Fox Chapel indoor track team looks to add state qualifiers

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, January 27, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Tom Moul would like to see a contingent of Fox Chapel athletes make it to the PFTSCA championships at the end of the indoor track season. Foxes senior Anna Troutman is the lone returning state qualifier.

Troutman qualified in the hurdles and the high jump last season. Troutman, who holds the school indoor record in the event, placed 10th last season with a leap of 5 feet, 2 inches.

“We’re hopeful that we have a couple more people this year,” Moul said. “We have a couple throwers who are working hard. We have a couple distance runners who can qualify. The next few weeks will be a good experience and provide a few tests.”

Troutman continued her record of strong performances by winning the high jump during Fox Chapel’s first meet at Youngstown State with a leap of 5-3. Anna Kintner also broke her own school record in the triple jump with a leap of 34-3. Sara Michalak finished in 10th place in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 12:28.14.

Moul said he likes to compete at Youngstown State early in the season instead of opening at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet.

“The meets at Youngstown State are efficiently run,” Moul said. “The environment is better. It’s a 300-meter track. The longer tracks are better for the distance runners.”

On the boys side, Rowan Gwin led the Foxes by finishing second in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. In the 3,200-meter run, Fox Chapel had three runners finish in the top 10. David Black also finished sixth, while Ethan Vaughan came in ninth place.

The Foxes distance team had a strong cross country season. Gwin was a state qualifier and Moul believes a lot of that success can travel between the seasons.

“Those guys train together all year round,” Moul said of the distance runners. “They train in summer and they compete together in the winter and spring. They support each other. They are friends with each other, which makes for a great team.”

Mason Miles also finished in the top 10 in the shot put with a throw of 45-9 ¼.

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