Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) hosted its WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Girls’ Track & Field Individual Championships in two classification this past Wednesday and Thursday at William C. Lennox Track on the campus of Slippery Rock University. The meet was extended into a second day due to multiple weather delays, and in the end a total of four championship meet records fell and 20 schools between Class 2A and Class 3A produced gold medalists.
In Class 3A, Canon-McMillan and North Allegheny led the way with four gold medalists each, while Butler, Mt. Lebanon, and South Fayette all had two. Canon-McMillan senior Rose Kuchera defended her 100-meter hurdles, long jump, and triple jump titles, winning her third gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump. Mt. Lebanon senior Logan St. John Kletter became a two-time champion in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs – setting a new meet record in the latter – and Kiski Area senior Eliza Miller defended her 800-meter run title. North Allegheny finished first in the 4x400-meter relay for the second straight year.
At Class 2A, Shady Side Academy claimed a league-best three champions, with Avonworth/Northgate, Laurel, Mohawk, Quaker Valley, and Shenango all winning two each. Laurel junior Tori Atkins is now a three-time champion in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes, while Avonworth/Northgate senior Hayzes Robinson (100-meter dash), Quaker Valley sophomore Mia Gartley (high jump), and Derry junior Sophia Mazzoni (javelin) all won their respective events for a second consecutive year. Mazzoni’s javelin throw was a meet record, as was Atkins’ performance in the 400-meter dash.
Each event champion and additional student-athletes and relay teams move onto the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Girls’ Track & Field Championships, which will be held on May 24-25 at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Nine different schools came home with gold following the Class 3A portion of the WPIAL Girls’ Track & Field Individual Championships.
North Allegheny’s team of Eva Kynaston, Erin McGoey, Kendall Lucas, and Elizabeth Pizon opened the first day with a win in the 4x800-meter relay, clocking in with a time of 9:23.09 to best South Fayette (9:27.63) and Mt. Lebanon (9:28.81).
Canon-McMillan senior Rose Kuchera became a three-time champion in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 14.75 seconds. South Fayette sophomore Delaney Schumaker finished second with a time of 14.91, while Seneca Valley junior Kathryn Morrison came in third with a 15.07.
South Fayette senior Olivia Renk brought home her first of two gold medals in the 100-meter dash, as her time of 12.05 seconds topped Plum junior Gabrielle Layne (12.23) and Upper St. Clair sophomore Sadie Tomczyk (12.32).
Mt. Lebanon senior Logan St. John Kletter defended her title in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:52.29. West Allegheny sophomore Grace Fritzman (4:54.96) and Kiski Area senior Eliza Miller (5:00.29) finished second and third, respectively.
The North Catholic quartet of Sunni Love, Flerl Daphne, Anna Lazzara, and Seava Cresta was victorious in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 48.09 seconds, edging out Upper St. Clair (48.64) and Mt. Lebanon (48.80).
It was a North Allegheny one-two finish in the 400-meter dash, as sophomore Mackenzie Winning’s time of 56.45 seconds bested junior and reigning champion Isabella Costa at 57.39. Norwin junior Melani Schmidt finished third with a mark of 57.50.
Butler senior Lauren Bowden was victorious in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 44.99 seconds. Mt. Lebanon senior Megan Cain finished second with a time of 45.07, and Norwin senior Casey Rose Colombe placed third after crossing the line in 45.52.
Eliza Miller became a two-time winner of the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.95, topping Thomas Jefferson junior Sylvia Kashak (2:14.62) and Penn-Trafford Amelia Barilla (2:15.25).
Olivia Renk’s second win of the meet came in the 200-meter dash, as she crossed the line in 24.87 seconds to best Sadie Tomczyk (25.17) and Melani Schmidt (25.21).
Logan St. John Kletter established a new meet record in the 3,200-meter run, winning her second straight gold in the event with a time of 10:19.78. She shaved 13.88 seconds off the previous mark of 10:33.66, which was set by Oakland Catholic’s Hannah Schupansky in 2018. Grace Fritzman finished second with a time of 10:47.17, and Eva Kynaston crossed the line in 10:49.83 to claim bronze.
North Allegheny won its second relay in the 4x400-meter relay, with the team of Kendall Lucas, Isabella Costa, Maya Currie, and Mackenzie Winning posting a time of 3:56.66 to top South Fayette (3:59.96) and Butler (4:00.19).
Fox Chapel senior Anna Troutman emerged as the high jump champion, as she was the lone student-athlete to clear 5-05.00. Trinity freshman Ella Samuel captured silver with a leap of 5-03.00, and Hempfield Area senior Grace Iwig’s mark of 5-01.00 was good for third.
Rose Kuchera defended her titles in the long jump and triple jump, with her triple jump triumph being a third consecutive – making her the first since Kiski Area’s Kim McDermott in 1994 to win three straight. Kuchera’s leap of 39-01.00 in the triple jump beat out Moon sophomore Jaedin Griggs (37-07.00) and Mt. Lebanon freshman Keira Kraemer (37-02.25), and her long jump mark of 18-02.00 was better than Greater Latrobe junior Mia Klasnic (18-01.25) and Fox Chapel junior Anna Kintner (17-11.00).
Butler junior Aubrey Rock won the pole vault by clearing 12-00.00 before North Allegheny sophomore Lindsay Breneman. Laurel Highlands junior Jaden Brambley finished third with a mark of 11-06.00.
