TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Althea Helms competes in the sprint during a tri-meet earlier this season. On Wednesday, the junior earned her second career District 6 gold medal in the 400.

ALTOONA – Despite running her best career 400-meter dash at districts last season, Bellefonte’s Althea Helms – then a sophomore – fell short of securing her second straight District 6 title.

It certainly wasn’t bittersweet, more a product of a particularly stout field featuring two esteemed seniors. But Helms still hoped to find herself at the top of the podium at Altoona’s Mansion Park come the following May.

On Wednesday, Helms made that hope a reality.

After clinching the top seed in Thursday’s prelims by the skin of her teeth, Helms ensured the final didn’t finish quite as close, running a 58.02 to clinch her second district gold – first in Class AAA – by just over a second. Her effort headlined a strong day for the Bellefonte and Express area girls, as the Red Raiders earned team bronze and advanced six to states.

“I was excited to win first place,” said Helms on the accomplishment. “It’s just so crazy how much stuff switches as people graduate because last year, I PR’d and didn’t win and in this race, I didn’t PR but still had a lead and won.”

Bellefonte’s 3,200 relay team – consisting of Helms, Anna Tyson, Madyson Miller and Addison Fry – rounded out the team’s state qualifiers on Day 2, with Victoria Schellenberg qualifying in the pole vault on Tuesday. Bald Eagle senior Leah Bryan will represent the area in Shippensburg at the Class AA level, qualifying for the first time in the 100-meter hurdles.

Coming off running an 800, Helms wasn’t exactly operating on the freshest legs as she prepared to push for gold.

But with a good cooldown and the technique and poise of a runner that’s fine-tuned a specific event, Helms ran a solid race, one which fell short of her best time by just under a second. On top of the district gold medal, she also qualified for states in the 400 for the third straight season.

“It was definitely what I was expecting to get out of it after the 4-by-8,” laughed Helms, who went on to add a sixth-place medal in the long jump. “I’m excited for states, where I won’t have to run the 4-by-8 and 400 on the same day, so I’ll have fresh legs.”

There was turbulence amidst Bellefonte’s 3,200-relay run, as it saw a lead it held all race evaporate thanks to an absurd 2:11 split from State College anchor Katie Campbell. But behind strong splits across the board, the Red Raiders not only came close to a PR but also cleared the state-qualifying standard by almost ten seconds.

Helms ran a 2:16.46 split to kick things off, which would’ve qualified her for states individually. Tyson ran a 2:25, Miller ran a 2:24 and Fry a sub-2:20, the latter which occurred despite a tough finish due to a fast start. With the combined effort, they became the first girls relay team in Bellefonte history to qualify for states.

“Three out of the four of us are seniors,” said Miller, who’ll be experiencing states for the first time next weekend alongside Tyson. “We’ve been working to get a relay to states since our freshman year, and it’s just so exciting to finally do that my senior year, just with the emotions of all my teammates.”

For Bryan, qualifying for states as a senior meant a lot.

After falling just short as a junior, she hit a state-qualifying mark deep into her senior campaign at LHACs. And on Wednesday, she channeled that success into a do-or-die scenario, running the best race of her career so far to punch her ticket and earn District 6 Class AA bronze.

“It’s been a lot with testing in school and stuff, but I had to bring my mind here and just focus on track and running the best time I could,” said Bryan.

“I knew I just had to focus on snapping my leg down super-fast and getting over my next hurdle on time, not worrying about anyone else around me. I’m super excited just to keep it going for next week.”

Outside of state qualifiers, plenty of area athletes took home hardware.

For Central Mountain, sophomore Macia Owens and Sarah Hall took home not one, not two but three District 6 Class AAA medals. The pair was involved in the team’s 400-relay team taking sixth while each took home multiple medals in hurdles, with Owens taking fourth and seventh in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles and Hall placing fifth and eighth.

Though there was bittersweetness from the outside looking in, the pair expressed nothing but pride when discussing the run. Hall closes out her career having medaled in back-to-back District 6 stints, and Owens added two individual medals to her freshman gold in the 100.

“It’s really exciting,” said Owens. “Sad we’re leaving each other, but we feel really good about how these past two years went. No matter what the placement is and no matter what we get, I’m just proud of us for keeping going, and I’m excited to see what (Hall) does in the future.”

“I’m going to college for this, so I’m just excited to keep progressing,” said Hall, who’s committed to run track at Bloomsburg. “Maybe (Owens) will come join me at Bloom someday.”

In Bellefonte’s third place showing, plenty played a role.

Senior Madison Miller claimed silver in the javelin, falling just short of gold and a second PIAA trip with a 123-7 while earning her second medal of her senior stint. Addison Fry earned two individual medals alongside two earned in relays, taking fourth in the 800 and fifth in the 1,600.

Fry, Madyson Miller, Helms and Kaylie Knepp combined to earn bronze in the 1,600 relay. Senior Natalie Jolley placed fourth in the 3,200 with an 11:37.81, and Madyson Miller (400) and Victoria Schellenberg (javelin) took sixth in their respective events, with Schellenberg adding to Tuesday’s district gold in the pole vault.

After falling just short of a medal on Tuesday, Central Mountain freshman Sofia Kelly ensured she left Altoona with hardware, placing fourth in the high jump with a 4-9. Grace Keohane ran her second 2:25 in less than a week to place sixth in the 800, rounding out the Wildcats’ eight placements.

Though no Rams qualified for states on the girls side this season, multiple earned medals.

Elizabeth Romig left her mark in sprints, placing fifth in the 200 with a 27.06 and eight in the 100 with a 13.23. Mila Klena took fifth in the 800 with a 2:27.62, and Lillyanna Smith placed sixth in the 3,200 with a 12.11.66. And the team’s 1,600 relay – consisting of Sophia Luse, Jordan Johnson, Romig and Klena – placed eighth with a 4:24.49.

Action resumes for the six area athletes traveling to Shippensburg next Friday.