ORWIGSBURG He uses it as motivation.

And apparently, it's been working.Jim Thorpe head coach Frank Miller jots on a board times and distances he wants his Olympian athletes to shoot for before certian meets.Wednesday's Schuylkill League championship at Blue Mountain was no different."Going into every invite from mid-season on we put goals up," said Miller. "We tell the kids this is our targeted time, this is our targeted distance to provide that little extra motivation so they can get done what they need to get done. This week's goals were what we expected to be potential district qualifiers."The kids knew we had expectations coming into today and they did what they needed to do. We talked yesterday, and also today on the bus ride here, that today wasn't about medals but about lowering your times. Many of them did that, which will give them a shot to qualify for districts next week. It was just an excellent job by our team."While medals may not have been the focal point, they did come Jim Thorpe's way.The Olympians collected 10 first-place finishes, more than any other school, and ended the meet with 17 top three finishes. Lehighton and Tamaqua both had 10 medals (one first, six seconds and four thirds) while Marian crowned one champ and totaled nine medals (five seconds, three thirds).Leading the way for Thorpe was Rayan Green, who won three events. Dylan Bucior earned two firsts, setting school records in the process, while Brooke Cope also took home two gold medals."I'm pretty happy about the results today," said Green, who captured both hurdling events and the triple jump. "I wish I could have done a little better but I'm still happy with it."Green, who was also favored to win the high jump, couldn't clear the bar on any of his attempts and had to settle for the three firsts."I really came here for the high jump, but didn't do my best there," he said of the last of his four events. "I was kind of tired. I couldn't get my opener at all."I was satisfied with the 110 race. I set a PR (15.71) there. I wasn't expecting the 300 to be that close. (Lehighton's Craig Serfass) is a really good runner. I kind of paced off of him because I felt I'd catch him at the end. I just had to push a little harder. I kept my momentum going and got the win (in 41.02). I didn't do my best at the triple jump but I was able to win. I had 43-9. I got that the first time I jumped. My goal is to get to 47. I need to work on my second phase. I've been watching Youtube videos everyday to try and help me."Bucior credited his teammate, Jake Saxon, for some help in setting one of his school records.The Olympian pair pushed each other in the 1600 before Bucior crossed the finish line in 4:32.58. Ironically, it was Saxon's record (4:32.70) he beat.Bucior's other mark (2:01.18) came in the 800, where he briefly lost the lead to Minersville's Ben Hinkel before catching him at the end."The 800 was also intense, just like the mile was," he said. "I was a little tired going into it after having run the 1600 earlier but I tried to push my hardest. (Hinkel) passed me toward the end because I was really feeling it but I couldn't let him beat me so I went as hard as I could."I wasn't expecting to do this well. I looked at the seeding sheets and knew I was seeded high, but I just wanted to come out here and do my best. Our coach puts up goals that he wants us to hit. I've been trying to get as close as possible to them. It really pushes me to get those goals."Cope entered the meet with the goal of winning two events and, despite missing practice time this past week, was able to accomplish her objective. The sophomore captured both the javelin (128-5) and shot put (32-9).Thorpe's Johnathan Condly also had health issues this season and admits not being completely where he wants to be, but like Cope he managed to get the job done.Condly was passed by Saxon on the final lap of the 3200 but used his own kick to pull away and win in a time of 10:06.85."We practice hard together at all our practices so the race is just like practice," said Condly, who also teammed with Bucior, Saxon and Ben Saxon to claim first in the 3200 relay. "Jake usually has no kick so for him to sprint in the last 250 was incredible. I won last year so I really wanted to be a two-time champion. That was my goal and that's what helped me finish there."The Olympians' Kayley Kovac had no trouble reaching her mark in the 3200.The freshman was hoping for not only a PR but also a school record. Surprisingly to her, she did both with ease."That was very fast," said Kovac, whose 12:02.09 shaved about 20 seconds off JT's previous mark. "I wanted to go sub 12:20 and when I crossed the line my mom told me ... that I ran a 12:02 and I was completely shocked."I qualified for the 1600 as well but scratched it so I could focus on this. (The coaches) knew I had a serious chance of getting (the win and school record) even though I wasn't seeded first. We really put a focus this week on this race and knowing I had a chance to win."Lehighton's lone win in its first-ever Schuylkill League meet came from Tyler Crum, whose 21-7 earned gold in the long jump.The senior actually fouled on his first attempt, but managed to keep his composure to gain the top spot."I got the 21-7 on my second or third jump," said Crum. "That takes some of the pressure off. "I came in first place but I could have done better. I hurt my back a little on my first jump. I landed weird. I still want to get the school record (23-1) and that's what I'm shooting for at districts."Tamaqua's Morgan Boyle is also hoping to improve at districts, despite winning a gold.Boyle cleared 9-6 in the pole vault for her first."I haven't been really jumping my goals this year," said Boyle. "I came out of last season jumping 10-6 and really haven't hit anything over 9-6 yet this year. I feel better, though, and have confidence moving forward. I really believe things will get better."Things got better for Marian's Brenna Karnish at the conclusion of the meet. Entering the day with three No. 1 seeds, the sophomore earned two second-place finishes before winning a gold in the final event event (girls discus) of the competition."I was excited to win a gold medal," said Karnish, who threw 101-5 1/2. "I just expected to do my best and if my best was a first place, second or third it didn't matter as long as I did my best."