Bruich, Blackburn, Hughes just miss final round
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Connellsville’s Aiden Bruich releases the shot put in the Class AAA preliminary round Friday afternoon in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
Uniontown's Maeve Carei clears 10-6 in the Class AAA pole vault Friday morning at the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Brownsville's Gionna Quarzo runs the final leg of the Class AA 3,200 relay Friday morning at the PIAA Track & Field Championships held at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Brownsville's Jessica Vance (right) runs the second lap of the opening leg of the Class AA 3,200 relay Friday morning at the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Beth-Center's Jordan Blackburn takes a practice throw before his flight of the Class AA discus gets underway Thursday afternoon in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
California's Annalise Gillespie clears her opening height on her second attempt Friday morning at the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Uniontown's Maeve Carei slips over the bar at 10-6 in the Class AAA pole vault Friday morning at the PIAA Track & Track Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Waynesburg Central's Daniel Layton (left) leans across the finish line to win his preliminary heat of the Class AA 110 high hurdles in 14.91 seconds at the PIAA Class Track & Field Championships held at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Brownsville's Nick Seto works through the first phase of his triple jump attempt in his preliminary heat attempt Saturday morning at the PIAA Track & Field Championships held at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
Belle Vernon's Hunter Martin flies through the air Saturday morning in the preliminary round of the Class AAA long jump in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
SHIPPENSBURG — Connellsville’s Aiden Bruich and Beth-Center’s Jordan Blackburn fell shy by one place of advancing to their respective final rounds in the opening day of competition Friday in the PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
Bruich, a freshman, finished 10th overall in the Class AAA shot put with a throw of 49-5, over a foot better than his fourth-place throw in the WPIAL finals of 48-4¾.
Blackburn fell a couple feet short of advancing the the Class AA discus finals, finishing in 10th place with a throw of 141-2. The junior qualified with a throw of 146-9 in last week’s WPIAL Championships.
Elizabeth Forward’s Hannah Hughes also finished 10th, just missing the final round of the Class AAA shot put with a throw of 38-4. Hughes threw 37-7½ last week at the WPIAL finals.
Brownsville’s 3,200 relay team of Sara and Jessica Vance, Ashton Resposky and Gionna Quarzo did not advance to the finals, finishing 11th in their heat with a time of 10:25.71. The Lady Falcons’ WPIAL bronze medal-winning time was 10:16.05.
California’s Annalise Gillespie cleared the Class AA high jump opening height of 4-10 on her second attempt, but would get no higher to finish 23rd.
Waynesburg’s Scott Benco finished 16th in the Class AA javelin with a throw of 154-3. The junior qualified for the state meet with a throw of 162 feet.
Uniontown’s Maeve Carei cleared 10-6 to finish tied for 17th in the Class AAA pole vault.
Beth-Center’s Michael Berdar finished tied for 14th in the Class AA high jump, clearing 5-10.
The Lady Bulldogs’ Kinlee Whited finished seventh in her heat of the Class AA 300 intermediate hurdles, crossing the finish line in 49.70 seconds. She qualified with a time of 48.22 seconds.
Frazier sophomore Skye Eicher had two opportunities to advance to a Class AA final, but was unable to do so. She finished fifth in her heat of the 100 in 12.84 seconds, just .02 seconds from third place and an automatic berth into the final. Eicher then finished seventh in her heat of the 200 with a time of 26.40 seconds.
Waynesburg Central freshman Taylor Shriver finished tied for 12th in the Class AA pole vault after she cleared 10 feet, well below her WPIAL gold medal vault of 11-3.
Brownsville’s Nicholas Seto finished 19th in the Class AA triple jump with a top effort of 40-1, below his qualifying distance of 42-4.
Belle Vernon’s Hunter Martin did not advance to the finals of the Class AAA long jump, finishing 16th overall with a top jump of 21-1¾.
Mount Pleasant senior Maddie Lorince finished 23rd in the Class AAA javelin with a throw of 110-1.
Southmoreland junior Chase Calhoun just missed advancing to the final round of the Class AA shot put, finishing 11th overall in 47-1.
Uniontown’s Jayden Thomas finished tied for 11th in the Class AAA high jump with a jump of 6-2. Several jumpers tied for sixth with a jump of 6-4.