Mt. Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter adds 1,600-meter title to gold medal collection

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 1:10 PM

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SHIPPENSBURG — Mt. Lebanon senior Logan St. John Kletter completed track’s version of the Triple Crown on Friday morning by winning the Class 3A 1,600-meter run at the PIAA track and field championships.

Kletter, who already won state cross country and indoor track and field titles in the mile, led from the start and pulled away from returning PIAA champion Olivia Cieslak of Haverford Township during the final 200 meters to win the race by nearly seven seconds.

She ran a WPIAL record in 4 minutes, 38.54 seconds. Her final lap was an impressive 65 seconds.

“She was right with me with 400 to go, but I ended up closing at 65 (seconds), which is the fastest I’ve ever closed,” said Kletter, who won WPIAL gold medals in the 1,600 and 3,200 earlier this month. “It was the state meet environment that helped me close. I was a little nervous coming into (Friday’s) race, but once the race started the nerves went away.”

After doing a series of interviews, she enjoyed watching her boyfriend, Butler’s Drew Griffith break a PIAA and National Federation record in the 1,600.

Kletter was confident she could beat Cieslak again after she beat her at the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association indoor championships in the winter.

The North Carolina commit had to overcome some early-season health problems. She backed off her running and ended up doing some cross training workouts until her body healed. She did cross training for about four weeks and didn’t compete in any races.

“I figured that’s what I needed,” Kletter said. “It worked out. I needed a little rest. Arch trainer, bike and aqua jogging up to about an hour.”

Kletter finished sixth in the 1,600 as a junior. She used that finish as motivation and checked the box for this season.

“It’s a good feeling,” Kletter said. “There are some incredible runners out of the WPIAL, and to get that No. 1 spot all-time is amazing.

“I started excelling to the back stretch, and I didn’t know if she was there, and honestly I didn’t care. So I just gave everything I had.”

Kletter then paused to reflect on her senior season.

“This has been absolutely amazing, everything I could ask for,” Kletter said. “I’m super happy.”

So has Griffith ever offered any advice?

“Yeah, he told me to relax and have fun,” Kletter said. “That’s what he does. Being relaxed and enjoy it.”

Kletter will try for a fourth state title this season when she runs the 3,200 meters Saturday. She’s the reigning champion in the event.

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.

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