Seto, Clancy lead local contingent into WPIAL finals
HOOKSTOWN — Brownsville’s Maris Seto covered a jump trifecta, while California’s Kailyn Clancy and Frazier’s Cassidy Guiser, as well as several other local athletes, parlayed a daily double Tuesday afternoon at South Side Beaver into berths to next week’s WPIAL Class AA Individual Track & Field Championships.
Times, distances and heights were not readily available with the results focused on earning one of the top eight spots in each of the 18 events for a spot in the district finals next Thursday at Baldwin High School.
Seto, a sophomore, qualified in all three jumping events once again. She cleared 4-10 in the high jump, hit around 36 feet in the triple jump and landed a jump of 15-5 in the long jump.
The long and triple jumps were operated in an “open pit” arrangement, allowing jumpers an allotted time to complete their four attempts. The purpose was to allow jumpers like Seto more time in between events.
“I like the open pit,” said Seto, who competed in the high jump and triple jump at the same time.
Doing both events at the same time wasn’t an issue, but Seto would prefer to alter the order of jumps.
“All three jumps are completely different. I’d like to have the long jump in the middle (instead of last) because it’s an all-out sprint and I end up getting tired,” explained Seto.
Seto’s younger sister Alie earned berths in the long and high jumps. Jenna Shumar finished in the top eight of the 100 high hurdles.
The Lady Falcons’ Whitney Ptak qualified for the 300 intermediate hurdles, twice. She closed strong over the final 80 meters to earn a berth, but a timing malfunction caused the eight hurdlers back on the track between the girls and boys 3,200. Ptak repeated her earlier performance to finally secure a spot in the finals.
Nick Despot was the lone Falcon boy to qualify, but did so in two events. He first cleared 5-8 in the high jump, then headed over for the second flight of the javelin for his second berth in the district finals.
“I just really wanted to go to Baldwin in both (events),” said Despot, who threw around 160-feet in the javelin. “Now, I need to step it up and get to states.”
South Side has an artificial runway, but Baldwin is grass, more familiar and favored by Despot.
“It was different. I’m not used to a narrow runway getting bigger. I like throwing on grass better and Baldwin is grass.”
Clancy cruised to two first-place finishes, clearing over 44 feet in the shot put and taking care of business in the discus.
Senior Brooke Bilitski was the first Lady Trojan to punch her ticket to Baldwin after she cleared a personal-best in the high jump.
“I wanted to go up further to 5 feet,” said Bilitski, although the competition ended when eight were left. “I thought this was the last track of my life. I thought it would be.”
But now, Bilitski makes her first trip to Baldwin.
Teammate Cory Adams is also making his first trip to Baldwin, although he was hoping to do so in two events. He threw 41-11½ in the shot put to qualify in sixth place, but came up short in the high jump.
“I just wanted to move on,” said Adams. “It showed me I could do well in the WPIAL. This definitely motivated me. I didn’t think I’d come in and move on.
“I’m ecstatic for making it.”
California’s 3,200 relay team of Alexis Kronander, Eilish Miller, Megan Heverly and Dani Koehler, as well as Koehler (400), Gavin Anderson (100) and Devan Peterman (3,200) also advanced to the finals.
Beth-Center will be represented in the district meet by the girls 400 relay quartet of Brooke Lincoski, Hannah Lacey, Hannah Lipniskis and Deanna Petrosky and discus thrower Danny Smith.
“We were really hoping,” Lincoski said of advancing. “You never know.”
The reaction when they discovered their sixth-place finish did the job?
“Wow, we actually made it,” said Lincoski. “Our goal was to get past the qualifier and get to Baldwin.”
Jefferson-Morgan had a trio of throwers advance – javelin throwers Jamie Lawrence and Rece Henneman and Jake Earnest in the discus. Lawrence hit the throw, a personal-best 107 feet, on her last attempt.
“I progressively get better with each throw. I knew I had to throw further than 90, 91 feet,” said Lawrence, a freshman.
Lawrence was nervous coming into the completion and even more nervous as the competition progressed.
“It’s like a foul shot to win a big championship basketball game,” Lawrence offered in comparison. “After I threw 107 (feet), I calmed down a bit.”
Earnest, a senior, is also making his first trip to Baldwin.
“I threw 118-2. It was good enough to move on,” said Earnest, a mountain of a man. “I hit it on my last throw. I thought this might be my last throw ever. I might as well do something about it.”
Waynesburg Central will be well represented with Lindsee Zimmer (1,600), Skylar Braga (long jump, triple jump), Hunter Cenname (triple jump), Cody Weimer (pole vault), Sean Hilverding (3,200), and Sam Augustine (discus).
“I couldn’t tell myself there’s next year,” said Braga, a senior. “It’s bittersweet. It’s a good ending.”
Braga’s been dealing with injury issues, so that’s foremost in her preparations for next week.
“I want to try to stay healthy and perfect some technique,” added Braga.
Hilverding broke from the pack by the third lap with one other runner, which was just fine to qualify. However, the inner drive kicked in with a couple hundred meters to go and Hilverding pushed into the lead to win the race.
“I wanted to win from the gun,” said Hilverding. “I let him take the lead. I wanted to save energy for the last 600 meters. I wanted to run around 9:50 and I did.”
Rebecca Phillips was the lone West Greene athlete to qualify, finishing eighth in the 1,600.
“I was a comfortable eighth,” said the senior. “I didn’t want to push myself too hard. I settled in and was happy with the way I ran.”
Frazier had qualifiers in Guiser (100, 400), Lauren Timko (100 high hurdles), Drake Bucci (javelin), and Matt Brown (javelin).
“The top eight today,” Bucci said of the goal, adding, “It would’ve been nice to get a nice distance, anything over 162 feet. “
With only 16 throwers in the Class AA finals, Bucci sees the finals as a battle with his teammate.
“It seems we’re both the same,” Bucci said of his teammate. “We are focused on the top five. I want to throw my best.”