WHITEHALL — Whether it was rewriting records, pushing through pain, or delivering when it mattered most, area athletes came up big Tuesday at the District 11 Track and Field Championships.

Palmerton senior Ryan Burkett launched a record-breaking discus throw, sophomore Jake Rutkowitz overcame adversity to win the long jump, and Marian junior Jacob Tom turned in a repeat performance to secure his first state berth.

Each punched a ticket to Shippensburg University for next weekend’s PIAA Championships — with high expectations and high-level marks to match.

Burkett breaks Kovacs’ record in discus

Ryan Burkett didn’t step into the discus ring chasing a name. But he walked away having topped one of the biggest.

The Palmerton senior uncorked a throw of 186 feet even to win the District 11 Class 2A discus title and break the meet record of 184-10 set in 2007 by Bethlehem Catholic’s Joe Kovacs — a world champion and Olympic silver medalist.

“At first, I just wanted to put one out there to solidify my spot at states,” Burkett said. “I kind of had my eye on the district record, but I wasn’t really thinking about breaking it during the meet — it just kind of happened.”

Burkett, who placed third at last year’s state championships, opened the competition with a throw near 180 before reaching 186 in the finals. Battling slick conditions, he remained composed and focused on the technical elements of his throw.

“I had to concentrate on staying controlled and balanced out of the back,” he said. “Then just finish strong without slipping or fouling.”

The moment — and whose mark he broke — wasn’t lost on him.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I see Kovacs all the time at the Olympics. To break one of his records is pretty surreal.”

Burkett, the top seed in the discus, has taken major strides every season, jumping from the 140s as a sophomore to 171 feet as a junior — and now firmly into elite territory.

“It gets drastically harder to stay consistent at this level,” he said. “I’ve focused on getting stronger in the gym and cleaning up the little things in my form.”

With momentum on his side, Burkett is eyeing another milestone.

“190 — that’s the goal,” he said.

Rutkowitz wins LJ, moves on in hurdles

Jake Rutkowitz didn’t have his cleanest meet, but the Palmerton sophomore still delivered a clutch performance — and brought home a district gold.

Rutkowitz won the Class 2A long jump title with a leap of 22 feet, 3½ inches and qualified for the 110-meter hurdle finals with a prelim time of 15.79.

“My knee was feeling a little off,” he said. “I was kind of running into it with a little bit of a limp, so I just had to push through it.”

Despite the discomfort, Rutkowitz hit his best jump on his third attempt in prelims — just enough to outlast the field and seal his spot at states after narrowly missing the cut a year ago.

“I feel good — just a big relief off my shoulders,” he said. “All I wanted was to make it to states in long jump this year, and I got it.”

Rutkowitz is coming off a dominant showing at the Colonial League meet, where he set a meet record of 23-2. That breakthrough, he said, changed his outlook.

“It changed my mentality more than anything,” he said. “Now I know I can be going for these high numbers. At practice, I’ve been consistently hitting them. It’s just a mindset.”

With one title behind him and another event ahead, Rutkowitz knows what he’s capable of.

“I want to get 23 again at states,” he said. “I know I can do it.”

Tom takes second, earns long-awaited state trip

For Marian’s Jacob Tom, Tuesday was about validation — and elevation.

The junior finished second in the Class 2A long jump with a leap of 22 feet even, matching the mark he used to win the Schuylkill League title just a week earlier. That consistency earned him his first trip to states.

“Today means a lot to me,” Tom said. “I’ve been thinking about districts — and going to states — for probably two months now. It feels great to perform in an environment like this.”

Tom credited nerves — and how he channeled them — for helping him get there.

“You’re always nervous, but you’ve got to use that to your advantage,” he said. “Just do you.”

A season of steady work with his coaches helped him find rhythm and reliability.

“We’ve put a lot of work in,” Tom said. “Keeping the same marks, same routine — it all comes together. That’s helped me keep my jumps in the 22s.”

Now that he’s broken through, Tom hopes to maintain that level — or reach even higher — at Shippensburg.

“Obviously 23 would be ideal,” he said. “But I just want to stay in the 22s and keep pushing forward.”

From Burkett’s record-breaking throw to Rutkowitz’s gritty win to Tom’s breakout podium finish, the area’s top boys’ performances at districts reflected the same theme seen across the board: hard work, consistency, and belief — with more to come on the state’s biggest stage.

TRIP TO SHIP ... Palmerton’s Connor Hibell advanced to states with a runner-up finish in the 2A 3200, crossing the line in 9:54.34.

