Several WPIAL athletes earn top honors at weekend indoor track events

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, January 22, 2018 | 4:09 PM

Athletes from several dozen WPIAL and City League teams descended on Edinboro University on Saturday for the first Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet of the indoor season.

Mother Nature cooperated and allowed the participants to travel after adverse weather prevented the first two TSTCA meets Jan. 6 and 13 from taking place.

The Jan. 13 meet has been rescheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. at Edinboro.

Western Pennsylvania athletes did have the chance to compete at a pair of events earlier in the season — the Hempfield Spartans Shot Put, Pole Vault and Weight Throw event Dec. 19 and Youngstown State’s high school meet Jan. 6.

Saturday’s event at Edinboro saw several from the WPIAL earn first-place finishes.

Taking home top honors from the WPIAL were Upper St. Clair junior Jane Madson (girls 200-meter dash), Latrobe’s Faith Mucci (girls 400 dash), Pine-Richland’s girls 800 relay, Butler’s girls 1,600 and 3,200 relays, Oakland Catholic junior Jayla Ellis (girls 60 hurdles) and North Allegheny sophomore Casey Burton (60 dash, long jump).

Also taking home first-place finishes from the WPIAL were South Fayette senior Rachel Helbling (800 run), Upper St. Clair’s girls distance medley relay, Hempfield senior Molly DeBone (pole vault) and Baldwin senior Laurel Bristow (shot put).

On the boys side, several WPIAL athletes bested the competition, including Bethel Park senior James Krandel (60 dash, 200 dash), South Fayette senior Sam Snodgrass (3,000 run), Latrobe junior Zakharee Williams (400 dash), West Mifflin’s 800 relay, North Allegheny’s 1,600 relay, Mt. Lebanon’s 3,200 relay and North Allegheny senior Ayden Owens (60 hurdles, long jump).

Also picking up victories were North Allegheny senior Zach Ehling (800 run), Butler’s distance medley relay, Mt. Lebanon sophomore Mason Ventrone (high jump), Indiana junior Joey Bujdos (mile) and Baldwin senior Nick Lachut (pole vault).

WPIAL competitors also made the trip to Youngstown State on Saturday for its second high school meet.

Winners from the WPIAL at YSU included Penn Hills senior Alex Trower (boys 60 dash, 200 dash), Mt. Lebanon junior Molly Mangan (girls 200 dash), Winchester Thurston senior Tristan Forsythe (boys 1,600 run), North Hills senior Amberly Valeriano (girls 60 hurdles, long jump), Mt. Lebanon’s girls 3,200 relay and Penn Hills senior Jaden Rouse (boys triple jump),

Hempfield is scheduled host additional shot put, pole vault and weight throw events Tuesday and Feb. 13, and Butler is set to host a pole vault competition Thursday.

The fourth TSTCA meet will be Feb. 10, the same day as the third high school meet at Youngstown State.

The TSTCA Indoor Championship meet is set for Feb. 17 at Edinboro. The fourth YSU high school meet is that day, as well.

The Pennsylvania high school indoor season concludes Feb. 25 with the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association Championships in State College.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Hempfield Area, Latrobe, Mt. lebanon, North Hills, Penn Hills, South Fayette, Winchester Thurston