A-K Valley contingent takes medal aspirations into Class AAA state meet

By: Michael Love
Thursday, May 27, 2021 | 8:03 PM

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The Kiski Area girls 3,200-meter relay knocked nearly 15 seconds off its seed time at last week’s WPIAL Class AAA track and field championships at Slippery Rock.

Their time of 9:31.92 put the quartet of seniors Jordan Fairman and Emily Schrag, junior Payton Sullivan and freshman Eliza Miller in fourth place overall.

The team nearly caught Montour for third as the Spartans edged the Cavaliers at the finish line by eight one-hundredths of a second.

Now, the Kiski relay, running at states for the first time since 2014, has refocused itself with medal aspirations at Saturday’s PIAA championship meet at Shippensburg.

“Our last big workout was Monday, and that went really well,” Kiski Area coach Tom Berzonsky said.

“Physically, everyone is in good shape. They are really excited about a chance to medal.”

The top 14 teams in the 3,200 met the state qualifying standard, and the Cavaliers are seeded eighth, less than a second from fifth.

The top eight finishers in each event at states earn medals.

“The best part is getting that chance to compete against the best in the state, and the best in the country, really,” Berzonsky said. “You want to have that opportunity. This team has a good mix of the experienced runners, with the talent and speed of Eliza added in. They believe in themselves and are running with a lot of confidence. They also work hard for each other. They embody that true team effort that is so important with relay teams.”

This year, the state championship meets are split into Class AA (Friday) and Class AAA (Saturday).

Saturday’s events begin at 9 a.m. with the finals of the boys and girls 3,200 and various jumping and throwing events.

Plum senior Logan Parker knows the feeling of competing at Shippensburg. He did so in the shot put as a sophomore in 2019 when he finished 12th overall with a top throw of 51 feet.

He threw a season-best 57-1¹⁄₄ at WPIALs to finish second to rival Daniel Norris from Hempfield and is the fifth seed for Saturday’s competition, which begins at 9 a.m.

“I think that’s the earliest I’ve ever had a competition,” said Parker, who owns the Plum school shot put record at 59-5 1/4.

“I feel pretty comfortable knowing what to expect. I can’t wait to go up against all of the top throwers. If there is a time for me to be hitting 60 feet, it’s up at states. With the adrenaline going and the support from everyone, I think I have a good chance.”

Area throwers populate the lineups in four events.

Knoch senior Josh Rohland is the ninth seed in the shot (54-0) and 14th in the discus (154-9), Fox Chapel senior Jessica McCann is the ninth seed in the discus (121-0) and Foxes junior Caleb Kulikowski is the 18th seed in the boys javelin (164-5).

Knoch senior Mike Formica is in medal contention as the No. 8 seed in the 1,600 (4:18.10) after placing third in the event at WPIALs. He is seeded 11th in the 800 (1:56.76).

“I started tapering after WPIALs, cutting down on my miles and replacing them with more speed workouts to be sharp for states,” Formica said. “Obviously, the goal for me at the end of the season is states. That’s the most important meet.

“I don’t really put a lot of stock into seeding. Everybody has that same shot to improve and compete for medals or a title. I didn’t run my best race at WPIALs (in the 1,600), but I have confidence I can go faster at states.”

Also ready to run at states are Fox Chapel freshman Laura Carter in the 3,200 (16th seed, 11:07.93) and Foxes senior Domenica Delaney in the 300 hurdles (16th seed, 46.59).

The Pennsylvania Cable Network will broadcast the Class AAA championships with coverage starting at 10:15 a.m. It will include live and recorded events on the track and in the field.

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.