WPIAL approves spring championship sites, adopts split schedule for individual track meet

By: Chris Harlan
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | 4:25 PM

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The WPIAL individual track and field championships will be run midweek this spring and have a split schedule, with Class 2A starting first and 3A later in the day.

Those were among the changes approved Wednesday when the WPIAL board finalized championship sites for spring sports, a list that features a number of familiar venues. The pandemic forced the WPIAL to hold fall and winter championships on high school campuses, but spring sports will return to college and professional facilities.

“For those spring sports that lost out last year, we are happy to return to some of those venues where they get a great championship experience,” WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said.

The baseball championships are June 1-2 at Wild Things Park in Washington, softball finals are June 2-3 at Cal (Pa.), girls and boys lacrosse are May 26-27 at Robert Morris and boys volleyball is May 27 at Fox Chapel.

The WPIAL individual track meet is May 19 at Slippery Rock University. The team championships are May 12 with Class 2A at Peters Township and 3A at West Mifflin.

The track finals will be on Wednesdays. Going to a Wednesday could help schools using a hybrid schedule for classes, Scheuneman said.

“Wednesdays are asynchronous days, so they may miss less school,” she said.

Scheuneman said schools will receive an updated scheduled this week. The one-day meet will end under the lights around 9 p.m.

WPIAL scholarship winners

The WPIAL announced 10 boys and 10 girls as winners of the annual WPIAL/James Collins Scholar Athlete Award during Wednesday’s annual meeting with school administrators.

Each receives a $1,000 scholarship.

The girls winners were Brooke Bauer of Knoch, Danielle Bryant of Pine-Richland, Isabella Gera of Hempfield, Julia Hauck of Penn-Trafford, Jacquelyn Jardini of Sewickley Academy, Nadia Lape of Mohawk, Tegan Poerio of The Ellis School, Melissa Riggins of Shady Side Academy, Sophia Shi of Upper St. Clair and Jenna Vogen of Canon-McMillan.

Winning the boys awards were Colin Barrett of Mt. Lebanon, Jake Bode of Peters Township, Gideon Deasy of Riverview, Dalton Dobyns of Moon, Evan Lewis of Elizabeth Forward, Connor McMahon of Canon-McMillan, Jake Pugh of Thomas Jefferson, Charley Rossi of South Fayette, Teddy Ruffner of Mars and Matt Turzai of North Allegheny.

Board election results

Moon athletic director Ron Ledbetter and Trinity athletic director Ricci Rich are joining the WPIAL board.

The two newcomers were among 10 candidates who won at-large seats in WPIAL election results announced Wednesday. Joining them on the 19-person board are Seneca Valley athletic director Heather Lewis, Mars AD Scott Heinauer, Peters Township AD Brian Geyer, West Allegheny AD Dave McBain, Chartiers Valley assistant superintendent Scott Seltzer, Hopewell principal Michael Allison, Woodland Hills AD Ron Coursey and North Hills superintendent Patrick Mannerino.

All eight are current board members. Each was reelected for a one-year term that starts in July.

There were 16 candidates on the ballot, the largest group in recent years.

The at-large seats are voted on by school administrators. Nine other board seats that weren’t on the ballot represent constituencies such as school boards, game officials and superintendents.

The WPIAL will have a new superintendents representative next school year. McKeesport superintendent Mark Holtzman will join the board when the two-year term of Beaver Falls’ Donna Nugent end this summer.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.