Championship Day.

The opportunity to close out the regular season with a title in hand - or on the line - is something the Jim Thorpe track and field program has grown accustomed to.

A year ago, the Olympians wrapped up the boys’ Division 1 crown, finishing off their third undefeated Schuylkill League campaign in four years in the process.

And they were primed to do it again Monday.

Though the Jim Thorpe boys fell 81-69 to Blue Mountain, the chance to compete for another division crown with the postseason on the horizon is a position head coach Frank Miller hopes his program is in every single year.

Win or lose.

“I would much rather have this meet mean something each and every year, and not win it, then to come into it and not have it mean anything because we lost earlier in the season. Without a doubt,” Miller said afterward. “We’ll learn from it, and we’ll get better, I know these kids will.”

The Eagles posted a 98-52 victory in the girls meet to give Blue Mountain the Division 1 double, with both teams finishing the season 6-0.

“It’s been a while for the boys. We’ve been in a little bit of a drought, and the league has been very, very competitive,” said Eagles’ boys coach Cory Mabry. “Even this year, look at the scores of all the meets – every meet was 80-something-60-something,one way or the other.

“So we didn’t think for a second that we had an easy one today. We knew it was going to be a battle. Coach Miller does a fantastic job with his kids, and they were prepared to run.”

Blue Mountain won nine individual events in the boys’ meet and took at least two of the top three spots in 11 of the 15 competitions.

Kevin Haas (1600, 3200) and Daniel Farrell (110H, 300H) led the way on the track for the Eagles, who also swept the top two spots in the high jump, pole vault, triple jump and javelin.

Those performances offset a big day from Jarrin Geisinger (100, 200, long jump) and the Olympian (5-1) relays, which swept the 400, 1600 and 3200 events.

“Today, I just tried to give it my all in every single event,” said Geisinger a two-time state qualifier and state medalist as a sophomore. “We work as a team all the time together. It starts in the winter, and continues out on the track,even in the freezing rain sometimes. We gave it our all this season, and whatever comes out of it, comes out of it.”

Jim Thorpe took the top-three spots in the shot put, with Allan Bailor (47-02) winning the event, and Dylan Dailey and William Munson helping to complete the sweep.

In the girls’ meet, Lydia Wallce (400, 800) and Caprice Lynch (high jump, triple jump) posted double event victories for the Olympians (3-3).

Wallace relished the chance to close out the regular season against one of the top teams in the league.

“Heading into leagues, I’m going to focus on the 400, 300 hurdles and the 800,” said Wallace, who was the district champion in the 400 and runner-up in the 800 and 400 relay last season.

“And today was like a practice day, because they’re right after each other, so it was a day to get my body used to it, and see how I feel. And it was a work day.”

SAVE THE DATE … While Jim Thorpe honored its seniors at the last regular season home meet Monday, the team isn’t done competing at the facility just yet this season. The annual Olympian Invitational will be held this Friday at Jim Thorpe, giving athletes one more tune-up before league meets begin next week.

SPEAKING OF … While Miller was disappointed with the outcome against Blue Mountain, he knows next week’s Schuylkill League meet, which will be held at Tamaqua, is another shot for the boys team to defend its title from a year ago. “We really like our chances going into the all-league meet to win that. The division title is always great, but now that we score that league meet, you have an opportunity to recoup something that got away from you during the course of the regular season,” Miller said.

