Local athletes put playoffs behind them, head for individual qualifiers
Although local teams didn’t fare so well in the team playoffs last week, the season is still alive for track and field athletes with the first steppingstone for a trip to the WPIAL, and, hopefully the PIAA, Championships happening this afternoon at three different sites. The top eight finishers in each of the 15 individual and three relay events will advance to the WPIAL Championships. The Class AA finals will be Tuesday, May 16 at South Side Beaver with the Class AAA championship two days later at Baldwin.
The Belle Vernon, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown girls and boys travel to West Mifflin today in the Class AAA southern qualifier. Albert Gallatin and Connellsville head to Norwin for the Class AAA central qualifier.
Southmoreland and Mount Pleasant must trek to Mars High School while Beth-Center, Brownsville, Frazier, Geibel Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Waynesburg Central and West Greene will also be hitting the dusty trail all the way to South Side Beaver.
The Fillies’ Breehana Jacobs returns to defend her Class AAA title in the 100. She was second in the 200 last year while running the anchor leg of the 400 relay to the gold medal. The Mustangs’ Jeff Palya looks to improve on his 12th place finish in the 3,200 last year.
Brownsville’s America Cardine qualified in four individual events last year, finishing second in both the 200 and long jump, fourth in the 300 intermediate hurdles and eighth in the 100 high hurdles.
The PIAA Track & Field Championships will be held at Shippensburg University on Friday-Saturday, May 26-27.