SHIPPENSBURG — Isabella Roman sat beneath the javelin tent Saturday afternoon with her sweats pulled over soaked competition gear, her javelins planted in the wet grass around her chair while rain continued falling across Seth Grove Stadium.

Nearby, athletes and spectators reacted to big throws in the discus and shot put rings. Officials dried the javelin runway between attempts. Teammates and coaches stood nearby cheering her on.

And in the middle of it all, the Jim Thorpe sophomore quietly announced herself among Pennsylvania’s top Class 3A javelin throwers.

Roman finished ninth at the PIAA Track and Field Championships with a throw of 118-2, becoming one of nine finalists in the event while competing through steady rain and chilly conditions during Saturday’s final day of the state meet.

The Jim Thorpe sophomore entered the competition seeded seventh at 132-3 after a breakthrough season that included a District 11 title.

Her best throw came on the opening attempt of the competition, helping her advance out of the preliminary flight and earn three additional throws among the state’s top competitors.

While Roman narrowly missed the medal stand, her coach viewed the afternoon through a much larger lens.

“She didn’t even make districts last year,” said Olympians’ javelin coach Eric Moore. “Now she’s a district and league champion and competing in the finals here. She’s going to realize how good she really is.”

Roman, the lone underclassman among the area athletes competing Saturday, gained valuable experience simply by being part of the finals atmosphere against some of Pennsylvania’s top throwers.

The sophomore entered the meet off two personal best performances, winning the Colonial League javelin title with a throw of 123-6 before topping that mark with a toss of 132-3 to claim the Class 3A district title a week later.

Between attempts, Roman sat beneath the tent with her hoodie pulled tight while teammates and coaches stayed nearby encouraging her throughout the competition.

The rain that greeted athletes during the morning session continued into the afternoon field events, creating difficult conditions throughout the day.

Despite the weather, the atmosphere around the throwing areas remained lively throughout the afternoon field session.

The top seeds delivered elite performances despite the rain. Cedar Crest’s Eliana Schneider won the state title with a throw of 160-11, while Perkiomen Valley’s Ava Flicker followed closely at 159-4. Seneca Valley’s Addie Weaver also surged well past her seed mark to finish third at 141-9.

As the competition unfolded, athletes continued cheering for one another between throws while officials repeatedly worked to clear water from the runway.

Roman soaked in all of it.

“She’s not going to realize it now,” said Moore. “But in a couple days, maybe a week, she’ll say, ‘Hey, I’m pretty good. And I can get better.’ ”

The final day of the state meet brought difficult conditions from the very beginning.

By the time Northern Lehigh senior Emma Heil stepped onto the track for the Class 2A 3200-meter run at 9 a.m., temperatures hovered around 50 degrees with steady rain falling across the stadium.

Heil finished 20th in 11:58.11 while battling through the wet conditions during the opening track event of the day.

“It was great to run at states,” Heil said. “I’m just happy to be here. I’m happy I qualified.”

Heil, who plans to attend Syracuse, said the weekend became about more than racing.

“We were all really able to bond on the trip,” Heil said of Northern Lehigh’s state qualifiers. “I know a lot more about them now.”

Marian senior Jake Tom also embraced the experience despite difficult conditions in the Class 2A triple jump.

Tom placed 23rd with a leap of 40-7 1/2 after qualifying in both jumping events during his final high school season.

By the time he walked off the runway Saturday, Tom joked that he looked like a “sand monster” after competing through the soaked pit and steady rain.

“It’s about the experience,” Tom said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year.”

Tom reflected on a career that almost never started after initially not wanting to join the track team as a freshman.

“My parents forced me to,” he said with a laugh. “All the medals, all the awards, everything I’ve earned throughout my career — it’s because of the people behind me.”

Jim Thorpe senior Pierce Gothard experienced a different challenge altogether Saturday.

Due to the weather, the Class 3A high jump competition was moved indoors. Gothard did not clear an opening height after adjusting to the unfamiliar setting.

Still, the senior walked away grateful after taking up high jump for the first time this season.

“I’m blessed to be here,” Gothard said. “This is my first year doing high jump.”

Gothard said longtime Jim Thorpe coach Frank Miller had encouraged him to come out for track for years before he finally joined to help improve for basketball.

Now, after qualifying for states in his first season, Gothard said he hopes to continue high jump while attending Cairn University to play basketball.

“I just think the brotherhood has been huge for me,” Gothard said.

Northern Lehigh senior Zaid Salih closed out his state meet experience in the Class 2A 800, placing 29th in 2:04.20.

Like many of the area athletes throughout the weekend, Salih embraced the opportunity to compete against Pennsylvania’s best while gaining perspective from the experience itself.

By the end of the rain-soaked afternoon, the marks and placements almost felt secondary to the experience itself — one final opportunity for area athletes to compete, reflect and share the state-meet stage together.