Burrell relay team, other Class AA medal hopefuls gear up for WPIAL meet

By: Michael Love
Monday, May 17, 2021 | 6:43 PM

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As sophomores in 2019, Burrell’s Brayden Callahan, Jake Guerrini and Ryan Wurzer, along with the now-graduated Kaleb Seibert, finished 12th in the 1,600-meter relay at the WPIAL Class AA championships at Slippery Rock.

Despite the finish outside of medal contention, the group, with everyone back in 2020, had their sights set on challenging for a WPIAL title.

But the growing covid pandemic halted the relay team’s plans and the plans of many other WPIAL athletes.

“We were set up to go to states last year, but, obviously, we got robbed of the opportunity,” Wurzer said. “It was kind of tough, but we just had to come back and refocus and make sure we had a chance to do it this year.”

Callahan, Guerrini and Wurzer, along with fellow senior Ian Smola, have put themselves in contention for WPIAL gold Wednesday morning at Slippery Rock.

“We’ve progressed really well, and I know we have a faster race left in us,” Wurzer said.

The team is seeded second to Riverside. It recorded a season-best of 3 minutes, 33.80 seconds at the WPIAL team semifinals May 4 at Shenango.

“Early in the season, we were putting up some really good times, and it gave us a lot of confidence,” Guerrini said. “We kept getting new best times each meet.”

Smola was a later addition to the relay, and Noah Kleckner also has helped provide a strong foundation for the team’s WPIAL-title aspirations.

“We just have to realize that we have to give everything we have on Wednesday, to get that gold medal and move onto states,” Callahan said. “We’re going up against a lot of great teams.”

Riverside is the top seed. They head into the race with a top time of 3:29.64. The 2019 Riverside 1,600 relay won the WPIAL title, and it hopes to do it again with all fresh faces.

The last time a Burrell boys 1,600 relay medaled at WPIALs was in 2014 with the Bucs quartet finishing sixth overall. Since then, the relay has placed 12th three times and 13th once. This year’s team doesn’t want anything to do with maintaining that consistency.

Wednesday’s finals take on a slightly different format than previous years as the Class AA and Class AAA meets will run at separate times at Slippery Rock. The Class AA athletes will be in action at 9:30 a.m.

The top five finishers in each Class AA event automatically qualify for the PIAA championships May 29 at Shippensburg. An additional three can qualify if they meet the state qualifying standards.

Westmoreland County and the Alle-Kiski Valley boast several top seeds.

Southmoreland senior Jake VanArsdale (110 hurdles), Deer Lakes junior Carson McCoy (800), Ligonier Valley junior Miles Higgins (javelin), Greensburg Central Catholic junior Corinn Brewer (high jump), Ligonier Valley senior Tatum Hoffman (high jump) and Apollo-Ridge senior Casey Weightman (javelin) hope to protect their No. 1 overall seeds.

Weightman competed for Belle Vernon in the Class AAA meet two years ago and finished second with a personal best of 129 feet, 3 inches. Her seed distance of 126-6 leads the Class AA field by nearly 15 feet.

Brewer is a top-four seed in four events. She is seeded second in the pole vault and fourth in the 800 and 1,600. Brewer finished third in the state in the 1,600 and seventh in the 800 and pole vault as a freshman.

In addition to his top seed in the 800, McCoy is the second seed in the 1,600. He was a part of an indoor relay this winter titled ‘WPIAL’s Finest’ with Knoch senior Mike Formica, Greensburg Salem senior Quinton Gatons and Riverside senior Colby Belczyk that posted the top indoor time in the nation.

Belczyk and McCoy will do battle Wednesday as Belczyk is the second seed in the Class AA 800.

Other second seeds in the Class AA meet are Deer Lakes senior Nigel Rossman (200 dash), Greensburg Central Catholic junior Joe Blahovec (400 dash), Southmoreland senior Ray Hribal (javelin), Southmoreland sophomore Olivia Cernuto (triple jump) and Southmoreland junior Alexis Jacobs (shot put).

