Shady Side Academy track teams aim high

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Jeff Perlis would like to make a trip to the New Balance Nationals, a long weekend for the Shady Side Academy track team. The Bulldogs coach said the school will have a larger contingent competing this summer than it did last year, when Chelsea Hartman was the only qualifier.

Francesca Pietragallo, a freshman sprinter, qualified in her age group. The Bulldogs’ 3,200-meter relay team, consisting of Charlotte Barker, Sarah Kushnir, Ella Van Norman and Rhyley Bendel, also qualified as a distance medley relay team.

On the boys side, Javon Johnston has a spot in the triple jump and long jump.

“The group of girls that I coach are tremendously motivated by the process of a trip,” Perlis said. “It’s a huge carrot for them. Last year, we went to the Penn Relays to see Franklin Field and soak that experience in. We couldn’t go this year because of scheduling reasons.”

But Shady Side Academy has plenty of goals left before the summer season starts. The Bulldogs would like to find success at the WPIAL Class 2A championships. The 3,200 relay team recently won the Pine-Richland Invitational with a time of 9 minutes, 38.53 seconds.

Perlis said the athletes on that team take their events seriously. He said the 3,200 relay team is dedicated to breaking the school record in the event that was set in 2018.

“They are really goal oriented,” Perlis said. “They aim high all the time. They like working hard with one another. I often find myself trying to spin things in a more positive light with them, given how high they aim. We won the Pine-Richland meet by 13 or 14 seconds, but they were disappointed they missed the school record by two seconds.”

Bendel and Maria Ravotti were Shady Side Academy’s two highest finishers at the Pine-Richland event. Bendel finished seventh in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:23.07. Ravotti finished seventh in the high jump with a leap of 5-2.

On the boys’ side, Harlan Cooper placed third in the 3,200 with a time of 10:18.05. Johnston finished third in the long jump with a leap of 21-5.

Perlis is excited to see how his group will handle the postseason.

“They have high aspirations and we’ll see where that takes us,” Perlis said. “They hold themselves to a high standard every day. That’s fun to coach.”

Tags: Shady Side Academy