9 athletes repeat as WCCA champions
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Saturday, April 30, 2022 | 8:38 PM
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer (left) finishes ahead of Norwin’s Layla Robertson and Brandi Brozeski in the girls 100-meter hurdles Saturday.
Hempfield’s Sidney Blachovec finishes ahead of Kiski Area’s Liza Miller and Penn-Traford’s Amelia Barilla in the girls 800-meter run during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Latrobe’s Daylan Yeager wins the boys pole vault during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Southmoreland’s Isaac Trout wins the boys long jump during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Mt. Pleasant’s Bryce Jaworski takes sixth in the boys shot put during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Norwin’s Ashley Laukus wins the girls high jump during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Franklin Regional’s Ella Evans takes second during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer wins the girl’s pole vault in the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Greensburg Salem’s Dwight Sarver takes second during the boys shot put during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Southmoreland’s JJ Bloom finishes fifth in the boys long jump during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Latrobe’s Brennan Campbell finishes ahead of Ligonier Valley’s Isaac Piper, Greensburg Central Catholic’s James Brewer and Kiski Area’s Jack Coleman in the boys 110-meter hurdles during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Greensburg Salem’s Cody Rubrecht finishes ahead of Southmoreland’s JJ Bloom and Labtrobe’s Jacob Pittman during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s James Brewer takes second in the boys pole vault during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Norwin’s Nataiah Robertson-Dutrieuille finishes ahead of Greesburg Catholic’s Ella Zambruno and Penn-Trafford’s Kate Schall in the girls 100-meter dash during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Hempfield’s Daniel Sierk wins the boys shot put during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
Hempfield’s Elizabeth Tapper takes second in the girls pole vault during the Westmoreland County Track and Field championships Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
With the PIAA track and field championships a month away, high school athletes begin to prepare for the stretch run and focus on their events.
The 99th Annual Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association Championship, 42nd for the girls, is the start of that run, and many shined Saturday at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium.
Heading that list were nine who repeated as champions.
Greensburg Central Catholic senior Corinn Brewer, who was the meet’s combined MVP, won the pole vault and 100-meter hurdles, placed fourth in the high jump and second in the 300 hurdles.
Brewer will attend Notre Dame, where she’ll compete in the pole vault and heptathlon.
“I’m to focus more on speed for practice for college,” Brewer said. “I’ll stick with the four events for WPIALs. Last year I won the pole vault, 800 and 1,600. Winning the 100 hurdle was nice because it’s an event I run in college.”
Brewer won the pole vault with a jump of 11 feet, 7 inches. She missed on her attempt at 12-1, which would have been a personal record.
Hempfield junior Liz Tapper, the MVP of the field, won the shot put (meet and stadium record) and the discus. She placed second in the pole vault. Her throw in the shot was 47-11⁄2.
Tapper participated in the Penn Relays on Thursday in the pole vault. If she goes her senior year, it will be in the throwing events.
“Overall, it was a pretty good day throwing,” Tapper said. “In the pole vault I jumped 11-1, which was good on new poles. I’m really happy. Last year I watched Bella (Gera), and to take her place was awesome.”
Tapper threw the discus 150-7, but she has thrown 164-1 this season.
“My goal was to reach 150 in the discus this season. Now I’m shooting for 170,” Tapper said. “I believe I can go 13 in the pole vault.”
Norwin senior Nataiah Robertson-Dutreiulle won the 100 and long jump, and teammate Bernadette Zukina won the 400 and 200. Zukina reported as a 200 winner and earned the MVP of the track.
She also helped Norwin girls breeze to a team title with 146 points. Other winners for the Knights were Layla Robertson, who repeated in the 300 hurdles, Ashley Laukus, who repeated in the high jump and Alexis Heller in the javelin.
Also the team of Bella Brozeski, Alexandra Walton, Robertson and Zukina won the 1,600 relay.
Another repeat champion on the girls side was Kiski Area sophomore Eliza Miller, who won the 1,600. She won the 3,200 as a freshman.
Greensburg Central Catholic sophomore James Brewer, Corinn’s brother, was the combined MVP like his sister. He placed second in the pole vault and 300 hurdles and fourth in the 110 hurdles.
Latrobe senior Brennan Campbell was the boys Track MVP. He repeated as 110 and 300 hurdles champion. He also anchored the winning 400 relay team of Jacob Pittman, Adam Piper and Noah Pittman, and he anchored the 1,600 relay that placed second. The other members of the squad were Cole Brunton, Noah Pittman and Matt McCreery.
Campbell usually runs the first leg on the 1,600 relay, but the anchor of the squad was ill and could not compete.
“We’ve been working hard all season, and this was an important meet,” Campbell said. “I ran as fast as I could. I’m happy with my times. Actually, running the anchor in the 1,600 was a lot of fun. The racing was pretty intense.”
Greensburg Salem’s Aaron Tressler repeated as 3,200 champion, and Donavin Waller repeated as triple jump champion. The Golden Lions, who finished second to Hempfield in the team standings (78-74.5), also had two other champions: Junior Cody Rubrecht won the 100 and Charles Johnson the 1,600.
Waller was named the MVP of the field. He placed second in the long jump and fifth in the high jump.
Hempfield’s Caleb Prola was a double winner, grabbing the 200 and 400. Senior Dan Sierk won the shot put and Peyton Murray discus.
Ligonier Valley boys won the Class 2A team title. Senior Miles Higgins, who also competed in the Penn Relays, where he finished fourth with a throw of 190 in the javelin, won his third consecutive title with a throw of 187-1. Teammate John Jablunovsky won the high jump.
“It was a great experience to compete at the Penn Relays,” Higgins said. “I’m glad to start facing tough competition. It’s great to be a three-time county champion. It was a good day.”
Other winners included Hempfield’s Cydney Blahovec in the 800, Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto in the triple jump, Penn-Trafford’s Chloe Bonson in the 3,200, Kiski Area’s Antonio Giordano in the 800, Latrobe’s Daylan Yeager in the pole vault and Southmoreland’s Isaac Trout in the long jump.
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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