won with a time of 24.72.

“I knew it was tight, I could see it,” O’Connor said of coming to the finish. “But I tried my best.

“It was a close race, it was definitely anyone’s game. So you can’t be mad, I did try, and we all did good.”

O’Connor, who ran a 25.07 in the prelims, also qualified for states with the Olympians’ 1600 relay team.

“It was definitely exciting, I love being with my team,” said O’Connor. “I love competing with everyone. I definitely think this weekend was fun. I plan to continue training in my offseason; I have New Balance coming up. I plan to do some hurdles there, so my season is definitely not over. But I think it was a good end to the high school season this year.”

Jim Thorpe’s Ridge Snyder ran to a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A 800 for his first state medal with a time of 1:56.52.

“Going in, I was the seventh seed, and the first lap I was just staying on it,” said Snyder. “And then coming through, like the last 200, I felt good and just kicked it in and gave it all I had. I got passed at the end by a kid, but I think I ran a good race, I ran a smart race. I couldn’t be happier to come out with a fourth-place medal.”

Snyder worked his way up to second at one point, and used the energy of the crowd to push him along.

“I’m just happy to come out here and be able to perform at the level I’m performing at,” said Snyder. “I’ve been feeling like I’m in the best shape all season long, and now I have a new PR in this race. I’m pretty excited about that. It’s a pretty awesome achievement, I think,

“I was giving it everything I had. I heard my mom yelling for me, I could pick that out, and I was just staying on it and tried to put the hammer down.”

Snyder returned a short time later and anchored the 1600 relay to a sixth-place finish with a time of 3:28.16.

The team, which was seeded first and consisted of Zeeshan Issifum, Ryan Bailor and Joseph Louk, ran a 3:27.75 Friday to advance to finals.

“Coming in, I just wanted to be here, just be able to make it here,” said Snyder. “That’s all I wanted really. And to be able to medal, it’s a better feeling. It’s awesome.”

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

... In addition to Luckenbach, several other District 11 athletes left Shippensburg with gold after two days of competition. Palmerton’s Nataly Walters (long jump, triple jump), Northwestern’s Faith Yost (high jump), Palisades’ Thomas Smigo (1600) and Pen Argyl’s Gian Greggo (shot put) all captured gold in Class 2A, while Kyle Moore of Emmaus won the long jump and Blue Mountain’s Rosalind Gergely placed first in the javelin in 3A.

Results of Times News area athletes

GIRLS

Class 2A

100

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, second overall, 12.27

3200

- Angelina Klein, Northwestern, 22nd overall, 12:36.21

3200 relay

- Jim Thorpe, 14th overall, 9:57.29

Shot put

- Sadie Fenstermaker, Northwestern, 34-9.25, 13th overall

Pole vault

- Katrin Cavanaugh, Jim Thorpe, 15th overall, 10-0

Triple jump

- Nataly Walters, Palmerton, first overall, 38-11

800

- Nicole Carroll, Jim Thorpe, 13th overall, 2:23.26

200

- Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, fourth overall, 24.96

BOYS

Class 2A

3200

- Matthew Santana, Northwestern, 24th overall, 9:54.49

3200 relay

- Palmerton, 10th overall, 8:12.63

800

- Ridge Snyder, Jim Thorpe, fourth overall, 1:56.52

1600 relay

- Jim Thorpe, sixth overall, 3:28.16