Major medal haul for Hempfield at WPIAL track and field championships
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Thursday, May 16, 2019 | 9:31 PM
Hempfield Area’s Jared Bannon wins the boys AAA 110m hurdles during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships at Slippery Rock University.
Hempfield’s Mackenna Orie takes first in the Class AAA shot put.
Greensburg Salem’s Malia Anderson outdistances the field in the girls Class AAA 800-meter run during the WPIAL track and field championships at Slippery Rock.
Greater Labrobe’s Sadie Wentzel take third in the girls AAA high jump during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships at Slippery Rock University.
Norwin’s Jessica Kolesar (middle) competes in the AAA girls 200 meter run during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Norwin’s Layla Robertson competes in the AAA girls 300 hurdles during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Norwin’s Bernadette Zukina competes in the AAA girls 400 meter dash during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Norwin’s Lacey Bernick competes in the AAA girls 400 meter dash during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Norwin’s Dominic Spatolisano competes in the AAA boys 1600-meter run during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Greater Labrobe’s Sadie Wentzel take third in the girls AAA high jump during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships at Slippery Rock University.
Norwin’s Courtney Kosanovic competes in the AAA girls 1600-meter run during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Hempfield competes in the AAA girls 4x800 relay during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
Hempfield competes in the AAA girls 4x800 relay during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at Slippery Rock.
There were several reasons why the Hempfield boys track team won its seventh WPIAL Class AAA team championship on May 6.
Their names were Jared Bannon, Jacob Boord, Nathan Roby, Gavin Mayo, Daniel Norris, Ryan Crooks, Luke Sternick, Connor Prola, Trevor Verkleeren, Caden Spehar and Ryan Barnhart.
The Spartans standouts performed well at the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Slippery Rock, as Bannon and Boord won gold, and the rest advanced to the PIAA championships next weekend at Shippensburg.
Bannon broke a school record in winning the 110-meter hurdles in a blazing time of 14.11 seconds. Boord, who screams on his throw attempts, won the javelin with a personal best of 172 feet, 7 inches.
“I knew at the beginning I had to get out fast,” Bannon said. “I started well and, by the middle of the race, I started pulling away. I know if I want to win at states, I have to get in the 13s.”
Bannon also qualified for the 200 by finishing fourth.
Boord yelled his way to the title. His winning throw came on his second attempt of the event.
“I feel it could have been a 190 throw, but I missed my block,” Boord said. “I just have to work hard at practice and maybe that big throw comes next week.
“Every throw I let out a yell. I have people pushing me every day, and I have work next week. This is an amazing feeling. I couldn’t be happier”
Barnhart (pole vault) and Mayo (long jump) finished with second-place medals. Norris (shot put) placed fourth, and Roby broke the school record in the 100 (11.0) with a seventh-place finish.
The top four finishers in each event in Class AAA automatically qualified for states. Anyone in the top eight qualified if the state-qualifying standard was met.
Barnhart cleared 14-3, and Mayo jumped 22-5 ½. Norris’ top throw was 49-11 ¼.
Hempfield coach Ron Colland said he was pleased with team’s performance, and he’s eager to see how they compete at states.
Orie wins two
Hempfield senior Mackenna Orie won the discus and shot put in Class AAA.
She hit 152-0 in the discus and was pleased she went over the 150-foot mark again.
Her winning throw in the shot put was 44- ½.
Hempfield throwing coach Dave Murray said he’s confident Orie will perform well at states.
“She had a great week of practice,” Murray said.
Golden Lion roar
Senior Malia Anderson was the only individual from Greensburg Salem to win gold, and she anchored the 3,200-meter relay team to a title.
Anderson, who earned her fourth consecutive trip to the state meet, won the 800 in 2:13.69. Her closest competitor was Butler senior Liz Simms at 2:16.15.
Anderson also anchored the winning relay team, which included Keara Lint, Sydney Gatons and Maddy Murtland. There time was 9:27.08.
“I’m pleased with my performance,” Anderson said. “I was hoping to break the meet record (2:10.38), but I wasn’t pushed enough. Now, I’ll focus on winning a state title.”
Senior Cam Binda (3,200) and junior Brenden Lewis (110 hurdles) earned third-place medals, and Dylan Binda earned another trip to states with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600.
Other county champions
Derry junior Justin Huss, Franklin Regional junior Jo-Michelle Huczko, Burrell senior Kaylen Sharrow, Monessen senior Darnel Howell and the Latrobe boys 1,600 relay team of Joseph Piper, Mitchel Carl, Connor Pickup and Zakharee Williams were the other Westmoreland County athletes to win WPIAL titles.
Huss won the Class AA 400. Sharrow won the Class AA 100 hurdles, and Howell the Class AA high jump. Huczko won the girls pole vault after clearing 11 feet.
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.
Tags: Greensburg Salem, Hempfield
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