Alle-Kiski Valley athletes battle elements, delays to win WPIAL gold; some events postponed

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 10:05 PM

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SLIPPERY ROCK — Mother nature spared Slippery Rock University for the first four hours of Wednesday’s WPIAL track and field championships with the sun coming out and temperatures rising to near 70 degrees.

But showers, thunder and lightning arrived about 3:30. The adverse weather caused the WPIAL to suspend competition for close to three and a half hours.

Events on the track and in the field resumed at 6:30 only to be suspended again at 8:30. The WPIAL ultimately postponed the remainder of the meet to Thursday at 4 p.m. back at Slippery Rock with the Class 2A and Class 3A boys 800 races, the 200 finals, the 3,200 run and the 1,600 relay to be contested, along with a couple of field events yet to be completed.

Before and after the delays Wednesday, Alle-Kiski Valley athletes fared well in a number of events and secured WPIAL titles, various other medals and state-meet qualifications.

Freeport freshman Mackenzie Magness recorded the area’s first WPIAL title as she leaped 11 feet, 6 inches to win the Class 2A girls pole vault.

She had hoped to record a new season best and school record – she hit an 11-9 at the WPIAL team semifinals – but she was pleased to finish as the champion and qualify for her first PIAA meet, set for May 24-25 at Shippensburg University.

“I did one jump, made my (state qualifying standard) 10-6, and then the rain delay came for four hours,” Magness said.

“I then came back over here and kept jumping. It’s insane. I have no words to describe it. I am extremely blessed. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Shortly after Magness finished her pole vault win, Fox Chapel senior Anna Troutman secured gold in the Class 3A girls high jump.

She hit a season-best of 5-5 to win the event by two inches over Trinity’s Ella Sammel.

Troutman came in seeded second with a previous season best of 5-4.

She adds her high jump WPIAL title to the WPIAL championship she owns as part of the Foxes girls soccer team.

“I feel I did pretty well,” Troutman said. “I cleared my first attempts at 5-1, 5-3 and 5-5. I was going to try 5-6, and then the (second) delay happened. I just decided to call it quits there.”

Troutman cleared 5-6 as a sophomore.

Kiski Area senior Eliza Miller was able to defend both her Class 3A girls 800 title from last year and her No. 1 seed in the event with a winning time of 2 minutes, 13.95 seconds. It was slightly elevated from her season best (2:13.37), but, in the rain, she was happy with the win.

“Apparently somebody said they saw lightning as we hit our last 200 mark, so I was happy they didn’t call us off the track and let us finish,” said Miller, who also placed third in the 1,600 (5:00.29).

“Considering the delays and the weather, I think I did pretty well.”

Springdale’s Garrett Myers, seeded third in the Class 2A boys discus, threw six feet farther than his seed distance and earned silver and an automatic bid to states with a personal-record of 146-2.

“I was a little nervous, but, after those first few warmup throws, I felt pretty good and pretty confident,” said Myers, who will compete at states for the first time.

“My second throw was pretty good at about 139. I was comfortable knowing that would get me into the finals. I was able to loosen up from there, and then came the big throw.”

In the same competition, Riverview’s Carlo Buzzatto threw a foot farther than his seed, 134-9, and qualified for states in fourth place.

Plum’s Gabrielle Layne posted a personal-best time of 12.23 in the Class 3A girls 100 meters finals heat and placed second overall. She clinched a spot at states for the second year in a row.

“When I came off the start, I kind of knew I had the second-place spot. I felt really good,” Layne said.

“I got about 50 meters in, and I knew that I was going to get a season and personal best. With this new PR, I should be a top-10 seed and in good position to go for top eight. That is a huge step for me.”

Apollo-Ridge senior Sophia Yard found herself in a jump-off with Quaker Valley’s Mia Gartley for the top spot in the Class 2A girls high jump.

Both cleared 5-4 and then moved to 5-6, where they both missed. After one more attempt at 5-6 and one each at 5-5, the bar was lowered to 5-4. Gartley made it, and Yard missed, giving Gartley the title and placing Yard second.

“That was a tough one,” Yard said. “I always want more, but it is a good feeling to be second in the WPIAL, especially moving up one place from last year. It’s always a positive to make it to states. I am exciting for one more opportunity to compete.”

Apollo-Ridge senior Karter Schrock, competing in his first WPIAL meet in his first and only varsity track and field season, placed second in the Class 2A boys javelin.

Seeded first, he threw under his season best, finishing with a top attempt of 154-4.

“They weren’t my best throws. I was a little nervous but also definitely excited coming in,” Schrock said.

“From just starting this year, it’s cool to get this (silver medal). There’s some work to do before states.”

Schrock will go to states with teammate Jaden McCray, who placed fifth (143-10) and automatically qualified.

Knoch senior Ava Santora came in seeded third in the Class 2A girls 1,600 run, but a personal best of 5:16.16 in her race allowed her to bump up to second.

“I felt great the whole time, which is rare for me,” Santora said.

“I kind of took it lap by lap, like if it was four 400s. It helped me build on each lap to the finish. I didn’t think about what was ahead or behind. I just focused on the lap I was on and what I could do.”

Fox Chapel’s Claire Conti bettered her seed time in the Class 3A girls discus by nearly five feet and finished second with a top distance of 119-2.

Foxes teammate Mason Miles also produced a silver-medal effort in the shot put. He came in seeded fourth at 52-9, but rose up to a top attempt of 57-¼.

Highlands senior Kyan Chambers and sophomore teammate Jahmar Wright took second and fourth, respectively, in the Class 3A boys high jump. Both reached 6-3 personal bests.

Knoch junior Kara Fennell moved up from the third seed (37-10) in the Class 2A girls triple jump to secure second with a top leap of 38-00.

Fennell’s Knights teammate, junior Karlee Buterbaugh, finished second in the Class 2A girls javelin with a best throw of 125-10.

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.

Tags: Kiski Area