Kiski track hopes to carry indoor performance into spring

By: Josh Rowntree
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | 10:06 AM

After not having a winter indoor track season for two years, Tom Berzonsky was just happy his athletes had an outlet to compete.

Berzonsky, in his 21st season coaching the Cavaliers track team, recently guided the team through the TSTCA indoor championships on Feb. 19.

“We were happy,” Berzonsky said. “Our goal is just to be ready for competition when we get into the spring. We have a couple of individuals who really stepped up.”

Chief among those individuals was senior Campbell Curry, who finished third in the boys long jump event and ninth in the triple jump.

“He had a personal record in the long jump,” Berzonsky said. “He’s a great leader for the team. He’s a quiet kid, but he works hard. He’s very dependable every day in practice, and that shows up in the meet.

“We were happy to see all of his hard work pay off.”

Because of covid-19, this was Curry’s first indoor track season since his freshman year. And indoor competition comes with massive benefits as the team moves into the spring.

“We don’t have to spend (spring) practice time teaching kids the basics,” Berzonsky said. “Somebody like (Curry), he can focus completely on his training because he’s ready to compete. In the long term of the season, it makes the bar a little higher that you can reach for.”

Antonio Giordano, who also wrestles at Kiski Area, placed eighth in the boys 800-meter run.

“He didn’t do individuals for wrestling,” Berzonsky explained. “It was kind of a surprise to see him run up front with some of the top guys in the WPIAL who are also some of the top in the state. That’s a real good sign that he’s in shape and ready to have a good season.”

On the girls end, the Cavaliers focused heavily on fine-tuning the relay teams during the indoor season. Those teams were led by Payton Sullivan, who plans to run track at Emory in Georgia next year.

Individually, Avery Celo finished seventh in the triple jump.

“She didn’t expect to medal necessarily,” Berzonsky said. “To go in and have that kind of success and to be able to medal, I think she was real excited. She works really hard in practice, and it’s great to see it pay off, too.”

Fielding a team can be challenging in the winter, as many athletes are tied up with obligations to other sports such as basketball and wrestling. But Berzonsky encourages that and feels it can be beneficial to his group in the spring.

“I like that kids do other sports,” Berzonsky said. “So we really try to work with other sports and make sure that kids, if they can, do something this winter. If not, they have (spring) track.”

Tags: Kiski Area