Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy athletes made 2024 a golden year to remember
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Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 11:01 AM
On Jan. 1, Trib HSSN published its annual list of athletes who won WPIAL championships in the previous year. Seven Quaker Valley athletes and one at Sewickley Academy were included.
At QV, Cecilia Montagnese starting things off in the fall season by taking first place in the girls cross country finals.
“I’m so happy to have won the WPIAL. It was a complete surprise for me, and I’m really proud of my race,” Montagnese said afterwards. “I went into the race knowing I could run a fast time but didn’t know how fast it would end up being. This is my last WPIAL race on this course. I just had a good mindset going in, and I just left it all on the course. I felt good running.”
Montagnese was a WPIAL qualifier in cross country four times in her high school career and made it to states three times.
She propelled QV into a tie with Neshannock with a league-record 10 WPIAL individual championships, joining Ellen Cogswell (1994), Julie Dickhans (2003), Maxine Markfield (2000, 2001, 2022) Sarah Miller (2009), Anna Pawloski (2016) and Annie Wicker (2017, 2018) as QV titlists.
“Cecilia had an outstanding performance,” QV coach Ryan Kelly said. “Her dedication and training clearly paid off, and she demonstrated great competitive spirit throughout the race with an amazing time. We as coaches are so proud of her on this remarkable achievement.”
Montagnese’s time was a career-best 17.56.2.
The QV tandem of Kirsten Close and Avery Allan also created a racket in girls tennis in the fall by coasting to the doubles championship.
Jack Kazalas was the lone QV athlete to earn a district title in the winter season, battling his way to first place at 133 pounds in the wrestling tournament.
Turning to the springtime, three QV athletes plus two relay units finished first in their track and field specialties.
Mia Gartley won her second WPIAL crown in the girls high jump event while Jay Olawaiye was No. 1 in the girls triple jump.
Gartley’s brother, Davin, crossed the finish line ahead of the pack in the boys 110-meter hurdles finals.
And the boys 1,600 relay team — Gartley, Jayden Juliano, James Irwin and Clark LaLomia — and 3,200 relay team — River Capek, Jackson Pethel, Jonah Montagnese and LaLomia — also took first place.
Severin Harmon, representing Sewickley Academy, was medalist at the boys golf tournament.
Switching to the team category, five squads from Quaker Valley and one from Sewickley Academy reeled in WPIAL titles led by the QV girls track and field team with an impressive third consecutive championship.
QV also earned district crowns in girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys cross country and boys track and field.
The Sewickley boys tennis team won its second WPIAL championship in a row.
Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy
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