Friday, April 25, 2008
By BRUCE BURATTI
The Express-Times

PHILADELPHIA | Abby Schaffer is completing her final laps at Easton Area High School, putting her personal stamp on the 114th running of the Penn Relays on Thursday. Abby repeated as individual champion in her specialty event at the University of Pennsylvania.

Schaffer repeated in the high school girls pole vault, setting a meet record in the process. Schaffer broke former Easton teammate Lindsay Regan's Penn Relays mark twice.

She made 12-8 on her second attempt, breaking Regan's record of 12-7½ in 2006, then made 13-» on her third attempt at that height. Schaffer, who's headed to Virginia Tech, won the event at 12-4 and had the next three heights all to herself.

Schaffer, who's ranked No. 3 in the nation off her indoor height of 13-2½, had two good attempts at 13-3½ but just missed. She won last year by clearing 12-4½.

"The experience of winning last year made me less nervous this time," said Schaffer, also the defending PIAA Class AAA champion who added more than six inches to her outdoor personal best. "I felt real good and when I miss at a height I don't panic like I did when I was younger."

Tori Worthen of Council Rock South was second and Chrissy Finkel of Montville (N.J.), who lost to Schaffer last year on misses, was third. Nicole Pompei of Hanover Park (N.J.) was fourth. All cleared 12-0.