MOVING ON ... In addition to Rutkowitz, Northern Lehigh’s Wasleyson Charles also advanced to the 2A 110 hurdle finals with a time of 17.39. In Class 3A, Lehighton’s Equan Warner (16.67) and Tamaqua’s Gio Rivera-Poke (16.68) made it to the 110 hurdle finals. Pleasant Valley’s Jareal Moore qualified for the 3A 200 finals with a time of 22.76 in prelims.

SCHEDULE CHANGES ... Due to inclement weather in the forecast, the second day of the meet was postponed to Thursday, and will once again take place at Whitehall’s Zephyr Sports Complex. The Class 3A pole vault will also take place at that time.

Class 2A Championships

Day One

Allentown Central Catholic (ACC), Bethlehem Catholic (BC), Catasauqua (Catty), Lehigh Valley Academy (LVA), Mahanoy Area (MA), Marian Catholic (MC), Minersville (Min), Nativity (Nat), Northern Lehigh (NL), Pen Argyl (PA), Palisades (Pali), Palmerton (Palm), Salisbury (Sali), Schuylkill Haven (SH), Weatherly (Wea)

BOYS

(top 3 plus locals in top 10)

3200 - 1. Kolin Long (Min) 9:51.90, 2. Connor Hibell (Palm) 9:54.34, 3. Will Haring (ACC) 9:57.85, 10. Sebastian Williams (Wea) 11:15.35; 300H - 1. Noah Dolbin (Nat) 39.07, 2. Josiah Lafond (Catty) 41.75, 3. Cayen Anglin (NL) 42.44, 10. Dayton Tindula (Palm) 44.46; 3200 Relay - 1. Nativity 8:19.76, 2. Allentown Central Catholic 8:51.82, 3. Notre Dame GP 8:52.55, 7. Weatherly (Alex Best, Isiah Williams, Sebastian Williams, Khrystian Rivera) 9:52. 24, 8. Palmerton (Shane Bollinger, Marcus Saslo, Marshall Saslo, Chase Ader) 10:00.58; Discus - 1. Ryan Burkett (Palm) 186-0, 2. Silas Day (Pali) 145-4, 3. Landen Klimek (NL) 143-3, 6. Landon Moll (NL) 121-5; Javelin - 1. Niko Carestia (SH) 159-1, 2. Zack Papcsy (BC) 155-10, 3. William Slattery (NL) 140-0; Long jump - 1. Jake Rutkowitz (Palm) 22-3.5, 2. Jacob Tom (MC) 22-0, 3. Noah Dolbin (Nat) 21-11; High jump - 1. Dante Carr (Min) 6-1, 2. Aidan Ryan (Min) 5-11, 3. Trent Ader (Palm) 5-11, 8. Michael Johnson (MC) 5-7.

Class 3A Championships

Day One

Blue Mountain (BM), Dieruff (D), Easton (East), East Stroudsburg South (ESS), Emmaus (Emm), Freedom (Free),

Jim Thorpe (JT), Lehighton (Leh), Liberty (Lib), Nazareth (Naz), Northampton (North), North Schuylkill (NS), Northwestern Lehigh (NW), Palmerton (Palm), Parkland (Park), Pleasant Valley (PV), Pocono Mountain West (PMW), Pottsville (Potts), Saucon Valley (SV), Southern Lehigh (SL), Tamaqua (Tam), Wilson (Wil)

BOYS

(top 3 plus locals in top 10)

3200 - 1. Jacob Casey (Naz) 9:42.45, 2. Dylan Boyle (Free) 9:45.95, 3. Luke McEvoy (Park) 9:48.62; 300H - 1. Ethan Huertas (Free) 39.66, 2. Stephan Richards (Free) 40.11, 3. Rafael Liranzo (BM) 40.53, 9. Demetrius Outten (PV) 42.81; 3200 Relay - 1. Emmaus 8:01.86, 2. Parkland 8:04.35, 3. Southern Lehigh 8:16.40, 7. Pleasant Valley (Isaiah Montgomery, Quinn Kauffman, Martin Green, James Morton) 8:32.25, 10. Northwestern Lehigh (Brady Furman, Isaac Grubb, Noah Griffith, Greyson Wellings) 8:45.28; Shot put - 1. Carter Giberson (SL) 51-9.25, 2. Aidan Zilker (NS) 51-0.5, 3. Eli Torres (SV) 49-0.75; Triple jump - 1. Shane Plante-King (ESS) 45-6, 2 Konstantinos Panagopoulos (Emm) 44-10, 3. Damar Gilzeane (Emm) 44-6.5, 7. Uriah Gearhart (PV) 43-9.25.