Westmoreland track and field notebook: William Huss sets Derry 400 mark

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 18, 2018 | 6:30 PM

Since Derry senior William Huss was a freshman, he has been eyeing the 400-meter school record owned by Andrew Downey.

Downey doesn't own it any longer. Huss broke it with his second-place performance in the WPIAL Class AA track and field championships at Baldwin.

Huss' time was 51.09 seconds. Downey's was 51.15.

Huss wasn't the only silver medalist. Senior Shawn Broadway placed second in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles.

And William Huss and Broadway were on the 1,600-meter relay team that finished second. Elliot Kott, who placed third in the 800, and Justin Huss were the others.

Justin Huss finished fifth in the 400, and he will take aim at his brother's record. William Huss placed fifth in the 200.

“We all came here hoping to run well and set personal records,” William Huss said. “Qualifying for the state meet is a bonus.”

Wildcats roar

Three Latrobe relay teams stood tall at the WPIAL track and field championships.

The girls 400 relay team of Elisha McCoy, Faith Mucci, Brooke Garris and Gabby Wirick placed fifth, meeting the state qualifying standard, and the boys 400 and 1,600 relays qualified.

The 400 team of Joe Piper, Zakharee Williams, Mitchel Carl and Anthony Fannie placed third, and the 1,600 team of Piper, Carl, Williams and Collin Wilson was second to North Allegheny.

The girls squad broke their record.

Williams (200), Mucci (200), Wirick (200), Carl (400) and Sadie Wetzel (high jump) also qualified for states in individual events.

Good Knights

Norwin track coach Brian Fleckenstein knew it would take a good effort to get athletes to the state meet.

He had to wait for the final race of the championship to qualify the boys.

That's when the 1,600 relay team, the 2017 state champions, of Logan Huss, Gianni Rizzo, Ian Brown and Brady Schmitt qualified by finishing third.

“We knew we had some outstanding shots,” Fleckenstein said. “It was a long day, and I'm proud of the athletes that advanced.”

The girls 400 relay team of Jessica Kolesar, Emily Brozeski, Kayla Singer and Jordyn Turkovski placed fourth running in the second heat and not in the faster third heat.

Kolesar also qualified in the long and triple jumps, Brozeski in the 100 and 300 hurdles and Lexi Gray in the triple jump. Gray placed second, and Kolesar was third in the triple jump.

Ligonier Valley gold

Ligonier Valley senior Rachel Horrell was having an all right season. That changed when she won the District 6 Class AA triple jump with a season-best leap of 38 feet, 7 1⁄2 inches.

Horrell also plays volleyball and basketball.

She wasn't the only champion.

Mack Ankney won the pole vault, and the 400 and 1,600 relay teams took top honors.

Avery Arnone picked up silver medals by in the 200 and 400.

Arnone and Elliot Rost are on both relay teams. The others on the 400 team are Zach Beitel and Aaron Tutino, and rounding out the 1,600 team are Dylan Rummel and Lucas Rashilla.

Shippesnburg bound

A list of other area athletes who qualified for the PIAA championship:

Greensburg Salem: Cameron Binda (1,600), Mark Brown (1,600), Dylan Binda (1,600), Malia Anderson (800) and Erica Steele (pole vault); Hempfield: Jared Bannon (110 hurdles), Zach Sattiaux (pole vault), Bailey Traczynski (100 hurdles), Rebecca Pyo (high jump), Jenna Uncapher (high jump), Rachel Hutchinson (shot put), Mackenna Orie (shot put and discus), Molly DeBone (pole vault) and Eudel Moreta (200 and long jump); Franklin Regional: Jacob Shedd (triple and long jumps), Matt Busche (800), Tyrese Kohlman (200), Sterling Simek (800), Rayna Jordan (shot put) and Tiffany Jolayemi (discus); Penn-Trafford: Evan McAlister (discus); Mt. Pleasant: Maddy Lorince (javelin); Southmoreland: Chase Calhoun (shot put); Greensburg Central Catholic: Lauren Ritenour (pole vault), Aiden Brewer (800 and pole vault), Mani Snyder (pole vault) and Keeley Maloney (200); and Belle Vernon: Hunter Martin (long jump) and Hannah Seitzinger (400).

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.