Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon runners win WPIAL titles
By Eleanor Bailey/Staff Nick Wolk set the winning pace during the 3,200-meter run during the WPIAL Class AAA track and field championships. The Peters Township won the race and is qualified for the PIAA championships to be held May 27-28 in Shippensburg.
Raja Rutherford flashes a smile on the podium after finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash. The Seton-La Salle senior also scored fourth in the 100 run, but her second-place showing in the long jump earned her a berth in the PIAA championships, to be held May 27-28 in Shippensburg.
Considering what Upper St. Clair coach Doug Petrick observed during the WPIAL track and field championships, then rival coach Justin Pinto should have high hopes for his Peters Township athletes, particularly Nick Wolk, during this weekend’s PIAA championships in Shippensburg.
Wolk was one of a handful of area champions at the WPIAL finals. The Peters Township senior and Pitt recruit won the 3,200-meter race at the district finals held at Baldwin.
“Nick delievered, as usual,” Petrick said. “He won convincingly and looked so smooth the entire race. If you enjoy running,” continued the Upper St. Clair coach, “then you can really appreciate how Nick grinds so hard in every race he’s in.”
Wolk weathered strong showings by Mt. Lebanon’s Todd Gunzenhauser (sixth) and South Fayette’s Sam Blechman (eighth) and triumphed in the eight-lap race. The Peters Township senior won the two-mile race in 9:13.68, three full seconds ahead of North Allegheny’s Marc Migliozzi.
Wolk leads a list of four other PT medalists into this weekend’s PIAA championships. The other Peters Township individuals qualified for states are Caroline Curran, who was fifth in the 100-meter high hurdles; Laura Ehrenberger, third in the 800 run; Hannah Falcione, third in the triple jump; and Chloe Grzyb, seventh in the 1,600.
“These athletes have a great chance to end their season on a very high note,” Pinto said.
“Just making it to the PIAA meet is a huge accomplishment. We are looking for them to have their best times and jumps of the year.”
Mt. Lebanon has equally high expectations. The Blue Devils scored victories at the WPIAL championships in the 800-meter race, with Claire Dougherty defending her title and anchoring the winning 4×800 relay team of Sadie Saxton, Leah Graf and Aoife-Ruby Dunne. It was the school’s third consecutive title, with Dougherty a member of each relay.
“Mt. Lebanon’s girls had a fantastic day,” Petrick said. “Claire really stood out, helping her relays earn a trip to states. She’s so focused every time she stepped on the track.”
Also for the Lebo ladies, Sarah Rolfsen and Molly Mangan qualified in the 200 dash, finishing fourth and sixth in the district. Rolfsen, Mangan, Dougherty and Keara Mangan are also qualified in the 4×400 relay. The unit finished fourth in the WPIAL and clocked a 3:56.12, which shattered the previous school record of 3:58 set in last year’s championships.
“Individually,” said Lebo coach Oscar Shutt, “Claire will look to medal at states in the 800 for the second straight year. Sarah and Molly will look to advance in the 200 against many talented individuals from the eastern part of the state.”
Schutt noted that Molly Mangan finished 11th in the 200 during the indoor state meet held in February. Additionally, both relays are seeded in the Top 15.
“So their goal is to try to advance to the second day and be in the medal hunt,” he said.
Experience should help Patrick Kimball and Todd Gunzenhauser. Kimball secured silver medals in the 100 high and 300 intermediate hurdles during the WPIAL championships while Gunzenhauser qualified again for states in the two-mile.
“They are veterans of the state meet and look to medal,” said Shutt.
Meanwhile, Joshua Kalapos and Ian Harris earned their first trips to Shippensburg. They finished fourth (4:21.78) and fifth (4:23.64), respectively, in the 1,600 run during the district finals.
“They aim to improve on their PR’s,” said Shutt.
While he enjoyed watching the South Hills athletes perform well enough at the district meet to advance to states, Petrick was particularly pleased with his own qualifiers: Keith Leckenby, Harvey Kane and Savannah Shaw.
Leckenby placed second in the 400 (49.99), losing the gold by a slim margin against Brennon Hill of Penn Hills (49.80). He also earned eighth in the 100-meter dash.
The senior captain’s time of 11.28 tied him for all-time fastest in the USC’s record book. His 400 time ranks in the top four.
“Keith has placed his name all over the USC indoor and spring track and field record books,” Petrick said. “He has worked with Coach Terry Jackson all year long to improve his sprinting skills.”
Leckenby also pitched in on the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
“Advancing to states was the next logical step for Keith,” said Petrick. “Last year, he made it to Shippensburg but this year, the goal is to bring home some hardware from states.”
Thanks to Greg Wagner and Matt Cosgrove, Kane improved. The USC assistant coaches are excited to see how he will perform at Shippensburg.
At the WPIAL championships, Kane broke the school’s long jump record set by Adam Chrissis in 2007. His jump of 22 feet, 4.75 inches earned him second place in the district. Kane also competed in the high jump and on two relays during the WPIAL finals.
“Harvey did a fantastic job advancing to states,” Petrick said. “It’s his first year on the track team and with his skill set, he’s been a great addition. He’s a talented athlete and a team player. Harvey is calm under pressure and he thrives at big competitions. As a result, we expect him to improve on his marks at states.”
Expectations are also high for Shaw. The sophomore competed in two relays and the 1,600-meter run in the WPIAL finals. She placed fourth in the mile and punched her ticket to states. Her time of 5:06.39 places her fourth all-time on the USC record books.
According to Petrick, when assistants Sean O’Rourke and Jackson placed Shaw in the 4×800 and 4×400 relays, she honed her finishing kick while still developing her aerobic engine for the mile.
“In addition to talent, Savannah brings a leadership aspect to the team,” Petrick said, noting her peers voted her a captain this spring. “She has competed in three events at every meet she’s participated. Just another example of her character. At Shippensburg, we expect she will be in the hunt to advance to finals and run for a medal.”
Helbling wins
Rachel Helbling also hopes to be in the hunt for a medal at the PIAA championships after she dominated the 400-meter race during the WPIAL finals. Thanks to a fast start, the South Fayette sophomore won the event for the second year in a row with a 56.54 time.
“The start is important and I’ve been working hard on it because it hasn’t been the best for me last year,” said Helbling, who finished 12th in last year’s state finals. “I try to get out stronger and work the back straightaway and the curves,” she said. “I want to maintain my speed and have a strong kick at the end.”
A few other Lions had a strong kick at the district finals. Mikey Speca finished fifth in the 100-meter dash while Amanda Oliver scored sixth. Hannah Kenawell earned eighth in the 800 and Tori Valachovic took third in the intermediate hurdles. The Lions’ 4×100 and 4×400 girls’ relays managed eighth and fifth respectively.
In field events, Hailey Blair and Courtney Phoenik were sixth and seven in the high jump; Sam Mastro was fifth in the discus and seventh in the shot put.
CV advances five
Joe Westrick and Laurel Dinnen along with the 4×800 relay will represent Chartiers Valley at the PIAA championships.
Dinnen took second in the javelin during the WPIAL finals and is expected to be in the hunt for a medal at states, says her coach Lori Poe. “She has worked really hard to get to this point and has been throwing well throughout the whole season and has been taking it up a notch in the post season.”
Westrick finished fourth in the 3,200 run. Since all eight finishers qualified, Poe anticipates an exciting race at states. “Joe is continuing to drop time and based on his training and performance he will be in the hunt for a medal,” she said. “We have some really talented guys from our side of the state who should all be in the hunt for medals in 3200. Also, I think the 3200 guys from Western PA will have a step up on the rest of the competition based on their familiarity of running against each other. They are used to running and racing against each other so they will be pushing each other to get our guys on the medal stand.”
Westrick also anchored CV’s long-distance relay, which finished third in the district. Elias Zajicek, Matt Thomas and Micah Colson also comprise the 4×800 unit. “The gooal is for them to qualify for finals and fight for a medal,” Poe said. “Ultimately we have to keep running faster and dropping times, which we continue to do.”
Bethel Park and Canon-McMillan track and field athletes earned medals at the WPIAL championships. Some also met the qualifying standards for states. Among those top performers were:
• Chyna Beck. The Canon-McMillan standout finished fourth in the high hurdles and fifth in the 200 meters and gained a berth in the PIAA championships.
• Elizabeth Hathaway of Canon-Mac was eighth in the discus.
• Kathryn Kimes of Bethel Park was eighth in the pole vault.
• Brendan Todd from Bethel Park finished seventh in the high jump, eighth in the high hurdles and seventh in the triple jump.
• Seth Anderson and Michael Trax of Canon-Mac finished fifth and eighth respectively in the long jump while Zach Taylor of Bethel Park took sixth.
• Rahmiere Knight of Canon-Mac was fourth in the triple jump.
• CM’s 4-x100 relay secured seventh in the boys’ competition.
Rutherford stars
Raja Rutherford qualified for the PIAA Class AA track and field championships. The Seton-La Salle senior earned her berth in long jump. She finished second with a mark of 17 feet, 7.5 inches.
Rutherford also medaled in the sprints. She finished fourth in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 12.25 and 25.38.
Other top performers in the Class AA competition included:
• Macy Mazutis and Jordan Simpson from Chartiers-Houston-seventh in the 100 dash and seventh in the javelin, respectively.
• Tara Gologram and Selena Canello from Keystone Oaks-eighth in the 100 dash and seventh in the 200 run respectively. Also from KO, Danielle Super secured seventh in the pole vault.