GIRLS

Blue Mountain 98, Jim Thorpe 52

100 – 1. Kylie Kutz (BM) 13.25, 2. Lindsay Kutz (BM), 3. Kate Walasavage (BM); 200 – 1. Kate Walasavage (BM) 28.58, 2. Abby Beam (BM), 3. Tessa Bevilacqua (JT); 400 – 1. Lydia Wallace (JT) 1:01.43, 2. Kulia Kluge (BM), 3. Lexi Phillips(BM); 800 – 1. Lydia Wallace (JT) 2:36.50, 2. Abigail McGinley (JT), 3. Grace Scheidel (BM); 1600 – 1. Olivia Haas (BM) 5:05.0, 2. Kaylee Yeager (BM), 3. Megan Rosahac (JT); 3200 – 1. Angelique Antonini (BM) 12:42.0, 2. Megan Rosahac (JT), 3. McKenzie Snyder(JT); 100H – 1. Kylee Dulski (JT) 17.98, 2. Kera Paul (BM), 3. Morgan Yuengling (BM); 300H – 1. Jacey Miller (BM) 49.95, 2. Kera Paul (BM), 3. Morgan Yuengling (BM); 400 relay – 1. Blue Mountain (Jacey Miller, Abby Beam, Lindsay Kutz, Kylie Kutz) 54.17; 1600relay – 1. Blue Mountain (Julia Kluge, Lindsay Kutz, Olivia Haas, Jacey Miller) 4:41.55; 3200 relay – 1. Blue Mountain (Bethany Basile, Gabrielle Menuchak, Alexis Monahan, Grace Scheidel) 12:54.68; High jump – 1. Caprice Lynch (JT) 4-8, 2. Rachel Lukacz (BM),3. Riley Solt (JT); Pole vault – 1. Debbie Loyd (JT) 9-0, 2. Tessa Bevilacqua (JT), 3. Erin McQuillan (BM); Long jump – 1. Abby Beam (BM) 14-8.0, 2. Somer Barrett (BM), 3. Abigail McGinley (JT); Triple jump – 1. Caprice Lynch (JT) 32-03.50, 2. Debbie Loyd(JT), 3. Somer Barrett (BM); Shot put – 1. Elsie Wanamaker (BM) 35-03.0, 2. Jordan McGowan (BM), 3. Kristen Scott (JT); Discus – 1. Elsie Wanamaker (BM) 105-11, 2. Holly Skrimcovsky (JT), 3. Jordan McGowan (BM); Javelin – 1. Elsie Wanamaker (BM) 119-0, 2. Rachel Lukacz (BM), 3. Kristen Scott (JT).

BOYS

Blue Mountain 81, Jim Thorpe 69

100 - 1. Jarrin Geisinger (JT) 11.24, 2. Lorenzo Valenti (BM), 3. Zack Boyer (BM); 200 – 1. Jarrin Geisinger (JT) 23.18, 2. Chris Strika (JT), 3. Zack Boyer (BM); 400 – 1. Lorenzo Valenti (BM) 52.24, 2. Samuel Hydro (JT), 3. James Schwartz (JT); 800 – 1. Samuel Hydro (JT) 2:10.42, 2. Coltin Albitz (BM), 3. Brian Sherry (BM); 1600 – 1. Kevin Haas (BM) 4:50.0, 2. Coltin Albitz (BM), 3. Blake Kilmer (JT); 3200 – 1. Kevin Haas (BM) 10:35.0, 2. Coltin Albitz (BM), 3. Tanner Rabenstein (BM); 110H – 1. Daniel Farrell (BM) 16.36, 2. Cary Mabry (BM). 3. David Richards (JT); 300H – 1. Daniel Farrell (BM) 43.09, 2. Justin Ellis (JT), 3. Aidan Carr (BM); 400 relay – 1. Jim Thorpe (Justin Ellis, Dylan Dailey, Chris Strika, Jarrin Geisinger) 45.88; 1600 relay – 1. Jim Thorpe (Chris Strika, Justin Ellis, James Schwartz, Samuel Hydro) 3:51.52; 3200 relay – 1. Jim Thorpe (Blake Kilmer, Christopher Condly, James Schwartz, Samuel Hydro) 8:57.07; High jump – 1. Benjamin Bunnick (BM) 6-1, 2. Cory Mabry (BM), 3. David Richards (JT); Pole vault – 1. Michael Levulic (BM) 11-6, 2. Guy Robinson (BM), 3. Jason Walck (JT); Long jump – 1. Jarrin Geisinger (JT) 20-10.5, 2. Cory Mabry (BM), 3. Benjamin Bunnick (BM); Triple jump – 1. Cory Mabry (BM) 39-11.0, 2. Benjamin Bunnick (BM), 3. Dylan Dailey (JT); Shot put – 1. Allan Bailor (JT) 47-02.0, 2. Dylan Dailey (JT), 3. William Munson (JT); Discus – 1. William Munson (JT) 134-08, 2. Allan Bailor (JT), 3. Joseph Zelinsky (BM); Javelin – 1. Blake Lipko (BM) 170-09, 2. Jason Dean (BM), 3.William Munson (JT).