Mar 29, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 7 min read

Distance running and throwing are about as opposite as you can get in track & field, but winning brings athletes together, which turned out to be the case for Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent and Brooklyn Steeber after the duo won three individual events apiece on Friday at the California Twilight Invitational at Trojan Stadium.

Kent, a senior, swept the throwing events with victories in the discus, javelin and shot put, while Steeber crossed the finish line first in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.

The Lady Leopards took eight of nine places in the distance events. Bella Tatar and Lily Walsh were second and third in the 800; Walsh and Delaney Fretts trailed Steeber in the 1,600; and Walsh was second in the 3,200 behind Steeber, who won the race in 12:48.63.

Steeber, a sophomore and two-time state qualifier in cross country, won the 800 in 2:36.65 and the 1,600 in 5:39.35.

Kent won the discus with a throw of 159-1, the javelin in 156-11 and the shot put in 54-10.

Alan Dennis and Carter Kent each won an event for the home team, as Dennis was victorious in the 100-meter dash (11.56) and Kent topped the field in the 1,600 with a time of 4:55.21. Kent, a junior, is a three-time state qualifier in cross country.

Belle Vernon’s Leonidas Soto, who qualified for the state meet in cross country this past fall, won the 800 in 2:19.45. West Greene’s Joel Grimes won the 3,200 in 11:30.38. Grimes was a state qualifier in cross country as a freshman.

Brownsville senior Camden Wellington won the 200 in 23.76.

Waynesburg Central freshman Nate Ricciuti won the 300 hurdles in 42.75. The Raiders won the 400 and 1,600 relay in times of 45.62 and 3:52.59.

Waynesburg’s Jack Ricciuti topped the field in the high jump with a leap of 6-2. Teammate Mason Schroyer continued the Raiders’ tradition of strong pole vaulters in winning the event after he cleared 12-0. Schroyer qualified for the state meet in the pole vault last season.

The Leopards’ Jackson Pressel won the triple jump in 39-3.

Albert Gallatin’s Mekhi Belt soared 21-1 in winning the long jump.

West Greene’s Eryka Hackney swept the sprints in the girls division with victories in the 100, 200 and 400. The senior won the 100 in 13:43; the 200 in 27.79 and the 400 in 1:05.28.

Belle Vernon’s Courtney Martin won the 100 and 300 hurdles with times of 17.56 and 51.96.

Brownsville’s 400 relay team was victorious in 54.58.

The Lady Leopards’ 1,600 and 3,200 relay crossed the finish line first in 4:50.10 and 10:42.04.

The Lady Falcons’ Aijanae Foster cleared 4-10 to win the high jump.

The Lady Trojans’ Morgan Ross (15-3) and Addison Frank (39-0) earned triumphs in the long and triple jumps.

Belle Vernon’s Gia Dusi won the pole vault in 9-3.

Brownville’s Alexa Lewandowsky won the discus with a throw of 93-6.

The Lady Leopards’ Skylar Salay tossed the javelin 100-7 to top the field.

The Lady Raiders’ Peyton Cowell won the shot put in 31-5.

SOFTBALL

CRESCENT, S.C. 11, WEST GREENE 0 — The Lady Tigers out hit the Lady Pioneers, 14-4, and took advantage of six West Greene errors in a six-inning victory on Saturday at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Crescent (10-3) was led by Ryke Dotson, who was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Teammate Alyssa Donkons was 2 for 3 and knocked in a run.

McKeile Rotney and Savannah Rutter also doubled for the Lady Tigers. Rutter earned the victory in the circle. She recorded two strikeouts and walked one.

West Greene’s Emmaline Beazell, Katie Brudnock, Madelyn Roberts and Sammi Zimmerman had one single apiece.

The Lady Pioneers return to action on Monday in section play against Beth-Center.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

WEST GREENE 10, FLINT HILL, VA., 0 — Kendra Tharp hit a two-run inside-the-park home run and also doubled home a run in the Lady Pioneers’ six-inning triumph at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

West Greene took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, and added two more in the fourth on Tharp’s homer for a 5-0 advantage.

The Lady Pioneers closed the game with a five-run sixth.

Tharp’s double, Beazell’s single and a single with the bases loaded by Josie Mason scored Rylee Yeager to invoke the 10-run rule.

Zimmerman struck out six and walked three to earn the pitching win.

Beazell and Caitlin Whyte also doubled. Beazell had two hits and discord twice. Brudnock was 1 for 3 and drove in two runs. Whyte and Zimmerman had two hits apiece. Whyte scored three runs.

Flint Hill’s Zaina Gilbert had two base hits.

WEST MIFFLIN 9, UNIONTOWN 4 — The Lady Titans took the lead for good in the fifth inning and added four insurance runs in the sixth in a Section 2-4A victory at West Mifflin.

The Lady Titans improved to 2-0 in section play and 6-0 overall, while the Lady Red Raiders dropped to 1-1 in the section and 3-1 overall.

Uniontown scored an unearned run in the top of the first frame when Katie White walked, stole second and third, and scored on an error when advancing to third for a 1-0 lead.

West Mifflin tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second. The Lady Titans took a 4-1 advantage in the fourth when S Tomko tripled to centerfield. The hit plated M Bey, A Novotni and K Tatters.

Bey singled to left field, Novotni reached on a fielder’s choice and Tatters was hit-by-pitch to set the stage for Tomko.

B Wills singled and scored on Bey’s triple to right field in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

Uniontown battled back for two runs in the sixth on Graci Rodeheaver’s two-run single to centerfield that plated Juliet and Lauren White for a 5-3 West Mifflin advantage.

Juliet White walked to lead off the frame before Lauren White reached on an error. Both advanced to second and third on Alivia Noah’s flyout to right field before scoring on Rodeheaver’s base hit.

The Lady Titans came right back in their half of the sixth for a 9-3 lead.

Tatters was hit-by-pitch and scored on Tomko’s double to left field. Tomko advanced to third on B Simak’s single before scoring on a wild pitch. Simak was driven in by T Krivanek’s double to left field.

Krivanek stole home to score West Mifflin’s ninth run.

The Lady Red Raiders put a run up in the seventh when Emmaleigh Noah singled to centerfield, stole second and advance to third on an error before scoring on Juliet White’s sacrifice flyout to center. Noah had two hits.

Alivia Noah had Uniontown’s only extra-base hit, a double in the fourth inning, but the Lady Red Raiders couldn’t produce a run in the frame.

Katie and Lauren White had one single apiece.

PETERS TOWNSHIP 6, ALBERT GALLATIN 0 — Mackenzie Chapman doubled for one of the Lady Colonials’ three hits, but the Lady Indians were able to shut down the rest of the Albert Gallatin offense in a Section 4-5A win at Peters Township.

The Lady Colonials (0-3, 0-4) played Peters Township (1-1, 2-3) tough through the first three innings, but the home team came through with a run in the fourth for a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Indians scored five in their half of the fifth to take control.

Lili Giunetti allowed three hits over seven innings to earn the pitching victory. She had eight strikeouts and no walks in pitching the complete game.

Peters Township had four triples, including two from Emery Grimes. Teammates Julianne Adder and Kaylee Lubic also tripled.

Jenna Myers and Ellie Seese had one hit apiece for Albert Gallatin.

Myers had three strikeouts and no walks over six innings.