Mifflin’s Sierra Hess is healthy and back on top at Firing Meet

By Julie Pelchar Cohen — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

Sierra Hess has found herself on the sideline far too many times.

A horrific injury early in her sophomore soccer season shredded her knee.

Sprains riddled her ankles more than half a dozen times before that.

She tore the meniscus again in her repaired knee and required a second surgery that erased another soccer season.

Nothing could be harder than sitting out from competition.

“I think to myself now that whatever I’m going through is never going to be as hard as what I’ve done to overcome my injuries,” Hess said. “I keep that in the back of my mind. It’s definitely made me a stronger human being. I see the world so much differently now.”

No wonder Saturday’s victory felt so good for the Gov. Mifflin junior.

After missing last year’s sophomore track season, Hess regained her county title in the 400 during the BCIAA Firing Meet at her home track in Shillington.

She knocked more than a second off her season best to finish in 58.62. She took silver in the 200, bronze in the 100 and ran a key second leg in Mifflin’s winning 400 relay. The points she earned helped the Mustangs win the girls team title.

“I am so happy to be able to show what I can do again,” Hess said.

Mustangs sprints coach Jared White was more demonstrative in his assessment of her comeback season.

“I saw it in her eyes today,” White said. “They said I know this is mine. I’m back on top. I’m that girl in the 400 again this year.

“I couldn‘t be any happier for her and for overcoming the trials and tribulations she’s had.”

After Hess tore her anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus the third game into her second high school soccer season, Hess spent countless hours on the couch watching motivational videos and Instagram reels to educate herself on soccer and track tactics and mental strategies.

“It helped me realize that if you’ve gone through this then you can definitely get through another 400 race,” she said.

Hess made the quarter mile look easy her freshman year. She won the 2022 Firing meet in 57.70. She also took the county 200 title with a 25.61 that year. Both times stand as her personal bests.

She hopes to topple them over the next two weeks.

“I feel like I’m almost there,” she said. “I’m close.”

Two years is a long time to wait. For Hess, it was an eternity.

“I felt like I was missing everything,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to get my speed back.”

No wonder Saturday’s win was special.

“It made me feel so good,” she said. “Knowing I pushed and ran a 58 means so much to me.”

Making their points: Muhlenberg sprinter Nadly Gyapong and Schuylkill Valley jumper  Luke Martinez received awards for earning the most points for girls and boys, respectively. Each athlete scored 28 points.

Gyapong won the 100 in 12.36 and successfully defended her 200 title in 25.84 . She finished second in the 400.

“I’m very proud of myself even though the 400 wasn’t what I wanted,” Gyapong said. “I’m so glad I kept myself mentally strong for a good finish in the 200. It was crazy good competition and I’m happy to be part of it.”
Martinez won the pole vault (13-6)  and triple jump (43-2½) for three career county titles. He finished second in the long jump on Thursday’s opening day after taking last year’s title.

Zack’s back: To most onlookers, Gov. Mifflin’s Zack Zerbe never went away.
But the senior said he’s back.

April was slow for Berks County’s distance king.

“I haven’t had a crazy good season,” he said.

But he believes Thursday’s dominant 3200 win will prove to be a turning point. He cruised to a 1:54.60 in winning Saturday’s 800. 

“Thursday was big,” he said. “It gave me a lot of confidence going  into today. Even though I was wearing that three seed, I knew I could do better than that. In my head it was just go win one and make it a good weekend.”

Zerbe, the reigning indoor state runner-up in the 800, seems to be peaking at just the right time.

“My coach always says you only have so many great races in you each  season,” he said. “I hadn’t used any yet. Thursday was my first one. I used one today. I think I definitely have a lot left. It’s exciting to be back.”

Gabby style: Berks County distance runners know never to count out Gabby Keith.

It seems as though no matter how far she trails the lead runner, the Exeter senior has a chance to win.

She proved that again while capturing her second straight 1600 title.

Keith trailed Gov. Mifflin standout Kaitlyn Highduch, who cruised to her second straight 3200 win Thursday, by a significant margin heading into Saturday’s final lap.

Keith thought the deficit was almost too significant.

“I knew that she would probably try to pull away in the third lap, but she really started going and I was like, ‘Oh shoot, going into the last lap,’ ” Keith said. “My goal was just to get around her. It took until the last 100, but I was able to do it.”

Keith started to gain ground early in the bell lap before turning on her signature jets with about 200 meters remaining.

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get her at the end,” Keith said, “but I noticed when I started picking it up that she started dying a little bit at the 200. Then I  was like, ‘I can get her. I can get her.’ ”

Keith was more concerned about earning a second title than she was about producing a fast time. Still, she finished in a swift 5:03.84.

Debut double: Twin Valley freshman Addie Nudy showed why she owns Berks bests in all three jumps this season.

After winning Thursday’s triple jump, Nudy placed fifth in the long jump Saturday morning before finishing on a high note with a high jump win.

While she didn’t match any of her season bests, she was happy with her performance.

“I had to celebrate the victories,” she said.

Admittedly, her performance in the morning long jump was disappointing, but Nudy pushed any negative thoughts aside for her strongest event.

After easily clearing 5-2 for her winning high jump height, she went straight to 5-6 to attempt bettering her  personal best of 5-5.

She almost got it.

“On the second jump, I don’t even know what hit it,” she said. “Something grazed the bar and knocked it off. It was so close. I’m confident that I can get it.”

Mider’s touch: It’s hard to believe that Brady Mider hadn’t etched his name into a Berks County invitational record book prior to this year’s Firing Meet.

The Berks Catholic senior is the two-time defending Class 3A state champion. He’s a two-time indoor state champ. Mider is also this winter’s Nike Indoor Nationals runner-up.

But when throwers such as Wyomissing’s J’ven Williams and Schuylkill Valley’s Dane Miller are predecessors, making history is no easy task.

Mider was proud that his personal-best 62-4¾ was the Firing’s best ever.

“This felt pretty good,” Mider said. “I wanted to break the meet record. The last  one I cranked it for a pretty big PR. That was nice. It’s championship season. I feel good heading into districts and states.”

Expected sweep: Wyomissing’s throwers took the first three spots in the boys javelin.

Senior Drew Forrey led the way with his golden 175-10. Classmates Collin Niedrowski and Isaac Focht were close behind. 

“We didn’t throw well the last two weeks,” Forrey said. “We really had to lock in during practice this week. We worked on a hip rotation drill and it worked.

“The goal is for all three of us to qualify for states at districts and then see all of us place at states. I  think we can do it. We’re heading in the right direction because we all had season bests today.”