WPIAL Class AA

Track and Field Championships

Where: Slippery Rock University

When: Wednesday

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Goal: Top 5 finishers in each event automatically qualify for the PIAA Track and Field Championships on May 29 at Shippensburg University. An additional three can qualify if they meet the State Qualifying Standards.

Boys to watch

• Sprinters: North Catholic’s Trevor Paschall (100, 200, 400), Deer Lakes’ Nigel Rossman (100, 200), Rochester’s Rashawn Reid (100, 200), Greensburg Central Catholic’s Joe Blahovic (200, 400)

• Distance runners: Waynesburg Central’s Gabe McConville (800, 1,600), Deer Lakes’ Carson McCoy (800, 1,600), Winchester Thurston’s Lance Nicholls (1,600, 3,200), South Park’s Kirk Stewart (800, 1,600), Riverside’s Ty Fluharty (800), Riverside’s Colby Belczyk (800), Winchester Thurston’s Patrick Malone (3,200)

• Hurdlers: Southmoreland’s Jake VanArsdale (110), South Allegheny’s Donato Dimucci (110), Hopewell’s Michael Hvizdak (110), Riverside’s Graham Kralic (300), Fort Cherry’s Chase Belsterling (300), Mohawk’s Brian Cline (300)

• Relays: Riverside (1,600, 3,200), Shenango (3,200), North Catholic (400), Rochester (400), Aliquippa (400), Burrell (1,600)

• Jumpers: Shenango’s Matt Chapnell (high), Neshannock’s CamRon Owens (high), East Allegheny’s Amaryeh Luckey (long, triple), Washington’s Juan Worthey (long), Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark (triple)

• Throwers: Laurel’s Mitch Miles (shot put, discus), New Brighton’s Matt Jackson (shot put, discus), Shenango’s Ryan Lenhart (shot), Shenango’s Brandon Stuck (discus), Shenango’s Will Patton (discus), Ligonier Valley’s Miles Higgins (javelin)

• Vaulters: Riverside’s Teddy McHale (pole), Hopewell’s Ryan Lynn (pole)

Girls to watch

• Sprinters: South Park’s Maddie Raymond (100, 200), Avonworth/Northgate’s Hayzes Robinson (100). Mohawk’s Hannah McDanel (100, 200), Neshannock’s Neleh Nogay (200), Fort Cherry’s Mara Whalen (400)

• Distance runners: Shady Side Academy’s Melissa Riggins (800, 1,600), Brownsville’s Jolena Quarzo (1,600, 3,200), Quaker Valley’s Anna Cohen (1,600), Fort Cherry’s Mara Whalen (800), North Catholic’s Alaina Hicks (3,200)

• Hurdlers: McGuffey’s Clara Barr (100), California’s Makayla Boda (100, 300), Quaker Valley’s Nora Johns (300)

• Relays: Avonworth/Northgate (3,200), Mohawk (400, 1,600, 3,200), Waynesburg (400), Quaker Valley (1,600)

• Jumpers: Ligonier Valley’s Tatum Hoffman (high), Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer (high), Shenango’s Haley Morgan (long), McGuffey’s Clara Barr (long), Mohawk’s Nadia Lape (triple), Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto (triple)

• Throwers: Shenango’s Emma Callahan (shot), Southmoreland’s Alexis Jacobs (shot), Quaker Valley’s Claire Kuzma (discus), Burgettstown’s Miranda Schramm (discus), Apollo-Ridge’s Casey Weightman (javelin)

• Vaulters: Waynesburg Central’s Taylor Shriver (pole), Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer (pole),

Events to watch: The top seven seeds in the girls long jump already have hit or surpassed the state qualifying standard. … South Park’s Maddie Raymond (100, 200 dashes), Shady Side Academy’s Melissa Riggins (800) and Waynesburg Central’s Taylor Shriver (pole vault) will attempt to defend WPIAL titles from 2019. … The top five seeds in the boys 300 hurdles are within 39 hundredths of a second of each other

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.