On a scorching day, Amory Thompson chills out with three district golds

By Mike Drago Last updated May 22, 2022

Track & Field coverage presented by ATT Sports, Inc.

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

SHIPPENSBURG — With chaos unfolding all around him, Amory Thompson rested under the shade of his umbrella. He looked like he belonged somewhere else. The park. The beach. A place more calm.

That was the whole point. Thompson only had one triple jump remaining and he needed his best effort to prevail. To get there, he decided to drift away.

“I just tried to relax,” Wyomissing’s senior said. “Relax my mind, relax my body and just jump. I knew if I jumped how I’m supposed to and how I’ve been jumping recently, I was going to pull it out.”

Thompson reached 44-1 on that final attempt and eclipsed Millersburg’s Isiah Dyer by 2.5 inches at the District 3 Track and Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium Saturday.

Click here for the complete list of Saturday’s Berks medalists

Pushed to the brink, he found a path to gold.

While he was lying under the umbrella, eyes closed and phone sitting by his side, Thompson heard some of the numbers that were announced. He knew precisely where he stood.

“I was mostly focused on myself,” Thompson said. “It was a really good competition. I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting that much competition. I tried to chill myself out and calm down a little bit.”

Thompson also won the Class 2A 200, was the anchor of Wyomissing’s winning 400 relay and took fourth in the 110 hurdles. His all-around performance helped the Spartans capture the team championship.

Wyomissing coach Jim Delp chose to put Thompson in the relay even though he hadn’t run that event in recent weeks. Thompson came from behind to help Wyomissing edge Trinity by 0.26 seconds.

“I felt confident because it was in Amory’s hands,” Delp said. “He did the job we all expected him to do.”

Finding the best way to utilize Thompson’s versatile skills is always a priority for Wyomissing. The California University of Pennsylvania football recruit has collected four gold medals and three silvers at the county and district level this season. He’s a three-time district champion in football, as well.

Thompson is in his second season competing in the triple jump after ditching the high jump as a junior. He’s running sprints for the first time.

“He’s an amazing athlete,” Delp said. “He’s a competitor. We can put him in any event. He creates a lot of good problems for us. We have to find where we can maximize his potential in these big meets.”

Thompson was going to pass on his final three triple jump attempts to rest up for the 110 hurdles, which were next on the schedule. After Dyer put up a bigger number, Thompson had no choice. He had to flip the switch.

The number to reach was 44. That was the number he thought he needed when the day began. That’s exactly where he landed.

“The great thing about him is he’s a team player too,” Delp said. “He brings his ‘A’ game for his individual events but he’ll do whatever we ask him. He’s just an awesome kid. He’s gonna do great things.”

On the track, the football field and beyond.

Other notable Berks results from Saturday.

Wyomissing’s Jven Williams added the Class 2A shot put championship to his discus title from Friday. The junior reached 57-4, just ahead of Berks Catholic’s Brady Mider at 56-1.25. Williams fouled on two attempts that went 65 and farther. Dane Miller owns the county record at 62-6.25. “It’s all good,” Williams said. “Now I know I have it in the tank for next week.”
Schuylkill Valley’s Luke Seymour dominated the Class 2A 1600 and 800 to earn gold in both events for the second consecutive year. Seymour finished the 1600 in 4:16.53 to beat the field by 13 seconds and break the district record of 4:18.68, set by Middletown’s Barry Lopatic in 1980. The senior won the 800 in 1:57.37.
Tulpehocken’s Camden Gehris took first place in the Class 2A pole vault. The county champion cleared 14-2 to set a PR and rank in the top 20 in the state.
Brandywine Heights’ Adam Petersen won the Class 2A 100 by finishing in 11.21. Kutztown’s Lennon Neiman was second at 11.26.
Amory Thompson teamed with Andrew Delp, Charlie McIntyre and William Delp to win the 400 relay.
Oley Valley’s team of Jakob Bolig, Aaron Grim, Keith Neal and Joshua Wagner woin the Class 2A 3200 relay in 8:19.46.
Twin Valley’s team of David Seel, Frankie DiSilvestro, Ben Meister and Anthony Engle won the Class 3A 3200 relay in 7:56.92.
Over the two-day meet, Berks boys totaled 11 gold medals, four silvers and eight bronze.