WPIAL athletes captured individual district, PIAA gold in 2023

By: Don Rebel
Monday, January 1, 2024 | 8:25 PM

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There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in the word individual.

These district athletes rose above all others to claim gold in their respective high school sports this past year.

This salute to champions parade includes those who marched alone to the best of their own golden drummer.

Trib HSSN is proud to salute the WPIAL and PIAA individual champions from 2023 with a special holiday weekend parade of District 7 athletes who won district and state gold this past calendar year.

The number in parenthesis indicates consecutive championships.

2023 WPIAL individual champions — Fall

Boys golf

3A – Nick Turowski (Penn-Trafford)

2A – Nixen Erdely (Frazier)

Girls golf

3A – Mya Morgan (Elizabeth Forward)

2A – Sophia Covelli (Neshannock)

Boys cross country

3A – Drew Griffith (Butler) (2)

2A – Ryan Pajak (Ringgold) (3)

A – Jaxon Schoedel (Mohawk)

Girls cross country

3A – Logan St. John-Kletter (Mt. Lebanon) (2)

2A – Madeline Meeuf (North Catholic)

A – Lexi Fluharty (Riverside)

Girls tennis

3A singles – Meriwether McCargo (Shady Side Academy)

2A singles – Gabriella Dusi (Belle Vernon)

3A doubles – Cami Fisher and Lily Sierka (Bethel Park)

2A doubles – Emily Greg and Lindsey Greb (Knoch) (second in three years)

2023 WPIAL individual champions — Winter

Wrestling

Class 3A

107 – Tanner Mizenko (Canon-McMillan)

114 – Luke Willochell (Latrobe) (2)

121 – Ryan Klingensmith (Kiski Area)

127 – Vinny Kilkeary (Latrobe) (3)

133 – Maddox Shaw (Thomas Jefferson)

139 – Eli Carr (Hempfield)

145 –Mac Church (Waynesburg Central) (2)

152 – Ty Watters (West Allegheny)

160 – Shawn Taylor (West Allegheny)

172 – Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg Central) (2)

189 – Vaughn Spencer (Pine-Richland)

215 – Eli Makel (Waynesburg Central)

285 – Ty Banco (Trinity)

Class 2A

107 – Antonio Boni (Central Valley)

114 – Nico Fanella (Indiana)

121 – Jack Kazalas (Quaker Valley)

127 – Cooper Hornack (Burrell)

133 – Peter Chacon (Montour)

139 – Joey Sentipal (Burgettstown) (2)

145 –Tyler Debnar (Beth-Center)

152 – Ryan Celaschi (Frazier)

160 – Grant MacKay (Laurel) (3)

172 – Braedon Welsh (Fort Cherry)

189 – Rune Lawrence (Frazier) (3)

215 – Brenan Morgan (Central Valley)

285 – Christian Flaherty (Keystone Oaks)

Boys swimming

Class 3A

Diving – Isaiah Clerkley (Seneca Valley)

200 freestyle – Christian Dantey (Fox Chapel)

200 individual medley – Haihan Xu (Seneca Valley) (2)

50 freestyle – Dominic Falcon (Hempfield)

100 butterfly – William Gao (North Allegheny)

100 freestyle – Patton Graziano (Penn-Trafford)

500 freestyle – McClellan Clark (Central Catholic)

100 backstroke – William Gao (North Allegheny)

100 breaststroke – Haihan Xu (Seneca Valley) (2)

Class 2A

Diving – Brecken Finkbeiner (Blackhawk)

200 freestyle – Preston Kessler (Indiana) (2)

200 individual medley – Matthew Purcell (Northgate)

50 freestyle – Henry Miller (Southmoreland)

100 butterfly – Henry Miller (Southmoreland)

100 freestyle – Preston Kessler (Indiana)

500 freestyle – Parker Sterlitz (Kiski Area)

100 backstroke – Joseph Roth (Riverside) (3)

100 breaststroke – Joseph Gardner (Mt. Pleasant)

Girls swimming

Class 3A

Diving – Christina Shi (North Allegheny) (4)

200 freestyle – Lexi Sundgren (North Allegheny) (2)

200 individual medley – Sophie Shao (Fox Chapel) (2)

50 freestyle – Sylvia Roy (Mt. Lebanon) (2)

100 butterfly – Sophia Shao (Fox Chapel) (4)

100 freestyle – Kaitlyn Connors (Upper St. Clair) (2)

500 freestyle – Zoe Poe (South Fayette)

100 backstroke – Sylvia Roy (Mt. Lebanon) (2)

100 breaststroke – Sarah Shaffer (Pine-Richland)

Class 2A

Diving – Maggie Foley (North Catholic) (4)

200 freestyle – Lily King (Mt. Pleasant)

200 individual medley –Ella Minear (Mapletown) (3)

50 freestyle – Kiersten O’Connor (Mt. Pleasant)

100 butterfly – Katie Jackovic (South Park)

100 freestyle – Lily King (Mt. Pleasant) (2)

500 freestyle – Eliza Miller (Kiski Area)

100 backstroke – Ella Minear (Mapletown) (3)

100 breaststroke – Peyton Scott (Indiana) (2)

Rifle

Riley Dunn (McGuffey) (2)

Gymnastics

Vault – Daisy Lewis (Freedom) (2)

Bars – Abby Rexrode (Baldwin)

Beam – Abby Rexrode (Baldwin) (2)

Floor – Daisy Lewis (Freedom) (2)

All-around – Abby Rexrode (Baldwin) (2)

2023 WPIAL individual champions — Spring

Boys tennis

3A singles – Anthony Lounder (Moon)

2A singles – Austin He (Winchester Thurston)

