Shippensburg is the destination.

How Weatherly senior Kelly Reiner, Pleasant Valley senior Uriah Gearhart and Northern Lehigh sophomore Anna Trelease arrived there is what makes their stories memorable.

Reiner practices throws on a soccer field because Weatherly doesn’t have a track. Gearhart limits himself to one jump each meet while competing through a torn patella tendon. Trelease nearly lost her season entirely after suffering an ankle injury during wrestling season.

Now, all three are preparing for the PIAA Track and Field Championships this weekend at Shippensburg University.

For Reiner, states represents an opportunity to represent a small school on the biggest stage.

For Gearhart, it’s another chance to compete through pain while chasing a school record.

For Trelease, it’s a return trip with unfinished business.

Representing Weatherly

For Kelly Reiner, the road to Shippensburg started on a soccer field.

Weatherly’s senior javelin thrower practices without one of the things most state qualifiers take for granted — a track.

“We throw in grass,” Reiner said.

Weatherly recently added a cement throwing pad for discus and shot put, but Reiner still spends much of her preparation adapting to facilities that look far different from what she’ll see at the state championships.

Still, none of it stopped her from reaching Shippensburg.

Reiner qualified for states after placing second in the Class 2A javelin at districts with a throw of 112-2 — a personal best and her first PR since freshman year.

“I’m ecstatic,” Reiner said.

The senior said her season goal was reaching 115 feet, a mark she now believes is within reach.

“I hope to hit 115,” she said. “That’s my goal.”

Reiner said she enjoys the javelin more than the discus or shot put because of its rhythm and feel.

“Just feeling loose,” she said. “Nothing feels tight or sore. Just throwing it like it’s nothing.”

The opportunity also carries special meaning because of what it represents for her school and community.

“I think it’s a big deal to represent such a small school,” Reiner said.

Weatherly’s graduating class has just 33 students.

“I’m just excited to go represent the school,” she said. “Represent myself.”

Reiner enters the Class 2A javelin seeded 17th this weekend.

One jump

Uriah Gearhart gets one jump.

That’s it.

The Pleasant Valley senior competes through a torn patella tendon while limiting himself to a single attempt each meet in the triple jump to protect his knee.

There is no room for error.

“If that first jump is a foul, it’s game over,” Gearhart said.

The strategy paid off at districts.

Gearhart uncorked a personal-best leap of 46-7 on his opening jump to win the Class 3A triple jump title and qualify for states.

“A whole foot over my PR,” he said. “That’s nuts.”

Then came the difficult part.

Waiting.

Gearhart spent the remainder of the competition watching other jumpers continue through their attempts while he stood on the side biting his nails.

“Oh, for sure,” he said when asked if the experience is stressful.

The senior said his confidence has grown dramatically throughout the season despite competing at less than full strength.

“Before my PR was a 44-8, I didn’t know if I was even going to get top four,” Gearhart said. “Now I know, hey, I’m up there with them.”

Gearhart studies the event carefully, particularly the consistency of athletes’ run-ups and their ability to hit the board cleanly.

“I don’t think I’ve fouled a single time this year,” he said.

The injury still requires constant maintenance. Gearhart plans to undergo surgery next month to repair the tendon.

“To baby it, ice it, get in the weight room,” he said of his preparation entering states.

Even so, Gearhart believes there is still more waiting for him this weekend.

His next goal is chasing Pleasant Valley’s school record of 47-2, set by former Bears standout Mike Mitchell in 2017.

“Anything above that,” he said, “because that’s the school record.”

Gearhart enters the Class 3A triple jump seeded fourth.

One place away

One more place.

That’s all that separated Northern Lehigh sophomore Anna Trelease from a state medal last season.

The sophomore discus thrower placed ninth at Shippensburg a year ago before returning this spring through an ankle injury suffered during wrestling season.

Trelease tore the front ligament in her ankle and sprained two others during wrestling season, leaving her uncertain whether she would compete during track season at all.

“I honestly did not think I would be competing at track this season,” she said.

