Reading High senior Xavier Beatty moved up the podium one spot on Saturday from a year ago at the state meet in the long jump.
He couldn’t go any higher.
The Red Knight star captured the 3A title at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University with a leap of 24-4 on his next to last jump.
After three rounds of jumps, Beatty was in fourth place (22-5¾) entering the last three jumps.
He didn’t better that mark on his fourth jump, but popped the winning jump on his next try. He fouled on his final attempt.
Downingtown West senior Andrew Ernst finished second at 24-0¾.
A year ago, Beatty finished second in the state long jump. On Friday, he placed sixth in the triple jump and his win on Saturday gives him three state track and field medals, including his first gold, in his stellar career.
The Oley Valley girls 4 x 800 relay team placed second in a time of 9:30.85. The team was made up of Marli Laity, Cathryn Fegely, Jillian Rogers and Julianna Gourley.
Warrior Run won the event in 9:27.91.
In the 3A 100 hurdles, Wilson junior Violet Houck finished third with a time of 14.22. Ella Bahn of Spring Grove won in 13.64.
Brandywine Heights senior David Bates placed third in the 2A boys 100-meter dash in 11.10.
Wyomissing senior Alexis Hardy finished seventh in the girls 2A 100 in 12.29.
Wyomissing senior David Giles grabbed the last medal spot in the boys 2A 3,200-meter run by .01 of a second. Giles ran 9:23.92 to edge Juniant’a Wyatt Stroup (9:23.93).
This story will be updated
Source: Berkshire mont