Good and bad
Uniontown boys miss out on undefeated season but qualify for team track & field playoffs
Even with a 95-51 setback to Ringgold, the Uniontown boys track & field team put itself in the WPIAL team track & field playoffs on Monday night following a 91-55 victory over Belle Vernon in Section 2-3A at Joe Montana Stadium on the campus of Ringgold High School.
The Red Raiders finished their section schedule with a record of 5-1. Uniontown has an overall mark of 6-1.
The Rams improved to 4-0 in section and overall play, and can clinch at least a tie for the championship with a victory over Albert Gallatin (0-4) or Elizabeth Forward (0-2) in their final two meets.
The Red Raiders could earn the section title outright if Ringgold loses to the Colonials and Warriors.
The Rams downed the Leopards, 89-52, in Monday’s tri-meet. Belle Vernon dropped to 2-3 in section and overall action.
Ringgold dominated in the track portion of the meet against the Leopards and Red Raiders, as the home team won five individual and all three relay events for 40 points.
The Rams’ Demetri Lowe won the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes in times of 11.57, 23.43 and 51.36, and teammate Dravin Everley got the job done in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs in 2:10.42 and 4:43.26.
Ringgold won the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relays in times of 44.90, 3:40.22 and 8:44.04.
Uniontown had an edge in the hurdles, as David Settles won the 110s in 15.68 and Locklan McCune the 300s in 45.39. McCune provided the Red Raiders with their lone multiple winner, as he was victorious in the triple jump with a leap of 37-3.25.
Everley and Uniontown’s Ethan Syner began their friendly rivalry during the fall cross country season, as both seniors who placed at the state meet were neck-and-neck in each race they competed against one another, and Everley had the edge over Syner in the 1,600, but the Red Raider came back to win the 3,200 in 10:24.52. Syner didn’t compete in the 800.
Uniontown’s Max Ludy won the pole vault in 9-0.
The Rams’ Dennis Hawkins cleared 6-3 to win the high jump.
Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent continued to dominate in the throwing events this season, as the senior won the discus, javelin and shot put. He set a personal record (PR) in the shot put at 55-6, threw a season best of 159-11 in the javelin and launched the discus 167 to complete the sweep.
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 105, ALBERT GALLATIN 44 — The Mustangs’ Ryan Filcheck won three individual races and was on the victorious 3,200-meter relay team in Laurel Highlands’ Section 2-3A triumph over the Colonials at Mustang Field on the campus of Laurel Highlands High School.
Filcheck, a junior, won the 400-meter dash in 1:00.31 before topping the field in the 800 with a time of 2:26.25. He won the 1,600 in 5:17.22. The Mustangs (1-3, 2-3) won the 3,200 relay in 10:14.64.
Teammate Cole Radcliffe won the long and triple jumps with leaps of 20-8 and 42-3.5. Radcliffe broke his PR in the long jump.
The home team’s Josh Reed cleared 13-0 in the pole vault.
Laurel Highlands’ Dane Shaffer won the high jump at 5-6 and the 110 hurdles in 18.49.
Albert Gallatin’s Rocky Reynolds was victorious in the shot put (40-8) and discus (122-5). The junior set a PR in the discus.
Grant Brambley avoided a Colonials sweep in the throwing events, as he topped the field in the javelin with a launch of 149-11.
AG freshman Bentley Swaney broke his PR with a victory in the 100-meter dash after sprinting to the finish line in 11.62.
The Mustangs’ Lucas Deguia won the 200 in a PR of 25.75. Teammates Will Skowronski (3,200 run/12:09.68) and Malakai Tabuvuya (300 hurdles/53.44) won their respective events.
The visitors won the 400 relay in 45.94. LH closed out the night on the track with a win in the 1,600 relay. The Mustangs clocked in at 4:32.28.
CONNELLSVILLE 110, ELIZABETH FORWARD 40 — The Pritts brothers swept the distance races to help the Falcons to a Section 2-3A victory over the Warriors at Connellsville Stadium.
Sophomore Jake Pritts won the 800-meter run in 2:11.82, and was victorious in the 1,600 in 4:50.59. Freshman Ellic Pritts won the 3,200 in 11:14.84.
Connellsville (3-2, 3-2) continued its dominance in the distance events with it winning the 3,200 relay in 10:01.91.
The Falcons’ Glen Strickler won the shot put (54-10.5) and discus (137-3). Teammate Zach Franks won the 110 hurdles (17.47) and pole vault (12-6).
The home team crossed the finish line first in the 400 and 1,600 relays in 46.31 and 3:46.71.
