May 10, 2006 By Jim Downey 4 min read

WEST MIFFLIN – Belle Vernon, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown will bring a busload of boys to next week’s WPIAL Championship after qualifying 13 individuals and two relay teams Tuesday at the WPIAL Individual Track & Field Southern Qualifier at West Mifflin High School. The district finals will be held at Baldwin High School on Thursday, May 18.

The pole vault pit will be a busy place with the Mustangs qualifying three and Uniontown two. Laurel Highlands’ Jared Jodon cleared 13 feet for a chance to better last year’s silver medal finish. Teammates Nick Licciardi and Nathaniel Hensh cleared 11-9 to give the Mustangs three of the 24 finalists.

Uniontown’s T.C. Meyers and Luke Zajac also cleared 11-9.

The Mustangs’ Jack Macioce hopes to cap his high school career with WPIAL and PIAA medals, and the senior will have three chances after qualifying in the 100 (4th, 11.0), 200 (22.8) and running the anchor leg of the 400 relay with Eric Yarbrough, Brian Grady and Greg Friend to an 8th-place finish in 46.3.

Macioce has been hampered with a hamstring injury, and he said he felt he tweaked it during the meet.

“Last Friday at the Baldwin Invitational is the best I’ve felt this season. I just tweaked it today,” said Macioce. “After the county meet, I decided I have to run to win. I’m glad to qualify and that I finished better than fifth.”

As for the championships, Macioce said, “I think my best bet is in the 200. Coach (Bob) Costello and I will look to see the times.”

Macioce also enjoyed running against some familiar faces from Belle Vernon and Uniontown.

“Our sprinters and Belle Vernon’s sprinters started talking last year,” explained Macioce. “We force each other to run better in the relay.”

Joining Macioce in the finals will be Colby Springer in the high jump (5-9) and Jeff Palya in the 3,200 (5th, 10:02.01).

Uniontown had a bad break in putting together its qualifiers when Albert Lee caught the next-to-last hurdle in the 110 high hurdles, causing him to hit the track after leading the heat after having the fastest preliminary time. Lee slipped from first to eighth and missed securing a berth.

Steven Lee was one of the high jumpers who cleared 5-9 to advance with the 3,200 relay team of Mac Festa, John O’Neil, Eddie Olesh and Kyle Markwardt running 8:32 for a berth.

Devin Miller finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 42-3½ secured on his third attempt.

“I was getting my nerves out on my first two attempts,” said Miller. “I was in the first flight. I don’t like sitting there and watching other people jump. If I see someone jump past my mark, I want a chance to beat them.”

He’s pretty defined in his future plans, as well.

“I want to make it to states. I didn’t think I would do this well this year. I feel I can hit 43 feet.”

Belle Vernon will bring three boys to the district meet. Dave Lash made it in the triple jump (41-¼), Shane Curran made the grade in the 400 (52.5) and Mike Pohlot finished sixth in the 1,600 in 4:40.

Pohlot ran out of gas in the 800, but he gave the 1,600 his best shot.

“I gave (the 1,600) my all. I try to have nothing left and to run my best race,” said Pohlot, who advanced to the WPIAL finals last year as a member of the 1,600 relay. “I felt good in the 800 and was sitting well. I wasn’t up to par. I gave a lot in my mile. It was give-and-take. It was worth it.”

Curran, a sophomore, had the misfortune of running in lane 8 during his heat of the 400 so he didn’t have any runners to feed off of.

“I just made it. I knew I had an outside chance to qualify,” said a relieved Curran. “It was hard today. I was in the outside lane and had no one to pace against. I knew I was running against an invisible person.”

As for his plan for the finals, Curran said, “I want to see what I can do. I want to run under 51 seconds.”