Local track athletes secure berths into WPIAL final
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
From left, Brownsville’s David Hromada, Uniontown’s Isaiah Melvin, Laurel Highlands’ Iliesa Salauca and Connellsville’s Jared Ozias compete in the finals of the 110 high hurdles at the 2019 FCCA Track & Field Championship. All four hurdlers qualified for next week’s WPIAL Track & Field Championships.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Connellsville’s Rachel Grimm crosses the finish line ahead of Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo for first place in the 3,200 relay at the 2019 FCCA Track & Field Championship.
Grimm and Quarzo qualified for next week’s WPIAL Track & Field Championships.
Daniel Layton, Gionna Quarzo, Bri Spirnak and Hannah Seitzinger didn’t have anxiety awaiting the posting of the final WPIAL track & field performance list Thursday morning.
The aforementioned group had long secured a spot into the WPIAL Track & Field Championships at Slippery Rock University on Thursday, May 16.
However, for all those athletes who knew they had a berth secured, there were many who anxiously waited to read their name on the final heat lists.
Connellsville’s Elli Cook will be competing in two events, the discus and javelin, but the senior was the final thrower to make the Class AAA discus list.
Teammate Rachael Grimm made the most of her performance in the Norwin Last Chance Meet on Tuesday, with her school record time of 1:00.02 in the 400 pulling her to fifth fastest in Class AAA. The senior will run in the “fast” heat, alongside Belle Vernon’s Hannah Seitzinger.
The javelin competitions will be heavily weighted in the favor of local throwers with Elizabeth-Forward’s Bri Spirnak, Belle Vernon’s Casey Weightman, Laurel Highlands’ Allison Humbertson, Cook, Albert Gallatin’s Odessa Hillard, Uniontown’s Kierra Rose, Connellsville’s Jared Ozias, Tyler Metzger and Cam Sapola in Class AAA, and Beth-Center’s Mikayla Kanalis, Mount Pleasant’s Mya Klejka, Zak Lucullo and Alex Kadylak, Waynesburg Central’s Avery McConville and Scott Benco, Yough’s Hunter Bakewell and Elizabeth Forward’s Chase Whatton in Class AA.
Benco is the top seed with one of the best throws in the state this spring.
Ringgold’s Kyela Dungee (200), Belle Vernon’s Sydney Baciak (100 high hurdles; high jump), Ezra Johnson (shot put; discus), and Grace Henderson (3,200; high jump), Albert Gallatin’s Emily Sanders (300 intermediate hurdles) and Kaylynn Frum (triple jump), Connellsville’s 1,600 relay, Elizabeth Forward’s 3,200 relay, Alyssa Craig (pole vault), Hannah Hughes (shot put), and Dejuanna Gile (high jump), and Laurel Highlands’ Emily Buwawa (shot put) qualified for the Class AAA championship.
Seitzinger (400), Henderson (high jump), Spirnak (javelin), and Johnson (discus) all met the state qualifying standard in securing a spot in the district meet.
The Leopards’ Hunter Martin has a busy day on tap and one that should be productive, as well. Martin qualified for four events: the 110 high hurdles, 300 intermediate hurdles, long jump and triple jump. The senior met the state qualifying standard in all but the triple jump.
Teammate Ryan Marek is the top seed in the discus with his state qualifying throw of 153-6.
The Falcons’ 1,600 relay benefited from the last chance meet with their time of 3:36.74 earning them a spot into the WPIAL meet and Metzger’s throw of 145-7 pulled him into the top flight of the javelin.
Uniontown’s Ahmad Hooper has the fastest qualifying time in the 100. His mark of 10.78 seconds hit the state qualifying mark. The junior also qualified in the 200.
