Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness earns emotional win in pole vault at state championships
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Saturday, May 24, 2025 | 4:47 PM
Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness wins the pole vault during the PIAA Class 2A track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg.
Freeport’s Michael Braun finishes second behind Mohawk’s Jaxon Schoedel in the 3,200-meter run during the PIAA Class 2A track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg.
Freeport’s Michael Braun takes second in the 3,200-meter run during the PIAA Class 2A track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg.
Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness wins the pole vault during the PIAA Class 2A track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg.
Nowin’s Ryan Schiller (left) hugs Plum’s Owen Proskin after they finished second and fourth, respectivley in the 110-meter hurdles during the PIAA Class 2A track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg.
SHIPPENSBURG — There can be tears for many reasons at the PIAA track and field championships.
If someone saw Mackenzie Magness of Freeport crying after winning the Class 2A girls pole vault Saturday morning, one might assume it was because the gold medal meant so much to her.
It did, but that was not the reason for the tears. Her emotions went so much deeper.
A year ago, Magness found out just before the pole vault competition that her friend and cross country teammate Dylan Tarbi had passed away. Emotionally distraught, Magness finished ninth.
Saturday’s victory was dedicated to Tarbi, and Magness was holding a memorial photo of him as she received her gold medal in the Seth Grove Stadium infield.
“I told myself last year that I would come back to win it for him,” said Magness, a sophomore.
The key to the win was that Magness’ clear of 12 feet came on the first attempt. Two other vaulters, Evie Tosselli of Quaker Valley and Aleah Morgante of Grove City, also cleared 12-0, but they had one and two misses, respectively.
“I knew going in today that first attempts were so important,” Magness said. “That’s what I was going to need to do to win it.”
Magness has been vaulting since sixth grade and is coached by her father, Ian, who also was a pole vaulter. She also competed in the triple jump, posting a 22-2 ½, but not advance to the finals.
Meanwhile, it was deja vu for Freeport senior Michael Braun in the 3,200-meter run.
Because of positioning at the start, Braun had to change his attack and start quicker than he wanted.
“I’d rather start slower and finish fast,” Braun said after he finished second to record holder and future Penn State teammate Jaxon Schoedel of Mohawk, who broke a 28-year Class 2A record.
Schoedel finished in 8 minutes, 59.34 seconds, eclipsing Southmoreland grad Chris Dugan’s mark of 9:04.09 set in 1997. Braun ran a 9:05.82.
“I was hoping to break the record, too,” Braun said. “I got stuck leading again. I was pushing it pretty good, and Jaxon kind of got me on the seventh lap, and I really did not have enough to stay with him. It was a rough race, very tactical.”
Plum junior Owen Proskin finished fourth in the 110 hurdles, and he is already looking forward to 2026 after losing to a record-holding Palmyra senior Tyler Burgess, who ran a 13.63. Proskin ran a 14.45.
“It will be me and (Canon-McMillan junior Aaron Taylor) battling next year,” Proskin said. “I tried to run my race and not worry about anyone else.
“I want to come back here. I need to work hard and get on top of the podium.”
Drama was not reserved for the top of the podium, though. There was plenty of excitement in Micah Ivy earning the eighth-place medal in the 2A boys 800. He took the last medal on the stand with a time of 1:58.33, getting his hardware by .07 seconds over the ninth-place finisher.
The Riverview 2A girls 1,600 relay team of Cailey Trosch, Katerina Tsambis, Lily Bauer and Blake Huffman also claimed an eighth-place medal with a time of 4:09.35.
Other track competitors
Ethan Vaughn of Fox Chapel posted a 9:26.55 in the 3A boys 3200 for 14th place.
Several local 3,200 relay teams competed Saturday, though none medaled. In 2A boys, Riverview’s quartet of Holden Deasy, Ashton Saunders, Christopher Barnes and Micah Ivy was 11th with an 8:18.79.
In 3A, Fox Chapel’s boys team (Michael Costello, Nolan Gwin, David Black and Vaughan) was 18th with an 8:09.46, and the girls team (Cecilia Ressler, Ella Shevchuk, Marin Airik and Maya DiPasquale) was 24th with a 10:04.40.
Other field competitors
In the 3A boys high jump, Jahmar Wright of Highlands placed 12th with a 6-4.
Kamryn Burtner of Knoch placed 13th with a 5-2 in the 3A girls high jump.
In the 3A girls discus, Claire Conti of Fox Chapel was 13th with a 120-6.
Karlee Buterbaugh of Knoch placed 14th in the 3A girls javelin with a 127-8.
Tags: Freeport
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