![]() Francis (29-8) did not trail since the waning moments of the third quarter. It’s nice when you put hard work into stuff and it ends up paying off in the end, but I’ve got to give credit to our guys.” “I came here five years ago to try to help this program. “It’s pretty awesome, it’s pretty fun,” Wolfson said of moving on. 21 in a Southern Section Division II-AA semifinal. Francis will take on Roosevelt for the second time this season after earning a 60-33 victory on Feb. In its semifinal Saturday, Roosevelt defeated King/Drew in overtime, 66-65. ![]() 1-seeded Golden Knights advance to the Division II regional championship game for the first time in school history. “I’ve been doing this 13 years and that is one of the best games, both teams, that I have ever been a part of.” “That is what high school basketball is all about,” St. Thanks to some last-second heroics by Andre Henry, the host Golden Knights came away with a 67-66 victory over Oxnard in a CIF State Division II Southern California Regional semifinal. Francis basketball team, as it ventured deep into state competition after a finals appearance in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.Īnother finals appearance sat right in front of the Golden Knights on Saturday, if they could vanquish visiting Oxnard in a regional semifinal. She is a four-time long jump state champion.LA CAÑADA - It was rarified air for the St. She will attempt to defend her triple jump title, lead her team in the 4x100 finals, and try to pull off a legendary upset of Girard College's Thelma Davies in the 100-meter dash.īut regardless of how she fares on those fronts, Gambrell has made her mark on this meet, solidified an indelible spot in PIAA history. "Of course they push back sometimes, that's what all teenagers do, but it's that level of trust and respect that we can have that give and take that helps us both grow in our relationship as father-daughter and coach-athlete." With the development of that trust between the both of us and all the kids, it's easy to talk to them, it's easy to coach them, it's easy to push them," Ben Gambrell said. Dad first-the disciplinary stuff at home. The dynamic between the two has also developed over the last four years. So competing at these high level competitions is good for that."īreana Gambrell (left) with her father and coach Ben GambrellĪlong with her mentality, Gambrell's raw talent has been refined as well, with her deciding to take it upon herself to put in the time to improve technique-wise, her father said. "And I attribute that partly to having that target on my back, people always wanting to take me down because I'm the top seed, so you have to be mentally ready for that. ![]() I didn't really focus on it as much back then," she said. Gambrell-whose older brother Jarred, the triple jump state meet record holder in 50-01.75, inspired her to start jumping-said that her early success has benefitted her competitive attitude. Gambrell's win on Friday puts her on an exclusive list of four-time gold medalists in an event, including most recently Bloomsburg's Jahvel Hemphill in the AA boys 100m, Connellsville's Madison Wiltrout in the AAA girls javelin. "It's crazy and special-not too many people have done that." "I didn't think four years ago when I came in as a freshman that I would end up winning four straight long jump titles," she said. The Athens Area senior earned her fourth consecutive the AA girls long jump championship Friday with a leap of 19-11 (a PIAA meet record), holds the overall state record of 20-8, won a triple jump state title last year, and will continue jumping for Penn State in the fall. Since that first state title, which she won with a jump of 18-04, Gambrell's career has taken off. "She just kind of shocked everyone," said her father and coach, Ben Gambrell. She walked off it a freshman state champion, taking the state jump scene by storm and commanding respect in her new-found position atop the PIAA. Breana Gambrell walked onto the runway at the 2015 PIAA Championships seeded four inches behind the defending AA girls long jump champion three years her senior.
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