May 27, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

Deakyn DeHoet established himself as not only the top sprinter in Class 2A, but the entire state with a double gold-medal performance in the 100 and 200-meter dashes last Saturday in the PIAA Individual Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

The Jefferson-Morgan senior, who competed for Beth-Center as part of a co-op due to the Rockets not fielding a track & field team, crossed the finish line in times of 10.51 and 21.29 in the finals.

DeHoet’s accomplishments this past season has earned him the title as the Athlete of the Year on the Herald-Standard All-Area Boys Track & Field Team.

DeHoet, who is headed to PennWest California to continue his academic and football (possibly track & field) careers, broke his PR (personal record) in both events. His time in the 100 bested Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers, who earned the 100 title in Class 3A with a time of 10.61. DeHoet, and Owen J. Roberts’ Matthew Gregory, the Class 3A winner in the 200, had the exact same time in the event.

Athletes in Class 2A are generally considered to finish with slower times and shorter distances that those in Class 3A, which is evident by the state-qualifying-standard (SQS) marks that are set by the PIAA, as the SQS times and distances for Class 3A competitors are generally more lofty to obtain those in Class 2A, but DeHoet proved this past weekend that the numbers don’t always tell the truth.

“I think people look at small schools like Jefferson-Morgan and Beth-Center and don’t really take us seriously at this level of competition, but I hope what I accomplished can change that perception,” DeHoet said. “I was surprised by the margin of victory in the 100, especially with the cold weather and all. I knew I needed to make sure I always had a nice little sweat going, even after I warmed up, because I didn’t want to get cold again.

“I had the state championship as one of my goals at the beginning of the season, but I didn’t think my time would be 10.51. It is awesome to know that I had the fastest times in the entire state in the 100 and 200.”

The state championship information on the PIAA’s website dates back to 1973, although DeHoet is believed to be the first sprinter for a school in Greene County to win a state championship. He is the third PIAA champion to represent Beth-Center, as Peter Zaharoff (1965) and Walter White (1968) each won a state title in the pole vault. DeHoet wasn’t aware of the accomplishments after he raced Saturday, but was excited to hear the news.

“It is nice to represent Beth-Center and Jefferson-Morgan,” DeHoet said. “This feels amazing and I’m living on cloud nine right now. It’s like nothing else matters.”

DeHoet sprinted away from Palisades’ Lincoln Cook (10.87) and Notre Dame Green Pond’s Alex Clark (10.88) in the 100. He also defeated defending state champion Vincent Feliciano of Mercyhurst Prep in the preliminary round and final. Feliciano finished fifth in the event with a time of 10.96.

DeHoet was the second seed to Brookville’s Hayden Freeman in the 100 and 200 entering the preliminaries on Friday, but DeHoet got the better of the fellow senior in both races.

DeHoet and Freeman tied for the best time in the 200 after the preliminaries, but Freeman was awarded the fourth lane in Saturday’s final for the top finisher in the preliminary round, while DeHoet was stationed in lane five. Freeman, who didn’t qualify for the final in the 100, was second in the 200 in 21.69.

DeHoet will compete in the New Balance Nationals June 18-21 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia before getting to work on the gridiron.

“It is going to be tough and a humbling experience going against the top sprinters in the country, but it will motivate me to work harder in really anything I do,” DeHoet said. “I will be training for that event, then get going with my training for football.”

The following individuals and the events they competed in make up the Herald-Standard All-Area Boys Track & Field Team:

3,200-meter relay: Mason Loughner, Will Maxwell, Ross Tennant, Preston Scattaregia, Waynesburg Central

110-meter hurdles: Nate Ricciuti, Waynesburg Central

100-meter dash: Deakyn DeHoet, Beth-Center/Jefferson-Morgan

1,600-meter run: Carter Kent, California

400-meter relay: Max Dieudonne, Levi Grogan, Cam Phillips, Cam Wellington, Brownsville

400-meter dash: Daniel Geary, Connellsville

300-meter hurdles: Nate Ricciuti, Waynesburg Central

800-meter run: Carter Kent, California

200-meter dash: Deakyn DeHoet, Beth-Center/Jefferson-Morgan

3,200-meter run: Leonidas Soto, Belle Vernon

1,600-meter relay: Bryson Bankosh, Damien Ohler, Aiden Roadman, Tyke Snyder, Mount Pleasant

Shot put: Ryan Kent, Belle Vernon

Discus: Ryan Kent, Belle Vernon

Javelin: Grant Brambley, Laurel Highlands

High jump: Jack Ricciuti, Waynesburg Central

Pole vault: Gage Sowers, Mount Pleasant

Long jump: Bryson Bankosh, Mount Pleasant

Triple jump: Bryson Bankosh, Mount Pleasant