Distance runners return to lead Quaker Valley girls track team

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 4:18 PM

The Quaker Valley girls track team is counting on its distance runners to take it far.

Quakers coach Jerry Veshio said seniors Lucie Kubinski and Audrey Durbin and sophomore Annie Wicker will be strong.

Wicker came in second at the WPIAL Class AA championship meet and fifth in the PIAA in the 1,600-meter run last season.

“I am aiming to improve on my time from states and hoping to place higher,” Wicker said.

Kubinski, a Bucknell recruit who missed the postseason a year ago, placed third in the WPIAL in the 3,200 in 2016. Durbin, an Elon recruit, came in sixth in the 800 last season.

The Quakers are without Bearett Tarris, who placed fourth in the 800 and is competing for the Colorado School of Mines.

“I am hoping we are able to pull together a 4-by-800 team, even though a couple of our runners graduated,” Durbin said.

The Quakers are defending WPIAL champions in the 3,200 relay.

In the field, senior Franzi Nace will be seeking gold after placing second in the WPIAL and PIAA in the triple jump. Veshio said freshmen Claire Kuzma (discus, javelin) and Amelia Skowron (high jump) might make some noise.

“Our team is shaping up to be pretty strong,” Nace said. “I have a really good feeling about what we will accomplish.”

The Quakers, who are in Section 3-AA, made it to the semifinals of the WPIAL team championship last season. They were scheduled to open the season last week.

On the boys side, junior Dom Lagnese is back after placing third in the WPIAL and sixth in the PIAA in the discus.

Senior Henry Guild is running strong in the distance events, Veshio said.

Guild will ease the loss of Zach Skolnekovich, the WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up in the 3,200 last season. Skolnekovich is a freshman on the William & Mary men's team.

Veshio expects big performances in the middle distance events from junior Ian Smith and seniors Michael Parker and Ryan Weicht. Parker said one of the goals is to qualify a 1,600 relay team for states.

Sophomore Colm Lang and senior Noah Berry will contribute in the jumps.

The Quakers advanced to the WPIAL semifinals last season.

The Sewickley Academy boys team is rebuilding after losing Griffin Mackey and Ben Clouse, its top individual finishers at the WPIAL Class AA championship last season. Mackey, a distance runner, has moved to Dartmouth.

“We graduated a very talented, stout class that had multiple trips to Hershey (for states),” Panthers coach Derek Chimner said. “A number of our younger runners have been encouraged by the leadership of Sam Casale.”

Casale, a senior, made it to WPIALs last season as part of the 1,600 relay.

“This year for me will be focused on helping the team in any way,” said Casale, who plans to continue his career at Chicago next season.

For the girls, Chimner expects junior hurdler Nina Tsudis to make a push for WPIALs.

Sewickley Academy, which is in Section 2-AA, kicked off the campaign last week.

Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy