Trib HSSN rewind: A look back at the 2018-19 boys outdoor track season

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, July 18, 2019 | 2:52 AM

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Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton became the most talked about track star in the WPIAL this spring, a situation neither he nor his father could have imagined.

Layton drew support from track fans all around Western Pennsylvania who wanted to see the reigning WPIAL 110-meter hurdle champion have a chance to defend his title. The senior was accidentally scratched from that event by his father/coach and the WPIAL denied his request to fix the clerical error after the entry deadline.

However, the PIAA intervened and allowed him to compete.

Once Layton cleared that administrative hurdle, he went on to celebrate WPIAL and PIAA hurdles titles in one of the most talked about stories from the 2019 boys outdoor track season.

And the 110 High Hurdle WPIAL Champion is ……. Daniel Layton! Thank you PIAA. ⁦@WBG_RAIDERS⁩ pic.twitter.com/VKVd6U2K6H

— Rick Layton (@ricklayton50) May 16, 2019

Layton was among four WPIAL boys who earned gold medals at the PIAA championship in Shippensburg.

Aliquippa sprinter M.J. Devonshire won the 100 and 200 meters in Class AA, adding track gold to the football gold he won in the fall.

North Allegheny’s Zach Kinne won the 3,200 meters over a Class AAA field that included quite a few WPIAL runners.

A back injury almost kept Riverside’s Calvin Wetzel from competing this season, but still the senior won a PIAA hurdles title.

PIAA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Aliquippa’s M.J. Devonshire won the #PIAA Class AA 100-meter dash today, giving him state ?? in track and football … and a spot among the all-time great Quips athletes?#TribHSSN pic.twitter.com/bW3TBNvll8

— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) May 25, 2019

North Allegheny’s Zach Kinne wins the #PIAA Class AAA boys 3,200 meters in a personal-best 9:01.94 #TribHSSN pic.twitter.com/APLhuFNt3G

— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) May 25, 2019

A week before states, athletes were quickly adjusting to Slippery Rock University as the new venue for the WPIAL track championships.

Baldwin had hosted the Class AAA meet 30 out of 32 years since 1987 (excluding 1989-90), and the Class AA competition moved there in 2009. But meets both moved to SRU.

Among the big winners at WPIALs was Brendan O’Malley, who won the 200, 400 and long jump.

Check out highlights from the WPIAL track and field championships on the TribLive High School Sports Network.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Baldwin, North Allegheny, Riverside, Waynesburg