Instead, she returned to defend both her Colonial League and District 11 titles despite competing in only three throwing competitions all season.

“I’m beyond blessed that I was able to come out here and throw and win districts and leagues,” Trelease said. “I’m just happy to be here in general.”

Even after defending her district title, Trelease still climbed the podium wearing a walking boot.

“If I have a really bad throw and slip up a little bit, I’ll feel it jerking my ankle,” she said.

Even so, she believes her technique has improved significantly from last season.

“My form has gotten a lot better,” Trelease said. “My spin was a lot slower last year. My release has gotten a lot better.”

Now, after narrowly missing the medal stand last season, Trelease returns to Shippensburg with another opportunity in front of her.

“Hopefully I can get a medal this year,” she said. “Top eight would be great.”

But more than anything, Trelease said this season changed her perspective.

“Even if I’m not getting first, it’s just nice to compete,” she said.

Trelease enters the Class 2A discus seeded 13th.

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Area state qualifiers

2A Girls

• Natalie Moffitt, Northern Lehigh — 400, 22nd seed (1:00.24)

• Emma Heil, Northern Lehigh — 3200, 23rd seed (11:55.64)

• Anna Trelease, Northern Lehigh — Discus, 13th seed (113-9)

• Kelly Reiner, Weatherly — Javelin, 17th seed (112-2)

3A Girls

• Isabella Roman, Jim Thorpe — Javelin, 7th seed (132-3)

2A Boys

• Zaid Salih, Northern Lehigh — 1600, 28th seed (4:29.13); 800, 27th seed (1:59.76)

• Jake Tom, Marian — Long jump, 18th seed (21-10 1/4); Triple jump, 16th seed (44-2)

• Landen Klimek, Northern Lehigh — Discus, 18th seed (150-9)

3A Boys

• Jim Thorpe — 400 relay, 9th seed (42.12)

• Kayden Spence, Jim Thorpe — 400, 7th seed (48.63)

• Pierce Gothard, Jim Thorpe — High jump, 22nd seed (6-3)

• Uriah Gearhart, Pleasant Valley — Triple jump, 4th seed (46-7)

• Bodie Hawk, Lehighton — Shot put, 27th seed (50-7)

******

PIAA Track & Field Championships schedule

Friday, May 22

Track events

9 a.m. — 1600 finals

10:15 a.m. — 100 preliminaries

11 a.m. — 100 hurdles preliminaries

11:30 a.m. — 110 hurdles preliminaries

12:15 p.m. — 400 relay preliminaries

1:45 p.m. — 400 preliminaries

2:45 p.m. — 300 hurdles preliminaries

3:30 p.m. — 200 preliminaries

4:15 p.m. — 1600 relay preliminaries

Field events

9 a.m. — 2A girls high jump; 2A girls discus; 3A girls pole vault; 3A girls shot put; 2A boys long jump; 2A boys javelin; 3A boys triple jump

12:30 p.m. — 2A girls long jump; 2A girls javelin; 3A girls triple jump; 2A boys high jump; 2A boys discus; 3A boys shot put

1:30 p.m. — 3A boys pole vault

Saturday, May 23

Track finals

9 a.m. — 3200 finals

10 a.m. — 100 hurdles finals

10:20 a.m. — 110 hurdles finals

10:45 a.m. — 100 finals

11 a.m. — 3200 relay finals

1:15 p.m. — 400 relay finals

1:50 p.m. — 400 finals

2:10 p.m. — 300 hurdles finals

2:40 p.m. — 800 finals

3:15 p.m. — 200 finals

4x400 relay finals — no earlier than 20 minutes after completion of the 2A girls 200 final

Field events

9 a.m. — 2A girls pole vault; 2A girls shot put; 3A girls high jump; 3A girls discus; 2A boys triple jump; 3A boys long jump; 3A boys javelin

12:30 p.m. — 2A girls triple jump; 3A girls long jump; 3A girls javelin; 2A boys shot put; 3A boys high jump; 3A boys discus

1:30 p.m. — 2A boys pole vault