Shady Side Academy’s Chelsea Hartman, Fox Chapel’s Rowan Gwin test mettle at New Balance nationals
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Saturday, June 22, 2024 | 10:22 AM
Shady Side Academy’s Chelsea Hartman takes second in the WPIAL Class A girls cross country championship Thursday Oct. 26, 2023, at White Oak Park.
Fox Capel’s Rowan Gwin and Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak celebrate with Butler’s Drew Griffith after Griffith beat the state record in the boys 1,600 meters during the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships Friday, May 24, 2024, at Shippensburg University.
The strategy for the transition from high school to college track wasn’t going to be one that Shady Side Academy track coach Jeff Perlis wanted Chelsea Hartman to take lightly. Competing at the New Balances Outdoor Nationals was a good first step toward adjusting to Brown University.
Hartman competed in three events during the event, which was held at Penn’s Franklin Field. The Shady Side Academy graduate did the best in the 5,000-meter run.
Hartman finished in 10th place with a time of 17 minutes, 16.70 seconds. Perlis made the trip out for the race.
“I think it did a lot for her,” Perlis said. “This wasn’t even dipping a toe in the water — she dove in with both feet. I’d be lying if I said she was prepared 100% for the 5K. We trained for the 2-mile and to win the state meet in that event. She attacked the distance; it caught up to her in the third mile, and she was a little slower.”
Hartman, who won the PIAA Class 2A championship in the 3,200-meter run, also ran in the 2-mile unseeded run and finished in 33rd at 10:56.01. In the 3,000-meter run, Hartman finished in 10:10.26 to place 43rd.
Perlis was happy with how Hartman competed in the 5K.
“Expecting? No. Hoping? Yes,” Perlis said. “She ran cross country, but it was her first time running that distance on the track. We had goals of running about as fast as she did. We thought she could run 17:10 on a good day and 17:20 overall. She was right in between there.”
Appalachian State freshman and Fox Chapel graduate Rowan Gwin competed in the event. He finished 36th in the 1-mile run with a time of 4:13.47.
Gwin also finished 31st in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:55.52.
During Gwin’s senior season with the Foxes, he qualified for the PIAA championships in both cross country and the 1,600-meter run. Gwin placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run.
Tags: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy
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