Local athletes top first WPIAL performance list
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Waynesburg Central’s Daniel Layton clears a hurdle during a recent Section 6-AA home meet against Brownsville and West Greene. Layton has the fastest time in the 110 high hurdles and pole vault on the first release of the WPIAL Class AA performance list published last Wednesday.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo runs the 3,200 in a recent Section 6-AA meet at Waynesburg Central. Quarzo has the fastest times in the 1,600 and 3,200 on the first WPIAL Class AA performance list released last Wednesday.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Waynesburg Central’s Scott Benco throws the javelin during a recent Section 6-AA home meet against West Greene and Brownsville. Benco has the best throw in the Class AA on the first WPIAL performance list.
The first WPIAL performance list was released last Wednesday and several local track & field athletes posted a mark to beat in the next couple weeks.
Frazier’s Skye Eicher, Waynesburg Central’s Daniel Layton, Taylor Shriver, Madison Brooks and Scott Benco, Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo and Monessen’s Darnel Howell all sit atop the Class AA list in the opening release of the 16 top times, distances and heights.
Layton has the top time in the 110 high hurdles (12.15) and the best height in the pole vault (14-0). Both met the state qualifying standard. He also has the eighth-fastest time in the 300 intermediate hurdles of 43.40 seconds.
Benco has not only the best throw in the javelin in Class AA, but in the state, with his throw of 192-6. The mark also hit the state qualifying standard.
Quarzo has also met the state qualifying standard and has the fastest time in both the 1,600 (5:05.67) and 3,200 (10:29.29). Her time in the 3,200 is over a minute faster than the next time.
Teammate Emma Seto has the fifth-best mark in the high jump, clearing 5 feet. Aniya Tarpley is fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 34-4. She also made the list in the 100 (11, 13.06) and long jump (11, 15-7¼). The Falcons’ Nick Seto is second in the triple jump (43-1), ninth in the high jump (5-8), and 10th in the long jump (20-0).
Shriver has the top mark in the pole vault of 12 feet. She’s also ranked in the high hurdles (13, 17.64) and 200 (12, 27.50). Brooks has the best early mark in the discus with her state qualifying standard throw of 125-2. Brooks is second in the shot put (36-3). Shriver also runs a leg on the Lady Raiders’ 400 relay, ranked fifth-best early in the season with a time of 52.71 seconds.
Waynesburg Central’s Bree Echegaray has the second best jump, 5-2, in Class AA.
Eicher has the fastest posted time to date in the girls Class AA 100 of 12.15 seconds. The time also made the state qualifying standard. She has the second-fastest time in the 200 of 26.42 seconds.
The Commodores’ Julian Muccioli is in the top three in the long jump (2, 21-7½, SQS) and triple jump (3, 42-11¾). Teammate Kenny Fine is third in the high jump (6-0).
The Greyhounds’ Howell has already cleared 6-8 for the best effort in the high jump. The mark also made the state qualifying standard.
Beth-Center’s Jordan Blackburn has the second-best throw in the discus, meeting the state qualifying standard with a distance of 152-4. Teammate Michael Berdar’s 6-foot effort in the high jump is fourth.
Mount Pleasant’s boys 3,200 relay has the second-fastest time of 8:45.83. Zak Lucullo is fifth in the javelin (150-0). He’s also listed in the 300 intermediate hurdles and discus.
Charleroi’s Warren Hammond is ranked fifth in the discus (136-3), and is joined by Jonah Ruschak on the performance list. Southmoreland’s Mercedes Smartnick (4, high jump, 5-0) and Alex Jacobs (5, shot put, 34-9), along with Gracie Spardaro posted an early mark to beat.
Frazier has six additional athletes or relays in a total of seven events. California boys and girls combined for 11 spots on the initial list in a total of 15 events.
Brownsville added seven more athletes or relays on the first performance list, covering 11 events. Waynesburg Central boys and girls are dotted throughout the list with two girls and nine male relays or individuals. Beth-Center totaled 11 boy or girl individuals or relays on the list.
Mount Pleasant placed a total of 11 athletes or relays on the list. Yough has three boys on the first Class AA list and Julia Milcoff in Class AAA.
Twenty-four athletes will earn a berth into the WPIAL Class AAA Championship.
Belle Vernon’s Hunter Martin has the fastest time in the 110 high hurdles of 14.83 seconds, meeting the state qualifying standard. Martin posted another state qualifying standard mark, situated second in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a time of 39.69. The senior has the sixth-best effort in the long jump, 21-4¼, and is fifth in the triple jump, 42-11½.
Teammate Ryan Marek is third in the discus (142-10). The Lady Leopards’ Sydney Baciak is second in the high jump (5-2), and is also listed in the 100 high hurdles and long jump. Grace Henderson has the second-fastest time in the 3,200 (12:07) and is listed in the 1,600 and high jump. Casey Weightman has the fourth-longest throw in the javelin (115-6) and Ezra Johnson is fifth in the discus (116-1).
Belle Vernon has a total of eight additional individual or relays on the Class AAA list.
Laurel Highlands’ Iliesa Salauca has also posted a state qualifying standard time, sitting third at 15.09 seconds. The senior has the seventh-fastest time of 42.24 seconds in the 300 intermediate hurdles and is 12th in the high jump after clearing 5-4. Sydney Chiado is fourth on the triple jump list (34-9¼) and Emily Buwawa is fifth in the shot put (36-1).
Laurel Highlands also has 24 more individuals or relays covering 31 events, including the fifth-ranked boys 3,200 relay.
Ringgold’s Lucas Pajak has the fourth-fastest time in the 3,200 (9:56.55) and is also seventh in the 1,600. The Rams have an additional 13 athletes or relays on the Class AAA list.
Albert Gallatin freshman Kaylynn Frum has the second best triple jump with her school-record effort of 35-7. She’s also ranked in the long jump and 400.
The Colonials have 13 more individuals or relays on the first performance list.
Connellsville’s Aden Bruich (2, shot put, 48-9) and Dominic Prestipino (4, 800, 2:02.84) have posted top-5 marks this season. The Falcons’ have an additional eight athletes on the list.