WPIAL denies Layton’s appeal for berth into hurdles
Daniel Layton is the reigning champion WPIAL Class AA 110 high hurdles, winning gold last year with a time of 14.73 seconds.
The Waynesburg Central senior posted the fastest mark entering the 2019 district championship with his winning time of 14.46 seconds at the recent Baldwin Invitational. The time was his personal best and was the second-fastest in the state at the time.
However, Layton likely did not have the opportunity to defend the title and lower his school-record time because the WPIAL Board of Control, by a vote of 12-3, did not reverse the entry error Monday that left the senior not listed in the top 16 for the event. Layton’s time was nearly one second faster than the second-fastest entry time.
Waynesburg Central boys track & field coach Rick Layton, Daniel’s father, mistakenly removed his son from the 110 high hurdles instead of pulling him from the 300 intermediate hurdles. Daniel Layton has the third-fastest qualifying time in the 300 intermediate hurdles, and also qualified as the top seed in the pole vault (by over a 1½ feet). Additionally, he runs a leg on the Raiders’ 1,600 relay.
“The appeal process was denied. They did what everyone said they were to do. They penalized the athlete who has worked hard and done nothing wrong and not the coach who made the mistake,” Rick Layton said during Monday afternoon’s practice. “We are going (to take the appeal) to the next level (the PIAA). (Principal) Bob (Stephenson) and (Athletic Director) Justin (Stephenson) are diligently working on that right now.
“I’m extremely proud of them (the principal and athletic director). They are working hard.”
Rick Layton was hoping the PIAA would hand down a favorable decision, but said his son and the Raiders were moving forward in preparation for the WPIAL Championships no matter what the state decides.
“We will stay focused and work on what we can control,” said Rick Layton. “I hope the PIAA has the wisdom and courage to do the right thing. And that’s what it will take, wisdom and courage.
“We think (the WPIAL) got it wrong.”
The outcome of the PIAA appeal was unknown at press time.
Ironically, Daniel Layton was one of 20 athletes honored by the WPIAL with a $1,000 scholarship as a top scholar-athlete as the appeal decision was being handed down.
While Layton apparently would not have the opportunity to repeat as gold medalist, several Greene County athletes were looking to defend their WPIAL titles Thursday at Slippery Rock University.
Waynesburg Central’s Scott Benco and Taylor Shriver both won Class AA silver last spring, but enter this year’s meet as the favorite in their events.
Shriver has the top qualifying height in the pole vault of 12-9, over two feet higher than Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer. Benco posted a throw of 192-6, currently the second-best in the state and the farthest in the WPIAL by 30 feet.
The Lady Raiders’ Madison Brooks is seeded second in the Class AA shot put.
Another returning medalist in Class AA is Waynesburg Central’s Brooks (3, shot put).
The top five finishers in Class AA and four in Class AAA automatically qualify for the PIAA Championships on Friday-Saturday, May 24-25, at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium. Those who place through eighth place and meet the state qualifying standard also advance to the state meet.