“I sort of always loved track, especially jumping. These last two years don’t define who I am, but I found my niche here. It’s something I can really excel at, and I like to take advantage of that and push myself to the limits of what I can physically do.” — Ezra Mellinger, Lampeter-Strasburg graduate and Duke freshman
Mellinger, being honored as the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame/ LNP Scholastic Boys Athlete of the Year for the 2018-19 school year, pushed limits and broke records in a whirlwind senior season that culminated in two gold medals at the 2019 PIAA track and field championships. He leaped 23 feet, 9.25 inches in the long jump and clocked 21.45 seconds in the 200- meter dash in his winning efforts.
He also snagged Athlete of the Year honors from the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association to cap his scholastic career.