North Allegheny track team counts on talented group of throwers

By: John Grupp
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

North Allegheny is known for its distance runners, but some of the Tigers’ most valuable athletes only travel about 8 feet.

The throwers for the North Allegheny track and field team, while not as acclaimed as the school’s decorated runners, are a key reason the Tigers went undefeated in Section 3-3A in boys and girls competition. Both squads brought home the silver medal from the WPIAL Class 3A team championships May 6 at West Mifflin.

“The throwers are a group you can count on,” NA coach John Neff said. “We’re at a high point right now. We’ve had great groups in the past, but I’d put this group up against any group we’ve had — and any group in the WPIAL.”

While their teammates are running as many as 3,200 meters or jumping and vaulting through the air, the throwers — discus, shot put and javelin — perform in a tight circle or on a runway. They often practice and compete on remote fields, away from the main action of the meet, but their contributions are felt in the scores.

“It means a lot, and it feels really good to help the team,” said junior Audrey Maxwell, ranked No. 1 in the discus in the WPIAL as of May 1. “I love to support the other throwers and cheer them on. We definitely have a close bond, and we are able to motivate each other to do our best.”

They did their part at the WPIAL team championships. The girls throwers outscored Norwin, Butler and South Fayette by a combined 78-3, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers to win their fourth straight WPIAL team title. The boys topped Butler, 17-10, Norwin, 16-11, and Mt. Lebanon, 16-11, in the Tigers’ runner-up finish.

North Allegheny boasts top-end talent and quality depth. Maxwell and fellow junior Taylor Neese were ranked No. 1 in the girls discus and the shot put, respectively, in the WPIAL top performance list.

On the boys side, senior Jack Yatchenko, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound Princeton football recruit, is among the WPIAL’s best throwers. All three are expected to contend for gold medals at the WPIAL Class 3A track and field individual championships May 14 at Slippery Rock. The finals were held after deadline for this edition.

“Jack is a great big kid,” Neff said. “He’s really strong. His weight-room numbers are off the chart. A kid like that is going to have success. But he works on his technique like anyone. We’ve had people who are big and strong and have just been OK. Jack has great technique.”

The throwers get top-notch instruction from Neff and assistant coaches Bill Burns (shot and discus), Justin Eskra (javelin) and Jim Neese, a former Pitt decathlete and the father of Taylor and freshman thrower Emma Neese.

“When it comes to the throws,” Burns said, “everything boils down to technique and putting in the time at practice to be successful.”

The hard work is paying off. The throwers played a big role in the Tigers’ sweep at the WPIAL team semifinals April 30. The boys throwers outscored Knoch, Baldwin and New Castle by a combined 64-17, and the girls throwers outscored Hempfield, Knoch, Upper St. Clair and Blackhawk, 91-17.

“They come through, no matter what,” Neff said. “They are always there. They matter, and they are a big part of the team.”

Yatchenko placed first in the shot put and second in the discus at the WPIAL team finals. He took third in both events at the Baldwin Invitational on May 2.

Maxwell won the discus at Baldwin for the second straight year, with a personal-best toss of 126 feet, 3 inches. She also placed second out of 94 throwers at the Butler Invitational. She will compete in the discus and the shot put at WPIALs.

“Audrey is going to go down as one of the greats in North Allegheny history by the time she’s done,” Neff said. “Honestly, she’s good right now, and she’s only scratching the surface.”

Neff also is excited about Taylor Neese. She placed first in the shot put at the WPIAL team finals, won the event at the Wildcat/Spartan Invitational and took second at Baldwin. Last spring, as a sophomore, she was third in the WPIAL and fifth in the state in the shot put. She also has qualified for the WPIALs in the discus.

“Taylor is going to be lights out,” Neff said. “She is moving in the right direction at the right time. She’s going to be really good in the end, when it counts.”

Other athletes were also scheduled to represent North Allegheny at the WPIAL individual championships. Junior Callan Bunger, who placed first at the team semifinals with a personal-best javelin toss of 168-2, punched his ticket. Senior Dylan Bobak-Rouce was also WPIAL-bound in the javelin. The Orlando brothers, junior Nathan and freshman Nolan, were on the bubble in the discus after each surpassing 130 feet while placing fifth and sixth, respectively, at the Baldwin Invitational.

Anna Fiffik, a senior, and Emma Neese were in good shape in the javelin, and sophomore Amara Daugherty was on the fringe in the event.

Maxwell, who placed eighth at the WPIAL discus last year, said her goal is to hit 128 feet this spring. She started throwing as an eighth grader and proved to be a natural.

“I did track camps growing up and when I was in eighth grade, I was like, ‘Those were fun, so I might as well join the team,’ ” Maxwell said. “I ended up being really good at it, so I just stuck with it.”

Repeated practice and hard work enhanced her. Maxwell went from being plodding and “way slower” in the 8-foot discus circle to a fast, powerful thrower.

“The greatest thing in my technique is the amount of speed I’m able to get,” she said. “I’m able to hit the right positions really fast and that helps me get a lot of power. I used to be way slower. It was hundreds of reps and just spinning a bunch of times.”

Tags: North Allegheny