County track meet scheduled today at LH
The weather is expected to be picture perfect when athletes from the county’s schools meet this morning at Laurel Highlands for the annual Fayette County Coaches Association Track & Field Championships. Albert Gallatin, Brownsville, Connellsville, Frazier, Geibel Catholic, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown, and possibly Belle Vernon, will all have athletes competing for individual and team titles.
The meet will be scored through five places with the top three individuals in each of the 18 events awarded trophies with fourth, fifth and sixth places receiving ribbons.
The meet begins with the javelin competition at 10 a.m. with preliminary heats on the track to follow soon after.
Uniontown’s Kelsie Herring is the lone athlete returning to defend her MVP honors. The sophomore won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 in addition to running a leg of the victorious 3,200 relay to win the girls’ Track MVP.
The other three MVPs have since graduated. Connellsville’s Amanda Sines won the discus and shot put on her way to the Field MVP while teammate Kenny King won the 400, 800 and 1,600, and finished third in the 3,200 for the boys’ Track MVP. Laurel Highlands’ Josh Zueger won the triple jump, finished second in the high jump and was third in both the long jump and javelin.
Laurel Highlands junior Breehana Jacobs finished with a meet-high 32 points in record fashion last year as a sophomore, winning the 100, 200, 400 and long jump. She enters her third county meet with WPIAL-best times in the 100 and 200.
There promises to be a lot of competition for the three vacated MVPs on the track as well as the field.
Brownsville’s America Cardine has done well this year in both hurdles and the long jump. Laurel Highlands’ Jeff Palya and Connellsville’s Joe Villaneuva have already battled once on the track in an earlier section meet. Connellsville freshman Rodney Richter looks to make a big impression in both the discus and shot put in his first county meet. The Mustangs’ Jared Jodon has cleared 16 feet twice in the last week.
Laurel Highlands swept the team titles last year. The Fillies captured the Section 2-AAA title with Uniontown in second while Connellsville broke the Mustangs’ streak of five consecutive section titles.