Laurel Highlands wins team title
Falcons’ King, Hixson take MVP honors in FCCA meet One of the anticipated races in Saturday’s Fayette County Coaches’ Association Track and Field Meet at Laurel Highlands was the boys 1,600. Connellsville’s Kenny King held off teammate Pat Mullaney to win in 4:32, using the win as a springboard to the track MVP with 22 points.
Cory Hixson made it an MVP sweep for the Falcons on the field by winning the discus and shot put to finish with 16 points.
Laurel Highlands returned to the top spot on the awards podium with 137 points. Connellsville was second with 96 and Uniontown placed third with 67 points. Brownsville (44), Albert Gallatin (15) and Belle Vernon (5) rounded out the team results.
King, a sophomore, went out into the lead with Mullaney from the start in a field that included Belle Vernon’s Ryan Moravec, Albert Gallatin’s Patrick Reagan, and Larry Brink and Ben Shinsky of Laurel Highlands. The twosome pulled away with 300 meters to go and King fought off his teammate to win in 4:32, just steps ahead of Mullaney. Moravec was third in 4:35.
“I turned and saw Pat coming. I had to kick in the afterburners,” King said with a smile. “We talked throughout the race. We try to push each other. I’m looking to break 4:30 in the 1,600.”
Mullaney was the man in the 800, taking the lead early only to hold off King at the end. Mullaney’s winning time was 2:03.4 with King a close second in 2:03.9.
“Pat ran a brilliant race,” praised King.
King again set the pace in the 3,200 and literally ran away from the field, finishing 23 seconds ahead of Uniontown’s Kevin Monaghan with a time of 10:09.
“The Uniontown kid passed me in the fourth lap of the 3,200. I stepped outside and kept up a nice, fast pace. I took my own pace in the 3,200.
“I’m looking forward to the Baldwin Invitational this Friday. I want to break 10 minutes in the 3,200 and 4:30 in the 1,600.”
Hixson threw 45 feet, three inches to win the shot put and 133-9 for first place in the discus. The tough competition brought the best out of the Falcon senior.
“I like having competition. It makes you throw better. I’m pumped going to the Baldwin Invitational,” Hixson said, who, like many others, is focused on qualifying for the state meet.
“I was pretty excited and it’s always fun. I’m able to feed off the other guys.”
Three top hurdlers were in the county meet and the three brought the best out of each other, especially Laurel Highlands’ Matt Humbert. Humbert won both the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles in addition to placing second in the javelin and as a member of the 1,600 relay team.
Humbert once again lowered his school record in the 110 high hurdles with a winning time of 14.9 seconds.
Brownsville’s Joe Cardine was second in 15.4 and Connellsville’s Frank Kolarik placed third in 15.9.
Humbert edged Kolarik at the finish line to win the 300 intermediate hurdles in 39.3 seconds, just .1 seconds ahead of Kolarik. Cardine was third in 41.1.
“Kolarik is a real good hurdler. We pushed each other. I’m happy with both wins in the hurdles,” Humbert said, though he wasn’t as pleased in the javelin. “I had four shots to get a mark in the javelin. I don’t know what went wrong.”
One of the unexpected results of the day was Brownsville’s Josh Crable winning the 400. Crable finished first in 51.5 seconds, ahead of Laurel Highlands’ Chris Manges and Connellsville’s Kris Oswald.
“I love that race. The advantage I had was I didn’t start running the 400 until the last couple meets,” Crable said. “I heard Manges coming down the final stretch. I heard his feet and breath. I could feel it was going to be a good race.”
Brandon Mahoney defended his title in the pole vault at 12 feet, six inches. Brennon Meadows (triple jump), Tony Patitucci (javelin) and Jacob Miller (high jump) of Laurel Highlands, Albert Gallatin’s Vaughn Jones (long jump), Uniontown’s Nate Frezzell (200) and Brownsville’s Brian Gates (100) were also crowned county champions.
Connellsville won the 1,600 relay, after an inspired 400 by Mullaney, and 3,200 relay. Laurel Highlands edged Uniontown to win the 400 relay.