3A doubles – Adam Memijeand Zidaan Hassan (Gateway)

2A doubles – Liam Pederson and Brendan Hallisey (Chartiers Valley)

Boys track and field

Class 3A

100 meters – Kaevon Gardner (New Castle)

200 – Colton Dean (Canon-McMillan)

400 – Jacob Thompson (Mars)

800 – Jacob Puhalla (Moon) (3)

1,600 – Drew Griffith (Butler)

3,200 – Drew Griffith (Butler)

110 hurdles – Owen Curran (North Allegheny)

300 hurdles – Gamaliel Mogire (North Hills)

Pole vault – Charles Weber (Indiana)

High jump – Evan Kurpakus (Mars)

Long jump – Luke Campbell (Butler)

Triple jump – Xavier Thomas (Central Catholic)

Shot put – Nathan Reese (Connellsville)

Discus – Peyton Murray (Hempfield) (2)

Javelin – Derek Armfield (Chartiers Valley)

Class 2A

100 – Dane Asbury (Washington)

200 – Dane Asbury (Washington)

400 – Demeitris Taylor (Beaver Falls)

800 – Amberson Bauer (Riverview)

1,600 – Amberson Bauer (Riverview)

3,200 – Michael Braun (Freeport)

110 hurdles – Antonio Votour (OLSH) (2)

300 hurdles – Isaac Wetzel (Freeport)

Pole vault – Andrew Layton (Waynesburg Central) (2)

High jump – John Jablunovsky (Ligonier Valley)

Long jump – Matthew Essey (Hopewell)

Triple jump – Lorenzo Fancher (East Allegheny)

Shot put – Tanner Pierce (California)

Discus – Brady Cooper (Laurel)

Javelin – Joe Reed (Riverside)

Girls track and field

Class 3A

100 – Dani Prunzik (Upper St. Clair) (3)

200 – Dani Prunzik (Upper St. Clair)

400 – Isabella Costa (North Allegheny)

800 – Eliza Miller (Kiski Area)

1,600 – Logan St. John Kletter (Mt. Lebanon)

3,200 – Logan St. John Kletter (Mt. Lebanon)

100 hurdles – Rose Kuchera (Canon-McMillan) (2)

300 hurdles – Bella Brozeski (Norwin)

Pole vault – Kaitlyn Egar (West Allegheny)

High jump – Grace Howard (South Fayette) (2)

Long jump – Rose Kuchera (Canon-McMillan)

Triple jump – Rose Kuchera (Canon-McMillan) (2)

Shot put – Elizabeth Tapper (Hempfield) (2)

Discus – Elizabeth Tapper (Hempfield) (2)

Javelin – Alaina Fantaski (North Allegheny)

Class 2A

100 – Hayzes Robinson (Avonworth/Northgate)

200 – Tori Atkins (Laurel) (2)

400 – Tori Atkins (Laurel) (2)

800 – Hope Haring (Eden Christian Academy)

1,600 – Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville) (2)

3,200 – Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville) (3)

100 hurdles – Joyce Martin (South Park)

300 hurdles – Nora Johns (Quaker Valley) (3)

Pole vault – Elizabeth Michael (Beaver)

High jump – Mia Gartley (Quaker Valley)

Long jump – Lara DeFazio (Eden Christian Academy)

Triple jump – Sydney Taylor (Keystone Oaks)

Shot put – Mikayla Anderson (Beaver Falls)

Discus – Reese Skiba (Freeport)

Javelin – Sophia Mazzoni (Derry)

2023 PIAA individual champions from WPIAL — Fall

Boys golf

3A – Hunter Swidzinski (Butler)

Boys cross country

3A – Drew Griffith (Butler) (also won BCC national championship)

2A – Ryan Pajak (Ringgold)

A – Jaxon Schoedel (Mohawk)

Girls cross country

3A – Logan St. John-Kletter (Mt. Lebanon)

2023 PIAA individual champions — Winter

Wrestling

Class 3A

127 – Vinny Kilkeary (Latrobe) (2)

152 – Ty Watters (West Allegheny) (2)

160 – Dylan Evans (Chartiers Valley) (2)

172 – Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg Central) (2)

Class 2A

127 – Cooper Hornack (Burrell)

160 – Grant MacKay (Laurel)

189 – Rune Lawrence (Frazier) (3)

Boys swimming

Class 2A

200 freestyle – Preston Kessler (Indiana) (2)

50 freestyle – Henry Miller (Southmoreland)

100 butterfly – Henry Miller (Southmoreland) (2)

100 freestyle – Preston Kessler (Indiana) (2)

500 freestyle – Parker Sterlitz (Kiski Area)

100 backstroke – Joseph Roth (Riverside) (2)

100 breaststroke – Joseph Gardner (Mt. Pleasant)

Girls swimming

Class 3A

Diving – Christina Shi (North Allegheny) (3)

100 backstroke – Sylvia Roy (Mt. Lebanon)

Class 2A

200 freestyle – Lily King (Mt. Pleasant)

200 individual medley –Ella Minear (Mapletown) (2)

100 breaststroke – Peyton Scott (Indiana)

2023 PIAA individual champions — Spring

Boys track and field

Class 3A

1,600 – Dale Hall (Hampton)

Discus – Peyton Murray (Hempfield)

Class 2A

800 – Amberson Bauer (Riverview)

110 hurdles – Antonio Votour (OLSH)

Pole vault – Andrew Layton (Waynesburg Central)

Girls track and field

Class 3A

3200 – Logan St. John Kletter (Mt. Lebanon)

Shot put – Elizabeth Tapper (Hempfield) (2)

Class 2A

1,600 – Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville) (2)

3,200 – Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville) (3)