Connellsville freshman Kamden Anderson won the 200 in 24.48. Fellow ninth grader Slade Hiles won the 300 hurdles in 49.83.
Tyler Burkus (HJ/6-0), Daniel Geary (LJ/18-2.5) and Parker Albert (TJ/36-10) each won an event. Albert broke his PR in the triple jump.
GIRLS
RINGGOLD 86, UNIONTOWN 61; BELLE VERNON 87, UNIONTOWN 62; RINGGOLD 73, BELLE VERNON 67 — The Lady Rams defended their home facility in Section 2-3A victories over the Lady Leopards and Lady Red Raiders at Joe Montana Stadium.
Uniontown (3-3, 4-3) won two events with Ellie Carei soaring 9-6 for a PR in the pole vault and Lyric McLee flying 15-3.5 in the long jump.
Belle Vernon’s Skylar Salay won the discus (87-2), javelin (92-6) and shot put (30-1). Teammate Courtney Martin won the 100 and 300 hurdles in 16.91 and 49.30.
The Lady Leopards’ Lily Walsh won the 3,200 in a PR of 13:17.93.
Ringgold ninth grader Claire Brenneman won the 800 and 1,600 in times of 2:34.40 and 5:42.91. Brenneman sets PRs in both events.
Belle Vernon’s Bella Tatar set a PR in winning the 400 in 1:03.37.
The Lady Rams (3-1, 3-1) won the 400 and 1,600 relays in 52.09 and 4:26.45, while the Lady Leopards won the 3,200 relay in 10:22.05. Tatar, Walsh, Abby Hager and Brooklyn Steeber made up Belle Vernon’s 4×800 relay.
The Leopards’ Gina Scaramucci, a ninth grader, set a PR in winning the triple jump (30-8).
Ringgold’s Imani Arnold (13.30) and Asiah Carlock (28.64) won the 100 and 200-meter dashes.
McKenna Adams broke her PR when the Lady Rams senior cleared 4-9 to win the high jump.
Belle Vernon dropped to 4-1 in section and overall action.
LAUREL HIGHLANDS 114, ALBERT GALLATIN 31 — The Mustangs shared the love as 10 individuals won separate events in a Section 2-3A triumph over the Lady Colonials at Mustang Field on the campus of Laurel Highlands High School.
Diondra Brown (200/25.83), Taylor Schwertfeger (800/2:40.13), Bella Baker (1,600/5:50.80) and Hannah Hertlein (3,200/13:54.03) took care of business on the track.
Randi Riddell (shot put/26-2), Madilyn Williams (discus/75-6.5) and Briana Teets (javelin/74-3) helped the home team to a sweep of the throwing events. Teets, a ninth grader, broke her PR.
Addie Ciez (PR of 31-5/TJ), Neela Hill (HJ/4-6) and Sarah Reed (pole vault/6-0) won three jumping events.
The Mustangs’ Sahayla Dues was the lone multiple winner in individual events, as she topped the field in the 100 and 300 hurdles in 16.06 and 52.11.
Brown, Dues, Hill and Makenna Frey won the 400 relay in 52.35.
Baker, Brown, Dues, and Schwertfeger won the 1,600 relay in 4:22.96, and Baker, Hertlein, Morgan Ferris and Vanesa Rosano won the 3,200 relay in 11:56.51.
Albert Gallatin’s Madison Rockwell (100/13.52) and Korina Samuel (400/1:06.46) won two of the three sprints for the visitors. Rockwell broke her PR.
Khloe Brown won the long jump for the Lady Colonials with a leap of 12-11.5.
Laurel Highlands improved to 2-2 in section play and 3-2 overall.
CONNELLSVILLE 78, ELIZABETH FORWARD 69 — The Lady Falcons’ Sophia Morrison broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles to help the home team to a Section 2-3A victory at Connellsville Stadium.
Morrison, a senior, won the race in 15.96 to set her PR and break a mark that had stood for 35 years.
Connellsville (3-2, 3-2) did its damage in the jumping events, as it went 4 for 4 in winning the high, long and triple jumps, and also the pole vault.
Rylee Leasher won the long and high jumps in 16-2 and 4-10. Her clearance in the high jump was a PR. Ninth grader Natalia Lukowsky won the triple jump in a PR of 29-8. Larissa Franks cleared 9-0 in the pole vault.
The Lady Falcons’ Sophia Bandemer won the 400 in 1:03.37. The ninth grader broke her PR in the victory. Senior Trinity Moore won the 800 in 2:38.60.