Friday, 4/22: Butler Track and Field Invitational
Seneca Valley's Mike Kolor leads a deep 1600 at Butler (Photo by Phil Grove)
BOYS: Jordan Geist is back in action. This weekend, the Knoch junior returns to the circle at Butler High School for the 52nd installment of the annual meet. Geist last competed in an invitational setting on 4/2 when he broke the outdoor state record. Surely he's looking for more this time around. 71-9.25 is his mark to beat. Greensburg Salem's Monta Lawson and Knoch's Brennan McTighe will also throw. Those three will also return for the discus.
A few other indoor state champions will be competing in the field. McDowell's Caleb Sanford will look to follow up on his win last week at TSTCA Champs. He cleared 14-6 for a PA#4 last week. West Mifflin's Micah Watts jumped 21-4 in the long jump in his season opener last week and the indoor LJ champ will look to improve on that this week. Watts is also entered in the high jump and the 100 and 200. He's the top seed in everything he'll compete in.
Jace Roundtree of Kiski Area ran a nice PA#2 last week at Latrobe and he's back at it this week in the 110 high hurdles. Slippery Rock's Fred Urbaniak and Wheeling Park (WV)'s Richard Cummings are also in that field.
The 1600 is one of the more loaded events of the day. It's headlined by Seneca Valley's Mike Kolor. It'll be Kolor's first time in an invitational setting since indoors and the start of the final season for the Harvard-bound senior. Sewickley's Griffin Mackey, Kiski's Eric Kennedy, Winchester's Tristan Forsythe and Will Loevner, and Mount Lebanon's Todd Gunzenhauser are all in the field. Mackey and Loevner are also entered in the 3200. In the 800, look for Penn Hills' Isaiah Bailey and Fox Chapel's Michael Bove in what could be a fast race.
GIRLS: In the hurdles, Sewickley's Summer Thorpe will be the top seed in her first invite races since the Warrior Classic earlier this month.
Look out for Hunter Robinson of Avonworth/Northgate. The sophomore transfer from Georgia ran 54.30 as a freshman in the 400. She's entered in the 100, 200, and 400 on Friday and should be primed to make some noise.
The distance events should be closely contested. Vincentian Academy's Marianne Abdalah is entered in both the 1600 and 3200. Villa Maria's Claire Brown, North Hills' Ava Pietrzyk, Eden Christian's Lauren Gronbeck, and Knoch's Mandi Moxi, among others are also in the 1600. Groneck, Pietryzk, and Greensburg Salem's Riley Kwiatkowski are in the 3200. In the 800, Claire and Grace Brown of Villa Maria are the top seeds.
In the throws, Moniteau's Maura Kimmel is entered in the shot put and discus. She's the top seed and will shoot for the double win, but Burrell's Elizabeth Weimer will be a more than formidable opponent.
In the long jump, Baldwin's Kaden Hinish is favored, while West Mifflin's Chandler Killins is the top seed in the triple jump. In the pole vault, watch for the McDowell duo of Nada Buntic and Bryanna Burns are the top seeds.