Laurel Highlands’ Eli Mitchell (100), Iliesa Salauca (110 high hurdles), and Brendan Kopich (1,600), Ringgold’s Jake Gorman (200; 400), Ryan Leech (discus), Lucas Pajak (3,200), and Eric Obringer (800), Connellsville’s Bodee Stonebraker (400), Ozias (110 high hurdles), 400 relay, 1,600 relay and 3,200 relay, Aden Bruich (shot put), Chris Smiley (shot put), and Dominic Prestipino (800), Belle Vernon’s Isaac Evans (800), Seth Yankosky (triple jump), and Dane Anden (high jump), Uniontown’s Isaiah Melvin (110 high hurdles; 300 intermediate hurdles; high jump), Jayden Thomas (high jump), 3,200 relay, and Samuel Jubin (high jump) earned berths into the Class AAA final.
Ozias, Salauca and Melvin are in the same 110 high hurdles preliminary heat.
Frazier’s Skye Eicher has the second-fastest qualifying time in the Class AA 100 and fourth-fastest in the 200. Her time in the 100 met the SQS.
Quarzo met the state qualifying mark in qualifying for both the 1,600 and 3,200, and the Brownsville junior is about a minute faster than the next runner in the 3,200.
Waynesburg’s Taylor Shriver has the top height entering the pole vault, meeting the state qualifying standard.
Mount Pleasant’s Riley Czekaj slipped into the 1,600 with the next-to-last qualifying time and Chloe Jaworski secured the final berth into the discus. Bentworth’s Taylor Leonetti secured the 16th and final spot in the 3,200.
Southmoreland’s Makayla Slack (100), Gracie Spadaro (shot put), Alexis Jacobs (shot put), and Mercedes Smartnick (high jump), Greensburg C.C.’s Ella Zambruno (100), Brownsville’s Jamilah Copeland (200), 400 relay, Emma Seto (high jump), Aniya Tarpley (triple jump), Elise Fields (shot put), and Ashton Reposky (3,200), California’s Bre Trusler (200; 400) and Makayla Boda (100 high hurdles; 300 intermediate hurdles), West Greene’s Brooke Barner (200; 400), Mount Pleasant’s Kayla Moninger (400), Coral Kohuth (shot put), and Jaworski (shot put), Beth-Center’s Sydney Urbine (800), Charleroi’s Bella Skobel (100 high hurdles), Waynesburg Central’s 400 relay, Bree Echegaray (high jump), Madison Brooks (shot put; discus), and Juliana Fowler (long jump), and Bentworth’s 3,200 relay will vie for a Class AA medal.
Boda, Brooks and Echegaray have met the state qualifying standard.
Monessen’s Darnel Howell cleared 6-8 in a meet at Southmoreland earlier this spring for the top mark in the high jump in the entire WPIAL.
Layton has the top mark in the 110 high hurdles and pole vault, both SQS marks. Layton is part of the Raiders’ 1,600 relay squad that qualified with their time in the WPIAL team championship and qualified for the 300 intermediate hurdles with a state qualifying time.
The Elizabeth Forward has the fastest qualifying time in the 3,200 relay.
Waynesburg’s Caleb Blair (400), Gabe McConville (1,600), Caleb Shriver (long jump), and Avery McConville (discus), Elizabeth Forward’s Stephen Frost (800), Andrew Smith (800), Christian Guinto-Brody (1,600), Zack Snyder (1,600), 1,600 relay, Hunter Ribarchak (pole vault), and Nick Hunnell (110 high hurdles), California’s Charles Roberts (1,600), Clayton Watson (discus), Jelani Stafford (shot put), and 3,200 relay, Southmoreland’s Jake Vanorsdale (110 high hurdles), 400 relay, 3,200 relay, and Brandon Peterson (high jump), Frazier’s Ryan Balentine (110 high hurdles; 300 intermediate hurdles), Kenny Fine (high jump), and Julian Muccioli (triple jump; long jump), Brownsville’s David Hromada (110 high hurdles), 3,200 relay, and Nick Seto (triple jump), Charleroi’s Jonah Rushak (300 intermediate hurdles), Robert Hrabosky (300 intermediate hurdles), and Warren Hammond (discus), Beth-Center’s Michael Berdar (high jump), 400 relay, and Jordan Blackburn (discus), Mount Pleasant’s 3,200 relay and Lucullo (discus), and Yough’s Josh O’Bradovich (high jump) and Andrew Kemerer (triple jump) are scheduled to participate in the WPIAL finals.