Cosmos' Pianka 2nd at NE qualifier

Springfield's Elijah Pianka qualified for the New England championships with a second-place showing in the high jump Saturday. He cleared 5-9, matching Essex's Jackson Baker, but lost the title on number of misses.


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Local roundup: Cosmos' Pianka 2nd at NE qualifier Indoor Track & Field Springfield's Elijah Pianka qualified for the New England championships with a second-place showing in the high jump Saturday. He cleared 5-9, matching Essex's Jackson Baker, but lost the title on number of misses. “Placing second made me very happy and I am excited to be able just to go to New Englands,” Pianka said. “To see athletes so much better is motivation for me. I can't wait.” “Elijah worked very hard this season, and last season, to get to this point,” said Springfield coach Jim Fog. “He's been a great leader and made a lot of progress to get to this point. I'm very glad to see him get the chance to compete in the postseason and at a higher level.” Pianka, the Cosmos' lone senior competitor, was also 15th in the long jump at 17-8. Springfield freshman Cadence Wheeler had a pair of 8th-place showings in the high jump at 5-4 and the long jump at 18-6, and was 16th in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.18 seconds. Allen Poller and Chris Gurney added top-20 finishes in the high jump and long jump, respectively. Poller cleared 5-0 and Gurney leapt 17-2 ½. Even though the duo wan't among the top 20 in the 300-meter dash, both logged good times, 42.19 and 42.22, respectively. “Allan Poller and Chris Gurney, both juniors and three-year team veterans, have repeatedly logged PRs this season, and their times in the 300 dash Saturday particularly impressed me,” Fog said. Also competing for the Cosmos were freshmen Will Bishop and Kim Phan. "I'm very proud of all the kids that went," Fog said.