4/14 WKND: Gerlach US#4 4:49.85 1600, Shuey US#3 JT, Felpel US#5 SP, Brown US#5 TJ, Magaha US#8 800

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport

Almost perfect conditions during the combined Greater Latrobe Wildcat and Hempfield Area Lady Spartan invitationals contributed to an assault on the records books and the 2012 state rankings.

Kiski Area’s distance corps got the record barrage rolling with a PA#3 8:00.10 in the boys 3,200-meter relay, with standout Brent Kennedy’s second leg putting the Cavaliers ahead for good. Hours later, the sophomore and teammate Richard Lednak traded early pacing work with North Allegheny’s Logan Steiner in an exciting 3,200 run. Steiner and Kennedy broke free with less than 1,200 meters left. It was a two-man battle before Kennedy powered away in the final 250, clocking a PA#5 9:31.79 in only his second career metric 2-mile run to Steiner’s PA#10 9:35.56.

Sprinters from the same schools were part of a blanket finish in the boys 100 dash as two more of the 28 meet or stadium records fell. Kiski Area’s Logan Haines nipped North Allegheny’s Kyle Shivetts and Woodland Hills’ Tyrell Jones, with a 10.99 effort beating a pair of 11.00s.

Greater Latrobe’s Jeff Elam shook off the disappointment of false-starting in the 110 high hurdle final – after running PA#5 14.87 in the prelims – with two state-ranking runs. His victory in the 300 hurdles was in a PA#3 38.38, while his runner-up 22.45 in the 200 dash chased home Shivetts’ PA#3 22.05 blast and followed a PA#6 22.33 effort in qualifying.

In one of the meet’s most resounding victories, Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center continued her preparation for this month’s Penn Relays with a 4:53.60 effort in the 1,600, opening a noticeable cushion at the break line and never looking back. Autumn Greba of Norwin was next in a PA#4 5:09.60.

Piccirillo also lowered her season- and state-best 800 time to 2:14.75 in another front-running victory. Hanna Green of Greater Latrobe was second in a PA#7 2:19.26 after winning at half the distance in a PA#9 59.22.

The girls pole vault was high flying as Larisa Debich of Hempfield Area slipped over a state-best 12-8 to defeat the PA#2 12-0 from Norwin’s Kasey Kemp and the PA#3 11-6 by teammate Lexi Masterson. Maddie Holmberg of Hempfield Area won the 100 hurdles in PA#8 15.59, the 300s in PA#7 46.65 and the long jump as the host Lady Spartans claimed the team crown by more than 100 points.

In the boys 400 relay, team champion Kiski Area was dominant. The foursome’s 43.02 was good for PA#1, meet and stadium records, and victory by 0.99 seconds. Hempfield Area turned in a PA#5 49.69 on the girls side to Mt. Lebanon’s PA#9 50.01.

Wil Bailey of Penn Hills was credited with a PA#4 effort of 1:55.64 in the 800, winning by almost five seconds over teammate and 1,600 victor Dylin Wilhoite. Another teammate – Savon Salter – posted a PA#4 38.89 for second in the 300 hurdles.

Hempfield Area’s Jasmine Jones won both sprints, with her 25.54 in the 200 checking in at PA#5. The Lady Spartans closed out the meet with their 1,600 relay unit covering the distance in PA#10 4:07.10.

Zach Pressel of Northern Bedford cleared a PA#5 6-6 for the high jump win, while Isaiah Brooks of Woodland Hills won the long jump in PA#4 21-10.75 and Greg King of Franklin Regional won the triple jump in PA#6 44-6.5 as three were at 44 feet or better. The 36-9 victory in the triple jump by Hempfield Area’s Lauren George was worth PA#7.

Teammate Max Adams controlled the throws, with a 161-0 victory in the discus at PA#5 and his 53-8.5 heave in the shot a PA#6. Hempfield Area’s Natalie Shiffler went PA#7 129-8 in the javelin and won the high jump, while Norwin’s Martina Milcec was the shot put winner in PA#4 38-10.

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport

Western PA Coverage Presented by Mojo Running & Multisport