The Bellwood-Antis girls track and field team entered the season as the District 6 2A runner-up from 2025 and knowing it had a roster filled with athletes who could take them from bridesmaids to brides.

But nothing tests just how strong a roster is like the District 6 championships, a grueling 2-day event at Mansion Park Stadium.

When Day 2 of the event ended last night at almost midnight following several weather-related delays, it was apparent B-A had enough strength up and down its lineup to compete with anyone.

The Lady Devils won going away, amassing 96 team points to claim the program’s first District 6 2A team championship since 1992. B-A’s closest competitor was Central Cambria with 82, followed by Forest Hills with 78.

The depth of the squad is truly what lead them to victory as the Lady Devils earned points in 15 of the 18 events.

“Last year’s second place at the District championship motivated the girls to work hard both in and out of the regular season,” said Coach Jennifer Soisson. “We are blessed with an incredible coaching staff who helped them to fine-tune their already existing talents. We knew it would be close with some other schools and that it would come down to the last few events.”

B-A’s athletes viewed the win as a culmination of years of work, and icing on the cake for a pretty tight group competing in what many consider an individual sport.

“I’m so proud of how far we’ve come,” said senior Chloe Stoltzfus, who placed in three events. “Everyone has worked so hard to be here. I’m so incredibly proud of all of them. Our team has always been one to work together, be positive, and emulate what it means to be not just a team, but a family.”

Senior Marissa Cacciotti, who was a part of the state qualifying 4×800 relay team and noted that the day began with a team prayer, credited the team’s culture for its success.

“This team is really special to me,” she said. “I’m just thrilled that our hard work and determination paid off. It’s a great accomplishment.”

Along with depth and culture, you also, you need star athletes to shine, and that’s what Ella Cherry did by placing first in three individual events and one relay. She won the 100 meters, the long and triple jumps, and joined Stoltzfus, Addison Pluebell and Avey Powers on the 4×100 relay team that placed third to advance to the PIAA championship meet next week.

Cherry’s long jump championship came on Tuesday and she followed it up Wednesday with a jump of 38-3.75 in the triple jump to repeat as the champ and win by nearly a foot. Earlier, she had won the 100 with a time of 12.49, nipping Penn Cambria’s Kate Eckenrode, who had enjoyed success against Cherry the last two weeks of invitationals.

In all, the Lady Devils had five first-place finishes after factoring in the gold medal Emma Taneyhill won in the discus during Day 1 action. Tyrone, which finished fifth, also had five event championships, but had nowhere near the depth of the Lady Devils.

Along with Cherry and Taneyhill, several other B-A competitors put in performances that earned them a spot at the state meet.  Julie Kraft placed third in the 3200 with a personal best time of 11:52.39 (as well as eighth in the 800), Olivia Rishel qualified in the pole vault with a third-place finish and 11-foot jump, and the 4×800 relay team of Marissa Cacciotti, Kraft, Blake Pennington, and Alexis Wagner ran a personal best 9:50.50 to finish second.

Sophia Pullara had already qualified a day earlier by placing second in the high jump, giving the Lady Devils representatives in eight events at the PIAA meet, which will take place May 22 and 23.

“Being able to send this many people to states is such a privilege, and I know I speak for many of my teammates when I say we give all glory to God for these amazing achievements,” Stoltzfus said.

Outside of the state qualifiers, the Lady Devils had plenty of help. Pennington was seventh in the 800 and sixth in the 1600m, Stoltzfus earned points in the 100 hurdles (seventh) and 300 hurdles (fifth), Powers was seventh in the triple jump, and Alexis Wagner placed fourth in the 400 with a time of 1:00.47. Wagner had run a sub-minute race in preliminaries the day before, with a time that would have qualified her for states had she run it in the finals.