Montour senior Marlo Cyanovich earned the gold in discus with a toss of 120-11.00, with Fox Chapel sophomore Claire Conti (119-02.00) and Hempfield Area sophomore Maddie Tulley (114-11.00) finishing second and third, respectively.
Canon-McMillan’s fourth gold medal came in the javelin, as junior Abby Tucker won the event with a toss of 128-04.00. Norwin junior Alexis Heller placed second with a mark of 125-08.00, and Shaler sophomore Jayla Antomachi had a best throw of 124-05.00 for bronze.
North Allegheny won its fourth gold in the shot put, as junior Jamie Frisco topped the field with a toss of 40-01.25. Canon-McMillan senior Maggie Clair (39-09.00) and North Allegheny sophomore Taylor Neese (38-03.00) finished second and third, respectively.
CLASS 2A RECAP
There were 11 different schools that topped the podium in the Class 2A portion of the WPIAL Girls’ Track & Field Individual Championships.
Shady Side Academy led the classification with three winners, and it started the meet with a triumph in the 4x800-meter relay. Its team of Ella Van Norma, Charlotte Baker, Rhyley Bendel, and Chelsea Hartman finished with a time of 9:42.76, ahead of Fort Cherry (9:49.78) and Carlynton (9:54.40).
Mohawk junior Ellie Whippo won her first of two gold medals in the 100-meter hurdles, as her time of 15.53 seconds bested Greensburg Central Catholic junior Sasha Hoffman (15.61) and Burrell senior Allison Smola (15.93).
Avonworth/Northgate senior Hayzes Robinson successfully defended her gold in the 100-meter dash, clocking in at 12.05 seconds to top Greensburg Central Catholic junior Eva Denis (12.15) and Winchester Thurston sophomore Monroe Low (12.18).
Chelsea Hartman earned won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:06.44. Finishing second was Knoch senior Ava Santora at 5:16.16, and Carlynton junior Bridget McNamara’s time of 5:18.97 was good for third.
The Winchester Thurston quartet of Alexis Bansah, DaShae Cochran, Octavia Chitty, and Monroe Law won the 4x100-meter relay, posting a time of 48.77 seconds to beat out Freedom Area (49.92) and Quaker Valley (49.96).
Laurel junior Tori Atkins made it a three-peat in the 400-meter dash, setting a new championship meet record in the process. Atkins’ time of 55.54 second was 1.00 quicker than the previous standard of 56.54, which was set by Avonworth/Northgate’s Hunter Robinson in 2016. DaShae Cochran (57.42) and Burgettstown junior Peyton Mormon (57.78) rounded out the top three.
Ellie Whippo swept the hurdles events by winning the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 45.01 seconds. Sasha Hoffman claimed a second hurdles silver with a mark of 46.35, and Burrell senior Tessa Mathabel claimed bronze at 46.78.
Trinity Christian junior Eilidh Edgar was victorious in the 800-meter run, as her time of 2:14.76 topped Southmoreland sophomore Megan Mehall (2:17.22) and Derry junior Jane Huss (2:02.82).
Atkins claimed her third straight gold in the 200-meter dash, winning with a time of 24.89 seconds. Freedom Area senior Shaye Bailey (25.03) and Monroe Law (25.09) placed second and third, respectively.
Chelsea Hartman completed a sweep of the mile and two-mile, winning the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:48.33. Aquinas Academy senior Alexis Abbett clocked in at 11:20.43 to finish second, and Ava Santora placed third with a time of 11:32.25.
Avonworth/Northgate’s team of Grace Ermlich, Gianna Babusci, Hayzes Robinson, and Julia Doherty took gold in the 4x400-meter relay, as their time of 3:56.84 bested Winchester Thurston (4:01.29) and Fort Cherry (4:04.67). That mark also broke the championship meet record of 4:01.00, which was set by Springdale in 2008.
Quaker Valley sophomore Mia Gartley won her second straight gold in the high jump, clearing 5-04.00 before Apollo-Ridge senior Sophia Yard and her classmate Oumou Thiero.
Carlynton junior Clare Ruffing was victorious in the long jump, hitting a mark of 18-05.00. Shenango duo Sara Roe (17-07.50) and Addy Kays (17-07.00) finished second and third, respectively.
In the triple jump, Quaker Valley junior Jay Olawaiye came home with the gold after a leap of 38-05.00. Knoch junior Kara Fennell placed second with a mark of 38-00.00, and Carlynton junior Jordynn Carter earned bronze with a jump of 37-02.75.
Freeport freshman Mackenzie Magness won the pole vault by clearing the height of 11-06.00 ahead of Freedom Area junior Aurea Hickenbooth. Quaker Valley freshman Evie Rosselli finished third with a mark of 11-03.00.
It was a clean sweep for Shenango in the top three of discus, as junior Rachel Callahan (119-01.00) won gold, senior Maria Bryant (110-09.00) took silver, and sophomore Zoe Bupp (109-06.00) claimed bronze.
Derry junior Sophia Mazzoni defended her javelin title with a toss of 159-00.00, setting a new championship meet record in the process. Her throw bested the previous mark of 156-08.00, which was set by Fort Cherry’s Jessie Merckle in 2012. Knoch junior Karlee Buterbaugh (125-10.00) and South Park senior Monroe Polis (115-07.00) placed second and third, respectively.
Shenango freshman Anna McKinley won the shot put with a throw of 39-11.00, topping Beaver Falls senior and reigning champion Mikayla Anderson (39-08.75) and Laurel sophomore Alexis Geiwitz (39-07.00).
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