May 21, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 8 min read

Eighteen athletes will brave what is expected to be inclement weather on the track or in the field this morning in the PIAA Individual Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

The meet is divided between competitors in Class 2A and 3A, as boys and girls events will be held over a two-day stretch.

No athletes in the Herald-Standard coverage area earned a No. 1 seed based on their performances in the WPIAL Championships, but Beth-Center’s Deakyn DeHoet is seeded second in the 100 and 200-meter dashes in Class 2A.

DeHoet, who is a student at Jefferson-Morgan but competes for the Bulldogs as part of a co-op because the Rockets don’t field a track & field team, won district gold last Thursday in both races. He set a PR (personal record) in the finals of the 100 with a time of 10.68 and broke the WPIAL record in the 200 when he crossed the finish line in 21.55.

The PennWest California football commit, who hasn’t ruled out competing in track & field for the Vulcans, bested the District 7 Class 2A record in the semifinals of the 100 with a time of 10.56.

Brookville senior Hayden Freeman is the top seed in the 100 and 200 with times of 10.64 and 21.48. DeHoet is in the fourth heat of this morning’s preliminaries in the 100, while Freeman will compete in the fifth and final heat. The winners of each heat and the next three fastest times will advance to Saturday’s final and assure a spot on the podium as the top eight in the state.

DeHoet and Freeman are in the third and fourth heats in the 200, which will be contested this afternoon. The four heat winners and the next four fastest times will qualify for the final on Saturday.

DeHoet was fifth in the state last season in the 100.

“The goal this year at the state meet is to finish higher than last year,” DeHoet said. “If I hit my PR, I should have a good shot to accomplish that. I will have a better seed in my races this year, but I still need to perform up to my capabilities.”

Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent won double gold in the WPIAL Class 3A boys championships in the discus and shot put.

Kent, a senior who will be competing at his future college this weekend, is the second seed in the discus with a throw of 180-1. Avon Grove’s Grayson Pitman is the top seed at 184-02. Kent is the 10th seed in the shot put at 56-10.50.

Kent knows it will be a challenge to top Pitman, but he has gold in mind when he takes to the throwing area at Seth Grove Stadium.

“I am super excited to be competing at my college of choice,” Kent said. “The campus is beautiful and the throwing areas are top notch. I am definitely going for gold. I mean, why not strive to be on top of the podium?”

Geibel Catholic senior Emma Larkin will make her fourth trip to the state meet in Class 2A. The Belmont Abbey College commit for basketball (she hasn’t ruled out track & field) is the third seed in the 300 hurdles (45.25) and the seventh seed in the 400 with a time of 58.34. Larkin was seventh in the state in both races last year.

“I am expecting nothing less than to medal in both events,” Larkin said. “I may have a shot to be top three in the 300 hurdles.”

Laurel Highlands senior Diondra Brown won district gold in the long jump and also qualified in the 200 in Class 3A.

Brown wasn’t able to hit her PR of 18-07.75, but she did leap 18-04.25 to win her first WPIAL title. She is seeded ninth in the event.

The Seton Hill commit was fourth in the 200 at the district meet in 25.36. She also bested the state-qualifying-standard (SQS) with her time. Brown also hit the SQS in the long jump last week at Slippery Rock University.

The conditions were not favorable at Slippery Rock, and they may not be this weekend as well, but Brown wants to close her high school career in style.

“My goals are to hit 19 in the long jump, break the school record and reach the podium at the state meet,” Brown said.

Brown will be joined in Shippensburg by teammate Grant Brambley, who won the WPIAL title in the javelin with a throw of 182-02. Brambley, who has suffered with injuries this season, qualified for the state meet last year in the pole vault.

“I didn’t do terribly well at states last year, so I think I am more hungry this time, even though I will be doing a different event,” Brambley said. “I feel blessed that the hard work is paying off.”

Waynesburg Central freshman Nate Ricciuti won the 110 hurdles at the district meet in a time of 14.61. Ricciuti’s teammate, Mason Mankey, also qualified for this weekend’s meet in the event after the senior finished fourth at Slippery Rock in 15.48.

Ricciuti’s older brother, Jack, placed fifth in the high jump last week at Slippery Rock after clearing 5-11. The junior will be competing in his first state meet.

Raider senior Mason Schroyer finished fourth in the WPIAL championships to qualify for the state meet in the pole vault (12-06) in Class 2A for the second straight season. Teammate Andy Mahle qualified in the javelin after throwing 152-04 to finish fourth in the district. The junior will be competing in the state meet for the first time.

Blair Madison gives Waynesburg’s girls team a qualifier after placing fifth in the pole vault (9-00) at Slippery Rock. The sophomore will make her debut in the PIAA championships.

Southmoreland’s Megan Mehall is the 5th seed in the 800-meter run (2:18.32) and the sixth seed in the 1,600-meter run (5:05.69). Mehall hit the SQS in both races. She won both races at the WPIAL championships. The senior is going to continue her academic and track & field careers at West Virginia University.

“I am just going into the state meet with an open mind,” Mehall said. “I am just trying to enjoy the rest of the season. It is bittersweet because regardless of what happens, it will be my last meet of my high school career.”

Brownsville sophomore Aijanae Foster is headed back to Shippensburg for the second straight season after finishing fifth in the high jump and 100 hurdles in the WPIAL championships.

Foster clocked in at 15.88 in the hurdles, and cleared the bar at 5-02 for a SQS mark in the high jump. She was on the cusp of placing in the high jump last year at the state meet in finishing ninth with two other competitors.

“My goal would be to get on the podium at the state meet,” Foster said. “I hope to break my PR, and if I do that, I believe that will be enough to get me on the medal stand.”

Connellsville’s Glen Stricker placed second to Kent in the shot put at the district meet. The senior has a mark of 51-05.50.

California junior Carter Kent not only finished fourth in the 1,600 to automatically qualify for the state meet last week in the WPIAL championships, but he bested the SQS with a time of 4:21.30. Kent, who is seeded 12th in the event, will be in the third section of the timed finals in this morning’s race, which should enable him to break his PR and hopefully reach the podium.

Southmoreland junior Dawson Wolfe will compete in the shot put for Class 2A in the boys division. Wolfe was fourth in the WPIAL with a throw of 47-03.

Mount Pleasant’s Andrew Brodak was just behind Wolfe in the district meet with a fifth-place finish after throwing 44-07.25.

The Vikings’ Gage Sowers was second in the pole vault at Slippery Rock after clearing 13-00. The junior is the 18th seed in the event.

Mount Pleasant sophomore Bryson Bankosh was fifth in the district meet in the long jump (21-06.50).

With the exception of the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs, and the 3,200-meter relay, all events on the track will have preliminary heats on Friday to determine the eight finalists for Saturday.

The 1,600 will be run this morning at 9 a.m. as the first event on the track to open the meet. The 3,200 will begin Saturday’s action and the 800 will be contested Saturday afternoon. The 3,200 relay is scheduled for Saturday morning.

The weather could play a factor in performance, but Seth Grove Stadium features an all-weather surface, and the meet will continue unless lighting is in the area.