Apr 26, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 5 min read

Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent and Skylar Salay didn’t indicate if they were farmers, although most who live on a farm develop strength through the daily grind the family endures in keeping everything running.

Whether Kent or Salay are farmers is irrelevant to competing in track & field, but the duo and their teammates perfect their technique in what is known as the “chicken coop.”

The Leopards have found success in track & field despite not having a home facility, and Kent is always eager to share his stories of the unconventional ways he trains.

The method has worked, as Kent, who has committed to Shippensburg University to continue his throwing career, and Salay, who is coming into her own as a junior, swept the field MVP awards on Friday in the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Track & Field Championships at Uniontown’s Bill Power Stadium.

Kent won the discus, javelin and shot put to earn 30 individual points. He also won the overall boys MVP.

Kent is the WPIAL leader in the discus this year after throwing 174-4 at the Wildcat Invitational on April 11. He won the event on Friday with a throw of 156-3. Kent won the shot put in 54-11.5 and the javelin in 147.

Connellsville’s Glen Strickler leads the WPIAL in the shot put at 57-4, but didn’t have his best day at the FCCA meet in finishing second to Kent at 49-10.

“It’s actually kind of funny because we have three wooden posts and a fishing net that we use as our throwing area, so that’s why we call it the ‘chicken coop,'” Kent said. “It is different but it’s home.”

Kent will compete in the discus and shot put in the WPIAL Individual Class 3A Championships on May 13 at Slippery Rock University. He hopes for a return trip to the state meet, which is at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.

“It would be awesome to compete again at the college I will be attending,” Kent said. “I didn’t PR today in any events, but that’s OK. I was glad to get some work in on a nice day in terms of weather conditions.”

Kent, who played football for three years at Belle Vernon, decided to solely focus on track & field this season. He also didn’t have to compete in the 4×400-relay this FCCA meet, which he did last year at Laurel Highlands.

“I didn’t have to run in the 4×400 relay today, so thank goodness for that,” Kent said. “It was a good day, and I am looking forward to competing in the Mid-Mon Valley Classic and Baldwin Invitational in the upcoming week.”

Salay won the shot put and javelin with throws of 32-5 and 113-7. She was fourth in the discus (87-7). Brownsville’s Alexa Lewandowsky won the discus with a season best of 96-7.

Salay, who broke her PR in the shot put and javelin, finished with 24 individual points.

“I made it to the WPIAL meet last year in the javelin,” Salay said. “I was right at the cutout, which was 24th. It was great to get that experience, and breaking my PR today makes me more excited as I move forward this season.”

Salay didn’t compete at the FCCA meet last year, as she was away at Virginia Beach, but took advantage of her opportunity on Friday.

“Like Ryan (Kent) said, we don’t have a track & field facility at our school, but we work with what we have, and I hope to qualify for the state meet,” Salay said. “The javelin has become my favorite event. I have some invitationals upcoming this week, so I hope to keep improving on my throws before the WPIAL meet.”

While Kent dominated the throwing events, there were four different winners in the boys jumps, beginning with junior Zyon Hopes representing the host school with a leap of 6-0 in the high jump. Hopes also set his PR.

Laurel Highlands senior Cole Radcliffe is headed to PennWest California to continue his academic and soccer careers, but the Mustangs’ all-time season-single leader in goals showed he can use his legs to sprint down a runway and fly through the air in winning the triple jump with a leap of 41-8.

Brownsville’s Levi Grogan set a season best mark in topping the field in the long jump at 20-6.5.

Connellsville’s Zach Franks won 100 wrestling matches in his career with the Falcons, but also picked up on the pole vault in between his time on the mat. The senior won the event in 12-6.

There were four, technically five, different winners in the girls jumps, as Laurel Highlands senior Neela Hill and Brownsville sophomore Aijanae Foster tied for first place in the high jump with both clearing a season-best of 5-4.

Uniontown represented itself well in the jumps, as Lyric McLee and Ellie Carei topped the field in the long and triple jumps. McLee, a senior, won the long jump at 15-2, and the sophomore Carei was victorious in the triple jump with a PR of 33-3.