Freeport’s Michael Braun earns bronze medal on 1st day of PIAA track championships

By: David Bohr
Friday, May 23, 2025 | 7:39 PM

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SHIPPENSBURG — Freeport senior Michael Braun knew he was not in an ideal position to start the Class 2A 1,600-meter run Friday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

Because of his inside position, he had to do something he was uncomfortable with: start fast.

Braun did not want to set the pace, but he had to. He did not want to get trapped in the pack.

Braun was able to start fast, but he knew Quaker Valley sophomore Jonah Montagnese and Mohawk senior Jaxon Schoedel would be on his shoulder.

Montagnese and Schoedel were able to pass Braun as the WPIAL trio finished 1-2-3 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

“I pretty much had to take the lead or get stuck in the pack,” Braun said. “I knew during the third lap they would make their move, and they did. They passed me at the same time.

“It ended up being a great race. All three of us are some of the best in the WPIAL.”

Montagnese ran a 4:11.06 to edge Schoedel (4:11.67) and Braun (4:11.97).

Garrett Myers of Springdale needed to come up big in a do-or-die moment in Class 2A boys discus to snare a fifth-place medal. After fouling on his first two attempts of preliminaries, he threw 153 feet to qualify for finals. A 160-1 on his first attempt of those finals improved his standing.

“My first two throws, I was over rotating out of the back,” said Myers, a senior. “I talked to my coach … she told me to slow down, not over rotate and get my right foot where it belonged. Then, had one right down the middle.”

Nolan Carey of Corry Area won the event with a 189-5.

Field competitors

Apollo-Ridge’s Jayden McCray reached the finals of the Class 2A boys javelin, but the sophomore came up just short of the medal stand with a ninth-place finish at 164-10. Matt Orbin of Riverview was 13th with a 158-8.

Sloan Humphries of Plum was 10th in the Class 3A boys triple jump with a 44-7½.

Similar to McCray, Mackenzie Magness of Freeport made it to the Class 2A girls long jump but finished short of the medal stand with a 17-3¼. Right behind Magness was Lily Liotta, the top finisher not to make finals, with a 10th-place 17-2¾.

Juliette Brun of Riverview was 11th in the Class 2A girls javelin with an 111-5.

In 2A girls high jump, Tessa Hollibaugh of Deer Lakes finished 17th with a 4-10.

Claire Conti of Fox Chapel was 15th in the 3A girls shot put with a 36-3¾.

Track preliminaries

Other than the aforementioned 1,600, the events on the track Friday were preliminaries to qualify for Saturday’s finals. In most events, the top eight advanced.

In 3A boys, Braden Miller of Kiski Area ran a 15.16 for 23rd place in the 110 hurdles.

Austin Friedline of Knoch was 19th in the 300 hurdles with a 40.32.

In 2A boys, William Bagley of Deer Lakes was 22nd with a 42.88 in the 300 hurdles.

In 3A girls, Gabrielle Layne of Plum was 16th in the 200 with a 25.82. Layne was also 21st in the 100 with a 12.69.

Paul Schofield contributed.