Kiski Area wins relay with personal-best time at Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, April 14, 2023 | 11:04 PM

The Kiski Area boys 3,200-meter relay team came into Friday’s Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational looking to improve.

They did just that.

In the first race of the meet, the team of Paul Roberts, Justin Gross, Justin Tucker and Samuel Plazio breezed to a victory with a personal-best time of 8 minutes, 26.94 seconds.

“That was our goal (Friday),” Gross said. “It was easy to get loose, and we wanted to run our best. We all ran well, and it made it easy on ourselves.”

The team’s previous best was 8:29 at Altoona earlier this season.

“We just want to continue to get better,” Gross said. “Friday was a good start.”

Kiski Area had other medal winners.

Roberts placed fourth in the 800 in 2:03.67.

Benjamin Young placed fifth in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 11 inches.

The Cavaliers 400-meter relay team of Isaiah Gonzalez, Brennan Moore, Kyle Guido and Demieux McFadden placed fifth in a time of 44.98.

The 1,600-meter relay team of Gross, Marco Yanarello, Guido and Gonzalez placed second with a time of 3:32.30.

Gonzalez placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 42.93.

Braden Mika placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 45-6.5 and fourth in the javelin with a toss of 148-4.

Eliza Miller finished third in a competitive 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.62. She followed North Allegheny’s Isabella Costa (58.96) and Penn-Trafford’s Kate Schall (1:00.21).

Tatiana Holt placed sixth in the 800 in a time of 2:29.40.

Valley also competed in the meet but had no placewinners.

Hempfield junior Peyton Murray recorded two medals by winning the shot put and discus.

Murray heaved the shot put 53 feet, 8 inches and tossed the discus 164-0. He has the best throw in the state of 172-10.

“I had a good day in shot, but bad day in discus,” Murray said. “I won, but it wasn’t my best. It was a personal record in the outdoor in the shot. My best indoors is 54-2.

“It’s pretty exciting to get the PR early, and I’m getting closer to my goal of around 56. I’m getting there. I want to get better as we go on.”

Franklin Regional freshman Monroe Law won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Her time in the 100 was 12.53 and in the 200 was 25.86.

“I’m excited,” Law said. “It was my first big meet. I’m looking to continue to get stronger.”

Law earned Girls Track MVP honors.

The Hempfield girls 3,200-meter relay team of Alicia Weimer, Chesnee Smith, Noelle Dougherty and Cydney Blahovec won in a time of 9:52.49.

Blahovec also won the 800 in a time of 2:19.55.

Hempfield senior Liz Tapper won the shot put with a throw of 45-6.5 but placed second in the discus. Tapper is coming off a foot injury, which has slowed her progress.

Tapper and Homer-Center Justley Sharp split the Field MVP for the girls.

The Spartans’ Lindsay Simmons edged out Latrobe’s Brylee Bodnar in the 300-meter hurdles. Simmons ran a 47.59 and Bodnar a 48.52.

Franklin Regional sophomore Abigail Paterline won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 16.19.

Latrobe sophomore Mia Klasnic won the triple jump with a leap of 36-0.

Norwin’s Ashley Laukas won the high jump by clearing 5-3 and Nataiah Robertson-Dutrieuille won the long jump with a leap of 16-11.25.

Norwin’s boys also had a winner. Trey Huha won the 200 in a time of 22.85.

The boys MVPs were North Allegheny’s Owen Curran (combined) and A.J. Foulk (track) and Laurel Highlands’ Hunter Kooser (field).

North Allegheny won the boys title with 131 points. Norwin was second with 75.

The girls title went to Hempfield with 112 points. North Allegheny followed with 105.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.