Track roundup
Roadman leads Connellsville by qualifying in three events Christina Roadman let loose with the longest discus throw in the state so far this year and led a group of 14 Connellsville athletes into the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships, advancing out of the WPIAL qualifier at Hempfield High School on Tuesday.
Roadman’s discus throw went 130 feet, eight inches. She also qualified in the shot put (36-6) and javelin (118-8).
Frank Kolarik advanced in the 300 hurdles (39.6 seconds), Kris Oswald moved on in the 400 (:52.3), Pat Mullaney qualified in the 800 (2:01), Kenny King made it in the 1,600 (4:30) and all four combined to give the Falcons an entry in the 1,600 relay (4:30).
Connellsville’s boys also advanced its 3,200 relay team of Brad Showman, Nick Bailey, Mullaney and King (8:20).
In addition to Roadman, the Lady Falcons advanced Lauren McCormick in the 300 high hurdles (:47.8), freshman Lasasha Taulton in the 400 (1:00.7), Molly Mullaney in the 800 (2:32), Shannon Kovack in the 3,200 (11:59), Jen Rowan in the triple jump (33-10), Colleen McLaughlin in the pole vault (9-6) and Amanda Sines in the shot put (35-6) and discus (94-6).
“I was very pleased,” Connellsville coach Jeff Galand said. “We brought 20 athletes and qualified 14. It was a very nice day to compete.”
Galand hopes his qualifiers can keep their composure at next Thursday’s WPIAL championships held at Baldwin High School.
“My only fear is that we put too much pressure on ourselves,” Galand said. “That’s what you don’t want to do. I hope they just go out and do what they can do at the championships. They’re a great bunch of kids.
Brownsville advances nine athletes – Brownsville advanced two girls and seven boys to the WPIAL Class AA Track and Field Championships out of the WPIAL qualifier held at South Side Beaver.
The championships also will be held at South Side Beaver next Tuesday.
For the Lady Falcons, Nicole Williams moved on in the high jump and Jenna Jackson advanced in the 300 hurdles.
Joe Cardine and Dougie Patterson both made it in two individual events for the Falcons. Cardine moved on in the 100 high hurdles and the 300 hurdles, while Patterson qualified in the long jump and triple jump.
Josh Crable advanced in the 400.
The Falcons put two relay teams into the championships. Robert Martin, Patterson, Mike Piccolomini and Brian Gates led the 400 relay, while Crable, Piccolomini, Gates and Joe Feick paced the 1,600 relay.
Yourchik stars for Jefferson-Morgan – Jefferson-Morgan’s Shanna Yourchik had a field day at the Class AA WPIAL track and field qualifier at South Side Beaver High School.
Yourchik qualified in four events: the high jump, triple jump, long jump and 100 hurdles. She topped the high jump heats, with a mark of five feet, and was third in the triple jump at 34 feet, three inches. Yourchik’s mark of 15 feet, 4 1/2 inches was good enough for fourth in the long jump, while her time of 16.1 seconds helped her finish fifth in the 100 hurdles.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Eric Swinchock qualified in the javelin with a heave of 153 feet, while Luke Lubich qualified in the high jump, tying for seventh with a mark of five feet, nine inches.
The Rockets’ Joe Yokiel finished eighth and qualified in the 200 with a time of 23.7 seconds.
The WPIAL Class AA track and field championships will be held next Tuesday at South Side Beaver.