Hard works pays off for Thomas Jefferson senior with WPIAL track gold

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, May 25, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Sylvia Kashak was the undisputed top distance runner on the Thomas Jefferson girls track and field team the past few years.

And, now, she is a certified WPIAL champion.

Kashak posted a record-breaking time of 2:13.06 in the girls 800-meter run at the WPIAL Class 3A championships May 14 to defeat runner-up Chesnee Smith, a junior at Hempfield who crossed the finish line at the 2:14.42 mark.

Montour junior Tiffany Miller took third with a time of 2:17.99.

“I was really excited going into the race,” Kashak said. “I prepared my whole season to run my best race at the WPIAL finals. I was very proud that I was able to run the time I ran and finished strong pulling out the win. I kept calm during the race and reassured myself that I was running strong.

“My work ethic brought me to where I am today. Keeping positive and putting in the hard work even when I wasn’t feeling my best paid off with my win at the WPIAL finals. Having a supportive family, teammates and coaches that believed in me brought me the confidence that I use on the track.”

TJ coach Bill Paull was not surprised by Kashak’s victory at the WPIAL meet.

“Sylvia worked all year for the WPIAL championship day, from competing on the cross country team to indoor training during the offseason,” Paull said. “So it was no surprise to myself or any of the other coaches on my staff that she brought home not only gold but shattered her previous school record.

“Sylvia is one of the most aggressive runners that I’ve ever seen. What truly makes her such a great 800-meter runner, outside of the training she puts in, is that she gives absolutely 100% every race. Since she was a freshman, there has not been one competition where she hasn’t come through the finish line collapsing and illustrating that she completely gave it everything she had.”

Kashak, an 18-year-old senior, also was a member of the TJ girls’ district qualifying 1,600-meter relay team that finished 10th in 4:08. Kashak and juniors Imani Martin, Natalie Narr and Addy Fenlock competed in the relay.

“Sylvia’s efforts and desire to get better have also become infectious on our team,” Paull said. “Through her modeling of what it takes to be successful, we are seeing many others follow suit on the TJ track and field team thanks to her.

“It would be hard not to attribute some of Sylvia’s success to her outstanding distance coach, Jim Levdansky, who has worked with her through cross country as well as track to provide her with workouts that have aided in taking her performances to the next level.”

The 5-foot-7 Kashak was the WPIAL runner-up in the 800 last year. She competed in the 800 at the 2025 TSTCA indoor championships at Penn State this winter and placed eighth in 2:16.64.

She has a 3.9 grade-point average and will be attending Duquesne in the fall. She plans to major in early childhood education and compete in track and cross country.

Kashak has been a two-sport athlete throughout her high school career.

“I played soccer since I was in elementary school,” she said. “I made the difficult decision to quit soccer to run cross country last fall. I still enjoy playing pick-up games of soccer. I really enjoy any other pick-up sports and activities with friends and family.

“Some of my favorite memories (at TJ) are the friends I made on my team and on other teams. Since we were all going through the same process of training and pre-race nerves, a special bond was built.”

Other TJ athletes who qualified for the WPIAL track and field championships were Marissa Miller (triple jump) on the girls team and senior Brycen Bartlett (100), junior Isaac Fant (high jump) and the 3,200 relayers on the boys team.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson