Friday finish
FCCA track & field championships to be held on new day
The Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Track & Field Championships have been held on a Saturday the last 25 years, but there will be a change this year, as the event has been moved to a Friday.
Uniontown will host the annual event to determine the best in the county at Bill Power Stadium. The field events are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and the running portion of the championships are set for 2.
The Red Raiders will welcome Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Brownsville, Calvary Chapel Christian School, Connellsville, Frazier, Geibel Catholic and Laurel Highlands.
The top three finishers in each event will earn medals, and those in fourth through sixth place will receive ribbons. The top boys and girls team will be awarded a team trophy.
The top boy and girl in the track events, and the top boy and girl in the field will receive awards for the most individual points scored. The top boy and girl with the highest point total in all events will receive an award as the MVP of the event.
The last time the FCCA was held on a Friday was at Laurel Highlands High School in 2000.
The Mustangs’ Diondra Brown and Matt Schwertfeger won the track and overall MVP awards last year. Brown is looking for her third straight MVP, while a new track and overall MVP will be crowned in the boys with Schwertfeger graduating last year.
Brown helped lead her squad to the team title last season. Connellsville won the team championship on the boys side.
Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent will look to defend his MVP title in the field events, as the senior has been one of the top throwers in the early part of the season in not only the WPIAL but the state.
There will be a new Field MVP on the girls side, as Connellsville’s Madelynn Johnson graduated.
IN OTHER COUNTIES: The Washington-Greene County Championships is set for Friday on AHN Field at Canonsburg Memorial Stadium, as the event will be hosted by Canon-McMillan High School.
Beth-Center, which features Jefferson-Morgan athletes, California, Carmichaels, Waynesburg Central and West Greene will be represented.
The field events are scheduled for 11 a.m. and the track portion is set for noon.
Mount Pleasant will host the Westmoreland County Coaches Association (WCCA) Championships on Thursday at Vikings Stadium.
Mount Pleasant and Southmoreland are the two local teams competing.
The event is normally at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, but with renovations being made, Mount Pleasant has agreed to host. The event will begin at noon.
PLAYOFF BOUND: Seven area teams have qualified for the WPIAL Track & Field Team Semifinals that will be held on April 28 at various host sites. The winners of each site will advance to the WPIAL Team Championships on May 5.
The Class 2A team championship meet for boys and girls will be held at Confluence Partners Stadium on the campus of Peters Township Middle School, while West Mifflin will host the Class 3A team district meet.
A PIAA team meet is not contested in track & field, as the state meet is set aside for individuals only, but a team score will be calculated.
California won Section 6-2A with a record of 7-0. Brownsville and Waynesburg Central also qualified with 5-2 marks out of Section 6-2A.
Southmoreland won Section 8-2A with a record of 6-0.
Belle Vernon leads Section 2-3A at 4-1 and Ringgold is second at 3-1, but Laurel Highlands (2-2) is looking to earn the second spot and qualify for the team playoffs. Connellsville has finished section play at 4-2, but must play the waiting game to see if it qualified.
Uniontown boys have clinched second place in Section 2-3A at 5-1 in league action and 6-1 overall.
Waynesburg Central won Section 6-2A at 7-0. California is second at 6-1.