Uniontown’s Thomas leads group of 7 state qualifiers at WPIAL track championships
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Elizabeth Forward’s Daniel Jacobs watches his javelin fly during the Class AAA preliminary round Thursday at the WPIAL Class Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School. Jacobs finished third in the event and qualified for next weekend’s PIAA championships in Shippensburg.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Brownsville’s Nick Seto stands on the medal stand after placing fourth in the Class AA triple jump on Thursday in the WPIAL Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School. Seto also qualified for next weekend’s state meet.
Uniontown's Isaiah Melvin (maroon jersey) competes in the 300 intermediate hurdles on Thursday in the WPIAL Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School.
Uniontown’s Isaiah Melvin (maroon) and Elizabeth Forward’s Chase Bodzer (black and red) compete in the 110-meter hurdles preliminary race on Thursday in the WPIAL Class AAA Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School.
Belle Vernon’s Hunter Martin (green) and Laurel Highlands’ Junior Salauca (red, white and blue) compete in the preliminaries of the 110-meter high hurdles on Thursday in the WPIAL Class AAA Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School.
West Greene’s Ben Jackson (blue) and Frazier’s Julian Muccioli compete in the 100-meter dash preliminary race on Thursday in the WPIAL Class AA Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School.
Connellsville's Cameron Sapola keeps his eye on the javelin during the Class AAA preliminary round Thursday at the WPIAL Class AAA Track & Field Championships at Baldwin High School.
WHITEHALL — Seven area track & field athletes qualified for the state meet on Thursday in the WPIAL Class AA/AAA Championships at Baldwin High School.
Eight athletes made it to the medal stand, but didn’t qualify for next weekend’s PIAA championships at Shippensburg University.
Uniontown junior Jayden Thomas qualified for his first state meet after finishing fourth in the high jump by clearing the bar at 6-1.
“I tied my PR,” Thomas said. “I was here last year, but I didn’t make it to states, so today is a better day even though last year was good. I intend to clear 6-3 next week at states.”
Thomas used to play basketball, but was drawn to track & field, and it is now his only sport. He knows it will take a great effort to break the record of former Red Raider Terrence Jackson, who still holds the district mark with a leap of 7-0 in 1981.
“I started track & field in middle school and have fallen in love with it,” Thomas said. “I did basketball since seventh grade, but I decided to just focus on track & field this year. I am just going to focus on doing my best and breaking my PR’s, but his record is great for Uniontown and it’s pretty neat that he still holds the record after all these years.”
Brownsville sophomore Nick Seto will make his first trip to states after finishing third in the triple jump at 42-4. Seto was at the district meet last season, but wasn’t able to qualify for states.
“I am still proud to make it to states,” Seto said. “I got a lot better from last year. I was jumping 41s last year every once in a while, now I am consistently at 42, and I am getting close to 43. I didn’t PR today because my best is 42-10, but it was nice to qualify on not one of my best days.
“States was my goal for this year, so whatever I do there I am pretty content with. Whatever I do there will determine what I need to do for next season.”
Connellsville’s Aiden Bruich beat his previous personal record (PR) of 46-06 with a throw of 48-4 ¾ in the AAA shot put to finish third and make his first trip to the state tournament.
“I felt like I rushed it and didn’t think it was that good of a throw,” Bruich said. “This was a surprise to qualify for the state meet. I didn’t know what place I was until the end. My focus was just to medal coming into today because I was 12th in the seedings.
“I didn’t think I had a chance to make it to states when I came into the season. I was 26th in the seedings last year, so I didn’t even make it to this meet. I am just going to keep my focus on states and hopefully PR.”
Southmoreland’s Chase Calhoun makes his first trip to the state meet next weekend after finishing third in the AA shot put with a toss of 45-7 ½.
“I didn’t make it to this meet last year, so it is nice to make it to states, especially since I’m a junior,” Calhoun said. “I PR’d today and I was pretty confident coming into this meet. I worked a little bit in the offseason, and I have been really cracking down in practice the last few weeks.”
Beth-Center’s Jordan Blackburn finished third in the AA discus and qualified for the state meet with a throw of 146-9.
Teammate Michael Berdar will also make the trip to Shippensburg, as the junior placed third in the high jump at 6-0.
Elizabeth Forward’s Daniel Jacobs finished third in the javelin to qualify for the state meet. The senior and Louisville recruit threw 183-1. Teammate Chase Whatton was seventh with a throw of 159-9, but didn’t hit the state qualifying standard of 178.
The Falcons’ Cameron Sapola was just short of qualifying for the state meet in the AAA javelin. The junior finished fifth with a throw of 174-10.
“It was positive because I PR’d, but not positive enough because I didn’t qualify for states,” Sapola said. “I have improved a lot since last year because I didn’t even make it to this meet last year.
“I am a junior so I still got another year. I need to just work on technique in the offseason and keep getting stronger, but it is more technique than anything. I will be able to go to the state meet next week to see it in front of me. I want to win it next year.”
Yough’s Levi Heltebran finished seventh in the AA shot put with a throw of 44-4, but the senior wasn’t happy with his performance, as he was short of the state qualifying standard of 50-03.
“This whole week I’ve been off and it’s kind of been in my head,” Heltebran said. “I am going to compete in track & field in college at Malone University, but it is a little upsetting to not be able to make it to the state meet. I was eighth last year, so it is an improvement, but I was throwing over three feet farther coming in than what I did today. I didn’t have an actual throwing coach this year, and that kind of messed me up.”
The Red Raiders’ Isaiah Melvin was seventh in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.38, but didn’t hit the state qualifying standard of 39.80.
Frazier’s Julian Muccioli finished seventh in the long jump at 20-10, but fell short of the state qualifying mark of 21-06.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ricky Cialone finished sixth in the shot put at 48 ½ but didn’t qualify for the state meet.
California’s Charles Roberts placed seventh in the AA 1,600 with a time of 4:40.81, but was short of the state qualifying standard of 4:31.13.
Waynesburg Central’s Caleb Shriver medaled in the 100-meter dash with an eighth-place finish in 11.56. The sophomore missed the state qualifying standard of 11.30.
The results for the 3,200 the 1,600 relay and the triple jump weren’t available at press time.