Before the season Kaley Seide expected to return to the state track and field championships to defend the relay state title she was a part of last year.

A hamstring injury changed those plans. But the Trojan senior found a way to get to states and return with another medal.

Seide took fourth place in long jump last weekend at the PIAA Track and Field Championships, held annually at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

Seide was one of two Trojans to earn medals at the meet, along with junior Radnor Rowlands in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

The hamstring injury occurred against Dieruff early in the season when Seide was running the 4x100 relay, the event in which her and three teammates won state gold last season.

“I felt an explosion in my right hamstring,” said Seide, who will run at Rider University next year. “Unfortunately I had a right hamstring injury last year. This one was further down. I was out for every meet except for Emmaus.”

The meet against Emmaus was the final one of the regular season.

“It’s been such a long road this year,” Seide said. “I was really nervous. I was scared I wasn’t going to do anything.

At Emmaus I did one jump. I progressed and at EPCs I ended up getting second. At districts I ended up qualifying for states and I was really happy about that because I also broke the school record in that and jumped 18-5.”

Seide, who qualified for states all four years of high school, increased her school record to 18 feet, 9 inches at states and earned the first individual state medal of her high school career.

“To even be here and get fourth place, it’s so astonishing,” she said. “I would have never thought, especially after being so down about myself because of the injury.”

Rowlands competed on both days of the state meet.

On Friday he qualified for finals with the second-fastest 200-meter dash time in the Class 3A boys field at 21.55, and the fifth-best 100-meter time (10.72) in class 3A.

He ran the 200 finals in 21.64 for third place after taking fifth place in the 100 in 10.77.

“I love the competition we get throughout the main season,” Rowlands said. “But coming to leagues, districts and states, I love the competition. I love everybody running around me. I love being able to push myself with how fast other people are running and working off them.”

Saturday’s races were run in cool and rainy conditions. His lane for the 100 finals had some puddles.

“It was a new challenge for me,” said the Trojan junior. “It’s mentally draining, but it’s exciting. Everybody has to run in the exact same conditions. You have to be able to compete in any conditions against anybody no matter what. You always just have to try your best.

“I’m happy with how I raced but I’m not happy with my times.”

Several other Parkland athletes competed in the state championship meet.

Samantha Shultz finished 13th overall in pole vault by clearing 10 feet, 6 inches. Ana Gbur finished 16th at states in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 44.98.

Wesley West competed in the 200 preliminary heats and finished 15th overall in 22.25. Colin McGuigan ran a 9:32.25 for 18th place in the 3,200.

Nmelichukwu Onwuzo (21st, 40.44) and David Scherb (23rd, 40.57) both competed in 300 hurdles at states. Exzavier Seide was 26th in triple jump at 43-6 1/2.

The Trojans 4x800 relay team of Brendan Frank, Angel Chamorro-Melendez, Logan McEvoy and Cole Orloski ran the race in 8:29.05 for 21st place.