2015 WPIAL Individual Track & Field Finals HIGHLIGHTS

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, May 14, 2015 | 9:59 PM

On a day when the sun shined brightly at Baldwin Stadium, there were a number of shining performances from boy athletes at the WPIAL track and field individual championships.

A total of eight championship meet records were broken Thursday. Maybe the nice weather had something to do with the good times in running events and other record performances in a few field events.

Beaver Falls junior Dom Perretta was more like Dominating Peretta as he blew away the competition and set two Class AA records. He broke his own record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 51.50 seconds. He also set a record in the 1,600 at 4:26.55.

Perretta was the only athlete – boy or girl – who set two records.

North Allegheny’s Matt McGoey won the Class AAA 3,200 at 8:56.43 and broke the record of 9:04.45, set by former North Hills star Ian Fitzgerald in 2004.

Fitzgerald also held the 1,600 record of 4:11.97, but Central Catholic’s Jeff Van Kooten borke that with a time of 4:10.72.

“The record was in the back of my mind,” said Van Kooten. “I knew if I would win, I probably would have a good shot at breaking the record, too.”

The other Class AAA boys record was set in the 800 by Fox Chapel’s Elias Graca, who ran 1:52.86.

In Class AA boys, Pitt football recruit Tre Tipton of Apollo-Ridge won the long jump with a meet record of 22-11 ½. He broke the meet record by a quarter inch.

“This definitely has meaning,” said Tipton. “Everyone knows the WPIAL. But it would mean even more to go out and win a state championship.”

Shenango’s Dom Westbay won the Class AA discus with a record throw of 170-4, breaking a record set in 2000.

Knoch sophomore Jordan Geist was hoping to break a 45-year-old record in the shot put of 70-11 ¾. Geist didn’t get the record, but still won with an excellent throw of 65-0 ¾.

Geist also won the Class AAA discus.

In Class AA, Riverview’s Evan Lesnick won the pole vault with a record height of 14-9.

Shenango’s Dom Westbay set a record in the discus with a throw of 170-4.

In girls, four individuals and one relay team set meet records.

Connellsville’s Madison Wiltrout set a national record in the javelin last week with a throw of 185-8. She is one of the track and field sensations in the country now. Wiltrout didn’t reach her national record mark but she still easily broke the WPIAL meet record with a throw of 181-0. She beat the second-place finisher by about 50 feet and smashed the old Class AAA championship meet record of 162-9, set by Elizabeth Forward’s Tori Paterra in 2010.

Latrobe’s Maddy Mueseler won the 300 hurdles with a time of 42.70. Not only was it a championship meet record, it was the best time in WPIAL history.

North Allegheny’s Madeleine Davison set a record in the Class AAA 3,200 at 10:35.55.

Valley’s Ameriah Walters won the 200 with a Class AA record time of 24.81.

The Mt. Lebanon 3,200 relay team of Leah Graf, Azaria Kobile, Grace Tandon and Claire Dougherty set a Class AAA record with a time of 9:13.22.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Beaver Falls, Connellsville, Fox Chapel, Knoch, Latrobe