Franklin Regional track team wants to rewrite record books

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 26, 2018 | 11:00 PM

Franklin Regional installed a new boys and girls track and field records board in the school gymnasium. The board includes names of former athletes and a few current ones, but all of that could change as the season moves forward.

If last season's results meet up with this season's potential, Franklin Regional's track and field team could be the best in school history.

“We're real senior-heavy this year,” said Franklin Regional coach Bob Ralston, in his third season as the Panthers coach. “They're absolutely aware of (how good we can be), and we talk about it. I think that's why so many kids are coming out.”

Ralston isn't lying: The participation numbers are through the roof. If one sees a convoy of Franklin Regional school busses on the road this spring, it might the 128 students who came out for track and field. It is by far the biggest team the Panthers have fielded.

“It's a movement that everybody wants to be a part of,” Ralston said.

The Panthers will compete in Section 5-3A against rivals Central Catholic, Gateway, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Plum and Woodland Hills. The top two teams in each section move on to the WPIAL Class 3A team competition scheduled for May 7 at Baldwin.

The boys lost just a few athletes off of last year's team that finished as one of the best in school history. Franklin Regional finished last season in a tie for the section championship with Penn Hills and Gateway.

“We have an incredible team this year,” senior captain Matt Busche said. “We think this is one of the most talented teams in Franklin Regional history. We have a shot at winning the WPIAL, for sure.”

Busche, a Duquesne cross country and track and field commit, has good reason to be optimistic. He holds the school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 54.86 seconds and is looking to add another in the 1,600.

Busche, who placed third and ninth in the WPIAL and PIAA respectively last season, enters the season as the No. 1-ranked runner in the 800. He said he feels no added pressure as the top 800 runner in WPIAL Class 3A.

“There's certainly some good competition, and I've been training hard but I think that I can get the gold medal in the (800 meters),” Busche said. “I'm looking for the mile record this year. (I) need to trim off 5.5 seconds off my time.”

In addition to Busche, the Panthers have another ringer in senior triple-jumper Jacob Shedd.

Shedd, coming off a second-place showing at WPIALs and ninth place at PIAAs, is the top triple jumper in Class 3A.

Senior Tyrese Kohlman will looking to improve on his third-place WPIAL finish in the 200 dash. He's coming off an indoor season when he finished fifth in the state. Kohlman and Shedd helped started a trend at the school: More football players are beginning to compete in track and field.

Junior Mike Evans and sophomore Zach Gordan are speedsters who have migrated from the football field to the track. Ralston knows they're fast but still doesn't know what he has in them because weather hasn't cooperated enough for his runners to get outside.

“We're getting more football players,” Ralston said. “I think the football coaches finally understand that having football players on the track team is beneficial.”

The girls team isn't as accomplished as the boys but is a strong group of athletes looking to claim their fourth consecutive section title. In addition to welcoming a huge freshman class, Ralston returns 24 of 27 athletes from last year.

Senior Sterling Simek, an Indiana Wesleyan track and cross country commit, is one of the early favorites in the 800. She finished sixth in the event last season.

“I feel really good about this year,” said Simek, one of the captains. “I feel like in every event we have somebody strong.”

Simek is another one looking to rewrite the new records board. She owns the school record in the 800 (2:17.04). She also runs the 400 meters, 3,200 and 1,600 relays.

Simek, junior Madison Arnette, senior captain Julia Petrucci and a yet-to-be-named runner have the potential to break the school record in the 1,600 relay.

Petrucci is also a standout triple-jumper who could find her way to the PIAA meet in late May.

“(The weather's) kind of frustrating, and I've had to do a few tread-mill runs,” Simek said.

Ralston is expecting big things from junior thrower Tiffany Jolayemi. He said she already is throwing WPIAL qualifying distances in the discus.

“These kids, they do everything we ask them to do,” Ralston said. “They want to win. They know this is the year, and they know how senior-heavy they are.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional